Friday, April 14, 2017

Book Review for Turtle in Paradise



Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Holm, Jennifer L. Turtle in Paradise. New York: NY: Yearling Book, 2011. ISBN 03758369X

UNITS: 
Use as an introduction to the Depression, Florida/Key West, 20th Century, Teenage/Adolescence, and family.  
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=20495&s=n
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Turtle-In-Paradise-Lesson-Plan-LA-Unit-Grades-4-5-6-142722

https://www.novelstudies.org/downloads/Turtle_In_Paradise_Novel_Study_Preview.pdf
PLOT SUMMARY
     Turtle is an eleven-year old girl who has been sent to Florida to live with an aunt she has never met because her mother has taken a live-in job which doesn't allow children. Her Aunt Minerva is a typical Depression Era woman, managing her children and household while trying to make ends meet by doing several odd jobs while her husband is away working.  The cousins and neighbors she meets add interest to the story due to their crazy antics and silly nicknames like Beans, Pork Chop, and Kermit.  Turtle is an only child, and it doesn't take long to figure out that she has been the stable support system for the family, even at a young age.  Her mother left Key West before Turtle was born and has never been back.  When she cannot take care of Turtle because of her new job, she sends Turtle, unannounced, to live with the family she has never met.  Minerva takes her in, and Turtle's life begins to change in many unexpected ways.  She meets her grandmother that she thought was dead, learns how to out-wit the ice cream man, and finds out her mother had "disgraced" the family.  Eventually, she meets her father, even though he doesn't officially claim the title.  Turtle's days are spent learning to fit in, but she feels little acceptance until a hurricane unexpectedly changes things for everyone, including her mother, bringing everyone together for the first time in years.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     Many elements of the plot seem almost current and timeless, as a tale of childhood in a relatively poor family.  It could be set even in modern day.  What makes the novel historical fiction is not an overwhelmingly fact-filled novel of dates and descriptions, but rather simply putting a time-period within the book itself.  There is one minor historical character involved, Ernest Hemingway, whom Turtle gives advice to, not knowing who he is in real life. Very few facts related to the Depression are even presented in the story.  The child characters do not even know they are in a "Depression."
     A timeless parallel, theme-wise, appears throughout the plot-line, as Turtle learns about trust.  Some people look trustworthy but turn out to be opposite, like Archie, her stepfather, who turns out to be a self-serving thief.  However, her estranged family actually ends up coming through for her and her mother in the end, a theme which should be universal, even though it may not always be, sadly enough.  
     Jennifer Holm does an excellent job telling Turtle's story, even though it was a fairly slow start for me.  With elements of piracy, ghosts, and childish pranks, one of the best features of author style is her use of chapter titles in addition to basic numbers.  The titles introduce the material within the chapter in a beautifully captivating manner, enticing further reading with phrases such as, "Rotten Kids" and "Can You Spare a Nickel, Pal?"
     She concludes the novel with an Author's Note, Resources, Websites, and Acknowledgments.  These additional elements explain the inspiration for her story, the connection to her family, and pictures of family members who were the inspirations behind her characters and settings in Turtle in Paradise, a unique example of historical fiction set in the 1930s Depression.  
     

AWARDS



REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

  • Horn Book Magazine, “…The episodic novel includes details, events, and figures from history (including those from Holm's own family), and Turtle's narrative is peppered with references from the time, as she compares herself to Little Orphan Annie and gladly avoids going to a Shirley Temple movie. Modern-day readers will have no trouble relating to Turtle, though, and the fast-moving plot will keep them interested to the end.” © 2010.
  • School Library Journal, “In 1935, jobs are hard to come by, and Turtle's mother is lucky to find work as a live-in housekeeper. When she learns that her employer can't stand children, she sends her 11-year-old daughter from New Jersey to Key West to live with relatives. Turtle discovers a startlingly different way of life amid boisterous cousins, Nana Philly, and buried treasure..." © April 1, 2010
  • Publisher’s Weekly, "...Though her mother hails Key West as paradise, Turtle initially think it's a dump ("Truth is, the place looks like a broken chair that's been left out in the sun to rot"). Two-time Newbery Honor author Holmagain crafts a winning heroine who, despite her hardened exterior, gradually warms to her eccentric family members, including her unruly cousins and waspish grandmother (who Turtle thought was dead). Infused with period pop culture references, a strong sense of place, and the unique traditions and culture of Key West natives (aka "Conchs"), this humorous adventure effectively portrays Turtle as caught between her mother's Hollywood-inspired dreams and the very real family and geography that offer a different kind of paradise." © May 3, 2010

CONNECTIONS
Gather other Bluebonnet Nominee books to read such as:

  • The Night Gardener (2016), ISBN 1419715313
  • Crenshaw (2015), ISBN 12500432339
  • Whatever After: Fairest of All (2014), ISBN 0545485715



Gather other Jennifer Holm books:
http://www.jenniferholm.com/

  • The Trouble With May Amelia, ISBN 1416913742
  • Full of Beans, ISBN 0553510363

Similar Titles:

  • Hartman, Brett. Cadillac Chronicles. ISBN 19355955411
  • Bhakta, Sanjini. My Life as a Dollar Bill. ISBN 1452061521
  • Montgomery, Bobbie. Fruit Tramp Kids. ISBN 0828014221
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Thursday, April 13, 2017

Book Review for Chickadee

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Erdrich, Louise. Chickadee. New York: Harper, 2012. ISBN 0060577924 

 PLOT SUMMARY
The exposition of Chickadee, by Louise Erdrich, begins with the introduction of twin brothers, Chickadee and Makoons and their parents, Omakayas and Animikiins.  They live in the Woods in 1866.  It is maple season, and the family is gather the sap together to make the sugar. While working, Chickadee has snuck away because a mean, elderly man, Zhigaag, had been making fun of him.  Chickadee is hurt and upset when his grandmother finds him behind a rock.  When his twin brother finds out, Makoons decides to play a harmless prank on Zhigaag to get revenge for Chickadee.  As the plot thickens, Zhigaag's sons, Babiche and Baptiste, show up to defend their father's honor.  They kidnap Chickadee to make him their slave, but during their escape out west, they learn a valuable lesson.  The family spends the remainder of the fall season searching for Chickadee, unaware if he is dead or alive. As the entire family of Omakayas and Animikiins is searching for the child, they journey west to the Great Plains, north of the homeland of the Dakota people, where they settle.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     Louise Erdrich does an excellent job of capturing the lifestyle of the Native-American Ojibwa culture in her fourth book in the Birchbark House Series. We read about their culture, clothing, religion, values, etc., and many Native words from the Ojibwa language are included, most with synonyms to explain them in context.  The environment of the Old West, including St. Paul, is described in detail so that the readers learns much about the history of America's Old West, including its racial prejudism towards Native-Americans, the intent to Christianize "the heathen," and attempts to eradicate their cultures through acclimation and education. 
     An unstated theme involves family ties and unity.  Several of Omakayas and Animikiins' family members have drifted apart for various reasons, but when tragedy strikes their family, they all come together and refuse to give up searching for Chickadee, even when it seems all is lost.  Even in the 21st century, humans can recognize the timeless horror of child loss and kidnapping, regardless of being related biologically. 
     Erdrich ends her novel with a history of the Ojibwa language and a glossary and pronunciation guide of the included Ojibwa terms used in the novel itself, authenticating her knowledge of the culture she writes so diligently about. 

AWARDS
·       2013 Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award
·       2015 Nominee for Garden State's Children's Books Awards

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
·       Horn Book Magazine, “…Every detail anticipates readers interest. Chickadee himself is a most sympathetic character -- small in stature but big in heart, like his namesake; and though its mostly his story, interspersed scenes depicting the left-behind Makoonss grief make the brothers reunion at the end all the sweeter. A map, historical prologue, and glossary of Ojibwe terms are appended." © August 15, 2012.
·       School Library Journal, "Erdrich eloquently imparts Ojibwe stories, history, and knowledge, and, as in the previous books, her own illustrations add charm to the stories."  © November 1, 2013
·       Booklist,  "Best for those familiar with the series, the story includes a huge, multigenerational cast of characters, and some readers may have trouble keeping track of who's who. As always, the focus is on the way-of-life details as much as the adventure and on the daily, logistical drama of how the family moves from all that they have known to the Great Plains. Most affecting are the descriptions of Makoons' loneliness without his brother; even in the crowded cabin, There was empty space that could be filled only by Chickadee."  © August  1, 2012

CONNECTIONS
Gather other Scott O'Dell Historical Award books to read such as:
·       (2016) The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz, ISBN 076367818X
·       (2010) The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan, ISBN  0763636185
·       (2007) The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages, ISBN 0670061344

Gather other Louise Erdrich books to read such as:
·       The Game of Silence, ISBN 0147510619
·       The Porcupine Year, ISBN 1436158907
·       Makoons, ISBN 0784838135

Use as an introduction to a Canada, Lake Superior, Native Americans, travel and journeys, kidnapping, fur trapping and trade.
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?a=1&tid=31132
http://ecosystems.psu.edu/youth/sftrc/lesson-plans/wildlife
http://rainbowdolphin-interconnected.blogspot.com/2009/11/black-capped-chickadee.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfMsUuU9KtQ

Similar Titles:
·       Earnst, Kathleen. Trouble at Fort la Pointe. ISBN 1584850876
·       Wargin, Kathy-Jo. The Voyageur's Paddle. ISBN 1585360074
·       Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. On Sand Island. ISBN 061823151X
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Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Book Review for Catherine, Called Birdy

Book Review by Allie Davis
MLIS 5603 Literature for Children and Young Adults

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. Catherine Called Birdy. Boston: HMH Books for Young Readers, 2012.  ISBN 0547722184
http://www.karencushman.com/about/bio.html

