Module 8: Fantasy and Science Fiction

By far, fantasy is my favorite genre of youth literature. This week, I chose a book in which the gods come to life and one where there is a secret world under New York City.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson has problems. It's not that he keeps getting kicked out of school or that's he's dyslexic and has ADHD or that his stepfather is a world-class jerk. His real problem is that his real name is Perseus, his father is Poseidon, and the gods want to kill him, not in the least because Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades are constantly feuding. Percy meets other kids like him at Camp Half-Blood and goes on a quest to recover Zeus's lightning bolt and be acknowledged by his father.

I enjoyed the book for its detail into Greek mythology, which Riordan modernized. Although it does feel a little slow while Percy is at Camp Half-Blood, it picks up when he goes on his quest.

"At the outset of this fast-paced tale by Rick Riordan (Hyperion/Miramax, 2005), it would seem that Percy Jackson is just another New York kid diagnosed with ADHD, who has good intentions, a nasty stepfather, and a long line of schools that have rejected him. The revelation of his status as half-blood offspring of one of the Greek gods is nicely packaged, and it's easy to believe that Mount Olympus, in modern times, has migrated to the 600th floor of the Empire State Building (the center of Western civilization) while the door to Hades can be found at DOA Recording Studio, somewhere in LA. With his new friends, a disguised satyr, and the half-blood daughter of Athena, Percy sets out across the country to rectify a feud between Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon. Along the way they must cope with the Furies, Medusa, motorcycle thug Aires, and various other immortals. Although some of Jesse Bernstein's accents fail (the monster from Georgia, for instance, has no Southern trace in her voice), he does a fine job of keeping the main characters' tones and accents distinguishable. He convincingly portrays Percy, voicing just the right amount of prepubescent confusion, ironic wit, and the ebbing and waning of concern for himself and those around him. Mythology fans will love this take and kids who haven't been inculcated with the Classical canon will learn aspects of it here while having no trouble following a rollicking good–and modern–adventure." -- School Library Journal

"The escapades of the Greek gods and heroes get a fresh spin in the first book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, about a contemporary 12-year-old New Yorker who learns he's a demigod. Perseus, aka Percy Jackson, thinks he has big problems. His father left before he was born, he's been kicked out of six schools in six years, he's dyslexic, and he has ADHD. What a surprise when he finds out that that's only the tip of the iceberg: he vaporizes his pre-algebra teacher, learns his best friend is a satyr, and is almost killed by a minotaur before his mother manages to get him to the safety of Camp Half-Blood--where he discovers that Poseidon is his father. But that's a problem, too. Poseidon has been accused of stealing Zeus' lightning bolt, and unless Percy can return the bolt, humankind is doomed. Riordan's fast-paced adventure is fresh, dangerous, and funny. Percy is an appealing, but reluctant hero, the modernized gods are hilarious, and the parallels to Harry Potter are frequent and obvious. Because Riordan is faithful to the original myths, librarians should be prepared for a rush of readers wanting the classic stories." -- Booklist

I would display Riordan's series along with books that tell the classic mythological tales. I would use this display to lead up to showing the movie, which is coming out soon. If possible, I would work with the adult library to create a mythology program that included adults as well, with books based on Greek mythology and a movie like The Odyssey (1997) or even O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins: Gregor knows what sacrifice is. He has almost full responsibility for his younger sisters because his father is missing, his mother works herself to the bone just so they don't starve, and his grandmother is sick. Then his youngest sister Boots disappears down an air chute, and Gregor's problems get worse. In an underground world where the creepy crawlies are bigger than the people, Gregor has to undertake a quest that will save the underground people and bring back the one he loves.

The book is fast paced, and it almost doesn't have enough descriptive detail of the underground world. Despite that, the characters are developed to where you start to feel for them, and you'll want to know what happens in the end.

"Plot threads unwind smoothly, and the pace of the book is just right. Exciting scenes and cliff-hanger chapters are balanced by decisions and interactions that drive the action. Gregor is not the most compelling figure at first, but as the story progresses he becomes more interesting, maturing through the challenges he faces. Supporting characters are generally engaging, particularly the enigmatic warrior rat that claims to support the protagonist's mission. This is an engrossing adventure for fantasy fans and for those new to the genre." -- School Library Journal

