Module 8: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Summary

Bella Swan, a high school student, encounters a first-love adventure of supernatural proportions when she comes to small town Forks, Washington. She is confused at why she is so interested in her biology lab partner, Edward Cullen, who seems to want nothing to do with her. He stands out from the crowd not only because of his looks, but because of something else she can explain. She just feels drawn to him. Through a series of strange encounters she soon discovers he is a vampire. Her attraction to him soon puts her life in danger, and thus the adventure begins.

Bibliographic Citation

Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Co..

Impressions

Twilight is an interesting tale of high school love between a human and a vampire. The tale keeps the reader's interest through character descriptions and dangerous encounters within the vampire world. After I read this first book, I was eager to read the next ones in the series.

Reviews

In the tradition of Anne Rice and YA titles such as Annette Curtis Klause’s The Silver Kiss (1999) comes this heady romance that intertwines Bella Swan’s life with that of Edward, an alluring and tormented vampire. Bella’s life changes when she moves to perpetually rain-soaked Forks, Washington. She is instantly drawn to a fellow student, Edward Cullen, beautiful beyond belief and angrily aloof. Bella senses there is more behind Edward’s hostility, and in a plot that slowly and frighteningly unfolds, she learns that Edward and his family are vampires--though they do not hunt humans. Yet Edward cannot promise that his powerful attraction to Bella won’t put her in danger, or worse. Recklessly in love, Bella wants only to be with Edward, but when a vicious, blood-lusting predator complicates her world, Bella’s peril is brutally revealed. This is a book of the senses: Edward is first attracted by Bella’s scent; ironically, Bella is repelled when she sees blood. Their love is palpable, heightened by their touches, and teens will respond viscerally. There are some flaws here--a plot that could have been tightened, an overreliance on adjectives and adverbs to bolster dialogue--but this dark romance seeps into the soul. — Ilene Cooper

Reviewed November 15, 2005-Booklist

Gr 9 Up -Headstrong, sun-loving, 17-year-old Bella declines her mom's invitation to move to Florida, and instead reluctantly opts to move to her dad's cabin in the dreary, rainy town of Forks, WA. She becomes intrigued with Edward Cullen, a distant, stylish, and disarmingly handsome senior, who is also a vampire. When he reveals that his specific clan hunts wildlife instead of humans, Bella deduces that she is safe from his blood-sucking instincts and therefore free to fall hopelessly in love with him. The feeling is mutual, and the resulting volatile romance smolders as they attempt to hide Edward's identity from her family and the rest of the school. Meyer adds an eerie new twist to the mismatched, star-crossed lovers theme: predator falls for prey, human falls for vampire. This tension strips away any pretense readers may have about the everyday teen romance novel, and kissing, touching, and talking take on an entirely new meaning when one small mistake could be life-threatening. Bella and Edward's struggle to make their relationship work becomes a struggle for survival, especially when vampires from an outside clan infiltrate the Cullen territory and head straight for her. As a result, the novel's danger-factor skyrockets as the excitement of secret love and hushed affection morphs into a terrifying race to stay alive. Realistic, subtle, succinct, and easy to follow, "Twilight" will have readers dying to sink their teeth into it." -Hillias J. Martin, New York Public Library"

Reviewed October 1, 2005-School Library Journal

Library Settings

This book could be used in a book talk program about vampires. A series of books about vampires could be introduced during the program. The Twilight Series could be part of a book display for a Halloween event in a library.

Module 8: James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl

Summary

James Henry Trotter has been placed with his two creepy aunts after losing his parents in a terrible accident. His Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are terribly cruel to him and are in no way lovingly supportive after his great loss. One day a strange man appears and gives James some magic crystals which James drops on his aunts' peach tree. Magically the peach grows into the hugest peach James has ever seen. James finds in his way into the peach and escapes from his despicable aunts and find a few interesting friends along the way.

Bibliographic Citation

Dahl, R. (1989). James and the giant peach. New York : Knopf.

Impressions

This is a great adventure story for children to read. Adults will enjoy it also. The characters are memorable, especially James' creepy aunts. The illustrations provide readers with eye candy that enlivens the story. This is a terrific book to read on a rainy night with a cup of hot chocolate!

