Young Adult Literature -Historical Fiction-THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE

 

Bibliography

Sepetys, Ruta. (2019).  THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE.  Philomel Books: New York. 

ISBN: 978-0-399-16031-8.

Plot Summary

A story set in Madrid, Spain during the 1950’s. This historical fiction novel gives the reader an insight into life under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.  An American teenager, Daniel Matheson has traveled to Madrid with his parents.  His mother is from Spain and his father is an American oil man hoping to finalize a business deal with Franco.  Daniel’s family is assigned a maid to help them with all of their needs, Ana Moreno.  Daniel and Ana fall in love but it is forbidden. Daniel begins to uncover many secrets but is forced to look the other way or Ana’s family could suffer. Once Franco dies, Spain’s dictatorship begins to fall apart.  Daniel visits Madrid again with his younger sister and is reunited with his true love.

Critical Analysis

Ruta Sepetys’s novel exposes the secrets and silence that was expected of the people of Spain during the 36 year reign of dictator Francisco Franco.  This historical fiction novel tells of a forbidden love but exposes the reality of what life was like in Spain.  The story shows the fear the people had of being caught breaking the law and the distrust they had for each other.  Poverty and hunger were a common thread in all the lives of the Spanish characters in the story.  A part of the story that is difficult to comprehend is the Stolen Children as they are called today.  The government, in conjunction with doctors, nurses, priests, bishops and nuns were taking newborns from unsuspecting parents and putting them in orphanages to be sold to families who will raise them in a good Catholic, Franco approved lifestyle.  There are pictures of Franco, a maternity ward, children in the orphanage, and other pertinent aspects of the story.  As I was reading the novel I realized how all of the secrets people were forced to keep kept them troubled. They were always cautious of what they said or who they spoke to.  At the end of the story, the secrets are revealed and the story becomes happier and lighter to read.  You could almost feel the characters releasing some long held burdens and feeling the happiness it gave them.  This story of love conquers all, family, friendship, and life under a dictatorship is full of many rich characters and is so beautifully written that it is hard to put down.  It is recommended for readers 15 years old and above.  

Review

Praise for The Fountains of Silence:

"Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in Ruta Sepetys’s suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction . . . Like [Shakespeare's family romances], 'The Fountains of Silence' speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." --The New York Times Book Review

“Full of twists and revelations…an excellent story, and timely, too.” --The Wall Street Journal

"A staggering tale of love, loss, and national shame." --Entertainment Weekly

* "[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." --Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "A stunning novel that exposes modern fascism and elevates human resilience." --Kirkus, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." --Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "This richly woven historical fiction . . . will keep young adults as well as adults interested from the first page to the last." --SLC, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "Riveting . . . An exemplary work of historical fiction." --The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "With The Fountains of Silence, Sepetys has once again written gripping historical fiction with great crossover appeal to adult readers, combining impeccable research with sweeping storytelling." --BookPage, *STARRED REVIEW*

Connections

*The role of a dictatorship is vividly depicted.  The book also mentions other dictators like Hitler and Stalin.  A study of the rise and fall of dictators would be an interesting follow up to this story.

*In the Author’s Note Ruta Sepetys discusses the Stolen Children of Spain and Argentina.  She gives the reader some information about organizations that are working to reunite these children with their birth parents.  This would be a topic that could be researched.  

Young Adult Literature Historical Fiction- The Book Thief

 Biography

Zusak, Markus. (2005). THE BOOK THIEF.  Ill. Trudy White.  Alfred A. Knopf: New York.  ISBN: 978-0-399-55652-4.

Plot Summary

THE BOOK THIEF by Murkus Zusak is a historical fiction novel set in Germany during World War II.  The main character, Liesel, and her brother were on a train heading to a foster home in a small town outside of Munich when her brother passed away.  This book is narrated by a very unusual narrator: Death himself. Death starts out with a very grim scene, a train, crowded with people, and a sister and brother sleeping next to each other. Death collects the soul of the boy, leaving the sister scared and miserable. The mother buries her son as soon as she can, and then she continues on her journey to give her daughter away to a foster parent. The girl, named Liesel, is confused and experiences a swirl of emotions as she tries to adjust to this new life, one in Germany during Hitler’s reign. She meets many interesting people, including a boy named Rudy who want a kiss from her, another named Tommy, whose face twitches, the mayor’s wife, who gives her books to read, and Max, a jewish fistfighter who is a shadow in the basement, hiding from the Nazis.

