Module 15: Censorship Issues

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view- until you climb into his skin and walk around in it." 

To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee

Book Summary: 

Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother, Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. 

"Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."
A lawyer's advice to his children. Through the young eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Harper Lee explores with rich humor and unswerving honesty the irrationality of adult attitudes toward race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s. The conscience of a town steeped in prejudice, violence, and hypocrisy is pricked by the stamina and quiet heroism of one man's struggle for justice—but the weight of history will only tolerate so much. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.

One of the best-loved classics of all time, To Kill a Mockingbird has earned many distinctions since its original publication in 1960. It has won the Pulitzer Prize, been translated into more than forty languages, sold more than forty million copies worldwide, and been made into an enormously popular movie. It was also named the best novel of the twentieth century by librarians across the country

Reference: Harper, L. (1960) To Kill a Mockingbird

Impressions: 

I started this book with trepidation. I had never read this even though most people were shocked and horrified when I stated this fact. Since the reactions were so strong, I figured I was committing a reader's sin not to have the treasured words rattling around in my head. I admit I started reading but after five chapters was still dumbfounded as to what the "big deal" was about this cultural phenomenon. Finally, I watched the movie to get some more fodder for my intellectual fire. While Gregory Peck was certainly a nice looking tall drink of water and I shed tears over the senseless death of Mr. Robinson, I still didn't seem to understand what made this book the priceless treasure everyone talked about. 

The humor began to grow on me around chapter six when I started to see my childhood in tiny flashes through the antics of Scout, Jem, and Dill. But in chapter seven I laughed hard. The scene about the snow and Scout running and telling her dad the world was coming to and end and then school being canceled made me laugh so hard, tears came out. I am from Southern California, Huntington Beach, and the very same thing happened a couple of years when the area got hit with a freak and very brief snow "dusting". 

By the end of chapter ten at the Christmas dinner I was in tears. I wondered that if every lawyer and politician had the integrity and courage that Atticus Finch had how much different our world would be. There are so many lessons that 50 years ago Mrs. Harper Lee got right in To Kill a Mockingbird that still ring true right now but here's a few.

• The only way to understand the other side is to GO to the other side — and take a walk. 
• You're living in this world right here and right now. Make *that* better.
• The simplest gesture can be the hugest gift.
• Privilege is real. From race to baking cakes. Sometimes you're born into it, and sometimes you're born with it.
• Sometimes the truth can't save you.

While it is a beautiful portrait of small town life, it's also a horror story of living there. The Finches may be paddling against the current, but as Atticus teaches, that’s the only way to achieve progress and the only way to maintain self-respect.

So my final impression can only be what every librarian has known about every book every written. Don't judge a book by its cover until you've read it yourself. Also this is a crock pot book, in our contemporary worlds we expect a significant action scene and some nuggets of wisdom within the first five minutes or pages. This book requires some study, thought, and time to rest in your head and cook awhile. Now I understand why it is taught even today in schools across the country, there are many valuable lessons for youth. That’s true, but perhaps compassion is worthwhile at any age.

I understand why this book caused a stir when it was published in 1960 — exactly 52 years ago tomorrow, preceding so much of the civil rights movement — is downright shocking. Harper Lee did not hold back in this book, and a lot of it must have come as a well-deserved slap in the face to many readers. However what I don't  understand is why on earth it was banned in 2011!!! What the heck, much of rap music and movies have far worse stuff in them than this book did. 

While the media as a whole is going to hell in a handbasket, the literary world is trying to restrain our freedom of speech and the pursuit of knowledge. This concerns me, a lot. When a new dictator came into power one of the first things they have always done is destroy the books and take away the freedom of speech. Shouldn't more people be worried?

"If we find a book particularly offensive of dangerous, we should express that opinion without seeking to destroy the book." (Tunnell, 2016 Children's Literature Briefly) 

Professional Review:
To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, first published in 1960. It is the only novel written by Alabaman Nelle Harper Lee and achieved such success that it was made into an Oscar-winning film in 1962 and led to Lee’s receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2007.

To Kill A Mockingbird begins innocuously enough as a coming-of-age story told by a little girl named Jean Louise Finch, known as Scout. It is set in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the early 1930s. The book revolves around the lives of Scout, her older brother Jem, and their lawyer father, Atticus. The title is drawn from Atticus’s instruction upon giving his children air rifles: “Remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird.” As he explains that mockingbirds hurt no one and bring only joy to those around them, the concepts of prejudice, justice, and innocence emerge as the principal themes.

The first “mockingbird” we meet is the Finches’ neighbor Arthur Radley, or “Boo” as he is more commonly called. Rumors run rampant about this man, and his reclusive habits pique the curiosity of Scout, Jem, and their friend Dill. Local legend pegs Boo as a violent maniac, and the children are terrified of him, although they enjoy elaborating on the wild stories about him. They have never actually seen him; their closest thing to contact with him has been his anonymous gestures of kindness, such as gifts hidden in a tree in his yard and a blanket wrapped around Scout’s shoulders on a chilly night.

The children’s morbid interest in Boo Radley is quickly eclipsed by the primary conflict of the book. Word trickles down, via nasty names applied to their father, that all is not right in Maycomb. Atticus has been appointed as the defense lawyer for Tom Robinson, a black man on trial for allegedly raping the white Mayella Ewell. Robinson is proven another mockingbird, but racial prejudice, as Atticus tries to prepare the children to realize, makes justice highly unlikely.

