When You Reach Me by Rebecca Snead

Bibliography

Snead, Rebecca. 2010. WHEN YOU REACH ME.  Random House Children’s Books.  

ISBN 9780385737425

Plot Summary 

Life in New York City is pretty ordinary for twelve-year-old Miranda who lives with her single mom, a would-be lawyer turned paralegal. She has Sal, her best friend, to keep her company in the sixth grade and maybe, just maybe, her mom will win lots of money on a game show called The $20,000 Pyramid.  But life suddenly gets complicated when cryptic messages about future events begin to turn up in strange places. Sensing that Sal’s life is in jeopardy, Miranda desperately tries to figure out what to do with the information before it’s too late.

Critical Analysis 
The main characters in When You Reach Me are easy to relate to and very believable.  Miranda, the young protagonist, enjoys watching television, eating junk food, and hanging out with friends. Her mom, a single parent gave up law school when Miranda was born and now works as a paralegal.  She knows that a big win on The $20,000 Pyramid will provide a huge financial boon.   As Mom’s boyfriend, Richard seems to be “Mr. Perfect” but Miranda tells us that he isn’t because “his right leg is shorter than the left one.  In bare feet, he limps a little.”  Readers discover the setting of the story early on as Miranda tells readers, “…Sal and I still walked home from school together every single day; one block from West End Avenue to Broadway, one block from Broadway to Amsterdam, past the laughing man on our corner, and then half a block to our lobby door.”  This deceptively simple sentence conjures up images of New York City with its famous streets, homeless people, and high-rise apartment living.
 
The plot focuses on Miranda's daily life as she faces two particular problems.  First, Sal starts avoiding her, and then Miranda receives mysterious notes that both puzzle and alarm her. She has no idea who is sending them or what she is supposed to do.  Some of the contents are frightening such as, "I am coming to save your friend's life."  With Miranda's character narrating, readers can easily connect with her feelings and uncertainty in handling these situations.  The theme of friendship is strong and by the end of the novel Miranda learns that being a good friend sometimes requires sacrifice.   She gracefully accepts the change in her relationship with Sal because she wants him to be happy and by recognizing that Julia’s feelings for Annemarie mirror her own feelings for Sal, Miranda willingly offers a “truce” rather than come between the two friends. Chapters are concise and action-packed, persuading readers to read "just one more." It's like eating a delicious dessert. You want to savor it, but it's so good that you just can't stop yourself.

Review Excerpts/Awards
2010 Newbery Medal
2010 Horn Book Award
2009 Parent's Choice Gold Award

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews: "When all the sidewalk characters from Miranda's Manhattan world converge amid mind-blowing revelations and cunning details, teen readers will circle back to the beginning and say,'Wow ... cool.'"

Starred Review from Booklist: "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."

Starred Review from Horn Book: "Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed."

Connections:
The first two ideas are adapted from:  http://teachershare.scholastic.com/resources/12989

Collage - Using pictures from magazines, create a collage that relates to the story.  Write a short paragraph describing your collage and share both with the class.  Be sure to include specifics as to why you chose certain pictures.

Chapter Titles - The teacher will write the titles of individual chapters onto small slips of paper and place them into a basket.  Each student will select one title and write a short composition explaining why he/she thinks that the author used this particular title to describe the events within the chapter.  Use specific examples to support your reasoning.

Additional Time Travel Novels for Teens -
Barron, T.A. 1994. THE ANCIENT ONE. ISBN 9780812536546

Cooper, Susan. 1999. KING OF SHADOWS. ISBN 9780689828171

Hoppe, Joanne. 1992. DREAM SPINNER. ISBN 9780688085599

L'Engle, Madeleine. 1962. A WRINKLE IN TIME. ISBN 9780312367541

Peck, Richard. 1997. LOST IN CYBERSPACE. ISBN 9780140378566

Yolen, Jane. 1988. THE DEVIL'S ARITHMETIC. ISBN 9780142401095

Wood, Maryrose. 2007. WHY I LET MY HAIR GROW OUT. ISBN 0425213803

 

BABYMOUSE #9: Monster Mash by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm

 

Bibliography
Holm, Jennifer L., & Holm, Matthew. 2008. BABYMOUSE: MONSTER MASH. Random House.
ISBN 9780375937897

Plot Summary

Babymouse wants to dress up in a scary costume this Halloween, but Felicia Furrypaws tells her that "only boys can be scary." Giving in to peer pressure, she chooses a fairy costume and gets drawn into some nasty pranks.  Deciding that this isn't the kind of Halloween she wanted at all, Babymouse goes back to her original plan. When she does, the night turns out to be more fun than she ever expected.