Critical Analysis

The main character of the book is a girl. Her name is Liesel, who provokes empathy and compassion. Books were attractive for this girl. The girl was very curious and liked reading. Liesel Meminger grew up in a strange family.
The book makes you think about the value of life, the bitterness and suffering the devastation that war brings. Human life is precious and short. Peace, love, tranquility – that is what we must cherish, the author points out in his work. And people in all circumstances can and should be a man. Beauty and ugliness of human coexist in the book together. For example, one German gave a piece of bread to a dying Jew – and a Nazi beat them both. The book is much harder, deeper, more varied. The first and foremost it is about words, their incredible power, which can do so much – to kill millions of people or, vice verse, to save.
The value of the book is great. And today the world is not so easy: bloodshed of innocent people. In some countries there is a war, and in the others terrorist acts that lead to human casualties and destructions. The world press appreciated the author’s book and its importance for the present.
This book is recommended for young adult readers 12 years old and above.  

Review Excerpts

KIRKUS REVIEW, starred review - “Beautiful and important.”

THE HORN BOOK, starred review - “Exquisitely written…A tour de force to be not just read but inhabited.”

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL, starred review - “An extraordinary narrative”

Connections

*Topics to be discussed in a book study:

World War II

Character study of Liesel

The training of Hitler Youths

Life in Germany during the war

Friendships in the books - Liesel and Rudy and Ruby’s foster father Hans and Erik Vandenburg (and eventually his son Max)

Awards Received by THE BOOK THIEF

Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature

Book Series of the Year Award

National Jewish Book Award

Association of Jewish Libraries Teen Book Award

Young Adult Literature Historical Fiction One Crazy Summer

 One Crazy Summer 

By Rita Williams-Garcia

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Williams-Garcia, Rita. 2010. ONE CRAZY SUMMER. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN 9780060760892

PLOT SUMMARY

Williams-Garcia tells the story of three young sisters who are forced by their father to spend a month with the mother who abandoned them.  When they arrive in California they realize their mother is an selfish individual who lacks maternal instincts and are forced to care for themselves.  Every morning the three sisters, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern are sent to have breakfast at the local center, which is run by the political group the Black Panthers.  Not only did these young girls receive meals at the local center but also an eye opening education about being black in America.  The girls also learn about their mother and the relationship with her in a summer they will never forget.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Williams-Garcia engages the reader with an accurate picture of what life was like for African Americans in the 1960s.  She tells the story from a child's perspective, a child who forced to learn a lot about the movement for African-American rights.  Throughout the story the sisters learn about famous African-Americans, Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and Huey Newton who was the founder of the Black Panthers.  Williams-Garcia does a great job incorporating factual events into the story and still made the book enjoyable and engaging.  I do feel though that if the young adult reader does not have a lot of background knowledge about these important African-Americans and their movements they might feel a little lost when they make mention to these people in the story. It would be helpful for the reader to have some knowledge about some of these events so they can make connections throughout the story.

The relationship between the sisters and the mother is written in such a way that could occur in recent times.  The relationship challenges that arise between the mother and the daughters is presented in such a way that young readers can comprehend.  The emotions and frustrations felt by the young girls are relevant in the 1960s as they are today, the reader can make connections to their own life and experiences.  Not only can the reader make connections with the mother and daughter relationships, but also connections with sibling relationship.  Dephine is the oldest sister who is responsible and loving, she works hard to keep her sisters safe.   Vonetta and Fern are funny characters and these sisters can remind the reader of what it is like to have siblings.  

REVIEW EXCERPTS 

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identify and personal responsibility.  With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading."

BOOKLIST: "Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent's love."

KIRKUS: "The depiction of the time is well done, and while the girls are caught up in the difficulties of adults their resilience is celebrated and energetically told with writing that snaps off the page."

CONNECTIONS

*Have children write about the craziest summer they have had.

