The Giver-- CD AUDIO BOOK

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

The Giver

Written by Lois Lowry

Perfomed by Ron Rifkin

Publisher: Listening Library

Publication Date: February 27, 2001

ISBN: 080726203X

2. PLOT SUMMARY

Twelve year old Jonas lives in what many would consider to be a "perfect" world. His community has no crime, sickness, everyone has a job, and all are happy. However, when Jonas is chosen to be the community's next Receiver of Memories, he learns what all has been kept from him in his sheltered world. As he struggles to deal with all he is learning, Jonas must decide if he wants to consider living in a world where there is no color, holidays, or even snow. Once Jonas learns what it means for a community member to be released, he decides to take a risk and break free of the only world he has ever known.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

First of all, I have always been a big fan of audio books, and I must say this is one of the best readings/performances that I have ever listened to. Ron Rifkin's voice clearly defined each character, and I had no trouble visualizing what was happening in the story. I also loved the use of music as the story was told. The musical interludes were perfect to set an ominous tone for the mysterious setting of the story. Also, the music was light and happy as Jonas received happy memories. The music really help set the mood of the entire novel. I enjoyed listening to this story.

Lois Lowry is a gifted writer, and it is easy to see why she has two Newberry Awards. Her style is simple yet she is able to convey deep meaning in her word choices. She creates a story that is fast paced and hard to quit reading (or listening to) until you have finished the story. THE GIVER certainly was like that for me. I would listen to the story as I drove to and from work, and found myself so into the story, that I often missed my exit more than once! That's a powerful story! The plot was believalbe, and I found myself beginning to wonder if communites like this existed somewhere! As I listened to the story, I found myself pondering many of the book's "big picture" questions. Would it really be a good thing to live in a society where your destiny has already been determined? How would individuals be different if they never experienced pure joy and happiness. This novel would be an awesome one to use with a book club becasue there are so many questions the plot raises in its readers/listeners.

The characters in this story are very believable and well suited for its plot. As Jonas struggled to accept his assignment, I was sympathetic to the issures he faced. My heart ached when Jonas was devasted to learn what it meant when his father "released" a child--"Jonas felt a ripping sensation inside himself, the feeling of terrible pain clawing its way forward to emerge in a cry." Equally believable was The Giver, and I could picture how exhausted this man was from struggling to keep the memories for the community while dealing with his daughter's decision to be released from being the new Memory Keeper. I also saw how caring The Giver was by allowing Jonas to escape and his willingness to stay behind to care for the community that would struggle with Jonas' disappearance.

Lowry's description of the community suited the plot well. I could picture the colorless, drab world (Something that is hard to imagine!) these characters lived in. The style in which this story was told was well suited to its plot also. Having the characters speak such "perfect" language again allowed me to get a true picture of this strange society in which these people lived--how exact and perfect it all had to be for its citizens.

As stated earlier, this novel is full of thought provoking questions that would make an ideal discussion for a literature group. I would use this novel with a group of high readers, and give them plenty of opportunity to discuss and comment on what they read. It would be interested to get many perspectives on this novel, and how they would deal with living in this perfect society.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:

From School Library Journal--"This tightly plotted story and its believable characters will stay with readers for a long time."
From AudioFile--"His (Rifkin) voice for the Giver becomes increasingly weary and strained while Jonas' gains strength. Sharing this audiobook in a family or classroom offers a valuable opportunity to respond to and discuss Lowry's moving novel."

5. CONNECTIONS:

*Lowry's descriptions of Jonas' ability to see colors are wonderful. Think about how you could describe the color red to someone who has never been able to see the color before. Write down your description. Does it truly capture the color?
*Finish the story by writng a conversation Jonas might have with the first people he sees when he arrives at his new community.

looking for alaska

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

LOOKING FOR ALASKA

Written by John Green

Published by Dutton Books

Publication Date: 2005

ISBN: 0-525-47506-0


2. PLOT SUMMARY

A first year student at Alabama's Culver Creek boarding school, Miles Halter must learn to deal with many challenges--living away from his parents, making new friends, and getting used to the opressive Alabama heat. As he struggles to figure it all out, Miles meets some people along the way who will have a profound impact on his young life. In particular, Chip Martin, his genius roomate and Chip's best friend Alaska Young, will be a special challenge as Miles deals with the impact her short life will have on his.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Author John Green does such a fantastic job of creating believable, realistic characters that it is hard to believe this is his first novel. LOOKING FOR ALASKA is full of teenage characters who are dealing with the struggles that plague many teens. Although some of these characters may be a little more "worldly" than your average teen, Green creates characters in whom we see many strengths as well as weaknesses. All of the teens, from main character Miles to genius Chip are portrayed as anguished, struggling teens. One teen in particular who struggles is the title character, Alaska. Early on, the reader gets a sense of Alaska's struggles when she tells Miles, "There are people here with real problems. I've got real problems. Mommy ain't here, so buck up, big guy."

Instead of the story being divided by chapters, it is broken up into a "Before" and "After" section. The story is broken into sections titled, "one hundred twenty-seven days before" and "sixty-two days after." As you read the story, these titles foreshadow a critical event that is coming in the plot (Alaska's death), and Miles's slow struggle of dealing with his sudden loss. I liked this approach to telling the story. It kept the plot moving and prepared the reader for the tragic climax.

The description of Alabama was extremely descriptive. I especially like Miles's lines concerning the heat--"...the sun burned through my clothes and into my skin with a vicious ferocity that made me genuinely fear hellfire." With a description like that, it was obvious that Miles was having a hard time dealing with the heat. I also like how Green described Miles's reaction to an all fried diet..."You can say a lot of bad things about Alabama, but you can't say that Alabamans as a people are unduly afraid of deep fat fryers." I couldn't help but laugh out loud at this bit of profound wisdom from Miles.

Overall, the author told this story in a straightforward style that suited Miles's narration of the novel. There was no question that early on there would be a tragic event that would shake up this small boarding school community. Miles, as the newcomer to Culver Creek was the perfect character to tell this story. While I enjoyed the writing style of John Green, I was disturbed by the story. Not teaching high school, nor being around many high schoolers, I was pretty shocked by some of the things these young adults did in the story. I would be hesitant to put this novel out for just any student to pick up. I feel that a mature, responsible student would enjoy the story, and see the message Green was trying to get across to his readers, but would worry about this book falling into the hands of an irresponsible young adult. One who might read this story and think that because these students did the things they did in the story it would be okay for them to do it to. Overall, I liked the book, and would recommend it to the right reader, but still might want make parents aware of some of the "mature" situations in the story.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT

From School Library Journal: "...place holders sustain the mood of possiblity and forboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but are sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believablity."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Students not familar with the concept of boarding schools could research a few noted ones, and see how similar/different they are compared to Culver Creek.
*Research the state of Alabama. Are John Green's depictions of people from this state accurate/realistic?

Kira-Kira

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

KIRA-KIRA

Written by Cynthia Kadohata

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: 2004

ISBN: 0-689-85639-3

2. PLOT SUMMARY

"My sister, Lynn, taught me my first word: kira-kira." So begins the story of two sisters and the love they share for one another. Told through younger sister Katie's point of view, the reader sees not only the love between the two girls, but the struggles of the family as well. Set in the 5o's and 60's, the struggles of this Japanese-American family are brought to life through Katie's voice. As the family grows, they must learn to deal with all things good as well as difficult. Especially when they find out Lynn has a terminal illness. As the family struggles to say good bye to Lynn, Katie works hard to remember Lynn's glittery (kira-kira) outlook on life and remind her grieving family of Lynn's powerful presence will always be a part of their lives.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS:

As I read KIRA-KIRA, I often found myself caught up in this family's struggles. Not only for the heartbreaking loss of their older daughter, but for the injustices this Japanese-American family faced in segregated Georgia. Kadohata created believable characters whom I could sympathize with and grieve with as they coped with the tragedy of Lynn's young death. As Katie began to understand that Lynn was not going to recover from her illness, my heart ached for her. "Then I looked up 'malignant' in the dictionary. It said: Threatening to life; virulent: a mailignant disease. Tending to metastasize, cancerous. Used of a tumor. And that was how I found out Lynn might die." As I read that line, I could picture Katie looking up from the dictionary, a devastated look on her face as she compreheded the defintion. What imagery!

While the story was sad, the plot moved smoothly. Even though I knew the story was most likely not going to end happily, I couldn't put the book down. I had to see how the characters would react to Lynn's death, and struggle to get pass their loss. The author did a great job at establishing the setting. The reader got the feeling that the family was now living in a town where the Japanese-Americans were not welcomed to the neighborhood with open arms. While the author never used the word discrimination, I could feel the entire family's struggle to fit in. Especially Katie, where she had to face harsh words from other children at school. "They think we're like doormats--or ants or something!" Lynn did her best to make Katie understand that not everyone would want to speak to her on her first day of school because of her color.

While the story had many "sad" parts, the mood of the story varied throughout. At times, I was moved to tears, and other times found myself laughing out loud at Katie's antics, (and especially when she talked about how she was developing the southern "drawl.") In the end, as Katie and her family came to accept the fact Lynn was gone, and move on with their lives, I felt happiness for the family and their ability to overcome such a devastating blow to their lives and rejoice in all "kira-kira" Lynn brought to their lives.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL--"All of the characters are believable and well developed, especially Katie, who acts as a careful observer of everything that happens in her family, even though there is a lot she doesn't understand."

From PUBLISHERS WEEKLY--Lynn's ability to teach Katie to appreciate the "kira-kira," or glittering, in everyday life makes this novel shine.

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students read about the discrimination Japanese-Americans faced in our country during the 50's and 60's. Compare the facts to Kadohata's portrayal of the Takeshima family. Were her descriptions of the struggles the family faced due to their nationality believable?

Bud, Not Buddy

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
Bud, Not Buddy

Written by Christopher Paul Curtis

Published by Yearling

Publication Date: (Reprint Edition, 2002)

ISBN: 0-4404-1328-1

2. PLOT SUMMARY
When orphan Bud gets the opportunity to go (as he refers to it) "on the lam," an adventure begins. Determined to track down the man he believes to be his father, Bud encounters several setbacks, but perseveres until he makes to Grand Rapids, finding that man. A discovery about that man will allow Bud to have something he has longed for...a permanent home.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
If you want to expose children to several important historical events, give them this book. Not only do we learn how the Great Depression impacted Flint, Michigan, we also learn about Civil Rights and labor unions. This fantastic novel is full of historical topics waiting to be learned about and explored even further. Christopher Paul Curtis has created a strong, loveable character in Bud (who refuses to be called Buddy). The reader is immediately drawn to Bud and feels his pain as he experiences joy and sadness. Even when Bud is upset, he is able to hide it from most, telling the reader, "I don't know why, but my eyes don't cry anymore." He also had me laughing outloud many times, especially when he got even with Toddy by making him "pee the bed" before he runs away from the foster home. Bud as well as all the descriptive characters in this book work together to give the reader an idea of how the depression was a struggle for so many. I felt like Bud, as well as all the characters were believable and reacted the way I would have expected someone to act if they were living through/experiencing the same situation the characters faced.

The story takes place in several settings, but no matter where Bud is, the scene is described with such detail, that the reader is taken to that same spot. While I had read in textbooks about the "Hooverville's" that were constructed during the depression, I don't think I had ever "seen" one until Bud described the one outside Flint. I could feel the desperation in the characters when the police showed up to destroy the "cardboard jungle" taking away the only hope many of these characters had. The shelter where Bud is able to get breakfast a couple of mornings, reminded me of the soup lines of the depression. Characters wait to get fed only to have to be reminded of how unfair life is by having to pass a bilboard of a wealthy white family to get their food. The anger many feel about this is expressed by one character, "...you wouldn't expect that they'd have the nerve to come down here and tell the truth." I could feel the frustration as characters tried to work to make a better life for themselves.

The style of this novel reflected the time period, and dialects used by the characters reflected the area the novel was set in. The details regarding the time period were woven in throughout the story so carefully, that many times I felt these were actual people who lived through the depression. It is easy to see that Curtis researched his setting and background for this novel thoroughly. I also liked his afterword when he shared with the reader how he had based two characters on his grandfathers and had even included pictures of them. That made the story much more real and personable to me. Again, I feel this is another book everyone she read!

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*From School Library Journal--"...readers will be so caught in the adventure..."
*From Booklist--"Curtis says in an afterword that some of the characters are based on real people...so it's not surprising that the rich blend of tall tale, slapstick, sorrow, and sweetness has the wry, teasing warmth of family folklore"

5. CONNECTIONS
*Read this book and then another book set during the depression in a different area (such as A YEAR DOWN YONDER). Use the two books to challenge students to think about how people were affected differently by the depression depending upon where they lived.
*Bring in Jazz recordings so students can be exposed to the kind of music Bud's grandfather played.
*Research labor unions. Why did they pose a threat to businesses?

A Year Down Yonder

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
A Year Down Yonder

Written by Richard Peck

Published by Scholastic

Publication Date: 2000

ISBN: 0-439-32197-2

2. PLOT SUMMARY
As a result of the Great Depression, Mary Alice has come from Chicago to live with her fiesty grandmother. Dreading living and going to school in what Mary Alice calls a "hick town," she must learn to live life at a slower pace. It isn't too long before Mary Alice is Grandma Dowdel's partner in crime, and Mary Alice ends up having one adventurous year with her grandmother that she is sorry to see come to an end.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Grandma Dowdel ranks near the top of my "All Time Favorite (Literature) Characters" list! I don't believe I have ever had the pleasure of getting to know such a colorful character through the pages of a book. Grandma Dowdel is definately a person you would want as your friend and not your enemy. The lines Grandma Dowdel delivers in this book are great...from describing a Ina Rae (one of Mary Alice's schoolmates) as "skinny as a toothpick with termites" to telling a WPA painter to give the post office "...two coats...the paint's about the only thing that's holding it up." The dialogue given to Grandma certainly helps create a character who has been hit by hard times, but is recovering well.

The reader quickly learns how resourceful a woman she is during the hard times left behind by the Great Depression. Richard Peck does a fantastic job at describing the setting and telling of the small town hardships people faced as they recovered from economic setback in 1937. From collecting pecans and pumpkins from neighbors' homes (without their knowledge) to helping the Daughters of the American Revolution with their annual Washington Tea, you can get a sense of how people helped each other out during this time period. How the neighbors turned out to help a fellow citizen is so beautifully presented in the chapter, "A Minute in the Morning" when the town comes to the aid of Mrs. Abernathy by holding a turkey shoot and selling mugs of burgoo to help raise money for her to care for her invalid son, wounded in the Great War. (And with Grandma doing the selling, she makes sure that everyone who can gives more than their fair share.)

After reading this book, I felt I had a good picture of what life was like for the citizens of a small town recovering from the depression. Peck's wonderful description of the setting and colorful characters stayed with me long after I read this book. I found myself laughing out loud many times as I read about how Grandma Dowdel out foxed many of the town's citizens. (My favorite scene? The description of a naked Maxine Patch running out of Grandma's house with only a snake wrapped around her body...that is the best!) This Newberry Award winner should be experienced by all!

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS
*From Booklist--"Richard Peck's Newbery Award winner is a multi-layered story of small town life spiced with humor, love, and a bit of history."
*From Publisher's Weekly--"hilarious and poignant"

5. CONNECTIONS
*Students research FDR's New Deal programs mentioned in the book--the WPA and the CCC. How did programs like these help the country get back on it's feet?
*Read the prequal to this book, A LONG WAY FROM CHICAGO. How does the story change with Joey telling it instead of Mary Alice? What do you think A YEAR DOWN YONDER would have been like if Joey had been the narrator instead of Mary Alice?

The Midwife's Apprentice

1. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA
The Midwife's Apprentice

Written by Karen Cushman

Publisher: HarperTrophy

Publication Date: 1995

ISBN: 0-06-440630-X

2. PLOT SUMMARY
A young, homeless girl is taken in by the local midwife after being found asleep in a dung heap in the woman's barn. Named "Beetle" by the woman, the girl becomes an apprentice to her in exchange for food and a place to sleep. As the story develops, so does Beetle's belief in herself. She gives herself a name, Alyce, and works to develop the self confidence needed to one day become a midwife herself. Set in medieval England, this 1996 Newberry Award winner hooks the reader with the first page.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Although medieval European history has never been a strong interest of mine, I was captivated by this slim novel. Since I did not have a strong background in this particular area of history, I was dependent on the novel's strong description of the setting and time period. Cushman did not disappoint me, and even managed to teach me a thing or two about medieval England and the practices of midwives during this time. A vivid picture of the street market came to my mind as I read the chapter describing Alyce's trip to town. The essence of this time period came alive through Cushman's description of the scene..."She passed through the forest of bright booths with flags and pennants flying, offering for sale every manner of wonderous things--copper kettles, rubies and pearls, ivory tusks from mysterious animals, cinnamon and ginger from far away lands, tin from Cornwall, and bright green woollen cloth from Lincoln." I could picture the market and feel Alyce's excitement at being amongst the magnificent goods the merchants had to share. Cushman's descriptions are so vivid, that at times I felt as if I had been transported back in time and was actually there with Alyce as she walked the English countryside.

Alyce is a very strong character. As the story develops, Cushman allows the reader to witness Alyce's growth from an awkward, shy urchin to a young lady with a passion to learn and become a compassionate midwife. The dialect and customs of this time period are portrayed with accuracy, and it is evident that Cushman researched every aspect of medieval history to create such an outstanding portrayal of life during this time. Alyce is one of the strongest characters I have met in a novel, and she would be a great role model to other girls to show how far you can rise above a rough beginning when you have develop confidence and begin to believe in yourself.

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS:
From BOOKLIST--"From the first page you're caught by the spirit of the homeless, nameless waif, somewhere around 12 years old, 'unwashed, unnourished, unloved, and unlovely,' trying to keep warm in a dung heap."

From SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL--"Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart."

5. CONNECTIONS:
*Make sure students understand the concept of an "apprentice," and why it would be important for a young girl such as Alyce with no education or family to become an apprentice and learn a trade.
*Research some of the beliefs and practices medieval midwives had/used. How are they different from some of the beliefs and practices of midwives today?
*Students could illustrate/make a model of the street market Alyce visited.