Reviews

Lane Smith trades stinky cheese for fantastic fruit with his black-and-white illustrations for Roald Dahl's classic 1961 novel, James and the Giant Peach. The reissue is timed to coincide with the release of the Disney animated motion picture based on Smith's suitably subversive visual interpretation. -Publishers Weekly

When poor James Henry Trotter loses his parents in a horrible rhinoceros accident, he is forced to live with his two wicked aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. After three years he becomes "the saddest and loneliest boy you could find." Then one day, a wizened old man in a dark-green suit gives James a bag of magic crystals that promise to reverse his misery forever. When James accidentally spills the crystals on his aunts' withered peach tree, he sets the adventure in motion. From the old tree a single peach grows, and grows, and grows some more, until finally James climbs inside the giant fruit and rolls away from his despicable aunts to a whole new life. James befriends an assortment of hilarious characters, including Grasshopper, Earthworm, Miss Spider, and Centipede--each with his or her own song to sing. Roald Dahl's rich imagery and amusing characters ensure that parents will not tire of reading this classic aloud, which they will no doubt be called to do over and over again! With the addition of witty black and white pencil drawings by Lane Smith (of The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs fame), upon which the animation for the Disney movie was based, this classic, now in paperback, is bursting with renewed vigor. We'll just come right out and say it: James and the Giant Peach is one of the finest children's books ever written. (Ages 9 to 12) -Amazon.com Editorial Review, http://www.amazon.com/


Library Settings

This book could be used in a book talk program highlighting adventure stories. It could also be placed in a summer reading display.

Module 7: Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie Tolan

Summary

Jake Semple is very familiar with school detention. After a series of visits to school detention he eventually gets kicked out of school and ends up living with the Applewhites, a strange family with odd eccentricities. He attends their Creative Academy, which has no structure whatsoever, and tries to deal with all of the odd personalities of the Applewhite clan. He becomes transformed and because of the oddness of the Applewhites, realizes he is not as strange as he thought he was.

Bibliographic Citation

Tolan, S. (2002). Surviving the Applewhites. New York: Harper Collins.

Impressions

Although the characters are interesting, this was not one of my favorite books. There is a lot of humor contained in the story, but it takes a while to build and some readers may lose interest in it. The character E.D. is interesting and her journey in trying to distance herself from her odd family reminded me of the character of Marilyn from the television show, The Munsters.

Reviews

This is an engaging presentation of Tolan’s 2003 Newbery Honor book. Pierced, spiky-haired Jake Semple is sent to live with a chaotic family of artistic geniuses after he sets his school on fire. Poetess Lucille Applewhite allows Jake to attend the Creative Academy, much to the chagrin of her 12-year-old niece, E. D. Although the book often reads like a screwball comedy, narrator Leonard wisely underplays some of the craziness. He brings a delicacy to E. D.’s adolescent angst, easily conveys Jake’s emerging humanity, and outdoes himself with a hilariously manic portrayal of a four-year-old chatterbox. The Applewhites’ eccentricities are conveyed with a zesty energy. Explosive guitar music adds to the rollicking spirit. — Brian Wilson Reviewed June 1, 2004-Booklist

Gr 5-8-In this laugh-out-loud novel, a young teen on the fast track to the juvenile detention center suddenly finds himself living in rural North Carolina with the outrageously eccentric Applewhite clan. Jake Semple, 13, has been expelled from a long line of schools before coming to the Applewhites to be homeschooled. This extended family forms what a visiting reporter christens an "artistic dynasty," with various creative endeavors absorbing the adults' time and attention. Jake is left largely to his own devices, since the family doesn't believe in telling their charges what or when to study. He develops a loyal following consisting of an active four-year-old and an overweight basset hound, and his transformation is complete once he becomes enmeshed in the family's production of The Sound of Music. Quirky characters, from the cub reporter to the visiting guru, add to the offbeat humor. The Applewhites' over-the-top personalities mark them as literary kin of Helen Cresswell's Bagthorpes. Running beneath the narrative that gently pokes fun at everything from sculpture to TV documentaries, though, is also the story of a boy allowing himself to belong and begin to discover his own potential. This has terrific booktalk and read-aloud potential, and will help fill the need for humorous contemporary fiction.-Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL
Reviewed September 1, 2002-School Library Journal


Library Settings

This book may be useful in a summer reading display. It also could possibly be used in a book talk program highlighting the theme of accepting differences in others.

Module 7: Hoot by Carl Hiassen

Summary

Hoot is a story about a boy, Roy Eberhardt, who goes on a mission to save a group of owls whose livelihood is in jeopardy due to a construction project taking place. He discovers the owls predicament after noticing a boy, Mullet Fingers, running away while Roy was on the school bus. He soon learns that the boy is responsible for vandalizing the construction site the project is taking place on because he is trying to save the owls. While all of this is going on, Roy is also having to endure a bully at school.

