Module 12: Biography & Autobiography

April 21, 2018 

Module 12: Biography & Autobiography

Title: How Angel Peterson got his name: And other outrageous tales about extreme sports.

Genre: Autobiography

Book Summary:

In this autobiography, Gary Paulsen shares a collection of some wonderful stories during a time in a young man's life that did not include TV or video games but a time where young boys needed to be inventive and creative with their time. Paulsen tells tales that seem hard to believe, however, if the reader is a young boy of thirteen, he can totally relate. Paulsen writes about "extreme sports" before they were even a buzzword in modern times:  speeding on skies along a flat Midwestern road, wrestling bears, peeing on an electrified fence just to see a rainbow, riding over a dam in a wooden barrel are just a                                                      few of his and his friends' exploits. 

APA Reference of Book: 
Paulsen, G. (2003). How Angel Peterson got his name: And other outrageous tales about extreme sports. New York: Wendy Lamb Books.

Impression:
I have never laughed as hard and loud as I did reading this book. Having two brothers and reading this book reminded me of all the antics they did as kids: climbing the trees and hanging on the roof just because; hitting each other with curtain rods to see what would happen; jumping off of said roof to see who could land without breaking anything. Paulsen pulled me right in and never let go. I was happy to learn that it wasn't just a story about his best friend Angel, but about all his friends and all the crazy "extreme sports" they created when they were younger. My favorite line was "We were quite a bit dumber then." How true. Any adult who grew up before the craze of electronics will remember all the crazy things we used to do and wish that their own kids would go back to that instead of wanting to be glued to their phones and video game consoles. There's hope that young male readers may try some of these silly antics, however, let's hope they wear some type of protective gear! 

Professional Review:

Dedicated to all 13-year-old boys ("The miracle is that we live through it"), Paulsen's latest collection of possibly autobiographical anecdotes, his most hilarious yet, celebrates that innate impulse to try really stupid stunts, just to see what happens. What sort of bad ideas can a group of lads in a small Minnesota town come up with? "Angel" Peterson ties himself, on skis, to a fast car, earning his sobriquet after claiming to hear angels singing "Your Cheatin' Heart" when the attempt goes disastrously awry. Because some girls are watching, Orvis Orvisen goes toe to toe with a live sideshow bear; others try various primitive, ill-considered forms of hang-gliding, bicycle-jumping, and skateboarding, capped by a sidesplitting outtake from the author's Harris and Me (1993), featuring a wildly misguided attempt at bungee-jumping. Related with the author's customary matter-of-fact tone and keen comic timing, these episodes will not only keep young readers, of both sexes, in stitches, they're made to order for reading aloud. (Biography. 10-12)

How Angel Peterson Got His Name (Book). (2002). Kirkus Reviews, 70(23), 1772. Retrieved from
https://libproxy.library.unt.edu:9443/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=8856268&scope=site

Library Use:

This would be a great book to start a resesarch project over kids and their activities during the era of no tv/no electronics. Students could interview their parents and even grandparents and find out the most outrageous things they did to occupy their time.

Read alikes:

Each of these books are excellent representations of coming of age novels that could be used to introduce autobiographical writing. 

Tripping Over the Lunch Lady: And Other School Stories  by Nancy E. Mercado

Knots in My Yo-Yo String: The Autobiography of a Kid by Jerry Spinelli

King of the Mild Frontier: An Ill-Advised Autobiography by Chris Crutcher

Module 11: Informational Books

April 8, 2018 

Module 11: Informational Books

Title:

How They Croaked

Genre: Young Adult/Informational

Book Summary:

  When a book introduction by the author begins with.“…if you don’t have the guts for gore, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK” (introduction), that's like asking Pandora to NOT open the box. How They Croaked is a book that describes the deaths of some of the most infamous famous throughout history. Eac death is explained in a simple, yet effective manner for young adult readers. The author provides information over each figure, telling why each was so well-known and what they did throughout their lives, that contributed to society. One of the deaths, James Garfield's was not death by bullet, but rather death by germs! He actually died at the hands of his own doctors. Simply drawn black and white illustrations add to the stories, with the illustrations drawn in such a way that they are actually are exaggerations of each historical figure. Fact-filled and fun trivia is included within each chapter about the person, the manner of the person's death, and some other random facts related to the events of the death. Bragg adds her own sense of humor throughout the book, allowing the reader to laugh out loud, even though the subject matter is as dark as it is. An extensive list of sources for each entry is included in the back of the book. Additional resources for each entry are given at the end of the book for “further reading and surfing” for those with a morbid sense of thought, who would like to read further into the life and death of the historical figure.

APA Reference of Book: 

Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker Publishing Company, Inc.