Critical Analysis

Readers expecting a cutesy mouse story will be surprised to find that Babymouse isn’t a baby at all. In human years, she’s a pre-teen (10- 12) looking forward to celebrating Halloween in a more grown-up fashion.  She knows exactly what she wants to be – something scary like a werewolf or a zombie and she’s looking forward to trick-or-treating without parents, and hosting her own Halloween party.  All of her plans get swept aside when Felicia slinks onto the scene and invites herself and her posse of friends to the party.  Telling Babymouse that “Everyone knows that girls have to be pretty for Halloween,” Felicia insists that Babymouse dress up as a fairy so that their costumes will "coordinate."

The night gets worse as Babymouse goes trick-or-treating without her best friend, Wilson, and goes along with Felicia’s nasty neighborhood pranks of toileting papering houses and stealing candy from little kids.  When Babymouse realizes that one of the kids is Squeak, her little brother, she knows that things have gone too far.  Even the narrator scolds her with, “Babymouse, I can’t believe…” to which she sadly replies, “Me either.” Babymouse sets out to make things right. She digs out a creepy costume (complete with dangling eyeball), gives Squeak all of her candy, and finally stands up to Felicia by barring anyone from the party who isn't dressed in a scary costume. 

Throughout the book, the writers include scenes from Babymouse’s imagination to show her true feelings about Felicia.  In the opening pages, Babymouse sees herself as a huge werewolf chasing Felicia through the forest, whereas later in the story, she pictures Felicia as a wicked witch.  These illustrations, set against dark black backgrounds contrast to the “real” settings of home and school which have stark white backgrounds.  This technique works well to prevent reader confusion.  

By subtly addressing the topic of bullying (with just a touch of humor), this brother-sister writing team masterfully lays a foundation for teaching children how to stay true to their own choices and convictions.  And at the very least, that if one veers off the right path, there is always a way to get back on.

Review Excerpts/Awards
The series has received multiple Children's Choices Awards and the 2006 Gryphon Award. One title in the series, Babymouse #1: Queen of the World, was the first graphic novel ever to be named an ALA/ALSC Notable Children's Book - 2006.

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

From Horn Book: "Sassy, smart...Babymouse is here to stay."

From School Library Journal: "Another great read in this charming series, full of wit and humor and colored in orange and black instead of pink for the spooky occasion."

Connections:

The following ideas are adapted from activities found on this Random House webpage:

http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375832321.pdf

1) Lead a group discussion of the following questions:

• Although the characters in this book are animals, what human characteristics do they demonstrate?
• What human emotions do they exhibit?
• If it were you, how would you handle the different situations with Felicia Furrypaws?
• What do you think is the narrator's role?

 2) Divide students into four groups. Assign each group a different Babymouse book to read. Then mix up the groups to create new groups that have at least one member from each original book group. In these new groups, students will prepare a list of similarities and differences among the four books. After everyone is finished, the teacher will lead a group discussion of the findings.

3) To find out more about the author including her two Newbery honor books (Turtle in Paradise, Our Only May Amelia), check out Jennifer Holm's webpage at:

http://www.jenniferholm.com/02_mybooks/11_babymouse.html

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Bibliography
Zusak, Markus. 2005. THE BOOK THIEF. Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN0375831002

Plot Summary

Hovering over Nazi Germany in 1939, Death needs a distraction from his stressful job.  He finds one in nine-year-old Leisel Meminger, a young girl living with her foster family in Molching.   Fascinated by her strength and bravery in these difficult times, Death is especially puzzled to find that she steals books rather than food in order to survive. Haunted by her humanity and her love of words, he feels compelled to share her story.

Critical Analysis

With a world-weary and often sarcastic tone, Death narrates the story of little Leisel Meminger as she travels to Molching, Germany to live with a new family.  The year is 1939 and Hitler’s Nazi party has begun its reign of terror on the Jews. Young and illiterate, Leisel is starving not only for food, but for love, companionship, and knowledge.  She finds all of these with Hans and Rosa Huberman. Hans is the gentle, loving, parent who changes the sheets when Leisel wets the bed, plays the accordion to make her smile, and even indulges her with a glass of champagne.  Rosa on the other hand, is not tender.  Her criticisms are sharp as are the swats from her wooden spoon, but underneath it all, her love runs deep.

