5 Genre Fiction Reviews

             Drew Durham

Libr 264

Prof Penny Peck

9/16/14

5 Genre Fiction Reviews

Review #1 Realistic Fiction

Shmatz, Pat. Bluefish Paperback – August 6, 2013 240 pages

 Candlewick Reprint Edition $6.99  ISBN-13: 978-0763663414

How can someone dealing with his or her learning differences cope in a world of oppressive normalcy? Bluefish by Pat Shmantz is a powerful story that tries to answer that question. Told with humor and hope from alternating two perspectives between two Eighth grade friends Valveeta and Travis. Interestingly Travis’s sections are told from the third person perspective while Vaveta’s sections are told from her first hand perspective some of which is a direct letter to the newly deceased Calvin, a good friend of Valveeta’s. Both Valveeta and Travis are suffering from heartfelt losses in their lives. Travis’s dog is gone and Valveeta’s good friend Calvin just died.  Their friendship is between a boy with learning difference and a girl helping the boy gain confidence and grow in his abilities.

Bluefish is a powerful book deals with loss and death carefully and with the right amounts of humor and weight. The book is also thoughtful in its emphasis on the lessons of secrets, the usage and power of metaphors and the sameness of similarities between two sensitive young people who are genuine friends. The book is a triumphant empowerment story of friendship and describes some ways we can all build trust with other people. A clear lesson in confidence, the ongoing search for identity, and lessons in how to build, maintain and celebrate our personal discoveries. Though there are no teaching resources that I could access, all of the teachable moments in the Bluefish, keeps the book full of insight and potential projects and discussion questions.  Bluefish has some classroom ideas from the publisher Candlewick press located at: (http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763653349.bdg.1.pdf)

The ideas presented here are discussion questions and activity ideas.

Review #2 

Adventure/Survival

Hobbs, Will. Downriver Paperback – July 10, 2012   $6.99   Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition ISBN-13: 978-1442445475

The California young Readers Award wining book Downriverby Will Hobbs follows a group of youth who are a part of Discovery Unlimited, a wilderness therapy company. The self-proclaimed “hoods in the woods” are enduring obstacle after obstacle hiking and rafting, an extremely adventurous and in fact dangerous type of wilderness therapy.  One day our troublemaking troop breaks away from the drill-sergeant type named Al the authority figure and former group leader.

Thus the quirky group of fascinating characters and ill matching personalities immerge during the progress of this thrilling coming of age type adventure.

There are group politics including a hierarchy, trust issues arise, and loyalties change, and subgroups are formed. Soon our troop is separated into the two rafts as they start rafting down as “pirates of the Colorado river” in stolen raft and gear. As our youth, develop in character and personality.  Our first person narrator Jessie, a girl with a strained relationship with her father learns to navigate her relationships as she orients herself physically as the river thunders underneath the rafts. 

The character development is very well written and the setting and the action and brought to vivid life by a gifted survival and adventure storyteller.

After the inevitable ending of the trip, the ending is quite abrupt. The youth learn and grow tremendously in unique ways as a result of their criminal and life changing adventure together. On Will Hobbs’s website of the book (http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/teachers/lib_river.html) there are some ideas on teacher and librarian ideas for working with the book and some ideas for planning adventures.  Random House also did a Teacher Guide for Downriver located at (http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440226819&view=tg)

Review #3

Historical Fiction

Vanderpool, Clare.Navigating Early Hardcover $16.99 January 8, 2013 by  Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 306 pages (SBN13: 9780385742092)

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool is a historical book about a long journey set during World War 2. The book describes what it takes to be a friend through the example of an eccentric friendship of two young boys.  Navigating Early explores power of belief and the power of stories. The book is about an outsider Jack who feels on the outside of every group he encounters especially upon his arrival at a new boarding school named Morton Hill Academy and after the death of his mother. The books other main protagonist is what today would be classified as an autistic savant but back then was only an eccentric strange kid named Early who along with Jack adventure together on a journey based on a fantastical story Early strongly believes is true. Early spins a magical tale about his brother, a legend at their boarding school and a bear as they follow the path Early describes in his story.

 

Jack and Early’s friendship and Early’s trustworthiness is tested time and time again during their adventures. The definitions of being lost and found are explored in this thought provoking and touching book. The balance of humor and excitement that make the more serious issues that Vanderpool discusses through the protagonist narrator Jack more real to the reader. The extras in the book are the author’s note with questions and answers and a list of resources. I also found the publishers educators guide for the book. which includes common core state standards correlations. (http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/NavigatingEarly_EG_WEB.pdf)

Review #4 Mystery

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley. The Egypt Game Paperback – Atheneum Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition July 7, 2009    ISBN-13: 978-1416990512  $7.99

A group of youth gather in the backyard of a mysterious and eerie curio shop to create their own imaginative version of Ancient Egypt. There they have a very detailed and elaborate and imaginative “society” full of elaborate interchangeable roles, fancy costumes, complex rules, intricate rituals, mythological beliefs and decorative ceremonies and carefully crafted customs that are imitations based on the life, beliefs and mythology of the real Ancient Egypt.