Impression: 

The title grabbed my attention and the stories had me reading the book in one sitting. I first believed it was going to be a book about current historical figures, not realizing it was about George and Marie and King Tut. I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I fell into the stories. The author provides not just information about how the person died, but the who/what/why/where/when too. The descriptions of each historical figure’s death are gruesomely detailed yet followed up with a humorous style of writing that can make the reader almost forget how harsh the figures death actually was. Just a few examples were in the chapter titles, like George Washington: Little Mouth of Horrors, James A. Garfield, James Who?, and Elizabeth I, She Kept Hear Head About Her.  The author included some unknown and interesting facts about each figure, including information about each individual’s family background and accomplishments to help readers understand what life was like during the era of each figures life. I found the most interesting fact was that the reason all of the pictures of Napoleon standing with his hand in his jacket was not to promote how powerful he was, but in actuality, he was holding his side due to the excruciating pain he was experiencing in his stomach!

Professional Review:

Gr 5-9–King Tut died of malaria; Edgar Allan Poe is suspected to have had rabies. Beethoven and Galileo both met their ends due to lead poisoning. Fifteen other historical figures, including world leaders, writers, and scientists, were felled by things as mundane as pneumonia and as unpredictable as angry mobs. Each entry provides the circumstances of the person’s death and gives context to those circumstances, from discussions of the political climate to medical practices of the time. Chapters are separated by a spread of brief facts related to the individual, the demise, or the era. Lively, full-page caricatures set in decorative frames appear throughout, along with spot illustrations. Back matter includes a lengthy list of sources. The sometimes-snarky writing gives the material a casual, conversational tone that will appeal to many readers. The title alone provides an easy booktalk; expect this one to be passed around and pored over.
~~~~~~~~
By Brandy Danner, Wilmington Memorial Library, MA
Danner, B. (2011). How they croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famous [Review of the book How they croaked:  the awful ends of the awfully famous]. School Library Journal, 57(4), 189-190. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Use:

This book could be used with forensic science classes. Students would be assigned one of the characters, complete more in-depth research into the death of the figure, along with an investigation into the medical practices of that specific time period. It could also be used as a fun way to begin a book talk over historical figures.

Readalikes:

For those who are interested in the weird and strange, these would be good books to continue with this obsession of the weird and strange:

I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat: History's Strangest Cures  by Carlyn Beccia
Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up by Sarah Albee
Unusual Creatures: A Mostly Accurate Account of Some of Earth's Strangest Animals  by Michael Hearst  

Module 10: Historical Fiction

April 1, 2018
Module 10: Historical Fiction

Title:

Brothers At Bat by Audrey Vernick

Genre: Young Adult/Historical Fiction

Book Summary: This book tells the true story of twelve brothers who played semi-pro baseball together during the 1930s and were the longest playing all-brother baseball team in baseball history. It tells how all the brothers, each having different qualities and specialties that set them apart from each other, helped make them a team of loyal players who loved the game of baseball and unconditionally loved each other. The story also tells of their lives off and on the baseball field and how six of the brother served in WWII. The author also provides additional information about the brothers and their lives after baseball.

APA Reference: Vernick, A. (2012). Brothers at bat. New York, NY: Clarion Books

Impression:

I loved this book. My brother and my son were avid baseball players during their elementary and secondary years of school and I fell in love with this story because I am a big baseball fan (NY Mets!!) I was absolutely floored to find out about this incredible group of brothers and was surprised to learn that there were actually twenty-nine other teams made up of brothers! The illustrations were great, each brother was drawn to represent their age difference and style difference so the reader could recognize who was who on the field. I liked how the illustrator used a different color to represent each brother, the younger of the bunch having stripes on their shirts. Any lover of baseball would thoroughly enjoy this book.

Professional Review:
“It sounds like a fairy tale: twelve baseball-playing brothers,” but it’s true. The 12 Acerra brothers from New Jersey played together on a semipro team formed in 1938, each brother with his own talents and style: “Charlie.... was a good player, but a terrible runner.” Vernick, who interviewed two of the brothers as part of her research, describes how one brother lost an eye when he was struck by a baseball and how six of the brothers served in WWII. Painted in a bright palette of greens, yellows, and blues, Salerno’s mixed-media illustrations, traced and shaded in black crayon, are an immediate attention-getter, the thick, horizontal brushwork contributing to a strong sense of movement. A lively story about family loyalty and love of the game pulled from the sidelines of baseball history. Ages 4–8. Agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. (Apr.)
Publishers Weekly. (February 6, 2012).
Retrieved on March 31, 2018, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-547-38557-0

Library Use:

The librarian could set up a display at the beginning of training season, including this book and others representing the game and the history of baseball.

Readalikes: These are books that tell the history of baseball players, similar to the story of Brothers at Bat.

McCully, Emily Arnold.: Queen of the Diamond: the Lizzie Murphy Story.

Smith, Charles: R. Black Jack: the Ballad of Jack Johnson.

Tavares, Matt:  Becoming Babe Ruth.