"Gregor's luminous, supremely absorbing quest takes place in a strange underground land of giant cockroaches, rideable bats, and violet-eyed humans. When his two-year-old sister Boots tumbles into an air duct in his building's laundry room, Gregor leaps after her and they fall, à la Alice, into another world. Gregor wants desperately to get home-until he hears that his father, who left Gregor heavy-hearted by disappearing two years ago, may be in Underland himself, kept prisoner by enormous, war-hungry rats. A coalition of creatures and royal humans is formed to rescue him, modeled after an ancient prophetic poem that has foretold Gregor's arrival and calls him the Overland Warrior. The abiding ache of Gregor's sadness is matched by his tender care for Boots. Creature depictions are soulful and the plot is riveting; Underland's dark, cavernous atmosphere is palpable. Explanation and subtlety balance perfectly. Wonderful." -- Kirkus Reviews

I would book talk Gregor the Overlander with an art extension. Either individually or in groups, I would have kids draw or paint their overland world and what they think the underground world looks like. If done as a group, this would make a good mural to display.

Module 7: Realistic Fiction (Young Adults)

I had a hard time picking just two books from this module. I enjoyed all of the ones I read, but I narrowed it down to two: Fat Kid Rules the World by K.L. Going and The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Lyga. Both of these books are about teenagers who have real problems in their lives but find friendship with another messed-up teen and they help each other through.

Troy Billings weighs almost 300 lbs. and he's only 17. The book starts with him standing by the train tracks contemplating suicide. There, he meets Curt MacCrae, homeless guy and guitar legend. Curt befriends Troy and convinces him to join Curt's punk rock band as the drummer, although Troy hasn't played since middle school and isn't very good. As Curt helps Troy accept himself, Troy helps Curt get off the street and away from drugs.
This book is painfully honest at times about both Troy and Curt. I think it would appeal to young adults because it doesn't talk down to them or try to allude to difficult issues. Parents, I think, would have a harder time dealing with this book because of the swearing and graphic descriptions than young adults would. However, those elements make the book as realistic as it is.

"Troy's voice is candid, irreverent, realistic, and humorous. He imagines the events of his life in facetious headlines always related to his weight. Curt himself is the product of a dysfunctional family, and he has plenty of problems of his own, including a reliance on drugs. Going has created three-dimensional characters whose behavior rings true. There are many unexpected twists and turns, including the horrifying and hysterically gross depiction of Troy's first gig. Fans of Joyce Carol Oates's Big Mouth & Ugly Girl (HarperCollins, 2002) will love this wonderful, engrossing tale." -- School Library Journal

"First-time novelist Going has put together an amazing assortment of characters. Troy is the ultimate fat kid, the kind whose every move, every thought is predicated on what it is like to wear a coat of blubber. Curt, as thin as Troy is fat, is a combination of Kurt Cobain, Ratso Rizzo, and a fairy godfather. He sprinkles Troy with the dirt and grime of punk rock and brings out the prince hiding inside the weight (to the book's credit, Troy doesn't get any thinner). Equally well drawn are the lesser characters, including Troy's father, a former Marine with an innate sense of what kids need. The narrative could have been tighter in places, but this is an impressive debut that offers hope for all kids--dross transmuted into gold." -- Booklist

Because this book is so similar in theme to the next, I'll leave my suggestions for use in a library until the end.

Donnie, a.k.a. Fanboy, is an outcast. He lives in the basement of his mom's house, hoping to avoid contact with his stepfather, whom he calls the step-fascist. He is obsessed with graphic novels and is writing one of his own. His best friend is a jock who ditches him every time other jocks come around. Then Fanboy meets Kyra, a.k.a Goth Girl, another outsider who encourages him to pursue his graphic novel dream but has problems of her own.

Like Fat Kid, this book is made better by the realistic elements that parents would shy away from but teens would be intrigued by. Young adults will find their feelings are reflected by Donnie and Kyra, which could help them understand what they are going through. I enjoyed this book a lot, though I'm sure graphic novel fans like Donnie would enjoy those parts more than I did.

"The two form a tentative friendship based on hatred of their classmates, particularly jocks, and her interest in Schemata. Fanboy is a rule follower, but Kyra is a rebel with a foul mouth. She teaches him to stand up for himself, and gives him the confidence to do it. Lyga looks at how teens are pushed to their limits by society. Though he toys with such concepts as teen suicide and Columbine-like violence, the novel never turns tragic. His love of comics carries over into all three teen characters, breathing animation into a potentially sad but often funny story. This is a great bridge book for teens who already like graphic novels." -- School Library Journal