A local and mysterious murder of child changes everything. The agency or power of children is a major theme here and all the children (even the four-year old boy) have a crucial role to play through out this book’s suspenseful plot. Snyder’s classic is well written, apparently researched, and full of character development and has many clever plot points all along the way.   I found a lesson plan aid for The Egypt game (http://www.meritonlinelearning.com/OLMS/manuals/BPLPA/The_Egypt_Game_Lesson_Plan.pdf)  This lesson plan aid is full of great ideas, writing prompts, sources for activities, curriculum integration vocabulary, and other things. 

Review #5 Science Fiction

John, Christopher The White Mountains Mass Market Paperback – April 1, 2003 $6.99 (Simon Pulse) 208 pages,   ISBN-13: 978-0689856723

Imagine the scene, life in the Middle Ages, while you experience everything from life in the mills to a royal festival, a banquet, and a tournament, but something evil and overwhelming looms in the skies above. This is the backdrop for the White Mountains by John Christopher, the first book of the tripods series which portrays life of centuries ago, with a sci-fi twist. Tall and menacing tripods “cap” or put metal mind control device on the back of the heads of all youth as their coming of age ritual.

Our main heroic character a boy named Will makes some discoveries of his own and he realizes he does not want to be a slave to the tripods and escapes to the White Mountains that the crazy vagabonds roaming the cities and country side speak of.  With some misfit friends Will escapes his fateful “capping” multiple times, but will Will make it to the White Mountains in time? What will happen to his friends?  As for extras, I would suggest making a first person journal of being Will or one of the friends, and explain their thoughts and their experiences through out the book.   I also found a publishers fact sheet with a list of classroom ideas to teach the book. (http://delivery.stpb.net/MAGA/ENGLISH/Reading%20Group/READING/penguinreaders/penguinreaders/Downloads/0582419182.pdf)

References:

Kirkus Review of Navigating Early

Posted Online: Oct. 31st, 2012 accessed 9/17/2014 from:

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/clare-vanderpool/navigating-early/

Booklist review of Navigating Early   First published December 15, 2012 (Booklist). Accessed 9/17/2014 from:

http://www.booklistonline.com/Navigating-Early-Clare-Vanderpool/pid=5759440

Random House Educators Guide for Navigating Early accessed 9/17/2014 from:

http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/NavigatingEarly_EG_WEB.pdf

Will Hobbs website Downriver and River thunder resources: accessed 9/17/2014 from:

http://www.willhobbsauthor.com/teachers/lib_river.html

Random House Teachers Guide to Downriver accessed 9/17/2014 from

http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440226819&view=tg

Merit Software  Lesson Plan Aid for Book Punch® - The Egypt Game Grade level 4 accessed 9/17/2014  from: http://www.meritonlinelearning.com/OLMS/manuals/BPLPA/The_Egypt_Game_Lesson_Plan.pdf

Candlewick press Classroom Ideas for Bluefish accessed 9/17/2014 from:

http://www.candlewick.com/book_files/0763653349.bdg.1.pdf

Penguin Reader Factsheets for the White Mountains  accessed 9/17/2014 from:

http://delivery.stpb.net/MAGA/ENGLISH/Reading%20Group/READING/penguinreaders/penguinreaders/Downloads/0582419182.pdf

updated post on Diversity in Children's lit

Diversity in children’s literature is a controversial topic these days.  Weather its Walter Dean Myers and his son writing op-eds for the New York Times talking about the lack of diversity in children’s literature (and publishers admitting there needs to be more diversity) or Barbara Bader’s among others articles in the Horn book and elsewhere insisting that “multiculturalism” is becoming mainstream.  This is far from the whole truth. Maybe the conversation over the lack of proportionate diversity is mainstream, but the results of our conversation is the same as in the past, a staggering and shameful lack of diversity in children’s literature. 

I think that the largely token or cosmetic or mostly superficial “improvements” in increase in diversity in Children’s Literature has done little to shrink the gap between the cultural and other types of diversity in the general and local populations and the lack of diversity in books over the decades. It seems that year in and year out the percentages are nowhere near demographically proportionate to the population for most regions of the United States.