Module 9: Mystery

March 18, 2018
Module 9: Mystery

Title:

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz

Genre: Mystery, Young Adult, Classic Retelling

Book Summary: A summer visit to his best friend’s house in Denmark, Tennessee becomes a visit of mystery and suspense. Horatio Wilkes becomes embroiled in the mystery of who killed the senior prince. Was it Hamilton’s mother, who remarried his uncle/now step-father? Was it Hamilton’s ex, Olivia, who is the most vocal person about the river pollution supposedly caused by the family’s paper plant? When Horatio is shown a video left to Hamilton by his father, in which he says he is being poisoned, Horatio starts down a path that he really didn’t want to head, he is able to piece together clues that show that Hamilton’s Uncle is the killer. 

APA Reference of Book: 

Gratz, A. (2007). Something rotten. New York, NY: Dial Books.

Impression:

While the most obvious suspect was the uncle, I still thoroughly enjoyed this modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I liked that Horatio only wanted to help Hamilton break his alcohol habit and that he chose not to drink, just because, not with an moral reasoning behind it. There was no bad language or gratuitous scenes in the book to prevent it from being read in an English class. This would be a good adaptation to pull in the most reluctant reader. It was easy to read and did make me chuckle in a few places. 

Professional Review:

Kirkus Review (September 1, 2007)
Gratz is cornering the niche market of novels containing dissimilar topics. Here he combines Hamlet and hardboiled detective pulp. During a vacation from their academy, Horatio Wilkes accompanies his buddy Hamilton Prince to Denmark, Tenn. Just two months after his father passed away under suspicious circumstances, Hamilton’s Uncle Claude has married Hamilton’s mother. Claude now controls the Elsinore Paper Plant, a multibillion-dollar company blatantly polluting the Copenhagen River. Horatio, with a knack for investigating, is determined to expose Claude’s corruption while Hamilton, dismayed by what he believes is his mother’s betrayal, drowns himself in alcohol. Ultimately, Horatio relies on environmentalist protester Olivia to reveal secrets about Elsinore. The many parallels to Hamlet are interesting, but Gratz wisely avoids producing a carbon copy of the tragedy. Horatio admirably plays the loyal friend but has a cocky voice that is too self-assured and as a teen rings unauthentic. However, this well-crafted mystery has appeal for readers familiar with both Raymond Chandler’s novels and Shakespeare’s masterpiece. (Fiction. YA)

REVIEW, K. (2018). SOMETHING ROTTEN by Alan Gratz | Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 18 March 2018, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/alan-gratz/something-rotten/

Library Use:

An English class could complete a compare and contrast to Shakespeare’s “Hamlet”. The book could also be included in a library display over literary adaptations, both written and graphic novel adaptations.

Read alikes:

The following are all modern day adaptations of Shakespeare's plays that can be read in ELA classes.

Something Wicked by Alan Gratz - 
Enter Three Witches by Caroline B. Cooney
Juliet Immortal (Juliet Immortal #1) by Stacey Jay

Module 8: Fantasy & Science Fiction

March 5, 2018 

Module 8: Fantasy & Science Fiction

Title: Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Genre: Science Fiction/Young Adult

Book Summary:

When a meteor hits the moon and knocks it out of its orbit and closer to the earth, Miranda's life is changed in an instant. How does she prepare for a future when tsunamis and earthquakes are destroying the earth as she knows it. As summer turns into an Arctic winter, Miranda and her family must find a way to survive. As told through Miranda's journal entries, the story tells of the struggle of a family trying to survive and to hang on to hope in this new normal.

APA Reference of Book: 

Pfeffer, S. (2008). Life As We Knew It. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Impression:

This was a story that had all of the feels: desperation, hope, loss of hope, sadness, among others. I liked how it was told through journal form. The writing grabbed me from the start and made me believe that something like this could really happen! I wanted to start stockpiling as soon as I could. The character of Miranda has to grow up very fast. She starts out as the typical whiny teenager, only worrying about being with her friends and changes quickly into a leader, one who takes charge and leads the way towards survival.

Professional Review:

Sixteen-year-old Miranda begins a daily ten-month diary documenting the survival ordeal her rural Pennsylvania family endures when a large meteor’s collision with the moon brings on destruction of the modern world and all its technological conveniences. The change in the moon’s gravitational pull begins to cause natural havoc around the globe in the form of catastrophic tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes and other weather-related disasters. Miranda’s American teen view gradually alters as personal security, physical strength and health become priorities. Pfeffer paints a gruesome and often depressing drama as conditions become increasingly difficult and dangerous with the dwindling of public and private services. Miranda’s daily litany of cutting firewood, rationing canned meals, short tempers flaring in a one-room confinement is offset by lots of heart-to-heart talks about life and its true significance with her mother, older brother and religiously devout best friend. Death is a constant threat, and Pfeffer instills despair right to the end but is cognizant to provide a ray of hope with a promising conclusion. Plausible science fiction with a frighteningly realistic reminder of recent tragedies here and abroad. (Fiction. YA)

IT, L., Pfeffer, S., & REVIEW, K. (2018). LIFE AS WE KNEW IT by Susan Beth Pfeffer | Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 20 March 2018, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/susan-beth-pfeffer/life-as-we-knew-it/

Library Use:

Read alikes: 

For readers interested in survival stories due to world disasters or apocalypses, each of these novels fit the bill. 

Ashfall Series by Mike Mullins

Ashes, Ashes (Ashes, Ashes #1) by Jo Treggiari
Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien