LS 5623 Advanced Literature for Young Adults

Avi. 2008. THE SEER OF SHADOWS. New York: Harper Collins.
ISBN 9780060000165


Review:
The Seer of Shadows tells the story of a teen named Horace who is an apprentice to a photographer in New York circa 1872. When asked to take a portrait of a wealthy woman to place hanging in her deceased daughter's tomb, strange things begin to happen. Each time Horace snaps a picture, the deceased Eleanora appears in the photo looking angry. With the help of the wealthy family's servant, Horace discovers what really happened to Eleanora and learns the power he has when he aims the camera.

This story is extremely easy to read and captures the details of life in New York without bogging the reader down in details. Children today, who are accustomed to instant digital photos will enjoy reading about the complicated process it took to produce a single portrait. The supernatural element of the ghost of Eleanora slowly materializing to take revenge on her killers will be a good draw for young readers who like their books a little spooky. That the novel concludes with Horace (a white male) eventually marrying the black servant girl, Pegg, speaks more to today's social standards than those of that time period when such a union would be looked down upon. In no way in the novel however, is this marriage inflected as being against social norms. A good read filled with intrigue, a few ghosts, and a story that could take place today, but just happens to be set in a historical era.



Awards/Reviews:
Great Stone Face Children's Book Award  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
Rhode Island Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2010
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2009
School Library Journal: "Boyer captures the moods of all the characters and the tension of the tale."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "Avi's rich language evokes images and speech patterns of a bygone era, and his careful chronicling of early photography's art and science make this novel a pleasure to read."
Publisher's Weekly: "Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book's somber ending will leave spines tingling."
Booklist: "Avi's latest is a fast-paced, yet haunting portrayal of an upright boy trying to make his way in a world that has suddenly gone strange and dangerous."

Connections:
Could be used to begin a discussion on the methods of photography or the status of blacks in America at the time.

Other books by Avi:
Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. ISBN 9780689837777
Avi. The Escape From Home. ISBN 9780380728756

Image credit: www.bookfairpr.wordpress.com

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. CHAINS. New York: Simon and Schuster.
ISBN 9781416905851


Review:
Laurie Halse Anderon's novel Chains follows the life of a slave girl name Isabel and her sister Ruth during the early years of the American Revolution. Cheated out of their freedom upon their master's death, the girls are sold to a married loyalist couple who live in New York. Under their cruel ownership, Isabel is persuaded to spy on her masters for the rebels. She soon learns that neither the rebels or loyalists will help her escape to freedom and makes plans to run after her sister, whom her masters sold away.

This novel, told from the unique point of view from someone who had nothing to gain by either side winning the war, is eye-opening and heartbreaking. The vivid details of life in New York while being occupied by rebels, fought over, and occupied by red coats; really brings the American Revolution alive. The plot of the story, of Isabel being asked to spy on her masters and being betrayed by both camps, is startlingly believable given the disdain masters held for their servants. The story is not watered down for its youthful audience. Particularly harsh are the details of the POW's left to starve to death in the harsh winter, and the branding of Isabel's face with the letter I for Insolence. Anderson tells the story from the girls point of view and uses phrases like "the bees built a hive of sadness in my soul" and "the buzzing echoed in my brainpan" that captures the dialect a young slave may have used. An excellent read and appropriate for 5th grade and up.


Awards/Reviews:
National Book Awards  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2008
Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award (WON AWARD) 2009
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2009
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year (WON AWARD) 2008
Nutmeg Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2011
Booklist:" Anderson explores elemental themes of power ( She can do anything. I can do nothing, Isabel realizes about her sadistic owner), freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story."
School Library Journal: "Chains addresses the price of freedom both for a nation and for individuals."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "Thought-provoking and emotional, Isabel's story will linger long after the last page has been read."
Publishers Weekly: " Anderson packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot."

Connections:
This novel can be used to launch discussions about slavery in America, about the conflict between Loyalists and Revolutionaries. This can also be used to discuss enlisted slaves during the Revolution and the treatment of prisoners of war and the rules that govern such treatment.
Other books:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. ISBN 9780606240611 
Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party. ISBN 0763636797

 


Image credit: www.riversendbookstore.com

Murphy, Jim. 2003. AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 0395776082


This book thoroughly chronicles the events of the yellow fever epidemic that struck Philadelphia in the year 1793, as well as the political, civil, and scientific impact the plague had on the years to come. Readers are shown what life was like as the infant America struggled to find it's legs. The troubles President Washington faced in abandoning the U.S. capital. Also highlighted in this book are things we may take for granted today, such as proper drainage in our cities, clean water, and pest control. The book ends with how treatments and cures for some diseases were developed and how it was discovered that the tiniest mosquito can bring the deadliest illness to humans.

This book has twelve pages of sources and has many illustrations and newspaper clippings from the time period spread throughout the book. This all adds up to a very detailed book that is sure to interest those students who history and science. This book is organized for cover to cover reading and flows very well to encourage the reader to continue reading. The experiences, the desperation and horror, of the people living through this plague come through in the author's voice and brings history to life. Lengthy book and better suited to readers middle school and up.



Awards/Reviews:
National Book Awards  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (WON AWARD) 2003
Newbery Medal (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (WON AWARD) 2004
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2004
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (WON AWARD) 2004
James Madison Book Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Garden State Teen Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
William Allen White Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Young Hoosier Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2007



Connections:
Relate to current events, H1N1 virus.
Books:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. ISBN 9780689848919

Markle, Sandra. Mosquitoes: Tiny Insect Troublemakers. ISBN 9780822572992


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Kerley, Barbara. 2004. WALT WHITMAN: WORDS FOR AMERICA. Ill. by Brian Selznick. New York: Scholastic Press.
ISBN 0439357918



Review:
This biography give a brief overview of the life of Walt Whitman and insight into his motivation for writing poems that sing America and American's praises. It begins when Walt began work as a printer's apprentice, tells that he was always scribbling in journals on his travels around America, and of the poets experiences during the Civil War as he spent time at hospitals with soldiers who'd been wounded.

This biography is liberally sprinkled with excerpts from Walt Whitman's poems, journals, and letters. The picture it paints of Whitman is perhaps too saintlike, but it really drives home the motivations Whitman had for writing brilliant works like Leaves of Grass and Drum-Taps! This biography also captures the hardship suffered during the Civil War. Especially poignant is placing the beginning of the poem "O Captain! my Captain!" after the part that tells of Whitman and the nation's grief after the assassination of President Lincoln. The end of the book features an author's note, an illustrator's note, notes on the poems, as well as a bibliography of sources used to create this book.

Deserving equal attention in this book are the illustrations, which are very bold, vibrant and imaginative. Two in particular are cleverly done. The first is the page opposite the title page, which is made to look like an old newspaper typeset of the title page. The relevance to the story of course is that Whitman's first job was as an apprentice printer. The second is the illustration that has open books in the night sky like so many stars, with each carrying a different word for the poem it is quoting. An extremely well done biography that is well suited to readers 4th or 5th grade and above.




Awards/Reviews:
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award  (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2005
California Book Awards (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Bluegrass Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2007




Connections:
Have the students read some of the poems mentioned in the book.
Draw connections between the poems and life in America at that time: immigrant cultures, Civil War.

Other books:
Levin, Jonathan. Poetry for Young People: Walt Whitman. ISBN 9781402754777
Rappaport, Doreen. Abe's Honest Words: The Life of Abraham Lincoln. ISBN 1423104080



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Jenkins, Steve. 2009. NEVER SMILE AT A MONKEY: AND 17 OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 9780618966202


Review:
There are many unpredictable and potentially dangerous creatures in the world. This nonfiction picture book goes through 17 of such creatures and outlines things that humans should avoid doing in order to not aggravate that creature. Some are obvious, such as "never harass a hippo," others one may not have heard of, such as "never collect a cone shell," which has poisonous barbs.

This book has very good shelf appeal. The image of the monkey staring at you on the front combined with the angry monkey image on the back scream 'pick me up.' Each of the 17 creatures gets an illustration and a full paragraph of what not to do and why it will kill you if you do. At the end is a few pages of more detailed information of each creature, as well as a list of books for further reading. The illustrations are done with cut paper and really pop off of the page. Especially for me the illustration of the African buffalo, which looks like it's done with crushed velvet. It is a topic sure to catch the attention of children.






Connections:
Discuss local dangerous animals with children.

*More books on dangerous animals:
Simon, Seymour. 101 Questions and Answers About Dangerous Animals. ISBN 9780021795239
Eriksson, Christer; Susan Lumpkin, and John Seidensticker. Dangerous Animals. ISBN 9780783547626


Image credit: www.greatkidsreads.blogspot.com

Frost, Helen. 2006. THE BRAID. New York: Frances Foster Books. ISBN 0374309620

Review:

The Braid tells the tale of a family separated when they are forced to leave their home by their landlords. The mother, father, and some of the children leave Ireland for Canada. One daughter, the eldest, stays behind with her grandmother. The father and two of the children die on the voyage, leaving the mother, second oldest daughter, and a baby boy to fend for themselves once they reach the new world. The story follows the two sisters as they struggle to make their way in the world without the familiar support they are used to.

This novel is written in alternating narratives and praise poems by each sister, Sarah and Jeannie. An author's note at the end of the novel pointed out ( I had not noticed) that the narrative poem written by each sister has the same number of syllables as the age of the sister at the time of the narrative. Each narrative poem is carefully crafted to be so fluid that the reader barely notices that they are reading verse at all. The intervening praise poems draw attention to a particular aspect mentioned by the sister in the previous narrative and drives home the raw emotions that the separated sisters are feeling. I especially found that the praise poems following Jeannie's narrative truly struck a cord. For example, in the narrative she describes how she and her mother must spend their days scavenging or begging for food or work. In the praise poem, simply titled "food", the line "finding in each day food to carry us beyond that day," really brings home the hunger and the vulnerability they must have felt. An extremely good read for middle/high school students.

Awards/Reviews:
School Library Journal: *Star Reviewed, "the easy flow of the verse and its emotional impact that will carry even reluctant readers into the windswept landscape and the hardships and dreams of these two girls."
Booklist: *Star Reviewed, "In concluding notes, Frost explains the poetic forms she used, which braid together the two immediate voices with echoing words and rhythms."
Publisher's Weekly: "ingeniously structured novel in verse."
Voice of Youth Advocates: "a lyrical feeling that transports the reader and prevents the transitions in the story between Canada and Scotland from being too jarring."

Connections:
Discuss the different trials of immigrants who come to America, the Irish potato famine.
Other books by Helen Frost:
Frost, Helen. Diamond Willow. ISBN 9780374317768
Frost, Helen. Keesha's House. ISBN 9780374400125



Image credit: www.sarahmillerbooks.blogspot.com

Lewis, J. Patrick. 2009. COUNTDOWN TO SUMMER: A POEM FOR EVERY DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. Ill. by Ethan Long. New York: Little Brown and Co. ISBN 9780316020893


Review:

Countdown to Summer, as the subtitle says, has a poem for every day of the school year. There are poems of seemingly every type of rhyme and meter included: haiku, clever couplets, limericks, sonnets, concrete, tongue twisters, songs, and even a one word poem. Not all of the poems are lighthearted fun. Included in the collection is a poem titled "The Ninth Ward" which is about a hurricane Katrina victim waiting for help to come, but "her miracle went to a passerby." As a resident of Louisiana, and an evacuee of Hurricane Rita, this poem made a particular impact on me.

The poems in this collection cover quite a diverse range of topics. Some could be used to augment a lesson in class, such as "When is Its It's?" But mostly the poems seem to just be for fun. Each poem is accompanied by an simple black and white illustration that captures the setting, character, or subject of the poem. I particularly enjoyed the illustration from poem 154 where the lion gives the mouse a Cheerio wedding ring. I found some of the lengthier poems, such as "The Reasons for Rainbows," a bit much to read. Part of that I think is because so many of the poems in this book are so short that my mind began to be conditioned to read each poem with a quick rhythm that doesn't work for the long poems. This is something to consider when handing this book to a student, but it is still a good recommendation for anyone.



Awards/Reviews:
School Library Journal: "The selections feature a range of topics, including food, pets, school and teachers, and the natural world."

Connections:

Janeczko, Paul B.  A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout. ISBN 9780763606633
Janeczko, Paul B. A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems. ISBN 9780763623760



Image credit: www.childrenslit.com