The most prominent theme of Harper Lee’s novel is that of prejudice. Discrimination against blacks is, of course, the motivating force behind the Tom Robinson conflict, but prejudice lurks in other places as well. The town looks down upon those who are particularly poor (such as the Cunningham family) and those who are different (such as the Radley family). Scout and Jem’s Aunt Gertrude turns up her nose at anyone without a respected family name and encourages the children to do the same. The characters of Atticus Finch and the Finches’ neighbor Miss Maudie act as foils to these widespread prejudices. Atticus tells Scout, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view—until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” Atticus consistently acts with patience, tolerance, and kindness, even toward those who insult him.

As with any coming-of-age story, innocence and the loss thereof run as a thread throughout the book. The downside of growing up is demonstrated by Jem’s character, who struggles to come to grips with the weighty issues the family faces and the loss of his faith in humanity. On the other hand, we see Scout grow to understand the silliness of her superstitions and the ugliness of judgmentalism. At the head of these parallel journeys through childhood stands Atticus Finch, a man who sees the world for what it is but whose personal integrity remains uncompromised by it.

Harper Lee’s novel, while undeniably a classic, has not always been greeted with enthusiasm in the classroom. Language is one reason for this, and it is important to keep in perspective that the meanings and connotations of many words have changed since the book was written. Nevertheless, the fact remains that the book does contain derogatory terms for blacks in spite of its strong anti-racist message, as well as some other profanities. Furthermore, the subject of alcoholism comes into play, and rape is a major thematic element that is dealt with frankly (although the limited understanding of the young narrator helps prevent it from becoming overly graphic).

While these issues should certainly be carefully taken into account, the overall message of the book is positive and solidly grounded in Christian morals. Harper Lee’s engaging writing and insightful depiction of childhood and Southern life make a compelling vehicle for her case for ideals of integrity, compassion, and equality before God.

King, K. (July 2014) [Review of To Kill a Mockingbird by Haper Lee]. Youth Reads, Retrieved from http://www.breakpoint.org/features-columns/youth-reads/entry/40/25686

Library Uses: 

There are several ideas we could do with this book.

1. Since the follow-up novel was just released, a book discussion or book talk would be great to have for the whole community. 
2. We could show the movie at our monthly movie day. 
3. We have a coloring table on Fridays; we could have quotes from this book available for our coloring table.
4. Make a poster with lessons learned from heroines of literature, including Scout. 
5. Make a poster of characters that stole your heart, including Atticus Finch.
6. A display that has cards with things that Mockingbird got right about life 50 years ago with both books displayed.

Module 14: Poetry and Story Collection

"Persecution is not American. It is not American to give power of life and death to a secret organization. It is not American to have our citizens judged by an invisible jury". 

Witness, Karen Hesse

Book Summary: 
Witness tells the story of the Klan's attempt to recruit members in a small town in Vermont in 1924. Leanora Sutter, a young black girl, feels isolated by racial prejudice and her mother's recent death. She is befriended by Esther Hirsh, a younger Jewish girl, whose innocence and natural optimism provides a sharp contrast to the other characters.

The Klan's hate-filled message of white supremacy is voiced by Merlin, a teenager, and Johnny Reeves, a minister in the town, who both become members. Other characters — the town constable and newspaper editor — try to walk a careful line of neutrality until they realize the importance of taking a stand. Over the course of many months, residents are affected in many ways by pressures that build in the community, leading up to a climactic moment of violence.

In the voices of 11 residents of the town, we experience this series of events from many different points of view, in the form of a poetic play in five acts. As the characters speak directly to the reader and relate the juxtaposition of acts of hate and love, violence and peace, terror and kindness, they illuminate the full range of human strengths and weaknesses in one small town.

Reference: Hesse, K. (2001) Witness. New York, N.Y. Scholastic

Impressions:  

I was told that my grandfather had attended a few KKK meetings in the 1950's in Pennsylvania. Growing up in Southern California during the '70's and '80's had no clue about what racism was and why on earth anyone would think someone else was a bad person because they were born with darker skin. To me, it made as much sense as being arrested for breathing too much air. While I still don't understand how the KKK can justify their actions with the Bible, I can understand how people can become brainwashed by evil ideology and twist the truth to soothe their conscience.

Karen Hesse does it again by painting a picture of some of the problems in the early 21st century from that of a child's perspective, which in my opinion is often the truest sense of life. A very fast read, I read the whole thing in less than 2 hours, but no less impacting. The prose gave enough details without going into long allegories with lots of description. The story was not about the surroundings or what the people looked like, but what was happening in each of their minds and the changes they were going through as a town being infiltrated with poison from an outside world. A wealth of rich information and enough details to develop some of the characters. Another wonderful discovery to add to my personal collection. 

A very intense and direct short story, like a piece of rich cheesecake, this book gets right to the point and fills you with a powerful feeling very quickly. I felt angered, frustrated, disappointed, sadness, and then hope, pride and relief all in a matter of two hours. A roller coaster of emotions for a topic that can still be seen in our world today. "Short stories should have clarity and directness of vision, with no wasted words, no throwaway sentences." (Bucher, 2014 Young Adult Literature)  

Professional Review:

Award-winning author Karen Hesse's latest book covers a surprising series of events. It takes place in 1924, in Vermont, as the Ku Klux Klan begins to move into a quiet town. Didn't you know that the Klan was active in the North? Me neither. History books make it sound like a strictly southern force --- but as the real events on which Hesse based this book prove that it's just not so.

At first, the book looks as though it may be a play: each character is seen with their picture attached. But, in fact, the novel is written in verse. One 12-year-old character, Leanora Sutter, is the only black girl in the small town. She befriends an odd Jewish girl named Esther, even though Esther is half her age. Together they face the stream of prejudice spewed forth by the Klan.