"Lyga's debut novel is a darkly comic, realistic, contemporary story of bullying and a teen's private escape in artistic pursuits. Fanboy entertains plenty of violent thoughts. He carries a bullet, keeps a tally of his abusers ("The List"), and lashes out with sometimes-cruel remarks, which feel sharply authentic. The insider comics details will slow some readers, and the open-ended questions about Kyra's personal story will frustrate others. Yet Fanboy's whip-smart, often hilariously sarcastic voice skillfully captures a teenager's growing self-awareness, and adds a fresh, urgent perspective to age-old questions about how young people cope with bullying and their own feelings of helplessness, rage, and being misunderstood as they try to discover themselves." -- Booklist

I would use these books in a teen book club focusing on realistic fiction. For Fat Kid I would include a discussion of punk rock and how it has evolved from The Ramones and The Clash and has warped into bands like Green Day and Fall Out Boy.

Module 6: Realistic Fiction (Younger Readers)

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo is the story of 10-year-old Opal who moves to a small town with her father, who is a preacher. She finds a dog, which she names Winn-Dixie after the grocery store where she finds him, and they make friends with the people in town.  I thought this story was very sweet and poignant. She learns the stories of the people she meets and brings them together in the end. She also learns about her mother, who left her when she was young. The characters are interesting and dynamic, and the book is not just a story about a kid and a dog, but about a kid and all of the people around her and how she comes to terms with the absence of her mother. Boys would like this book, but I think it’s a must-read for girls of Opal’s age.

From the author’s Web site:

• India Opal Buloni, 10, finds a big, ugly, funny dog in the produce department of a Winn-Dixie grocery store. She names him accordingly and takes him home to meet her father, a preacher. Her daddy has always told her to help those less fortunate, and surely Winn-Dixie is in need of a friend. Opal needs one, too. Since moving to Naomi, FL, she has been lonely and has been missing her mother more than usual. When she asks her father to tell her 10 things about her mother, who left the family when Opal was three, she learns that they both have red hair, freckles, and swift running ability. And, like her mother, Opal likes stories. She collects tales to tell her mother, hoping that she'll have a chance to share them with her one day. These stories are lovingly offered one after another as rare and polished gems and are sure to touch readers' hearts. They are told in the voice of this likable Southern girl as she relates her day-to-day adventures in her new town with her beloved dog. Do libraries need another girl-and-her-dog story? Absolutely, if the protagonist is as spirited and endearing as Opal and the dog as lovable and charming as Winn-Dixie. This well-crafted, realistic, and heartwarming story will be read and reread as a new favorite deserving a long-term place on library shelves. —Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego, School Library Journal

• Although she lives in the Friendly Corners Trailer Park, ten-year-old Opal has no friends. She and her preacher father have moved to Naomi Florida for her father's new job. Here, on an errand to the local grocery store, Opal acquires a unique friend, a large brown stray that she names for the store Winn-Dixie. The dog proves to have exquisite taste in people; Winn-Dixie charms his way into everyone's heart. A totally lovable dog and likable characters are part of this humorously gentle, warm, enthralling story about all sorts of friendships. The writing is clear, simple and high quality. —Kemie Nix, Parents Choice

The idea I have to use this book in a library setting would be to have kids read the book, list ten things about Opal, like Opal’s father listed ten things about her mother, and let their list be their ticket to see the movie at the library. I would use the food from the book as refreshments during the movie.

Module 5: Picture Books

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon  is about a girl named Camilla who really loves lima beans but pretends she doesn't because none of the other kids do. She wants to fit in so much that she gets a case of the stripes. She turns flag colored when she says the Pledge of Allegiance. The doctors give her medicine to cure her, but all it does is turn her into a giant pill. Camilla learns that all she has to do to cure herself is to eat the lima beans that she loves and to be herself. This book has a very clever way of encouraging children to embrace their difference and be happy with who they are. The pictures are colorful and vibrant and explosive, and the things that happen to Camilla are both disturbing and fascinating.

Reviews:

• "...The paintings are technically superb but viscerally troubling, especially this image of her sitting in front of the TV with twigs and spots and fur protruding from her. The doe-eyed girl changes her stripes at anyone's command, and only nonconformity can save her. When she finally admits her unspeakable secret, she loves lima beans, she is cured. Shannon (How Georgie Radbourn Saved Baseball) juggles dark humor and an anti-peer-pressure message. As her condition worsens, Camilla becomes monstrous, ultimately merging with the walls of her room. The hallucinatory images are eye-popping but oppressive, and the finale, with Camilla restored to her bean-eating self, brings a sigh of relief. However, the grotesque images of an ill Camilla may continue to haunt children long after the cover is closed." - Publishers Weekly

