Fiction/Fantasy- The Graveyard Book

A. Bibliography:
Gaiman, N. (2008). The Graveyard Book.  Ill. by D. McKean. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN: 9780060530921.

B. Plot Summary:
The story begins with the brutal murder of a mother, father and daughter.  Only one escapes-the toddler boy upstairs.  The murderer, Jack, knows that one has escaped and goes to search in the nearby graveyard, but he's too late, as the ghosts have already adopted and named the boy Nobody Owens (Bod for short).  Bod gets Freedom of the Graveyard and gets special abilities, such as becoming invisible to humans, walking through walls and graves, but only in the graveyard does this work.  When he's a young kid, he meets an alive human girl named Scarlett, who thinks he's her imaginary friend.  The two adventure together one day to visit the home of the oldest member of the graveyard, Sleer, only to return surrounded by cops.  They thought Scarlett was kidnapped, which leads her family to get scared and leave the country.

Years later, Bod learns the truth about his family's horrible murders.  Jack has still been searching for Bod because if he doesn't, Bod is truly destined to destroy Jack's ancient society, The Jack of All Trades.  Scarlett returns when they are teenagers and becomes friends with a close neighbor of the graveyard, Mr. Frost, who turns out to really be Jack.  Jack and four other men from the society hunt Bod down.  Bod defeats the four other Jacks, and has a faceoff with Mr. Jack Frost.  He is able to beat him using his magical power of fading.  Now at the age of 15, Bod is losing all of his powers slowly.  His guardian, Silas, gives him money and a passport as Bod says goodbye to his graveyard family and starts a new life.

C. Critical Analysis:
Gaiman won several awards for The Graveyard Book, such as the Newbery Medal and Hugo Award for Best Fantasy/SciFi novel. The main character, Bod overcomes many obstacles from the get go.  He escapes the house when the murderer Jack has been searching for him, while lost, he gains the love and protection from a graveyard family, and he defeats the man who killed his family.  The fantasy aspect of this novel comes from the supernatural abilities that the characters and Bod have, such as fading and dreamwalking.  There are also characters that don't exist in our world such as witches and ghosts.

Gaiman's storytelling is suspenseful and dark, and at times disturbing.  He incorporates other stories into his own: Jack Frost and the similar idea of The Jungle Book.  While this is intended for older ages, I can still see some of the events being terrifying for students: brutal murder and kidnapping.  The theme of this fantasy novel is the idea of a community raising a child: "It takes a village."

D. Review Excerpts:
**Publisher's Weekly states " 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."
**Kirkus Reviews states, "Childhood fears take solid shape in the nursery-rhyme-inspired villains, while heroism is its own, often bitter, reward. Closer in tone to American Gods than to Coraline, but permeated with Bod's innocence, this needs to be read by anyone who is or has ever been a child."

E. Connections:

Students will enjoy reading other books by Neil Gaiman such as Coraline and American Gods.  This fantasy novel fits into the ghost story/supernatural subgenre, so readers would enjoy other stories in this group.

Fiction/Fantasy- Savvy

A. Bibliography:
Law, I. (2008). Savvy.  New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 9780803733060.

B. Plot Summary:
A superb fantasy novel, Savvy is about a young girl who develops her own savvy like her family members.  A savvy is a special ability given to you once you turn 13.  Set in the Nebraska-Kansas area, Mississippi Beaumont (Mibs) looks forward to her thirteenth birthday.  Two days before her big day, her mother gets news that her dad has been in a huge car pile up on the highway.  All plans of a big party to reveal her savvy are diminished.  While Mibs' mother and older brother stay with her dad at the hospital to wait for him to  wake up from a coma, the preacher's wife comes to babysit and plan a party.

While at the party, Mibs' and her crew jump on a school bus and begin a crazy journey filled with ups and downs, while she tries to convince the bus driver to take her to her father.  During this journey, Mibs' discovers her telepathic savvy which leads her back to her father and miraculously wakes him up from his deep coma.