Their small town is not used to the ways of the Klan. Many are drawn into it because of the friendship its members share; others honestly believe, for a short time, that the Klan is looking out for the best interests of the town. By the time people realize what it is about, hateful, violent acts begin happening late at night. Those who have joined are frightened. Those who opposed the Klan to begin with are terrified. Esther's father is shot at, and Mr. Sutter's friend is repeatedly threatened.

Hesse creates wonderful characters --- the creepy Reverend Reeves, sassy Iris Weaver, and most of all, Leanora and Esther. In WITNESS we see that even in the smallest town, people run the gamut of personalities: from almost evil to amazingly brave and good. The action and suspense kept me turning the pages.

As a big fan of Karen Hesse, I couldn't help but be troubled by one factor in this novel --- the voice of Esther. It seems too obviously to be based on the wonderful and little-known writings of Opal Whiteley. For someone who is normally as historically accurate as Karen Hesse, I was disappointed that she didn't take this opportunity to let readers know about Opal.

Still, WITNESS is a great read about a fascinating topic. If you want historical fiction about the Ku Klux Klan, read this. Karen Hesse doesn't cut corners on gritty and frightening details. 

Torpie, K. (September 1, 2001). [Review of Witness by Karen Hesse] Teenreads. Retrieved from http://www.teenreads.com/reviews/witness

Library Uses: 

This book could be spotlighted on a newsletter for historical fiction books that are based on real stories also showing some nonfiction books that support the research about the KKK and civil rights.

Module 13: Graphic Novels and Series books

"But my favorite thing about the rain is right before it comes. There is a certain smell in the air". 
The Storm in the Barn, Matt Phelan

Book Summary: 

This graphic novel, aimed at ages 10 and up, uses a dash of fantasy to make the 1930s come alive for young readers. Jack Clark’s worries include more than his father’s brusque rejections of his clumsy help around their farm or dodging town boys intent on bullying him. Living in Dust Bowl-era Kansas means that a sudden dust storm could make a mere walk to town life-threatening. Older sister Dorothy is bedridden with “dust pneumonia,” and Jack’s father wonders whether his son suffers from “dust dementia” when Jack claims to see strange lights, a shadowy figure, and a carpet bag emitting odd rumbling noises in a neighbor’s abandoned barn. After hearing a traveling rainmaker say, “Where there is thunder, the rain must surely follow,” Jack wonders whether opening the carpet bag to release the thunder might bring on the badly-needed rain. Despite his father’s warning to stay away, Jack returns to the barn, determined to help his sister get well and make a difference for his family.

The soft edges are suited to the dusty setting and evoke a real sense of place. Children will love the theme of empowerment, when small, weak Jack finds a way to solve a problem that the adults can’t. Parents or teachers should be warned, however, that the story includes an incident involving killing animals that, while not drawn explicitly, might shock sensitive children.

Reference: Phelan, M. (2009). The Storm in the Barn, Somerville, MA. Candlewick Press.

Impressions:  I've never been too impressed with graphic novels. Personally I don't see what all the fuss is about. In fact, I think they can be damaging to children because the books just become another screen. When will kids ever learn to use their imagination. However, having done a sizeable amount of reading and research concerning the dust bowl this book impressed me. The pictures and even the text what little there was of it gave me the feeling of being there and how desperate the situation was in the area. I am fascinated by the stories of the dust bowl since I live in an area that was significantly affected by the damage to the environment and the use of the Civilian Conservation Corp that helped to save what usable land was left and bring about a new era in this part of the country. This book did an excellent job of incorporating historical fiction with a graphic novel that did not feel like a graphic novel. The drawings are not the typical graphic novel type that resemble a comic book. These pictures seem like they too have been drawn from dust. Very well illustrated, great plot and good research. It was worthy of the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

Graphics are like a movie, they play out the pictures and require less involvement from a person's brain. They are like candy, easy to get, easy to eat and a quick high. But unlike food or books with a substance they don't last and often do not have the value of endurance that a good well-written novel has. I would like to see how many of the graphics that are on our shelves today will still be there in even ten years. What makes a good graphic, this particular should be at the top of the list. It will stand the test of time, it's enduring qualities makes this book a good fit for many different genres.

Professional Review: 

The Storm in the Barn, written and illustrated by Matt Phelan, is a story about an eleven-year-old boy named Jack Clark, who lives in Kansas in 1937. Jack's family struggles with the dust storms of the that have transformed the Midwest from beautiful grassland to barren fields. Jack’s sister Dorothy is sick, and the family is faced with numerous problems: no farming land, continual dust storms, lack of rain and lack of income. Jack is bullied and often mistreated from bullies to his father, who cannot connect with his son since the dust storms weigh heavily on his mind. Jack has a strong desire to grow closer with his father and help the family through this tough time. Jack is determined to change his life on the plains and help his family, and his journey leads him a neighboring abandoned Talbot barn where nightly blasts of light awaken him on a regular basis. At night, streams of light lead him to the barn where he discovers a sinister figure has taken refuge in the barn to deprive the locals of the much-needed rain. The town needs this rain to cultivate crops and return life to normal for Jack, his family, and his friends in Kansas. Jack is determined to help the town and solve the mystery of the storm in the barn. Eventually, Jack receives a hug, and finally, wins his father’s approval.

Matt Phelan is a renowned illustrator of children’s literature. Phelan illustrated Susan Patron’s Lucky Breaks and Jacqui Robbins’s Two of a Kind in 2009. Nonetheless, Phelan created The Storm in the Barn in 2009, and to date, Phelan has received the 2010 Scott O’Dell Award, Booklist’s Top of the List for Youth Fiction, Horn Book Fanfare, Kirkus Reviews’ Best Children’s Books, and School Library Journal’s Best of Comics for Kids. Phelan creates simple, yet realistic illustrations and many of Phelan’s hand-drawn pictures focus on innocent features among his characters, especially the young children in his tales. Phelan capitalizes on his strong illustration talents to tell a wonderful story.