*Have children read more book written by Rita Williams-Garcia:

Podcasts

 

Podcasts

Wikipedia defines a Podcast as "an episode series of digital audio or video files which a user can download and listen to.  It is often available for subscription, so that new episodes are automatically downloaded via web syndication to the user's own local computer, mobile application, or  portable media player." Podcasts have become very popular with librarians, teachers, administrators, and parents. It is a great tool to use at school which will allow administrators, teachers and librarians to promote their school, classroom or library.  Parents and students can tune in at their convenience to listen to what is happening in the classroom, in the library, or at school in general.

 Since I needed to create a podcast I explored several different options available to create my own podcast.  The three podcast that I explored were Podbean, SoundCloud, and Pod-O-matic.

I found PodBean the easiest to use, I have used it before and just logged in to my account and created my podcast.  First time users will find it very user-friendly, they can sign up easily with Facebook, Twitter, and a Google account.  Once they create their account and sign in it is very easy to create a podcast.  I created my podcast from my iPhone and was able to publish it from my phone as well.  I created an example of how teachers can use Podcasts to communicate with parents.   Teachers can have students talk about what they are learning in the classroom, students can explain themselves to their parents what they will be learning each week.  In the podcast I created my son is speaking about what he was actually learning in his classroom last week and he also spoke about special events  that were happening at school. Parents can log in at their convenience to listen to the podcast and be informed about what is happening in their child's classroom. Here is a link to my shared podcast concerning the benefits of podcasts in the library.

https://jorgeedinburg78.podbean.com/e/podcasts-benefits-5391/

SoundCloud allows users to create a free account, it is very easy to create an account using an email.  It allows users to 180 minutes for free and if more time is needed the user can upgrade their account for a small fee.   When I logged in I found it pleasing to look, easy to navigate, and easy to create a podcast. I did create a podcast on SoundCloud, but definitely prefer Podbean.  I think I prefer Podbean because I was able to create and publish the podcast a lot faster.

Pod-O-Matic allows users to sign up using their email or Facebook account.  Once there account is created it offers users the option of using the free account or upgrading to the Pro account for a monthly fee of $8.32.  This monthly fee will allow users to use 2GB of storage which I feel this is more for serious podcast users.  Pod-O-Matic was easy to navigate, but in my opinion it was not as easy as Soundcloud and Podbean.  One feature that I did find great was when students create their own podcast it shows the five steps the user will take to get the podcast published

Overall all three of these podcast websites are great, but my absolute favorite was Podbean.  It was so easy to create my podcast with my son and publish it quickly.  Even though Podbean was my favorite any of these websites will allow teachers and librarians to create a podcast with students and use them in different ways.

Cartoons and Comics

 Cartoons and Comics

Cartoons and comics are becoming more and more popular with students.  There was a time when comics were banned because they were viewed as dangerous, today comics are enjoyed by students everywhere.  There are many different websites we can go to create our own comics and use them in libraries and in the classrooms. 

Fotojet is a free website that allows you to create your own comics, all you have to do to use this website is sign up with a 7 day trial.  When I first tried to use Fotojet I had a very difficult time with the website.  The page would not load, a message would come up saying not available could not load.  I spent 10-15 minutes going to this

website and no luck.  I decided to try the other websites, the next day I tried again and I was successful, the page finally loaded.  Once the page was loaded it took me a long time to create a login.  Once I was finally able to use Fotojet I was a little frustrated with the amount of time it took me to create a login and actually log in. It was a little difficult to figure out at first, but once I knew how to begin making my own cartoon it was easier.  It has many different clip arts available to use, the search option is great. Once you're able to actually get the page to load and log in the website to create a comic is user-friendly with lots of clip art options.  I recommend this to be used by middle school and high school students.  This is my Fotojet comic starring me and my trip to Disney World:

Pixton was a little more difficult to use, I had a difficult time finding the clip art that I wanted to use.  It is not easy to navigate, I spent quite a bit of time finding and placing the clip art that I was going to use in my comic.  This website is also free and has many templates available to use depending on the subject.  It allows you to search by subject for the template you want to use or the comic you want to create and it does allow you to publish and save. Recommended for high school students.  Below is my Pixton comic:

Make Believe Comix does not require a login, all you do is go to the website and begin creating your comic.  I did not find a way to save and return later to finish it, I had to create the comic and paste it into my blog all at once.  It is quick and easy since there is no login required, but there are not many options of pictures to use in your comics.  This website might be easier for elementary students as a quick assignment.  This is my Make Believe Comix:

*Has anyone seen my science experiment?          *POOF                                             *There it is!