C. Critical Analysis:
I found myself hooked from the first page of Law's fantasy novel.  The reader instantly connects with Mibs' fun and caring personality.  The story is full of heartwarming memories that Mib has had with all of her family members. Mibs' and all the characters in this book overcome their own obstacles, such as Mibs' determination to reach her dad using a new savvy to wake him out of his coma, a sad bible salesman becomes a confident businessman and falls in love, and a lonely teenager becomes friendly and develops special friendships.  The fantasy aspect of this novel comes from the magical abilities that all the Beaumonts possess.

Law's storytelling keeps the reader turning the page quickly, hoping to reach the point where the family reunites.  My only wish is that they would have incorporated the mom and older brother into the story more.  I thought the story went too long to reach the dad in the hospital.  I would have liked Mibs' to somehow keep in touch with the mom during the story.  The theme of this fantasy novel is to put family first and have faith while never giving up.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Publisher's Weekly states "Short chapters and cliffhangers keep the pace quick, while the mix of traditional language and vernacular helps the story feel both fresh and timeless."
**Kirkus Reviews states, "Law displays both a fertile imagination (Mibs's savvy is telepathy, but it comes with a truly oddball caveat) and a dab hand for likable, colorful characters. There are no serious villains here, only challenges to be met, friendships to be made and some growing up to do on the road to a two-hanky climax."

E. Connections:

Students will enjoy reading other books where characters have mysterious powers such as the Harry Potter series.  Ingrid Law also wrote a similar book in which Mibs' cousin Ledge develops his own savvy at age 13.  Readers of Savvy will enjoy going on another savvy adventure!  I also read that the book is now becoming a movie production.  How exciting!

Graphic Novel- El Deafo

A. Bibliography:
Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo.  New York, NY: Amulet Books. ISBN: 9781419712173.

B. Plot Summary:
The heartfelt autobiographical graphic novel El Deafo is based on a true story in author Cece Bell's childhood.  Set in the suburbs of the 1970s, our main character is a bunny who sometimes transforms into the superhero El Deafo.  Cece loses her hearing at the age of four due to meningitis.  From there, she struggles with her confidence and worries about how her peers view her.  Each day at school, she is to bring her Phonic Ear, a big device for hearing, to her teacher.  When she thinks she meets a best friend, she starts to realize that they treat her differently in some way.  As she grows older, she appreciates how much her device assists her academically and this brings new confidence and true friendships into her life.

C. Critical Analysis:
Even though this graphic novel is meant for kids ten and up, readers  of all ages would enjoy Cece's autobiographical story about her struggles as a deaf student.  The story is full of heartwarming, sad and funny moments as Cece overcomes several obstacles.  The reader sees her go through many obstacles, from struggling with friendship to disagreeing with her mom about sign language classes.

I love the honesty in this graphic novel.  We see a true experience from Cece's childhood.  The language and voice contributes to the success of this story.  We get to see real relationships of a girl sleepover, mother and daughter, awkward first crush and friend disagreements.  This is something we all can relate to.  I really had an appreciation for this book because I had a student this past year who wore a Phonic Ear each day in class.  As the year progressed, and he became older, I could see his hesitation in wearing it in front of his classmates.  This book really shows you the perspective from a deaf child.

The illustrations by Nathan Hale are playful and full of color. It was attractive to the reader's eye.  The theme of this graphic novel is to appreciate your differences as that is what makes us all unique.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Publisher's Weekly states "Bell’s earnest rabbit/human characters, her ability to capture her own sonic universe (“eh sounz lah yur unnah wawah!”), and her invention of an alter ego—the cape-wearing El Deafo, who gets her through stressful encounters (“How can El Deafo free herself from the shackles of this weekly humiliation?” she asks as her mother drags her to another excruciating sign language class)—all combine to make this a standout autobiography."
**School Library Journal states, "This warmly and humorously illustrated full-color graphic novel set in the suburban '70s has all the gripping characters and inflated melodrama of late childhood: a crush on a neighborhood boy, the bossy friend, the too-sensitive-to-her-Deafness friend, and the perfect friend, scared away."

E. Connections:

Students will enjoy experiencing characters with similar obstacles, such as Helen Keller.  Some books with other deaf characters are I am Helen Keller, The Quiet World and Moonbird.  Students can write about a time they were embarrassed, or a time they overcame an obstacle.