The Storm in the Barn is historical fiction, (i.e. protagonist has universal human traits, but is a product of the time and place). Phelan introduces Jack Clark, an 11-year-old who lives in Kansas, 1937, during a period of our history known as the Dust Bowl. Jack is small in stature, faces bullies on a daily basis, and tries to appease his father who feels Jack is only out to cause mistakes. Jack yearns to help his father ready the family vehicle to travel away from the dust storms, but his father continually tells him he does not need his help (Phelan 39-41). Finally, his father says, “Look, just … just go find your baby sister. Keep an eye on her (Phelan 40-41).” The illustrated novel is also regional realism, (i.e. conflict often related to the region, whether topography, livelihood, or mores of the area). In the opening panels of the tale, Mr. Talbot is preparing the family vehicle to leave Kansas and his homestead. He sees the wind kicking up and moving dust through the air. He says, “The dust can have it (Phelan 13)!” Finally, I also sense a bit of a folktale within this text, (i.e. bad and good characters easily identified). Jack confronts the menacing body in the Talbot barn, and eventually, he fights the sinister figure for control of the satchel that contains the much-needed rain for the land (Phelan 147-187). Jack triumphantly tears the bag open from the figure and unleashes the rain and thunder on the countryside.

The main character in The Storm in the Barn is Jack Clark. The sinister figure in the Talbot barn, Clark’s nemesis, is also a major character in the graphic novel. Phelan creates secondary characters such as Jack’s sisters Dorothy and Mabel, and his father and mother. Ernie, the local proprietor, runs the general store and entertains Jack with tall tales. He, along with Dorothy seem to be the only characters throughout the book who believe that Jack will amount to anything in the future. Minor characters within the story are the four local bullies who torment Jack and Phelan never reveal any of the names of the hooligans. There are also several adult men showcased in the book who meet in the general store (Phelan 47-49) and gather to beat the Jackrabbits to death, yet remain nameless (Phelan 121-136). Abe, the doctor who treats Dorothy early in the story, is also a minor character. The author-illustrator creates a solid story with strong illustrations that combine the characters well and brings them to life as the reading audience interprets Phelan’s tale.

The setting is Kansas, 1937. Phelan utilizes the events during the Dust Bowl, and he crafts a strong illustrated graphic novel, making use of the devastating point in time when many families left states such as Kansas, Oklahoma, and Nebraska while looking for better conditions in other states such as California. Phelan shows the effects of the dust storms as Jack outruns a storm only to open his family door to individuals wearing masks (Phelan 24). The horrific conditions were commonplace throughout the 1930s in the Midwest, and Phelan does a strong job of illustrating the scenes to show these storms.Many common events that took place during the Dust Bowl are identified and graphically represented. Horrific events, such as jackrabbit beatings were common and necessary during the time of the Dust Bowl to ensure the Jackrabbits would not eat what little vegetation the dust had not swallowed up yet (Phelan 123). During this event, boys were forced to act strong like men, and Jack sees many of the men he admires break down and cry at the sight of so much blood shed. Phelan shows that many people who lived during the time of the Dust Bowl were forced to partake in activities that they were not comfortable with to survive and support their family.

Phelan constructs several themes throughout The Storm in the Barn. First, man versus the elements. The drought has brought pain and suffering to the people in the Midwest, and Jack looks to change that as he battles the sinister figure for control of the weather, i.e. rain, to help the people. Second, man versus man. Jack faces numerous battles on a daily basis as he fights the local bullies who mistreat and ridicule him. He also fights his father. Jack yearns for his father’s approval, and his father constantly finds fault with Jack and does not want his help when he works on the family vehicle. Third, man versus self. As others ridicule and belittle him, Jack must overcome self-doubt to conquer his fears and help his family and friends. The battle between Jack and the evil figure from the Talbot barn shows the 11-year-old is willing to fight for himself and become a better person. Phelan does a remarkable job to show how Jack grows from the beginning of the novel to the end. A definite positive for any young child reading his graphic novel.

There are many timeline examples of power struggles identified throughout the novel. Throughout the book, there are many examples of power struggles recognized. Initially, one notices the helpless and weak state that Jack’s family and town are in due to the lack of rainfall and crop growth. The town has suffered from a dry season that has lasted for years, and all seems lost for the Dust Bowl prisoners. Jack’s father even claims that the effects of the Dust Bowl are due to a supernatural phenomenon by stating, “The problem is this land. It’s cursed” (Phelan 34). Through stating this, one can infer that the townspeople believe superior forces cause the lack of rain, leaving the town with no defense, powerless. Essentially, in this situation, it is nature who has the power over the town; through the gift of rain, crops will grow, the town will prosper, and everyone will be at peace yet again. Therefore, the townspeople are powerless and at the mercy of whomever one believes to have control over the rain.

The style of The Storm in the Barn is an example of less is more. Phelan creates a well-crafted tale with his brief words and strong illustrations. During several points of the graphic novel, Phelan rarely uses words and lets the strong images carry the story such as the battle between Jack and the sinister figure from the Talbot barn. I feel Phelan’s artwork stood tall compared to his words, and I also feel Phelan went about his story with that in mind as he illustrated the novel. He provides a rich account of the dust storms of the Midwest during the 1930s with fine illustrations and uses facial expressions and scenes such as the snakes hammered to the fencepost to deliver for the reading audience Boxing Gloves. Through the use of strong illustrations, Phelan can first gain the reader's attention with intense images and then strike up mental processes by analyzing the meaning of the images. Phelan creates a grandiose illustration that both support and supply the text throughout the book.