• "A highly original moral tale acquires mythic proportions when Camilla Cream worries too much about what others think of her and tries desperately to please everyone. First stripes, then stars and stripes, and finally anything anyone suggests (including tree limbs, feathers, and a tail) appear vividly all over her body. The solution: lima beans, loved by Camilla, but disdained for fear they'll promote unpopularity with her classmates. Shannon's exaggerated, surreal, full-color illustrations take advantage of shadow, light, and shifting perspective to show the girl's plight. Bordered pages barely contain the energy of the artwork; close-ups emphasize the remarkable characters that inhabit the tale. Sly humor lurks in the pictures, too. For example, in one double-page spread the Creams are besieged by the media including a crew from station WCKO. Despite probing by doctors and experts, it takes "an old woman who was just as plump and sweet as a strawberry" to help Camilla discover her true colors. Set in middle-class America, this very funny tale speaks to the challenge many kids face in choosing to act independently." - School Library Journal
  

For this book, I would have the kids make a full-body outline of themselves and decorate it with the things they like on the inside and the things they don't like but other people do on the outside of the outline.

Module 4: Newbery and Printz Award Winners

The Tale of Despereaux, being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread by Kate DiCamillo is just that. Despereaux is the name of a mouse who was born very small with very large ears. This isn't the only thing that makes him strange. Instead of running from humans, he falls in love with Princess Pea. The Tale of Despereaux is not only the tale of Despereaux, but also the tale of Princess Pea, a rat named Roscuro, a maid named Miggery Sow, and how their lives become intertwined. The book reminds me of the fairy tales I read when I was a kid, which makes me wonder if, centuries from now, The Tale of Despereaux, might be treated the way we treat the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tales.

Reviews:

• "A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. With a masterful hand, DiCamillo weaves four story lines together in a witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. In her authorial asides, she hearkens back to literary traditions as old as those used by Henry Fielding. In her observations of the political machinations and follies of rodent and human societies, she reminds adult readers of George Orwell. But the unpredictable twists of plot, the fanciful characterizations, and the sweetness of tone are DiCamillo's own. This expanded fairy tale is entertaining, heartening, and, above all, great fun." - School Library Journal

 

• "Forgiveness, light, love, and soup. These essential ingredients combine into a tale that is as soul stirring as it is delicious. Despereaux, a tiny mouse with huge ears, is the bane of his family's existence. He has fallen in love with the young princess who lives in the castle where he resides and, having read of knights and their ladies, vows to "honor her." But his unmouselike behavior gets him banished to the dungeon, where a swarm of rats kill whoever falls into their clutches. Another story strand revolves around Miggery, traded into service by her father, who got a tablecloth in return. Mig's desire to be a princess, a rat's yen for soup (a food banished from the kingdom after a rat fell in a bowl and killed the queen), and Despereaux's quest to save his princess after she is kidnapped climax in a classic fairy tale, rich and satisfying. Part of the charm comes from DiCamillo's deceptively simple style and short chapters in which the author addresses the reader: "Do you think rats do not have hearts? Wrong. All living things have a heart." And as with the best stories, there are important messages tucked in here and there, so subtly that children who are carried away by the words won't realize they have been uplifted until much later. Ering's soft pencil illustrations reflect the story's charm." - Ilene Cooper, Booklist

The other book I read this week is The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. His family is assassinated when he’s only a toddler, but he manages escape and finds himself at the graveyard, where the ghosts take him in and keep him safe from the assassin. He’s given the name Nobody so that no part of his old life on the outside clings to him, but Bod grows up, and he won’t stay in the graveyard forever. I loved this book. It was intriguing to have a living boy raised by ghosts and hunted by an assassin known only as Jack. Some may be concerned that the book is too scary. After all, Bod’s family is killed in the first chapter. The rest of the book, however, is so much about family and finding yourself that later scenes in the book that might be considered scary didn’t have the same punch of horror. But again, I loved the book, and despite being called The Graveyard Book, I didn’t expect to be scared.

