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.

Module 7:  Realistic Fiction

Ten Things Bobby Ellis-Chan Didn't Mean to Do:

Adopt a goldfish. 

Be embarrassed by a football player called "The Freezer."

Wear curlers 

Admit "The Freezer" is his father 

Train his goldfish to do tricks 

Spill paint all over his best friend 

Hug a tree 

Get stuck to the tree 

Run for office 

Start a boys vs. girls WAR! 

Who knows what will happen next?

Bobby Vs. Girls (Accidentally) Lisa Yee

Book Summary: All of the problems in Bobby's life can be summed up in one word, "girls". Bobby tries so hard to be a normal fourth grader, but with a famous father and a girl for a best friend, being a regular kid is just not in his future. He has a big sister who plays football with the boys and an annoying little sister.  His greatest wish in life is to have a dog, but being allergic to fur, his only option is a goldfish. This goldfish becomes one of his very best friends, and he spends lots of time with his fish every single day. Bobby does his best to forge his path and learns some interesting and hard life lessons along the way and inadvertently makes enemies with all the girls in his fourth-grade class. 

Reference: Yee, L. (2009). Bobby Vs. Girls (Accidentally). New York, N.Y. Arthur A. Levine Books.

Impressions:  A nice little book about real life problems that all kids face in elementary school. It made me reminiscent of my third and fourth-grade years when girls and boys each still have cooties. This would touch a nerve with every young boy and girl and maybe bring back some memories for those of us who are a tad bit older. 
The biggest impression I got from this book was the relationships he had with his family, mostly his dad. This parallels what Bucher says about realistic fiction. "A number of young adult realistic fiction novels examine father-son or father-daughter relationships. Although they all differ in several ways, the circumstances are usually the same- differences exist between parent and the young adult and each has to gain an understanding of both himself or herself and others". (Bucher, 2014, Young Adult Literature pg. 131)

Professional Review:

Kitchen Table Reviews: Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally)

Bobby's former best friend turns all the girls against him in this story guaranteed to appeal to tweens of both genders.

By Mir Kamin | September 4, 2009 

When I saw Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally), I knew I had to pick it up for my son. Back when we’d reviewed another of Lisa Yee’s books, So Totally Emily Ebers, we’d done it as a “girls only” review because the subject matter seemed both a bit too mature and decidedly “girly.” This book, though, centers on a male protagonist in 4^th grade, so I expected my male 4^th-grader to love it. What I didn’t expect was how much my female middle-schooler and I would enjoy it, too!

Me: What did you think of this one?

Son: I thought it was great—Bobby just wants to be a regular kid, and there’s lots of reasons he finds that hard. Like, his dad is famous. And he wants a dog but he’s allergic to them. And his best friend isn’t his best friend anymore and she’s making all the girls hate him!

Daughter: I love everything Lisa Yee writes. I don’t know what it is, but the way she tells stories you really feel like you’re right inside the main character’s head.

Me: Did you feel like this was too young for you?

Daughter: No, I really didn’t, even though they’re all in fourth grade. I did kind of want to know what Holly [the female main character] thought about some of this, too, but it’s all from Bobby’s point of view.

Me: But this is Lisa Yee, who wrote the same story from three different points of view in three different books… so maybe there’ll be a book from Holly’s point of view, sometime.

Daughter: That’s true! That’d be cool. I would read that. Also, Holly totally reminded me of girls I know.

Me:  You mean the whole frenemy thing?

Daughter: Totally.

Me: What was your favorite part?

Son: I liked the way Bobby was with his little sister. They were funny together.

Me: I liked that, too. You don’t often see a kid in a book being nice to his little sister like that!Daughter: I liked how it ended up being this whole girls vs. boys thing and Bobby seemed really confused about how that even happened. The whole classroom election thing was really realistic, I thought.

Me: I liked how Bobby’s dad is such a terrible cook. I thought that was sort of a cute sidebar, a running gag through the whole story about his burnt cookies and stuff. It wasn’t central to the story but it was an added touch.

Son: Oh! And I really liked the pictures. It made it sort of comic book-y here and there.

All in all, this one is a great read for ages 8-12.