Graphic Novel- Calamity Jack

A. Bibliography:
Hale, D., Hale, S. (2010). Calamity Jack.  Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Children's Books. ISBN: 9781599903736.

B. Plot Summary:
The fast-paced graphic novel Calamity Jack is a spin on the traditional tale Jack and the Beanstalk.  Jack is a schemer and trickster.  Set in the city of Shyport, the story begins with Jack's birth.  As a child, Jack starts his trickery.  When he wants something, he sets his mind to it.  As he becomes an adult, he commits his biggest scheme: He uses his magical beans to grow a beanstalk toward Blunderboar's floating house, the local wealthy and corrupt businessman.  While stealing his magical goose, the beanstalk crashes down and destroys his mom's bakery.  This is when Jack makes up his mind to stop the scheming and now the adventure begins.  Jack sets off on a journey with his friends, Prudence the fairy, his love interest Rapunzel, and Freddie in order to catch Blunderboar in his criminal scheme that has taken over the city.

C. Critical Analysis:
Set in an industrial American town, Shyport, this graphic novel is aimed for ages ten and up.   There is a good amount of advanced vocabulary for higher readers. This story has a balance of fantasy, romance and humor.  Jack has many obstacles to overcome in this novel.  He is trying to overcome his scheming ways, help his mom rebuild her shop that he accidentally destroyed, get the girl of his dreams and save his city from the local criminal mastermind. 

The authors did a good job of creating characters with distinct personalities-the brave heroine, protagonist debating right or wrong, the typical city bully.  I do wish that the authors would have spent more time developing Jack's character and his relationships with others.  I did not find myself rooting for the protagonist as I usually do when reading books.  I did not feel a connection to Jack and his story.

However, the illustrations by Nathan Hale are superb. They are bright, crisp and keep the story moving.  The theme of this graphic novel is that there is always room for change, no matter what your past holds.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Kirkus Reviews states "Populated with ant people, giants, pixies and even a Jabberwock, this fantastic yarn has something for everyone. Rapunzel's fans should not fear: This volume, though told from a male perspective, has all the pluck and verve of its predecessor. Readers will relish this gleeful mix of fairy tale, adventure and romance." 
**Publisher's Weekly states, "Teaming again with Rapunzel, and a few other allies, Jack leads readers on adventure trekking through sewers and taking to the sky. The dynamic artwork fits well with Jack and Rapunzel's quick tongues, as they flirt their way through numerous hair-raising situations."

E. Connections:

Students might enjoy reading the first book of this series, Rapunzel's Revenge. Teachers can read the traditional Jack and the Beanstalk and have students compare and contrast the stories.

Historical Fiction-Will Sparrow's Road

A. Bibliography:
Cushman, Karen. (2012). Will Sparrow's Road.  New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 9780547739625.

B. Plot Summary:
Karen Cushman presents a novel written in the late 1500s set in England.  13 year-old Will Sparrow, a young thief, is on the run to the road to nowhere.  He's been abandoned by his mother.  His father has sold him in exchange for alcohol.  He flees even though he is barefoot and has no money.  His main goal is to take care of himself and worry about nothing but his feeding his belly.  On his journey, he encounters many unusual people who take advantage of him.  Will is young and naive, and the older, wiser, and more experienced characters can see right through it.  

After being tricked twice, Will comes across Master Tidball and his oddities at a market fair.  He finds success with this group as he travels with them and their performances, even though he struggles to get along with the dwarf, Fitz.  One of the oddities is Greymalkin, half cat and half girl.  He becomes friends with her and learns that her name is Grace Wyse.  Will soon discovers that things are not always as they seem.  He learns that the master he has looked up to is evil and doesn't care about the people he works with.  Will then values his friendship with Grace and Fitz, as he learns to think of others' needs and not just himself. 