Bibliographic Citation

Hiaasen, Carl (2002). Hoot. New York : Alfred A. Knopf.

Impressions

I enjoyed reading this story. Although the ending may not plausible or realistic, it is a good story for children to read. Someone enduring bullying at school may be able to identify with this story. The story is an inspirational one and the characters are memorable.

Reviews

It seems unlikely that the master of noir-tinged, surrealistic black humor would write a novel for young readers. And, yet, there has always been something delightfully juvenile about Hiaasen’s imagination; beneath the bent cynicism lurks a distinctly 12-year-old cackle. In this thoroughly engaging tale of how middle-schooler Roy Eberhardt, new kid in Coconut Cove, learns to love South Florida, Hiaasen lets his inner kid run rampant, both the subversive side that loves to see grown-ups make fools of themselves and the righteously indignant side, appalled at the mess being made of our planet. When Roy teams up with some classic children’s lit outsiders to save the home of some tiny burrowing owls, the stage is set for a confrontation between right-thinking kids and slow-witted, wrongheaded civic boosters. But Hiaasen never lets the formula get in his way; the story is full of offbeat humor, buffoonish yet charming supporting characters, and genuinely touching scenes of children enjoying the wildness of nature. He deserves a warm welcome into children’s publishing. — Bill Ott
Reviewed October 15, 2002-Booklist

Gr 6-9-Packed with quirky characters and improbable plot twists, Hiaasen's first novel for young readers is entertaining but ultimately not very memorable. Fans of the author's adult novels will find trademark elements-including environmental destruction, corrupt politicians, humorous situations, and a Florida setting-all viewed through the eyes of a middle-school student. Roy Eberhardt has just moved with his family to Coconut Cove. He immediately becomes the target of a particularly dense bully who tries to strangle him on the school bus. Roy seems more concerned, however, with discovering the identity of a running, barefoot boy he spots through the window of the bus. Meanwhile, plans to build a pancake house on a vacant lot are derailed when someone vandalizes the construction site. The two story lines come together when Roy discovers that the runaway boy is disrupting the construction to save a group of burrowing owls. Roy must help his new friend, nicknamed Mullet Fingers, as well as fend off the bully and adapt to life in Florida. The story is silly at times but rarely laugh-out-loud funny, and there are several highly unlikely scenes. Also, it wraps up a little too neatly-Roy's classmates join him to protest the construction project, his father finds the missing environmental impact report, and the owls are saved. While Roy is a sympathetic protagonist, few of the other characters are well developed. Students looking for humorous, offbeat characters and situations will probably prefer Louis Sachar's Holes (Farrar, 1998) or books by Daniel Pinkwater.-Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information
Reviewed 8-1-2002, School Library Journal

Library Settings

This book could be used in a book talk program focused on the idea of bullying. It could also be used in a book talk program focused on the idea of people working together to solve a problem.

Module 6: Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park

Summary

This story is about a twelve year old boy, Mick Harte, who dies from a tragic bicycle accident. Through his sister’s words, it explains how a family copes with such a tragedy. The plot is also interesting because his sister gives a snapshot of what her brother was like by describing the humorous things he did. She is just a little older than her brother, so she explains how special her brother was and how much she will miss him from a young person’s viewpoint. His sister Phoebe realizes how much she loved her brother as she describes the funny things he did during their time together.

Bibliographic Citation

Park, B. (1995). Mick Harte was here. New York: Bullseye Books.

Impressions

Although this book was few in pages, its story was powerful and moving. Phoebe Harte describes her brother in such detail that although his death is announced on the first page, his presence is felt throughout the story. This book would be useful to a child experiencing the sudden loss of a sibling.

Reviews

Park turns her wry eye on a serious subject, the death of a sibling. With love, wit, and anger, 13-year-old Phoebe Harte describes her brother, Mick, and the effect his death has on the family. It is a bike accident that kills Mick, and Park does an excellent job of capturing the shock and dissociation that a sudden death can cause in survivors. There’s so much here that rings true: what friends can (and cannot) do, the inevitable rantings against God, and the seesaw emotions experienced by the whole family. Where Park goes a bit over the top is in her description of Mick, a real wiseacre, who puts a ceramic eye in a defrosted chicken and goes trick-or-treating as Thomas Crapper, inventor of the toilet. Not that this isn’t funny stuff, but Park’s inflation of Mick oddly diminishes him. Still, there is a sea of real emotions here, and readers, whether they’ve been touched by death or not, will find themselves touched by this book. Park’s author’s-note plea for kids to wear bike helmets (such a helmet could have saved Mick) may now fall on responsive ears. (Reviewed Mar. 1, 1995)— Ilene Cooper for Booklist