Or Click here for publishers Weekly article

There are plenty of efforts to make diversity mainstream including Firstbook, a nonprofit social enterprise focuses on giving financial and other incentives to publishers if the publisher becomes the industry leader in publishing books that focus on diverse cultures, multiculturalism and other cultural issues.  Read there opinion article to find out more. CLick here for First book opinion piece

The Firstbook story innovation in publishing

I agree with and really enjoy this quote by Kathleen T. Horning director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center of the School of Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, in a recent School library Journal Article. “Again it comes back to buying the books. I often quote the poet Alexis DeVeaux who once said “Buying a book is a political act.” That has never been truer than it is today. If we want to see change, if we want to see more diversity in literature, we have to buy the books. Buy them for our schools, for our libraries, for our families, for our friends. We must be the agents of change. Otherwise, we are all participants in the “cultural lobotomy.” And it won’t be technology that threatens the very existence of books. It’ll be their complete and utter irrelevance in the real world that never was and never will be all white.” Amen. We need to be the change we want to see in publishing, tell them how we feel with our dollars and our daily conversations, and our blog posts.

  click here for the School Library Journal article on diversity in Children's literature

                         

Literacy beyond the early years

It is a simple fact that phonics and early childhood literacy come first before all other langue arts learning.  There is serious cause for alarm there.  But early childhood education while vital for future success of each child, is only part of the illiteracy problem in America.

According to the article from September 2013 published on the Huffington post website (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/06/illiteracy-rate_n_3880355.html), entitled “The U.S. Illiteracy Rate Hasn't Changed In 10 Years” 32 million adults or 14 percent of the population are functionally illiterate.  63 million more can only read at a 5^th grade level and 19 percent of high school graduates can’t even read.  Are we ok with these statistics because at least most adults can read at a 5^thgrade level? Is that good enough?

No matter what the early childhood literacy advocates say, there needs to be more than just basic literacy, if 93 plus million adults are reading at or below 5^thgrade levels, this is clearly not just a early childhood literacy problem.

http://www.edudemic.com/the-current-state-of-literacy-in-america/

One way to approach the literacy gap is through following the readers advisory method, particularly the Reading Rainbow approach through an empowering peer to peer method for children is key.  Starting a dialogue between all types of readers especially peer to peer is another key to creating life long readers. But even with all the efforts of all the literacy nonprofits, we have a long way to go.

http://news.yahoo.com/reading-rainbow-hits-jackpot-twice-high-fix-illiteracy-221331057.html

In terms of the detractors from Levar Burton’s kickstarter campaign for fund a digital Reading Rainbow, Burton tells it like it is “I believe that this is a world that was designed to create opportunities for us to work together so that everybody’s needs get met. And I genuinely believe if we had more economic cooperation as opposed to competition, we’d be a lot better off as a society.” If the detractors from Burtons Reading Rainbow kickstarter, actually did something themselves for literacy (either donate time or donate money) then there would be less need for bickering and there would be less of a literacy problem here in the States.

http://popwatch.ew.com/2014/05/30/levar-burton-reading-rainbow-interview/

Here is further proof that the digital reading rainbow will cross most digital platforms and will be available in some needy schools.

http://www.polygon.com/2014/5/30/5765764/reading-rainbow-app-playstation-xbox-android-kickstarter

Personally I am currently a manager at a bookstore, those places that are for profit libraries. I see nothing wrong with both making a profit and promoting literacy. There is no inherent conflict between the two ideas of making money and helping families read, in fact, if you think about it even libraries need to get money (grants) you wouldn’t call public librarians money grabbers would you?

 Today’s socially responsible business practices are focused on improving the world while benefiting the company. Socially responsible plans are an increasing part of the big business world. And as a one store business I think we are doing our part by providing a crucial missing piece of the Los Altos business scene as well as our community outreach and how we have always been a community gathering spot not to mention our collections for charities and donations to other charities. We are customer and community oriented much the same way a library is.

The need for profit for all companies (even not for profits have to bring in money somehow) does to make profit making a bad thing. It is then what the company does with it’s profits that is what needs to be investigated. This and then we have to look at the business as a whole in all its parts before we can be fully accurate in our perceptions. There is nothing wrong with reader advisory especially peer to peer reading advisory, which is endlessly effective. And yes we need basic literacy in early childhood education. These too need never be in conflict, neither does the what some have called conflict between the for profit motive and working towards literacy causes. 

profiting from Literacy and reading, who does that?

Literally literacy for profit of all!!!