Pros: Manages to be universal enough to appeal to nearly everyone. Dan Santat’s excellent illustrations add another dimension to the story. Positive sibling relationships.

Cons: Many cringe-worthy moments. Friends being mean to each other. Allergies.

Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) gets three thumbs from two girls and one boy at our kitchen table.

Kamin, M. (2009), [Review for Bobby vs. Girls (Accidentally) By Lisa Yee] Kitchen Table Reviews, Scholastic.com, Retrieved from: www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752556

Library Uses: This would make a good conversation book. Have a bulletin board set up in the foyer of the library with sticky notes and pens. The sign could say, "Ever had a bad day, an embarrassing situation accidentally? Write it down and place it on the board, anonymous. You'll see you are not the only one who has bad days".

Module 6: Picture Books

“I guess it simply goes to show that stuff will come, and stuff will go. But do we cry? Goodness, NO! We keep on singing.” Pete the Cat, James Dean

Book Summary:
The grooviest cat is back, but this time he is losing his buttons. A book about subtraction that includes a groovy song too. Full of big bright illustrations and lots of repetition and rhyming. A book kids will be reading over and over and a good teacher resource to add to their collection.

Reference: 

Dean, J. (2012). Pete the Cat. New York, N.Y. Harper Collins.

Impressions: 

Pete the Cat books are very popular among kids, and this one might be the best one. The subtraction song that goes with the book is a catchy tune that kids will be singing over and over. The illustrations are bright, and this cat has the perfect attitude for a cat and kids, simply put, "the cool factor".The repetitive nature of the text makes it a great book for toddlers and preschoolers, and I love how the story incorporates basic math skills too! I was not all that familiar with Pete the Cat, but now I understand the influence this beat neck cat has on the teaching world. This is a book that will be a part of a core collection. Make sure you get a copy to keep in your personal library, the Groovy Buttons song is kind of like the Everything is Awsome song, once it gets in your head you'll never get it out.

Professional Review:
In his third outing Pete the Cat follows the pattern of his previous appearances: Despite repeated wardrobe malfunctions, he maintains his upbeat attitude and bouncy charm. This time around the focus is on the buttons on Pete’s favorite shirt, instead of his shoes, and there’s even a bit of math involved. Still, for readers who have met Pete, previously there’s not much here that’s new. Pete moves from his cozy chair to a skateboard to the street outside to a surfboard on top of an old-style Volkswagen Beetle. In each spot, for no apparent reason, one button pops off. The repeated refrain asks “Did Pete cry?” and answers “Goodness, no! Buttons come, and buttons go.” As a song, it’s likely perky but read aloud, the text can seem tedious and overlong. Still, the brightly colored, childlike paintings and playful typography should keep kids’ attention, and some will also enjoy identifying the large numerals as they count backward from four to zero. A final twist finds Pete admiring his bellybutton, which will always be with him unlike the “stuff” that “will come and…go,” offering the option of a mildly anti-consumerist message for parents who choose to emphasize it.

Fans will want to visit the publisher’s website to check out the extras, while newcomers will either do the same or let Pete go, depending on their taste. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews (2012) [Review for Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons By James Dean], Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/eric-litwin/pete-cat-and-his-four-groovy-buttons/

Library Uses:
The book can be used as a part of a storytime and a game played after the book is read. Each player gets one shirt and places four buttons on top of the shirt. We would sing the song with the kids and remove each button with the song. They can take the little game home after storytime is over.

Module 5: Other Award Winners

"Celeste, do you remember when we talked about earthquakes? Well, tonight we felt an earthquake of the soul". 

I Lived on Butterfly Hill, Marjorie Agosin

Book Summary:

Based on true events in Chile, a young girl witnesses first hand the political turmoil during the overthrow of the Chilean president in 1973. Celeste Marconi lives in Valparaiso and notices warships in the harbor and people begin to disappear from class without a word. Celeste isn;t sure what's going on, but understands quickly that no one is safe. The country has been taken over by a government that declares artists, protestors, and anyone who helps the needy to be considered "subversive" and dangerous to Chile's future. Celeste's parents are targeted for being doctors who help the poor. They are forced into hiding and soon after Celeste too must "disappear." She is sent to Maine in America, to live with her aunt. In exile in Maine, she never stops dreaming of Chile and her questions haunt her. Are her parents ok? Will she ever be safe? What happened to all her friends and their parents?Very well written with innocent drawings that will speak to any reader. Lots of details of Pinochet's takeover of Chile, with many true events, this speaks to the human spirit and the power of revolution, courage and love.