You can purchase The Storm in the Barn for $24.99 plus tax. The suggested age range is ten years old and up. The suggested grade range is fifth grade and up via Candlewick Press.

Phelan, Matt. The Storm in the Barn. Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press, 2009. Print.

Welcome to Candlewick Press. Candlewick Press. Web. 17 Aug. 2010.

Rowe, A. (Aug 2010). [Review of the book The Storm in the Barn By Matt Phelan]. Candlewick Press. Retrieved from http://reviews-of-childrens-literature.pbworks.com/w/page/28715695/The%20Storm%20in%20the%20Barn

Library Uses: Can be used in conjunction with a display concerning the Dust Bowl and some of the history of the area during the Dust Bowl. It can also be spotlighted on a display or in the monthly newsletter along with several other graphic novels that are not the typical graphic novel. It can be called, "There's more to graphics than meets the eye."

Module 12: Biography and Autobiography

"But Elizabeth didn't believe in couldn't or shouldn't. She refused to give up".

Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors?, Tanya Lee Stone

Book Summary:
In the 1830s, when a brave and curious girl named Elizabeth Blackwell was growing up, women were supposed to be wives and mothers. Some women could be teachers or seamstresses, but career options were few. Certainly no women were doctors.

But Elizabeth refused to accept the common beliefs that women weren't smart enough to be doctors, or that they were too weak for such hard work. And she would not take no for an answer. Although she faced much opposition, she worked hard and finally--when she graduated from medical school and went on to have a brilliant career--proved her detractors wrong. This inspiring story of the first female doctor shows how one strong-willed woman opened the doors for all the female doctors to come. Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? By Tanya Lee Stone is an NPR Best Book of 2013

Reference: 

Tanya, L.S. (2013). Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? Kowloon, Hong Kong: MacMillan.

Impressions:  
This story is impressive. I liked the beautiful illustrations, and the narrative is delightful. My daughter was born 15 weeks early and has had her share of the medical world. She has always said she wants to be a nurse or a doctor. So Tanya Stone's, the book hit home for us. I enjoyed the story and the simple text. I liked learning about people who are not heard of very much. Biographies about strong women are powerful to our girls. I applaud any women who dare to enter a man's world and seek justice for women. In the world where women are still treated as second-class citizens, sex objects, property or slaves anything that promotes women as independent and gives girls a better self-image deserves recognition.

"When they see the choices others have made and how those choices determined the courses of individual's lives, adolescents can begin to realize that they too can make choices and that their decisions will influence their future". (Bucher, 2014 Young Adult Literature) 

Professional Review: 
Women not able to be doctors? There’s a crazy thought! One woman had to be first. Stone and Priceman combine their considerable talents to tell the story of Elizabeth Blackwell, who fought the scorn, the sneers, and the barriers on her way to becoming a physician. Priceman’s always active art works particularly well here, beginning with her depiction of young Elizabeth, who liked to explore and was willing to take on both fights and challenges. As an adult, prompted by a friend who wished for a woman doctor, Blackwell decided to apply to medical school—and so the rejection began. Once accepted, she was treated abysmally by her fellow students, until she proved herself smarter than any of them. The gouache- and india-ink artwork, featuring rich colors accented by heavy lines, delights. Whether it’s a landscape tilted on its side, smaller vignettes that take Elizabeth from waking to sewing circle to tea and back to bed, or a flurry of No, no, no, no . . . swirling around a spread, the pictures feel like poetry in motion. They highlight Stone’s almost staccato text, short and snappy, easy to read yet full of information about both Blackwell and her times. The extended author’s note will further intrigue readers.

Cooper, I. (2013). [Review of the book Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? By Tanya Lee Stone], Booklist Online, Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/Who-Says-Women-Can-t-Be-Doctors-The-Story-of-Elizabeth-Blackwell-Tanya-Lee-Stone/pid=5791238

Library Uses: 
This book could be highlighted in a display of women through history who have left their mark and changed the world. We could have cards with little facts about each of the women next to the book highlighting their accomplishments. 

Module 11: Informational Books

"Einstein offered up one last theory...'Our death is not an end if we can live on in our children and the younger generations. For they are us, our bodies are only wilted leaves in the tree of life". 

How They Croaked, Georgia Bragg

Book Summary: 

Over the course of history men and women have lived and died. In fact, getting sick and dying can be a big, ugly mess-especially before the modern medical care that we all enjoy today. How They Croaked relays all the gory details of how nineteen world figures gave up the ghost. Readers will be fascinated well past the final curtain, and feel lucky to live in the world with painkillers, X-rays, soap, and 911. 

Reference: Bragg, G. (2011). How They Croaked. New York, N.Y.: Scholastic

Impressions:  
This book can be added to any history curriculum. It's both informative, based on real facts, lots of research and it is very entertaining. Some of the stories I knew a little about, but most of this book was all new information to me. While the subject matter of death is not something you would teach a kindergartner about, it is part of life and history and can easily fit into a history curriculum. This book had so many interesting and useful facts about the history of medicine, personal hygiene, food storage, dentistry, bathroom etiquette so many modern conveniences that people in the modern world take for granted. What I took from this book is how much I admire even more some of these people. George Washington accomplished so many things for this country and helped to set the foundation to make this country what it is and all the while he was in tremendous pain nearly all the time. I also admire Galileo and Curie and Einstein for their work in science and technology and their steadfast beliefs that did not waver even in the face of execution. Every person in this book did change our world, sometimes for the good and sometimes for the bad.