 I created comics using Fotojet, Pixton, and Make Beliefs Comix.  I found I liked Fotojet the best, I did have a very difficult time logging in, but once I logged in I found it gives more options in clip art to create your own comic.  The other two website I found to be very basic and not very appealing to use.  If you want to create comics with your students or for your students these websites are great, it is just a matter of finding the one that you enjoy using the best.  All three allow you to create comics and use them for many different things, you can create comics to engage your students in lessons, use as group assignments so students can collaborate, use them with LEP students to learn vocabulary, or simply use it as a fun activity.

Young Adult Literature-Still life with tornado

 Young Adult Literature-Still life with tornado 

Bibliography

King, A.S. (2016). Still life with tornado: New York, NY: Dutton Books: an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.

Summary:

A.S. King’s novel, “Still Life with a Tornado,” stars a sixteen-year-old protagonist named Sarah, who loves to draw and create art, the story begins with Sarah talking about her art class, and how her friend Carmen drew a picture of a tornado. In the art class is where Sarah loses the will to draw and shortly after stop attending school. Her parents want her to do something productive, but all the while she is skipping school. Her family is not what it seems; it’s been broken ever since her brother Bruce left after that vacation in Mexico. So instead of going to school, she is wandering the streets of Philadelphia. While wandering the streets, she first runs into her 23-year-old self, then her 10-year-old self later, and then her at 40-year-olds. At the surface, it appears that Sarah is having an existential crisis but she is really just trying to make sense of her life. 

Critical Analysis:

This novel is not what it seems, it can best be described as realism with a touch of magical elements, therefore falling under the umbrella of science fiction, in that it contains a realistic setting, but has futuristic elements. A.S. King’s take on a difficult subject matter like family abuse is done in a captivating and relatable manner that makes it easier for a young adult to gravitate to reading it. The appropriate grade levels would be grades 9 and up. Textbook connections would be “The Sun is Also a Star” by Nicola Yoon and “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas.

Connections:

I don’t think Still Life with Tornado is one of my favorite of King’s novels, but it was a ride that kept me engaged and gave me plenty to think about. The cycle of abuse and its effects on everyone involved is explored in a heartbreakingly realistic way. Sarah may first come across as a little annoying, as she’s so disdainful toward anything that isn’t “original” and is worked up over something that she is so embarrassed of being a small issue that she doesn’t tell us for a while, but this is only the surface level of her character. She’s from a troubled household with repressed memories and the career path she loves is in danger. She’s lost, and we come to understand her as she lets some of her guard down. This is important. Kids may seem “difficult,” but what are they burying inside? So King unabashedly takes on a seemingly frustrating character to reveal her true self that she has been hiding from even herself, and every page is worth it.

 Links and URLs:

Author pitching book video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNy_HZiCPIc

Reviews

Young Adult Literature-Glory O'Brien's History of the Future

 Young Adult Literature-Glory O'Brien's History of the Future

Bibliography: 

King, A. (2014). Glory O'Brien's History of the Future. New York: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:
Glory O'Brien is graduating high school but she isn't headed to college and doesn't know who she is or what she wants to do with her life.  She has never dealt with her mother's suicide when she was four and begins to question her purpose in life.  One night while out with her friend Ellie, they decide to throw in some bat ashes to their beer. Their life would not be the same anymore. The next day, they are able to see people’s past and future just by looking at them. Ellie’s visions are not severe; however, Glory is able to see a Civil War in the future.   She begins questioning her father about her mother and what happened and looks through her mother's darkroom and her photo albums.  She discovers that there was a bad history between her parents and Elle's mom who have created a commune on O'Brien land.  Glory decides that she wants a future for herself and her father and encourages her father to move on.  They have legal papers drawn up to make Elle's family leave.  Glory is ready to move on with her life.

Critical Analysis:
This book keeps you interested throughout, it keeps you wanting to know what vision Glory will see next.  A. King does a great job keeping the reader engaged! Even though the book does have events that are fantasy, many of the events in the book are very common and realistic, events that many young adults today are dealing with.  Glory feels lonely, she is a teenager who is not able to connect with her father.  These are things that young adults today are trying to deal with and can make those connections.  Reading this book is a great way for young adults to explore their identity and their purpose.