 PLOT SUMMARY
Catherine, Called Birdy is an historical fiction novel for young children.  Catherine is the only daughter of a middle-class knight whose family owns a small English manor, Stonebridge, in the 1290s.  According to the customs of the time, the time has come for Catherine, Birdy, to settle down and marry.  However, Birdy has other ideas.  She is determined that she will not settle down, wishing instead to become an artist, a monk, a crusader, etc. instead of submitting to the normal expectations for women of the Middle Ages.  Her story is told through a one year diary format in which we see her grow and mature into a young woman who finds herself and her place in Medieval society, a lady willing to negotiate the terms of her marriage and whom eventually compromises a happy-medium with her father regarding her marriage.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
     The characters in Catherine, Called Birdy, are both believable and identifiable, even by modern standards.  Birdy's family is a normal family with sibling rivalry, fighting with parents, punishments, and moments of tenderness.  Catherine, herself, is a "free-spirited" girl, who by the conventions of the day, comes across rebellious and ungrateful.  She plays tricks on her suitors to drive them away, painting her teeth so they look decayed, setting the privy on fire, and telling lies about her own ugliness.  Yet her mother and father are typical of the time period.  Her father, a knight, only wishes to improve his place in society with a marriage contract between his daughter and someone wealthy, while her mother is the subservient, submissive wife who does exactly as she's expected to do: run an house and have babies.  Many historical elements are sneaked in under the guise of telling their stories, keeping the story from becoming heavy with burdensome facts.  We learn about realistic life in the 1290s: flea bites, miscarriages, public executions, cold winters, and frozen farm-life, but in a manner that easily will hold the attention of even the youngest listeners.  
     The novel is written in simplistic European English, with several examples of Medieval phrases to improve realism. "Corpus Bones" easily becomes identifiable as cursing from "back in the day," even to young readers. Written by dates, sometimes Catherine's entries are short when she is busy or frustrated, and sometimes they are filled with emotion and become lengthy with her details.  The entries capture many aspects of children's lives and emotions of the era, most still recognizable today-fear, anger, rebellion, and even curiosity.  Also included in each daily entry are brief snippets of information on different feasts of the saints that were celebrated during the Middle Ages.  
     Several themes emerge during the course of the story.  A strong-willed person has a hard time fitting into society, a common theme, even by today's standards.  And although women are not usually forced into marriage by someone else's choosing, most can identify with the obvious female inequality faced by women of all levels of society.  The universal theme, overall, in my opinion relates to humans maturing and growing to understand that even in compromising about unpleasant circumstances faced in life, we all must find ourselves and be true to self while still making sacrifices for the "good of the whole."
     Karen Cushman ends her first novel with an Author's Note in which she describes the differences in land and language of Old and Modern England, but also in human perspective and identity.  She explains the hierarchy of the Medieval Feudal society and the role of the church, closing with a list of other books about Medieval England, including both information and fictional texts.  
     

AWARDS
  • 1996 Nominee California Book Award
  • 1997 Audie Award
  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults
  • ALA Notable Book for Children
  • ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
  • Booklist Editors' Choice
  • Golden Kite Award
  • Horn Book Fanfare Selection
  • IRA Teachers' Choice
  • 1995 Newbery Honor Book
  • School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
  • American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
  • South Carolina Book Award
  • New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
  • Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Awards
  • Commonwealth Club Silver Medal
  • Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
  • Commonwealth Club of California Medal
  • Carl Sandburg Literary Arts Award
  • International Board on Books for Young People Honor List
  • ABC Children's Booksellers Choice Award

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
·       Horn Book Guide, “…Her diary of the year 1290 provides a revealing, amusing, and vivid picture of both Catherine's thoughts and medieval life. Her rebellious nature, questioning mind, and kindness to all creatures make her a sympathetic figure in this fascinating and thought-provoking book. Horn Rating: Outstanding, noteworthy in style, content, and/or illustration."  © Copyright September 1, 1994
·       School Library Journal, “The 14-year-old daughter of a rustic knight records the events of her days in the year 1290, writing perceptive, scathing, and often raucously funny observations about her family, friends, and would-be suitors. A delightful, rebellious heroine, determined not to marry the man of her father's choice." © September 1, 1997
·       Publisher’s Weekly, "A Newbery Honor Book, this witty and wise fictive diary of a 13th-century English girl, according to PW, 'introduces an admirable heroine and pungently evokes a largely unfamiliar setting.'' © May 15, 1995

CONNECTIONS
Gather other Newberry Honor books to read such as:
·       2015-Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, ISBN  0147515823
·       2014-One Came Home by Amy Timberlake, ISBN 0375873457
·       2013-Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage,  ISBN 0441019242

Gather other Karen Cushman books to read such as:
·       Grayling's Song, ISBN 0544301803
·       The Midwife's Apprentice, ISBN 0547722176

Use as an introduction to the Middle Ages, Medieval Period, role of women, dowries, father/daughter relations, and peasant life, rebellion, and gender roles.
http://www.karencushman.com/books/catherine.html
https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=1240
http://www.bookrags.com/lessonplan/catherine-called-birdy/#gsc.tab=0

Similar Titles:
·       Richard, Platt, Castle Diary: The Journal of Tobias Burgess. ISBN 0763621641
·       Avi. Crispin: The Cross of Lead. ISBN 0786816589
·       Blackwood, Gary, The Shakespeare Stealer. ISBN 0141305959
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