Reference: Agosin, M. (2014). I Lived on Butterfly Hill. New York, N.Y. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: 
Chile is a country I knew very little about before I read this book. I also knew nothing about the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, Valapariasio, Pablo Neruda, Café con leche, Cuchufl, Ajiaco and a dozen other things I found myself googling while reading this book. As a child with a small traditional white American family, I often envied those around me from Hispanic backgrounds with large families with lots of tradition and culture with to identify. Reading this book made me almost feel a part of this country and the tragedy that had befallen the beautiful people. I felt the anger and frustration Celeste was feeling through each day and a new situation she faced. I was proud of her courage, and I loved the message of the entire book that Faith is with you always.However the part I loved more than anything else was how her grandmother had protected and hidden the books from the community. Then she asked her granddaughter to become a librarian and a writer to protect the knowledge of the people. What an awesome message that is to every person who reads this book. Freedom of knowledge is the future and keeping that knowledge available to everyone is what will change the world.

A country is only as strong as its knowledge.

Professional Review:

Eleven-year-old Celeste Marconi, who lived with her parents, Abuela (grandmother), and nanny in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile, had no idea that her happy and carefree life was about to be turned upside down. As news spread that the newly-appointed Chilean president was overthrown by a dictator, Celeste's joy was quickly overshadowed by fear, especially when some of her classmates mysteriously began disappearing. Just when Celeste thought that she couldn't handle another bout of terror, her parents, who were doctors and seen by the new government as subversives for aiding the poor, decide to go into hiding. And worse --- they tell Celeste that she must leave her beloved Butterfly Hill (her home, named after her favorite flower) to live with her aunt in America.

Told in the first person, Celeste narrates her life's journey during a turbulent time in Chile's history. Parallel to Celeste's experiences, award-winning Chilean poet Agosin knows, first-hand, what it was like to live in fear --- she escaped the horrors of Pinochet's 17-year dictatorship by moving to the US. In her first book geared for young adults, Agostin has taken her experiences and created a story of courage against all odds. Tightly woven with historical facts, Celeste is confronted with a plethora of obstacles --- both in her homeland and during her three-year stay with her aunt in Juliette Cove, Maine.Masterfully and beautifully written, Agostin has produced an all-time classic.

Agosin' s narrative is remarkably laced with poetic imagery of beauty, love, and hope in the midst of horrific crimes toward humanity. Coupled with this imagery is the handful of strong role models who help mold how Celeste will ultimately address tough decisions. The challenges that Celeste faces are well balanced with her dreams of becoming a writer someday, as well as the subtle nuances of nature that attract her senses.

I LIVED ON BUTTERFLY HILL is a longish story, but one that indeed needs to be told since there are very few pieces of literature covering this time period that are written specifically for young adults. Each chapter is brief, not only keeping the narrative crisp and moving, but also riveting from beginning to end. Masterfully and beautifully written, Agosin has produced an all-time classic.

Lock, A. (March 7, 2014) [Review for I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin], Retrieved from www.teenreads.com/reviews/i-lived-on-butterfly-hill-0

Library Uses:

There are many uses for this book both in a library setting and in a classroom. It can serve as part of a must read list about culture and heritage of other lands, it can serve as a lesson for strong girls, and it can be a launching point for introducing poets from other countries such as
Pablo Neruda.

One last thought, this is a message from the author that I stumbled across, but after reading this book I would say that this could be a message from Celeste Marconi.Union College 2015 Commencement - Marjorie Agosin speech

Module 5: Other Award Winners

“And then I know I'm being a man, not just some kid who's upset and wants it his way.” 