Connections to the textbook:
My young adults have a difficult time building a relationship with their parents, this book talks about how Glory is trying to build a relationship with her father.  She is trying to understand her father and try to build a relationship with him.  They are both having a difficult time dealing with the absence of Glory's mother.  Glory's mother committed suicide, many times young adults are dealing with the absence of their mother because of death or because of divorce which is very difficult to deal with as well.  

Reviews

"Wickedly clever...a genre-busting battlefield of a book."―Bestselling author Rick Yancey for The New York Times

* "This beautifully strange, entirely memorable book will stay with readers."―School Library Journal, starred review

*"Not only thoroughly original but also uniquely compelling and deeply memorable."―Horn Book, starred review

* "A novel full of provocative ideas and sharply observed thoughts about the pressures society places on teenagers, especially girls."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "An indictment of our times with a soupçon of magical realism.... Will inspire a new wave of activists."―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* "King performs an impressive balancing act here, juggling the magic realism of Glory's visions with her starkly realistic struggle.... [A] powerful, moving, and compellingly complex coming-of-age story."―Booklist, starred review

* "King continues to be one of the most original (yet accessible) YA writers today, and the magical realism element accentuates the humanity of the narrative."―The Bulletin, starred review

"This book reminds you to get scared. It reminds you that battles fought aren't always won, that history repeats itself, that what we take for granted can easily be dismantled."―"Birthday by Birthday, a Starter Library for Young Feminists" --BNTeenblog

"You won't be able to put down this futuristic story about a girl who starts having visions of both the past and the future-in which she sees an end to women's rights and a civil war between sexes."―Teen Vogue

"The characters will stay with readers long after they finish the novel....Highly recommended."―VOYA

"Glory is a wry, occasionally acerbic narrator, exhibiting the balance of truth-telling and blindness so common to smart teens. In trademark King style, the chapters alternate between daily life and troubled future, despair and humor, rage and acceptance."―Shelf Awareness

Young Adult Literature-The Hate U Give

Young Adult Literature-The Hate U Give

Bibliography: 

Thomas, Angie. (2017). The hate u give. New York: Balzar + Bray. ISBN: 9780062498533

Summary:

The Hate U Give is a timely, character-driven story packed with moments of fear and love, heartbreak and humor set in Garden Heights, its title born from a Tupac quote. Starr Carter has seen more death than her young years should allow, with lives discarded in the crossfire of a messed up social hierarchy. Witnessing another moment of brutality, Starr finds herself forced to confront the systematic racism within law enforcement and the wider culture it serves. 

Sixteen-year-old Starr lives in two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she was born and raised and her posh high school in the suburbs. The uneasy balance between them is shattered when Starr is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend, Khalil, by a police officer. Now what Starr says could destroy her community. It could also get her killed. Inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, this is a powerful and gripping YA novel about one girl’s struggle for justice

Critical Analysis:

Although the subject matter can be very difficult to read and discuss, it is immensely important to have these conversations. Starr is a representative of so many families that have been victims or friends of victims of police brutality and gang violence. How can we come together to change this systematic oppression?

The Hate U Give presents a very realistic and balanced view of the issues. There are multiple perspectives (although some of them are presented as clearly being the wrong ones) that help you relate to and understand the seriousness and severity of the tragedies portrayed. Despite this heavy task, there is also a fair amount of levity throughout the book, as there would be in real life. Overall, this book is very important for the current generation to read to help them process our current racial tension with empathy.

Connections to the textbook:

There are lots of discussion of violence, police brutality, sexual actions, drugs, and alcohol. Also, there is a lot of cussing. Altogether, this is present to dive into the real world in which Angie Thomas is painting. I do encourage everyone to read or watch this with their kids to help them process and discuss it. 

Review Excerpt(s) 

Michael L. Printz Award Honor, 2018 

 

Coretta Scott King Book Award, Author Honor 2018 

 

Winner of the 2018 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award 

 

Winner of the 2017 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award 

 

Winner of the 2018 William C. Morris Debut Award 

 

Starred review in BOOKLIST - “An inarguably important book that demands the widest possible readership.” 

 

Starred review in KIRKUS REVIEWS - “This story is necessary. This story is important.”