While not all books can be judged by their covers, this is a book that would jump out at a kid and say "read me." It is so enticing you can almost say that a kid can be tricked into reading it simply by looking at the cover. Once they are reading though they won't realize they are learning history.

"Currently, informational books for children are designed to catch the eye. Careful attention is given to making both the cover and the contents visually appealing". (Tunnell, 2016, Children's Literature Briefly)

Professional Review:
How They Croaked begins with a clear warning: "If you don't have the guts for gore, DO NOT READ THIS BOOK." They are not kidding.

American icon Billy Joel once sang, "Only the good die young," but before modern medicine, almost everyone died young. The only difference was whether it was quick or slow and gruesome. Infections, malaria, gout, and tuberculosis were pretty common ways to go. King Tut, Christopher Columbus, Pocahontas, and Edgar Allan Poe were victims of such illnesses.

Queen Elizabeth and Galileo Galilei lived twice as long as their contemporaries, but they got it in the end just the same.

The other surefire way to go was by another's hand. Author, Georgia Bragg includes juicy details of Julius Caesar's murder and Marie Antoinette's—who got a real bad rap—execution.

Many people met their demises at the hands of doctors, whose remedies were mere guesswork. George Washington was bled to death. Beethoven suffered for days while doctors turned him into a hideous science experiment. And Albert Einstein? He made it to old age, but it sure is pretty insulting when someone steals your brain after you die.

Kevin O'Malley's illustrations pair with Bragg's gift for language to create what can truly and appropriately be described as "gallows humor." O'Malley's pictures are cartoony, grotesque versions of each person that highlight his or her demise. Marie Curie's fingertips did start to blacken after decades of exposure to radiation, and her picture certainly shows it.

Why am I raving about a book that tells you how famous people in history met their ends? Well, "funny" and "gross" are two of the biggest characteristics that reluctant readers, especially boys, look for when they do take the time to read.

Understandably, there is a bit of a stigma against books dealing with a bodily function, which How They Croaked certainly does. Still, it also manages to combine history and science with humor and gore in a way that many reluctant readers will connect to.

If this book was published when I was in middle school, I would have checked it out over and over, memorized my favorite parts, and grossed out my big sister with the gruesome facts within. Most importantly, I would have learned a lot and sought out more books like this one.

Speaking of which, there are two great non-fiction series to pair with How They Croaked.

A Wicked History chronicles the lives of nasty historical figures such as Vlad the Impaler, Rasputin, and Adolf Hitler. These relatively short biographies would make for a great school project about some downright terrible people.

The You Wouldn't Want To... series approaches significant points throughout civilization, then explains to you just why you might not want to time travel there. The sorts of diseases and medical ignorance displayed in How They Croaked is just one of the factors. The series goes in-depth, too. Assyrian Soldiers, Mayan Soothsayers, and Pony Express Riders are just some of the things you wouldn't want to be.

How They Croaked concludes with a positive affirmation that even though all of these historical people had nasty endings, it is often what they accomplished in life that made them important. Under all of those guts and gore, How They Croaked truly has a heart of gold.

Graziano, G (N.D.). [Review for How They Croaked by, Georgia Bragg]. Central Rappahannock Regional Library,  Retrieved from http://www.librarypoint.org/how_they_croaked_bragg

Library Uses: 
Each Halloween in our community, the museum works together with the local cemetery to provide a historical tour of the cemetery. I think our library could help to promote this tour. We have a sizeable collection of books from and about the Texas Panhandle with several books about the haunted, mysterious and hidden past of this area. We could spotlight those books and this book in our newsletter and on display to help promote the cemetery tour through the month of October. 

Module 10: Historical Fiction

“What did it feel like to die? Was it a peaceful sleep? Some thought it was full of either trumpet-blowing angels or angry devils. Perhaps I was already dead.” 

― Fever 1793, Laurie Halse Anderson

Book Summary:

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight-the-fight to stay alive.

Reference: Anderson, L. H. (2002). Fever 1793. New York, N.Y. Simon & Shuster.

Impressions: 
This book shows how historical fiction can be written about an actual event in history but uses fictional characters.
A beautifully written book about a time in history that I had never learned about. This story has several colorful characters and lots of detail about the time in history. The depth of research and the settings made me feel like I was there and could imagine every detail. There were some tears, and I cheered with Mattie when she finally made it through her horrible ordeal. It gave me some things to think about in our time, and I wanted to know more about the story and how yellow fever affected the world.

Someday I hope my daughter will read this book to understand what it was like in the past for girls her age. It should give students a glimpse of the past and so many things to be thankful for that we have now. This book is an excellent read for teaching how single decisions can have an impact that change the world. In this case, doctors began to understand how germs work and what can be used to keep others from getting the same illness. Although it would take many more decades before doctors began to utilize some of those lessons and teach the public about hygiene and sanitizing.

Professional Review:
Mattie Cook, a spirited 14-year-old girl, lives with her widowed mother who manages a coffee house during the late 1700's in Philadelphia, the nation's capital. During August of 1793, yellow fever engulfs the city. Mattie must make decisions that affect herself, Eliza, a free black widow and friend, her grandfather, and an orphaned girl, Nell. This coming of age novel by Laurie Halse Anderson (S&S, 2000) gives a full-bodied aroma to the life of the markets, docks, printing houses, artists and upper-class lifestyles and adds multicultural flavor with monies exchanged such as pence from Massachusetts, shillings from Virginia, British pounds, and French francs. While the book itself is exciting and informative, especially with the closing comments on the Free African Society of 1787, coffee houses of the 1790's, and synopses of yellow fever and "Moving the U.S. Capitol," the narration by actress Emily Bergl does not enrich it. The lack of variation of intensity and tone in the reader's voice makes it difficult to distinguish between narration and dialogue. Despite the range of foreign, ethnic, and varying classes of characters, the voices are not clearly distinguishable, even among the most prevalent ones. The pauses between dialogue and "she said" or "he said" cause a staccato rhythm and make this reading less than the first rate.