C. Critical Analysis:
Will Sparrow's Road takes the reader back to the Elizabethan Era in late sixteenth century England.  Readers get a glimpse into their odd, yet interesting market fairs.  The reader is able to clearly visualize the experiences of the Elizabethan time period due to Cushman's attention to detail.  While reading, we are introduced to songs, clothes (padded doublets) and foods of this time period.  There were some terms that I had to look up as well while reading this historical novel (avaunt)!  This was a time period that I knew almost nothing about, so I appreciated Cushman's research and inspirations provided in the Author's note.  The reader will feel a connection with the mischievous Will and kind hearted Grace.  

The theme of this historical novel is to not judge someone by their looks.  Will is able to overlook Grace and Fitz's difference in appearance as he discovers their true friendship.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Kirkus Reviews states "Cushman, a Newbery Award– and Honor–winning author for her historical novels featuring girls, now presents a boy as her protagonist. She sends him on an inner journey as well as a physical one, allowing him to grow in empathy and to see past people's physical appearances into their true character. A compelling coming-of-age road trip."
**Publisher's Weekly states, "Offering action, humor, and heart in equal doses, Cushman’s story is, at its core, about creating and claiming a family of one’s own. Readers will be ready to follow Will anywhere from the very first page. "

E. Connections:

Students might enjoy exploring more of the Elizabethan Era.  One book that students can read is If You Were Me and Lived in Elizabethan England by Carole Roman.  It would be fun for students to explore Shakespeare poetry or Reader's Theater.

Historical Fiction- Elijah of Buxton

A. Bibliography:
Curtis, C,P.. (2007). Elijah of Buxton. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780439023450.

B. Plot Summary:
Curtis presents another award winning novel, Elijah of Buxton. The novel is set in the 1860s in Buxton, Canada, which is a settlement for slaves that escaped on the Underground Railroad.  Elijah is the first free born child in Buxton.  He enjoys his community.  One day, he runs into the sneaky and no good Preacher Zephariah who plans to take advantage of him.  The Preacher takes him to the carnival in hopes of reaching a deal with the owner by showcasing Elijah's rock chunking skills.  This doesn't work out, but it isn't the end of the Preacher's sneakiness.  

Elijah's friend Mr. Leroy has been saving up money to buy his wife and children out of slavery.  When he has finally reached enough money, Mr. Leroy sends the money with the Preacher and Mr. Highgate and trusts him to bring his family back.  The Preacher steals the money and kills the man alongside him.  Mr. Leroy and Elijah then set off in search of his money and the Preacher.  Mr. Leroy sadly dies at the beginning of the journey and Elijah promises to help him.  During his travels, Elijah discovers the Preacher's dead body, killed by white slave traders.  Mr. Leroy's money is all gone.  It is there that Elijah encounters several slaves and a baby.  This is his first experience with slavery.  He wants badly to help them, but can't on his own.  He decides to do the next best thing, rescue the baby girl, Hope, and bring her back to the free community of Buxton.

C. Critical Analysis:
Elijah of Buxton has received many awards such as the 2008 Newbery Honor, Coretta Scott King Award and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction.  This is a slow-paced novel that is designed to build the plot and characters.  The reader gets to see Elijah's character evolve from a young and naive boy to a responsible young man.  The language presented by Curtis really helps the reader imagine the conversations between characters.  There are some controversial topics that occur in the book: hanging of the preacher, naked slaves bound in chains, and murder.  This would be a difficult book to share aloud with students at the elementary age.

There are several themes throughout this historical novel: Work hard toward your goals no matter what difficulties come your way, slavery is wrong and unjust, and have courage. 

The setting of the story brings the most accurate history into this novel.  The community of Buxton, Canada is a real settlement that was created in 1849 as a place to welcome free slaves who had escaped via the Underground Railroad.  I had never heard of this community before and I appreciated learning the real history of it in Curtis' Author's Note at the end of the novel. 

D. Review Excerpts:
**Kirkus Reviews states "This is not a zip-ahead-and-see-what-happens-next novel. It's for settling into and savoring the rich, masterful storytelling, for getting to know Elijah...Then Elijah journeys to America and risks his life to do what's right. This is Curtis's best novel yet, and no doubt many readers, young and old, will finish and say, "This is one of the best books I have ever read." 
**Publisher's Weekly states, "Curtis brings the story full-circle, demonstrating how Elijah the "fra-gile" child has become sturdy, capable of stealing across the border in pursuit of the crooked preacher, and strong enough to withstand a confrontation with the horrors of slavery. The powerful ending is violent and unsettling, yet also manages to be uplifting."