Reviews:

• "A lavish middle-grade novel, Gaiman's first since Coraline, this gothic fantasy almost lives up to its extravagant advance billing. The opening is enthralling: 'There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.' Evading the murderer who kills the rest of his family, a child roughly 18 months old climbs out of his crib, bumps his bottom down a steep stairway, walks out the open door and crosses the street into the cemetery opposite, where ghosts take him in. What mystery/horror/suspense reader could stop here, especially with Gaiman's talent for storytelling? The author riffs on the Jungle Book, folklore, nursery rhymes and history; he tosses in werewolves and hints at vampires — and he makes these figures seem like metaphors for transitions in childhood and youth. As the boy, called Nobody or Bod, grows up, the killer still stalking him, there are slack moments and some repetition — not enough to spoil a reader's pleasure, but noticeable all the same. When the chilling moments do come, they are as genuinely frightening as only Gaiman can make them, and redeem any shortcomings. Ages 10 — up." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

• “This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel's ultimate message is strong and life affirming." Booklist (Starred Review)

I would use this book around Halloween, and I don’t think that, for the age group, it would be too macabre to let the kids create tombstones. They could make up names and epitaphs, or could use names from the book, and decorate them. I think it would be great to use their creations as part of the library’s Halloween decorations.

Module 3: Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, and Pura Belpre

So this week I'm reading some award winners, and for my review, I picked two Caldecott winners that won 10 years apart. First up is the 1982 winner Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg.

I'm sure everyone remembers the movie that was based off of this book. What happens is two kids are left home, and like normal kids, they get bored. They find an old board game, Jumanji, in the park, and with each roll the space they land on comes to life, with lions, monkeys, and rhinos (oh my!). In order to get rid of the chaos (Spoiler Alert!), they have to finish the game. The same thing happens in Van Allsburg's Zathura, also made into a movie with Kristen Stewart pre-Twilight, except Zathura is "A Space Adventure" instead of "A Jungle Adventure." I have to say I enjoyed the book much more than the movie. The illustrations are amazingly detailed and feel like an extension of the text.

"Mr. Van Allsburg's illustrations have a beautiful simplicity of design, balance, texture, and a subtle intelligence beyond the call of illustration." The New York Times

It would be a great program to have kids draw out their own board game and make up rules for it. An alternative to that would be I would make up the board game and the kids would be assigned roles (the players and the characters that come to life).


The other book is the 1992 Caldecott winner Tuesday by David Wiesner.

This book is told mostly in pictures. We see a few frogs start to float up, and then they fly through town, getting tangled up in clotheslines and chasing dogs. The text only marks the passing of time, so it almost feels like a documentary. The real value, I think, is in the details, like the look on the turtle's face as the frogs float over it, the frog who waves through the kitchen window at the man eating a late night sandwich (also notice that the text says "11:21 P.M." and the clock in the picture is also set to that time), and the frog who changes channels with his tongue.

"Kids will love its lighthearted, meticulously imagined, fun-without-a-moral fantasy. Tuesday is bound to take off." School Library Journal

One idea to use this in the library would be to have kids write their own story to accompany the pictures and have them read it out loud or post it on a bulletin board. Another idea would be to have them create their own wordless story.

Module 2: Classic Children's and Young Adult Literature

Two books this time, and they're two that I'm surprised I never read when I was kid. The first book is Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary.

The book is about Ramona, a girl who has just started third grade and all of the things that happen to her. She has to stay after school with another little girl who is doted upon by her grandmother, she has a teacher she thinks hates her, and her family is struggling for money. This is a great book for kids this age because Ramona goes through the same problems real kids do, and in the end she knows she has a family that, despite their problems, loves her very much.

• "Cleary shows us life through Ramona's eyes and shows her young readers that they are not alone." -- Kirkus Reviews

• "Ramona is justifiably one of the most famous and loved characters in children's fiction." -- Publishers Weekly                                                                                             

Before I go into what can be done in the library with Ramona, I want to talk a little about the other book I read, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. 

Harriet the Spy is about a sixth grader named Harriet M. Welsch (the M. doesn't stand for anything) who makes notes on everyone and everything she sees, and some of her notes are not very nice. Of course, she gets caught and after being at war with her friends and classmates, she gives an apology that she doesn't really mean. Honestly, she's a brat and she doesn't really learn anything from what happens except to not get caught, and if you do, lie. And she gets told this by her old nanny who may not have been the best role model. Still, reviews like it.

• "Harriet is determined to become a famous author. In the meantime, she practices by following a regular spy route each day and writing down everything she sees in her secret notebook. Her life is turned upside down when her classmates find her notebook and read it aloud!" - School Library Journal
  

Both of these books would be valuable in a talk with girls around the ages of 8 to 12. Girls could compare what they would do if faced with the situations Ramona and Harriet went through. An extension of Ramona could be kids draw their feet like Ramona did with her father. An extension of Harriet could be having kids write down what they observe and seeing how many details they can include.


(reviews retrieved from Amazon.com)