Gr 4-6--Park's latest offering is a short, yet surprisingly deep and powerful look at the death of a sibling. Phoebe Harte, 13, recounts the days immediately following the death of her 12-year-old brother, Mick, in a bicycle accident. The author is adept at portraying the stages of grief and the effects of this sudden tragedy on the family. The book's tone of sadness is mitigated by humor, reassurance, and hope. Mick is fondly remembered through his funny escapades as Phoebe comes to realize that, even though he is dead, he will never be lost to her. The ending has real punch--Phoebe is finally able to admit that Mick was not wearing a helmet. A great discussion-starter.--Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Reviewed May 1, 1995-School Library Journal


Library Settings

This book could play a pivotal or central role in a book talk program dealing with the grief felt at the loss of a loved one. Many children have experienced the loss of a sibling or friend and listening to a description of this story might encourage them to read it.

Module 5: LLama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

Summary

Llama llama red pajama is about a young llama's anxiety about going to bed. He misses his "mama llama" and calls to her throughout the night. The longer it takes his mother to come to his room because he is scared, the louder he yells. Once his mother comes to comfort him, all is well in world again.

Bibliographic Citation

Dewdney, A. (2005). Llama llama red pajama. London: Viking, Penguin Books.

Impressions

I enjoyed reading this book because it uses humor to ease children's sensitivities to sleeping alone at night. The colorful illustrations work well with the text and give the reader memorable images of the nighttime adventure.

Reviews

With its sweet rendering of the trials of bedtime and separation anxiety, this book's familiar theme will be a hit with youngsters. Baby Llama, all tucked in and kissed after his bedtime story, watches his mama leave the room with a worried expression on his face. When he calls her and she does not come back immediately, he succumbs to a fit of wailing and weeping, finally bringing his panic-stricken mother at a full gallop. After her reassurance that "Mama Llama's always near, even if she's not right here," Baby Llama settles and drifts off to sleep. This story has a simple rhyme scheme, using natural language that children will enjoy. The large, boldly colored pictures have a grand and sweeping quality, extending out to the edges of the pages. Baby Llama's facial expressions capture his fear and alarm wonderfully. The contrast between light and dark enhances the drama in the story. This effective read-aloud will be a popular choice for storyhour and one-on-one sharing." -Corrina Austin, Locke's Public School, St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada"
Reviewed April 1, 2005-School Library Journal

After Mama Llama reads Baby Llama a bedtime story and turns out the light, the llama drama begins. Feeling alone without his mama, Baby Llama wants a drink and calls down to Mama, who says she’ll be up soon. But Baby Llama frets, whimpers, boo-hoos, pouts, and shouts. What if Mama is gone? At last, she appears (she was talking on the phone), and reassures her baby that she’s “always near, / even if she’s / not right here.” Dewdney gives a wonderfully fresh twist to a familiar nighttime ritual with an adorable bug-eyed baby llama, staccato four-line rhymes, and page compositions that play up the drama. The simple rhymes call out for repeating, and the whimsical illustrations cleverly dramatize the increasing panic. Key worry words, such as fret, are highlighted, and for extra humor, Baby Llama’s toy llama mimics his every expression. A real charmer that will leave preschoolers giggling and parents appreciating the familiar scenario. — Julie Cummins
Reviewed April 1, 2005-Booklist

Library Settings

This book could be used in a book talk program for preschool children. It may help ease the anxiety of children who have trouble going to sleep at night.

Module 4: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Summary

Nobody Owens' family is killed within the first few pages of this story. Only a little baby, he crawls away from the scene and into a graveyard. The inhabitants of the graveyard, ghostly beings, decide to become Nobody (Bod's) caretakers. The variety and ages of the characters in the graveyard lead Bod on several adventures which makes this story a delight.

Bibliographic Citation

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: Harper Collins.

Impressions

I liked this story a great deal. The idea that ghosts in a graveyard are caretakers of a young boy is and interesting one. The characters and storyline are memorable. I have enjoyed reading other books by Neil Gaiman, but was really delighted with this one.

Reviews

While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owenses will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. 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. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages.— Holly Koelling

Reviewed September 15, 2008-Booklist

Gr 5- 8 Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family."Megan Honig, New York Public Library"
Reviewed October 1, 2008-School Library Journal

Library Settings

This book could be placed in a Halloween book display. It could be also used in a book talk program about ghosts and ghouls.