The only thing that Leisel has arrived with is a stolen copy of The Grave Digger’s Handbook which becomes a catalyst for late night reading lessons with her new papa.  These special moments console Leisel at a time when her life has been turned upside down.  As a result, words (and thus books) become more important to her than food and soon she is stealing them whenever the opportunity presents itself – first from the bonfire on Hitler’s birthday and then later from the Mayor’s wife’s library.  Along the way, Leisel forges memorable friendships with Rudy Steiner, the “lemon-haired” boy who always says, “How about a kiss Saumensch?” and Max, a Jew that the Hubermans hide in the basement. Through her relationship with Max and by witnessing Jews being marched to the Dachau concentration camp, Leisel sees for herself the power of words to destroy lives. The plot escalates as the horrors of the war finally reach Leisel’s neighborhood. Fathers such as Hans and Alex Steiner are forced to join the war, sons are lost in battle, and air raids become more frequent.  

Although Death has warned readers early on that the ending is tragic, it is very difficult to put this book down. The vivid images and beautifully crafted text make the people and the places come alive causing readers to hope against hope that everyone who has become dear to them will survive. This mesmerizing and emotional tale of friendship, love, and the power of words will stay with readers long after the last page has been turned.  

Review Excerpts/Awards

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews: (Ages 12+) The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. Even at its length, it’s a work to read slowly and savor. Beautiful and important.

Starred Review from Horn Book: "Exquisitely written and memorably populated, Zusak's poignant tribute to words, survival, and their curiously inevitable entwinement is a tour de force to be not just read by inhabited."

Connections - History

1) Appreciating different cultures: To help students connect to the WWII era in which the story takes place, have them research both the  German and Jewish cultures (food, music, traditions, clothing, etc...).  Set aside time at the beginning of class to allow short presentations in which they can share information or items such as pictures, music clips, and food samples. 

2) Follow a timeline of the events of the Holocaust at: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html

This is a great site because users can click on a specific year. Students might be interested in following the years from the novel (1939-1942) to find out about other significant events that took place during the time in which the story was set.

3) For a wealth of information on topics related to the Holocaust, visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Website: http://www.ushmm.org/

There is a LOT to look at, but I was particularly drawn to this link entitled "Rescuing the Evidence." There are many personal experiences to read about: http://www.ushmm.org/research/collections/curatorscorner/

If you check out this link entitled "Accidental Witnesses to History: The Baker Collection," you'll see rare video footage that shows how extravagantly the Germans decorated their buildings to honor Hitler. The video also shows Jewish storefronts that have been defaced by the Nazis.   http://www.ushmm.org/research/collections/curatorscorner/detail.php?content=2011-03-01

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Vanderpool, Clare. 2010. MOON OVER MANIFEST. New York: Delecorte Press. ISBN 0385738838

PLOT SUMMARY

Set during the Great Depression, this story revolves around the life of twelve-year-old Abilene Tucker who has recently arrived in Manifest, Kansas. Times are tough across America and her father, Gideon, has sent her to live with an old family friend for the summer while he starts a new railroad job. Determined to make the most of an unpleasant situation, Abilene sets out to discover all she can about her father's past and why this dusty, worn-out town seems so important to him. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Because they have flaws, the major characters in this story seem very realistic.  Abilene feels deserted by her father, but she decides to make good use of her time. She fills the hours with adventures like sneaking into the high school with Lettie and Ruthanne and listening to Miss Sadie’s stories about Ned and Jinx. When she’s had enough of Gideon’s absence, she fakes a life-threatening illness to get him to return.  Then there’s Miss Sadie, the Gypsy fortune-teller, who when no one else can, draws residents together to break the hold that the mining company has over the town. She reminds them that they came to America “to live a dream of freedom and prosperity.” But Miss Sadie guards a painful secret that no one else knows - she is Ned's mother.  Jinx, the boy with the mysterious past, fearlessly crosses the line between right and wrong.  He is full of schemes like the one involving the "artic glacial water" and "borrowing" a Manchurian Fire Thrower from the carnival so that he can make his own and sell them.    