E. Connections:

Students might want to read other books about escaping slavery, such as Harriet Tubman's story, as well as Frederick Douglass. A great historical picture book that connects to this story is Barefoot: Escape on the Underground Railroad by Pamela Duncan Edwards. Readers would enjoy Curtis' other award-winning novel The Watsons go to Birmingham.

Historical Fiction-Penny from Heaven

A. Bibliography:
Holm, Jennifer. (2007). Penny from Heaven. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN: 9780375836893.

B. Plot Summary:
The audiobook, Penny from Heaven, is set in 1950s New Jersey, a difficult time after World War II.  It is about an eleven year old girl named Penny who lost her Italian father at a very young age.  No one talks about his death.  Penny lives with her mother, her dog Scarlett O'Hara and her maternal grandparents who she calls Mimi and Pop Pop.  Although Penny loves her mother, she doesn't like how worried and overprotective she is.  Penny despises her grandmother's cooking.  On the other hand, Penny loves visiting her dad's side of the family.  She loves spending time with her dad's mom Nonny, cousin Frankie, and several uncles and aunts.  Her Italian side is vibrant, loud and exciting.  

Penny has a close relationship and adores her Uncle Dominic, her dad's brother.  She wishes her mom would marry him.  But her mom has other plans as she is already dating her milkman, Mr. Mulligan.  While searching for some hidden family money with Frankie, Penny injures her fingers and is taken to the hospital.  While staying at the hospital, she overhears two nurses talking about her mother and father.  She learns that her father died because he was accused of being an Italian spy.  Penny then discovers that he wasn't a spy, but was thought to be because he had a new illegal radio given to him by Uncle Dominic.  Her father was then taken to an internment camp, where he got sick and died.  She learns that she got her nickname Penny from the last letter her father wrote, where he called her "his lost penny."  The novel ends on a high note.  Penny's mother weds Mr. Mulligan and both families finally join together to celebrate.

C. Critical Analysis:
The audiobook Penny from Heaven immediately grabs the reader's attention with the vibrant narration and fun personality of the main character Penny.  Holm's storytelling is easy to follow due to all of the quirky character in this historical novel.  Once you get to know Penny's personality, the reader learns of her deep family issues.  This is something that all readers can connect to: family deaths, two sides not talking to each other and eating food we don't like, but we just don't want to offend our grandparents.  No family is perfect.  The theme of this novel is to show loyalty to your family, no matter what issues arise.

There are many historical references, such as World War II, the discussion of internment camps, and movie references such as Scarlett O'Hara from Gone With the Wind.  While I highly enjoyed the narration of the audiobook, I wished I had the physical copy of the book because I didn't get a chance to view the photo album that Holm included in the book, in which she shares photos and background information on the war and Italian internment camps.

D. Review Excerpts:
**Children's Literature states "Holm's writing is warm and fine; reading this book is as good as time travel into the life of the 1950s. A real treat awaits the reader at the book's end when the author writes about loosely basing Penny on her mother, complete with family pictures, a photo of the old Ebbets Field, plus a picture example of the records kept on Italian Americans during the World War."
**Publisher's Weekly states, "A youthful voice serves Sealey well as narrator of this offbeat period piece chronicling the colorful experiences of 11-year-old Penny Falucci during the summer of 1953. As Penny struggles to recover from a household accident, she learns an ugly truth about her father's death years ago and comes to understand the estrangement between her mother's family and her father's boisterous Italian clan. Holm's plot has surprising twists and turns and plenty of evocative flavor, all of which give Sealey room to stretch a bit. Her crisp, even rhythm complements the pace of the unfolding drama."

E. Connections:

The theme of this story is family loyalty, so teachers can share other books with this common theme such as The Raft.  Students might also enjoy reading books about Italian culture and traditions.  In older grades, students can research and learn more about World War II.