Tina Hudak, St. Bernard's School, Riverdale, MA. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Hudak, T. (2001) [Review for the book Fever 1793 By Laurie Halse Anderson] Cahners Business Information. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0689848919?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=0&n=283155&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1#product-description_feature_div

Library Uses: A great novel that can be used as a book talk to tell kids and others about some of the diseases in the past and what modern medicine has done to protect us. This book could be highlighted with several other books as a display about modern medicine. Little known facts about the origins of medicine could be put on board and books about why those changes came about. For example, yellow fever was one of the reasons doctors began to understand the important of hygiene and cross contamination and germs from other sick people. All these facts could be out on a bulletin board with some of the stories behind those discoveries. 

Module 9: Mystery

"Alone again, so long. This time We wait. This time We know for sure. That heat, that heartbeat, that life-will be back". Cryer's Cross, Lisa McMann

Book Summary:
The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Reference: McMann, L. (2011). Cryer's Cross, New York, N.Y. Simon Pulse.

Impressions:

A good old fashioned mystery and ghost story, It was a perfect book to read right before Halloween. I read the whole book in less than six hours. Some language, but it showed great insight into a mental condition call Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The characters were developed well, and the writing kept the reader turning the pages to get to the next moment. The book had you guessing what was going on right up to the last two chapters. I have not read a mystery book in awhile, but this one was geared right for kids ages 12 and up.

It had all the elements of a good mystery, and I would like to see more by this author. Young Adult Literature explains these features. "A real mystery encourages reasoning and problem solving, as well as questioning and examining evidence, fact, and motives. Like a problem novel, a real mystery also explores values and social morality. Behind the plot of each mystery is the idea of 'good versus evil, order versus chaos, illusion versus reality, and the necessity of thought as a tool for survival". (Bucher, 2014 Young Adult Literature) 

Professional Review:
This horror/suspense offering never really gets a whole shiver going, even though McMann infuses her story with a 50-year-old wooden school desk and a menacing collective of tortured souls possessing it. Even when the desk-spirits seem to explain the bizarre disappearances of two of several high school students in the tiny Montana town of Cryer's Cross, the intended creep factor intended falls short. What doesn't fall short is the solid characterization of Kendall, a senior who tries to keep control of her OCD even after Nico, her best boy-friend since infancy, goes missing. Weird carved messages show up on the desk he was using before his disappearance, and Kendall thinks she hears his voice when she sits at it. Luckily, she has the distractions of soccer, a new boy from Arizona who slowly warms up to her, and her family's potato harvest to keep her from obsessing about Nico's loss and the eerie desk-until they just become too compelling. Then she, too, faces danger from the trapped entities that inhabit the desk. The mystery of why and how the desk is possessed and urging teenagers to harm themselves is given a quick and illogical gloss over when explained. Discerning readers are unlikely to suspend disbelief, but they may find the character and setting help redeem the book.

Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, 

Gordon, S. (2010). [Review of the book Cryer's Cross By Lisa McMann], School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416994823?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=0&n=283155&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1#product-description_feature_div

Library Uses: I would include this book on our monthly newsletter for good juvenile mystery books to read or even a good story to read for the month of October.

Module 8: Fantasy and Science Fiction

"In a perfect world everything would be either black or white, right or wrong, and everyone would know the difference. But this isn't a perfect world. The problem is people who think it is". 

Unwind, Neal Shusterman

Book Summary: 

The first twisted and futuristic novel in the perennially popular New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology by Neal Shusterman.

In America after the Second Civil War, the Pro-Choice and Pro-Life armies came to an agreement: The Bill of Life states that human life may not be touched from the moment of conception until a child reaches the age of thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, a parent may choose to retroactively get rid of a child through a process called "unwinding." Unwinding ensures that the child's life doesn’t “technically” end by transplanting all the organs in the child's body to various recipients. Now a common and accepted practice in society, troublesome or unwanted teens can easily be unwound.

With breathtaking suspense, this book follows three teens who all become runaway Unwinds: Connor, a rebel whose parents have ordered his unwinding; Risa, a ward of the state who is to be unwound due to cost-cutting; and Lev, his parents’ tenth child whose unwinding has been planned since birth as a religious tithing. As their paths intersect and lives hang in the balance, Shusterman examines complex moral issues that will keep readers turning the pages until the very end.

Reference: Shusterman, N. (2007). Unwind, New York, N.Y. Simon & Shuster,

Impressions: 
I have always been a pro-life advocate, and I always will be. I have also always been an organ donor and always will be. However, this book has made me think about what would have happened to all the millions of aborted babies had they would have been born. I also started thinking more about organ donation and all the thousands of people who die all the time waiting for an organ. What a strange book that brought about a version of the solution to these issues. I never thought too much about many of the issues that were brought up in this book. I'm glad I did and thought about the children that never will be, but also about some of the things the ways science is heading in the direction of this book. To me, it's incredible how this author seems to fortell the future of the human parts market. Only recenlty was the Planned Parenthood fetus harvesting horrors uncovered.