Early in the novel, Vanderpool establishes two storylines, one past and one present, that run parallel throughout the book.  In Chapter One when the train nears Manifest, Abilene recalls her father telling her about a sign “just outside town with big blue letters: MANIFEST: A Town with a Rich Past and a Bright Future.”  She is anxious to learn why this particular place holds such fond memories for him.  Jumping off the train, Abilene soon spots the old weathered sign, but is only able to read "MANIFEST: A Town with a Past.” This sets the stage for flashbacks in which Miss Sadie describes life in Manifest during the World War I era (1917-1918). Her stories focus on the escapades of the two teenaged boys, Ned and Jinx.  In alternating chapters, Abilene narrates her experiences in Manifest during the summer of 1936. Toward the end of the book, the two plots merge into one as Abilene discovers that the young boy named Jinx grew up to be her father.  In searching for his roots, she has found her own. 

The story takes place in Manifest, Kansas during two distinct historical eras - World War I and the Great Depression.  In 1917-1918, Manifest is a “melting pot” community brimming with immigrants who have come to America in search of a better life.  Gideon has told Abilene that there were “People bustling in and out of colorful storefronts with bright awnings over windows. Unusual-sounding names painted on doors. Matenopoulos Meat, Santoni’s Bakery. Akkerson Feed and Seed.” But this is not what Abilene sees when she walks through town with Shady on the day of her arrival. She tries to “conjure up something smooth and sweet from those stories, but looking around, all I could see was dry and stale. Up and down Main Street, the stores were dingy. Gray. Every third one was boarded up. There wasn’t an ounce of bustling to be had. Just a few tired souls holding up a doorway here and there.” It seems that the town with a bright future has given up under the weight of the Great Depression. 

The predominant theme in Moon Over Manifest is finding a home - a place where one belongs. Readers first learn about Abilene's lack of roots when on her first day of school she says, "You'd thought I'd be used to this by now. Being the new kid and all.  I'd been through this umpteen times before but it never gets any easier." Although she feels deserted, Abilene is determined to find out about the boy her father once was from the people that she assumes knew him best.  As she chases down The Rattler and tries to uncover more information about Ned and Jinx, Abilene begins to forge bonds with many of the locals. By summer's end, she has the beginnings of a home - two best friends with Lettie and Ruthanne, a surrogate grandmother in Miss Sadie, and a trusted guardian in Shady. Although she tricks Gideon into returning to Manifest, she knows it was the right thing to do when "He held his face next to mine, and when he looked straight into my eyes with tears in his, I knew. And he knew. We were home."

There are several distinctive aspects about Vanderpool’s writing style that make Moon Over Manifest such a delightful and entertaining novel.  First, she sprinkles the entire novel with historically rich details including bits about the Ku Klux Klan, bootlegging, and the Spanish Influenza outbreak.  To this she adds extras such as Hattie Mae’s News Auxiliary, articles from the local newspaper the Manifest Herald, and warfront letters from Ned. Second, the narratives are chock-full of figurative language and memorable lines such as this scene when Abilene arrives at Shady’s house. “He tried to gather up some papers and scraps of wood, as if there were traces of his mismatched life that he hadn’t wanted me to see.” Another wonderful example is when feeling lonesome for her father, Abilene lays in bed listing all the things she knows about him.  She decides that “Memories were like sunshine. They warmed you up and left a pleasant glow, but you couldn’t hold them.”  These are the kinds of lines that make readers stop, pause, and re-read them because they are so wonderfully original.

EXCERPTS/AWARDS

2011 Newbery Medal

ALA Notable Children's Book 2011

Starred Review from Booklist: (Grades 5-8) "With believable dialogue, vocabulary and imagery appropriate to time and place, and well-developed characters, this rich and rewarding first novel is “like sucking on a butterscotch. Smooth and sweet.”

From Kirkus Reviews: (Ages 10-14) "...readers will cherish every word up to the heartbreaking yet hopeful and deeply gratifying ending."

From School Library Journal:  (Grades 5-8) "This thoroughly enjoyable, unique page-turner is a definite winner."

CONNECTIONS

To help students gain a better understanding of World War 1 and Ned's experiences as a soldier, this multimedia website is loaded historical information that also includes vintage photographs (over 3,900 which are organized by topic); audio recordings (songs, skits, and speeches); and vintage video clips of major figures. http://www.firstworldwar.com/

This video from the National Archives Southeast Region gives a wonderful overview of the Great Depression through survivor's stories and powerful pictures from this era.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpfY8kh5lUw

For additional activities, links, and related resources for Moon Over Manifest:

http://classroombookshelf.blogspot.com/search?q=moon+over+manifest

Reader's guide discussion questions can be found at Clare Vanderpool's website at:

http://www.clarevanderpool.com/teacherresources.html