In a recent hot air blog on the Washington post website (www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fnews%2Fthe-intersect%2Fwp%2F2014%2F05%2F28%2Fyou-might-want-to-reconsider-that-donation-to-the-reading-rainbow-kickstarter%2F&h=FAQGL3LLL)

By Caitlin Dewey form may 28 2014, Levar Burton’s new kickstarter campaign, to fund a new “reboot” of Reading Rainbow and literacy promotion is a dastardly venture with a clear ulterior motive, to make profit? Who does that? I mean really who in their right mind makes profit from selling books? Hmmmm… the whole publishing industry, local independent bookstores everywhere, and even yes, Amazon and audible.com yeah its wrong to profit from doing the world an important service like literacy.

Teaching literacy to the masses and being for profit

These two things are not at conflict with each other in the real world and really never have been or will ever be.

Its either that there is this infinite and endless peace between profitability and literacy or else bookstores everywhere would not exist, and all books would only be available through the already budget gutted libraries and struggling charities.

We need for profit literacy companies and stores also, lest we fall into communism. (joke)

While there might be plenty of research on the importance of early literacy and phonics that does not in anyway negate the need for a life long love of reading to encourage a educated free and democratic society.

To follow in the logic of cutting funding for everything that’s not phonics or early reading, lets just leave it at that, if they are literate they will stay that way. Except if they never read for fun, and feel reading is just either boring or a chore. Wait if they can read then there is no need for langue arts education past 2^nd grade. So our kids can learn just enough to read then they need nothing. I smell total BULL SHIT!

If the question was only about teaching kids to read period, it would be much easier to address the language need of our students. But try teaching reading to someone who is reluctant to read at any age? We need to engage them too.

OMG the show is already popular? really? That is  not a legitimate reason to stop future generations from learning to love to read from a digital platform!

Just because the new reading rainbow stuff is going to be available to computer first does not make the program an elitist group of selfish literacy lovers, it means they have to start somewhere and starting with the population that watched the 80’s-2000’s show ( who mostly have computers by now)_is actually a good thing.

SO if your going to criticize profit making, why not only read the physical library books, only watch library dvd’s, and watch reruns of reading rainbow no one is stopping you. And please everyone reading this support reading and literacy initiatives in your area. There are tons. Like Reading partners and  SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARIES and I would hasten to add SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORES!

But please don’t turn the Levar Burton/ new Reading “reboot” into a capitalism bashing party, or a soap box with out a mirror.

I hasten to ask this Caitlin Dewey what she does to promote children’s literacy in her own life…..

I for one am working on my library masters and I work in a local bookstore, selling literacy and love of reading BOTH each and every minute I can.
 

Let's let go of some of our power to empower youth, and get more out of our research!

Power dynamics, in our example are being an adult who is imediately both outsider to youth culture and the adult is seen as an “authority” figure  and the resulting power struggles pervade almost everywhere in modern life especially between teens and adults. Best’s 2000 article on about how adults create media that manifest into social constructions of “proms” and often dictate the lasting cultural significance of a prom.  The counter argument that I support is that young adults and youth need to, can and will identify themselves through their own personal experiences of certain rites of passage (like prom). This somewhat unpopular idea needs to be taught, reinforced and spread so that youth will know that their personal growth experiences will certainly shape them more than any adult label or adult construct.

The problems arise when adults assert their agendas and perspectives on teens who see things their own way, and clearly need to identify and define themselves on their own terms. Consequences can of the lack of self discovery can be devastating to a younger person and he or she’s future. Our current ageist power hierarchy (in Bes’s case) of those of who controls the meaning of and responsibility for youth behaviors and experiences needs to be questioned and flipped.

To bring this idea into what I can do as a future librarian or researcher, I will make sure I include youth through out the research process, and continually examine what they think, how they experience and how they describe their lives and make a free and safe spaces so they can discuss all f this and more entirely on their own terms.

Power dynamics such as those presented in Best (2000) Dimitidis (2008) and Taft (2007) also speak of the predominant racism inherent of our understanding of the construct of the legacy of the conventional American young adult experiences. The American young adult experience is often portrayed in literature, and through out all media as almost always white, upper middle class, heterosexual, traditional nuclear family. The dominance of this portrayal in media and literature is unsettling and to me is quite disturbing despite the changes over recent years progress has been slow, and has not even come close to equally representing the shifts in our demographics on any scale. It is goal of mine to focus on the minorities in our midst” those youth who are outcast and marginalized and try to empower them throughout the research and program evaluation process that I am doing this term.    

I also hope to do more research on the lack of diversity in youth literature (particularly up to YA).

The idea of being open and reflexive to mental gymnastics that Susan talked about are essential to growth and development as a researcher. We must all strive to avoid our own biases and to keep ourselves out of the way of our own research.