― The First Part Last, Angela Johnson

Book Summary:                                                                       Bobby is a typical African American urban teenaged boy — impulsive, eager, restless, loves to have fun and hang out with his friends. On his sixteenth birthday, he gets some news from his girlfriend, Nia, that changes his life forever. Bobby is going to be a father. Overnight his world changes and the things he used to do no longer seem important. He takes responsibility and decides to do whatever it is that he has to do to stay with Nia and help her through this. He goes with her to the obstetrician and a social worker who tries to tell them that they need to put their baby up for adoption. Torn in two by what everyone in his life is telling him to do and what his heart is telling him to do.

Reference: Johnson, A. (2003). The First Part Last. New York, N.Y. Simon and Shuster.

Impressions:

A real book about real life issues that happens all the time. The main character is the young father of a baby girl and all the struggles in life he is learning how to handle. This would make anyone proud of this young man and the choices that he makes for his girlfriend and his baby.

He did not leave them, he was not in a gang, he did not sell drugs, he did not force the girl to have an abortion or any of the dozens of poor choices that teenagers make when faced with the same situation. It gave me hope that other kids might not make the same stupid choices when teenage sex produces a teenage pregnancy.

Although teen pregnancy is down, this is still a very real problem with real consequences. Stories like this show that boys can turn into real men and take ownership over their choices and the outcome of those choices. Society and media paint a very poor light on our youth, but more stories like this one can show America that there is hope for the future of our youth.

The First Part Last, should be made into a movie, with the main character, Bobby, played by Jaden Smith. If there is anyone out there interested in helping to write a screenplay let me know, I'd love to help.

Professional Review:
The Lesters review The First Part Last by Angela Johnson.

Adolescents and teens are having sex. Adolescents and teens are thinking about having sex. Adolescents and Teens have always had sex or thought about having sex and always will have sex or think about it. This is the fundamental premise upon which award-winning young adult author Angela Johnson bases her most recent novel. Rather than lecture her intended 12 and older audience about birth control and the physical and emotional safety of abstinence, Johnson offers The First Part Last as a cautionary tale about aborted childhood innocence that results from poor choices that affect not only the too-young-to-be-parents Nia and Bobby but their family and friends as well. The novel is then a litany of how past mistakes forever haunt these young characters' present dreams and future realities.

The novel's effective alternating now/then organizational pattern reinforces the theme that the present and past are inextricably connected on the basis of choices that we make for ourselves, particularly bad choices made by youngsters who knowingly engage in risky behavior. Bobby and Nia are intelligent African-American high school students who have unprotected sex, resulting in pregnancy. The story's format carries the reader back and forth through Bobby's life before, during, and after the pregnancy. He remembers his own childhood and acknowledges to himself that at age 16 he is unprepared for his forced new identity and responsibility as a teen father: "I feel like I'm a baby with a baby most of the time. Just playing daddy until someone comes over and says, 'Hell, kid, time's up. No more of this daddy time for you, and anyway you've been busted'" (p. 128). The truth, according to Johnson, is that parenting, especially as a teen, is serious business.

Telling the story from the perspective of the teen father makes an interesting lens through which to read gender and social constructions of "manhood." Too often we read about the complex situation of young females forced to deal with unplanned pregnancies while the young fathers are either absent or unavailable for any kind of support. To his credit, Bobby is not that kind of new father. From the moment he learns of Nia's pregnancy, he accepts his responsibility for his self-acknowledged "stupid" actions: "I'm going to be this baby's daddy now.... I'm supposed to be her daddy and stay up all night if I have to. I'm supposed to suck it up and do all the right things if I can, even if I screw it up and have to do it over" (pp. 125-126). The novel then shows Bobby's personal struggles with Nia's emotional and physical health, with Nia's parents and their lack of trust in his decision making with their daughter, and with his own parents' disappointment in his bad choices. The daily tedium and enormous responsibility of young single parenting force Bobby to grow up overnight and convinces him that his life as he once knew it will never again be the same. The reality of changing poopy diapers, cleaning up baby vomit, buying formula and diapers, juggling school and child care, forgoing opportunities to hang out with his buddies, and getting very little sleep around the clock is intended to make youngsters think more seriously about giving in to their hormonal urges: "This little thing with the perfect face and hands doing nothing but counting on me. And me wanting nothing else but to run crying into my own mom's room and have her do the whole thing" (p. 15).