Reading how differnt authors take our problems and envison the world where they are supposodly solved is always a good read especially for youth. Mr. Shusterman has done a wealth of research about these issues and incorporated them skillfully into a book and eventually a series that is both entertaing and thought to provoke. Another dystopian novel but this one combines the use of advanced technology to help "solve" the world's problems. It is a cross between science fiction, dystopia, and futuristic fiction. I can't wait to read the next book and see the movie. I'd applause, but someone might think I was a clapper.

"Futuristic fiction sometimes focuses on dystopia- an imaginary place where people live dehumanized and often fearful lives." (Tunnell, 2016, Children's Literature Briefly)

Professional Review:

Set in the future, the second civil war is fought over abortion. To end the war, a compromise is reached that ends the practice of abortion but creates an alternative called "unwinding." Between the ages of 13 and 17, parents or guardians can choose to have their children unwound, which involves having every part of their bodies harvested to be "donated" to another person so, technically, they don't die. The complex and compelling plot follows three teens whose stories intertwine when they escape while on their way to the harvest camps. Fifteen-year-old Connor's parents can no longer control him. Lev, a tithe, was raised by religious parents for the sole purpose of being unwound. Risa, a ward of the state, is a victim of shrinking budgets since she is not a talented enough musician to be kept alive.
Neal Shusterman's engrossing novel (S & S, 2007) is narrated in an even cadence and matter-of-fact tone that suits the author's straightforward narrative style. His wide array of voices makes the involved storyline, which is left wide open for what is sure to be an interesting sequel, easy to follow. This gripping, thought-provoking novel is guaranteed to lead to interesting discussions about abortion, adoption, organ donation, religion, politics, and health care.

Bilton, K. (N.D.) [Review for Unwind by Neal Shusterman] Mary Jacobs Memorial Library, Rocky Hill, NJ Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416912045?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=1&n=283155&redirect=true&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books&showDetailProductDesc=1#iframe-wrapper

Library Uses: 

This book is being made into a movie to be released sometime next year. It can be used as a display for upcoming summer movies.

Module 8: Fantasy and Science Fiction

“Here's the funny thing about the world coming to an end. Once it gets going, it doesn't seem to stop.” 

― Life As We Knew It, Susan Beth Pfeffer

Book Summary: 
Miranda's disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda's struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all — hope — in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

Reference: Pfeffer, S. B. (2006). Life as We Knew It. Boston, MA, HMH Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: 
An interesting take on an old topic. The end of the world has been the main plot in hundreds of books, but this particular scenario is unique in that the moon is the one hit, but earth suffers the consequences. I was interested to know that while this scenario could be a possibility in space, the results on Earth would be much different. If the moon did not completely break apart on the impact, it would have a ring of debris that would be pulled into earth's orbit and become a shower of meteorites raining down on earth at thousands of miles per hour. There would be far more widespread death, even to the extent of the complete annihilation of all humanity. 

This book has good aspects because the main character was a spoiled brat growing up. She had never gone without anything and even though her parents were divorced she had always had the security of her family, friends and was accepted well by her peers. It was interesting to see her reaction to the sudden change of her easy and calm life of abundance to the life she had to live and what she had to do just to survive. There are some wonderful lessons that she learns about what is truly important in her life, what she does with those lessons and what she discovers she can do to take care of those that she loves. Nothing brings about characters changes like adversity. 

According to Young Adult Literature by Katherine Bucher, she explains how most scholars are distinguishing Dystopia and Utopian literature from fantasy because there is an element of realism and science fiction technology. The concerns in these types of books are not too far off from the concerns of present day reality. This book and the ones that follow contain many of the elements of a good Dystopia universe book, totalitarianism, scarce resources, and anarchy. There were many moments in all four of these books that not only made me cry but made me think. One day our world will also have to face some of the very same problems as the youth had to in these books. I only hope that some of our youth have read these types of books and have learned some lessons to avoid. 

Update 11/11/15: I found this book so interesting that I discovered it was the fist book in a four part series. I obtained the other books and really couldn't put them down. I think the last book would make an excellent movie and would love to write a screenplay for this one. Anyone who is interested in this book, I recommend the whole series. A fantastic well-written book from the viewpoint of the youth. Characters are developed well and have enough depth to take them years into the future. One warning, though, there are several tear-jerking spots through all four books. You become attached to the characters and cheer them on hoping for their survival. 

Professional Review:

Pfeffer tones down the terror, but otherwise crafts a frighteningly plausible account of the local effects of a near-future worldwide catastrophe. The prospect of an asteroid hitting the Moon is just a mildly interesting news item to Pennsylvania teenager Miranda, for whom a date for the prom and the personality changes in her born-again friend, Megan, are more immediate concerns. Her priorities undergo a radical change, however, when that collision shifts the Moon into a closer orbit, causing violent earthquakes, massive tsunamis, millions of deaths, and an upsurge in volcanism. Thanks to frantic preparations by her quick-thinking mother, Miranda's family is in better shape than many as utilities and public services break down in stages, wild storms bring extremes of temperature, and outbreaks of disease turn the hospital into a dead zone. In Miranda's day-by-day journal entries, however, Pfeffer keeps nearly all of the death and explicit violence offstage, focusing instead on the stresses of spending months huddled in increasingly confined quarters, watching supplies dwindle, and wondering whether there will be any future to make the effort worthwhile. The author provides a glimmer of hope at the end, but readers will still be left stunned and thoughtful.

–John Peters, New York Public Library, Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.

Peters, J. (N.D.) [Review of the book Life as We Knew It By Susan Beth Pfeffer] School Library Journal, Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Life-as-We-Knew-It/dp/0152061541

Library Uses: I would include it as part of a teen display for Dystopia movies and books. I could also see a couple of teen programs stemming from this book. A prepper class or writing a disaster preparedness list or a screenwriter's or writer's class can be incorporated with this series.