Although Johnson's story is a valiant effort to bring us a perspective not often considered that of a young single father fully embracing his new role the story seems at odds with itself. One such instance occurs when Bobby visits Nia late into her pregnancy, and they engage in sex. Their conversation before the encounter has little to do with the gravity of what has led them both to this pivotal moment in their lives acting irresponsibly with their bodies and sexuality. While there is slight mention of their past carelessness-he says to her, "I figure we hadn't used too much common sense lately, or she wouldn't be pregnant" (p. 49)-they nevertheless "head toward her [bed] room." Even though Nia cannot become pregnant again while she is pregnant, one expects there to be more substantive and cautionary dialogue acknowledging how their impulsive decision to be sexually active just because the opportunity presents itself is a very serious matter. Bobby is only interested in whether having sex during her pregnancy will harm the fetus.

Second, while Johnson gives us no cookie-cutter tale of happily ever after-Nia dies from a complication with her delivery, a contrived way to get her out of the initially intended legal adoption plan and to have the biological father exercise his right to keep the baby the story leaves other narrative gaps that don't satisfy. Why does Bobby decide to leave New York and move to Ohio to start anew with his infant? How will he survive in Ohio with no job, no career prospects, no apparent skills beyond his drawings of his new daughter and his illegal spray paintings on public properties? Although his divorced brother and his nephews live in Ohio, why would he leave the support system of his parents, his daughter's grandparents, and his friends? How is raising an infant in rural Ohio any better than raising an infant in big city New York, especially when Bobby shares with us his love for the city-its smells, its sounds, its lights, and its people? Will he be able to finish his last two years of high school and adequately care for his infant daughter without some immediate financial assistance and other communal or familial support?

The novel consciously challenges us to consider different ways of viewing the world. For instance, gender role reversals are underscored-Bobby's father is the emotionally demonstrative nurture rather than his mother; Bobby and his dad cry without concern for what others might think of their "manhood"; Bobby's buddies have no problems spending time and playing with Bobby's new child; the cop who arrests Bobby for his spray painting is female, as is Nia's obstetrician.

It is also important to recognize that Nia and Bobby and their families are neither uneducated nor from low-income homes and lifestyles. Bobby's father owns a successful restaurant, and Bobby and his family frequently traveled y when he was growing up. Nia's parents have expensive art collections. Such details about their economics remind readers that unwanted pregnancies are not class, race, or ethnicity-specific. Engaging in sexual activity can result in unplanned pregnancy, and any pregnancy changes on some level the lives of all those connected with it.

As long as adolescents and teens are thinking about and having sex, this story needs to be read and told. Because Nia and Bobby are sexually active, their lives will never again be the same. Nia and Bobby know about birth control, but they make bad choices. Remaining abstinent then is the only sure way to escape such life-altering results. The title of the novel, The First Part Last, works as a warning, advice, and instruction to young readers. Do first things first and do not put yourself in a situation where you are forced to grow up before you've grown up. There is always time to become an adult but no opportunities to recapture stolen childhood.

This very accessible and easily read novel takes risks. Talking about the realities of sexuality and teen pregnancy is still a source of awkwardness for some conservative parents and teachers. While the novel does not provide graphic details of sexuality or any specifics on how Nia becomes pregnant, it clearly addresses the fact that youngsters are not waiting until they are adults and married to become sexually active. It also responds to the fact that no matter how many parental and middle and high school health class lectures about abstinence, pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and now AIDS, youngsters are engaging in risky sexual behaviors. To ignore this fact is to be in denial about young adults' real lives. The complications with Nia's pregnancy and the burdens of Bobby's single teen parenting might well open the eyes of many young curious and confused readers.

Reviewed by Neal A. Lester, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
Lester, N. A. (2004). The first part last. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, [Review of the book The First Part Last By Angela Johnson] 47(5), 429- 432. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216915081?accountid=7113

Library Uses:

This book could be used as a part of the Black History Month display in February. I would also post the book trailer on the Library website and Facebook page under the Teen Reads.