Module 10: Angus, Thongs, and Full Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson

Summary:
Georgie Nicholson is a teenage girl who doesn't know who she is or what she wants and she's all over the place trying to pin it down. Written in epistolary form, this novel is laugh-out-loud hilarious and a no-holds-barred telling of one girl's coming of age through adolescence and the discovery of boys and trying to get them to like you. With bursts of self-loathing and self-acceptance sprinkled throughout Georgie's journal musings, one can't help but remember how awkward growing up was when reading through. The constant back-and-forth between different ideas, preferences, thoughts, and desires paints a raw and honest picture of being a teenager.

Rennison, L. (2000). Angus, thongs, and full frontal snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Review: 
This is the hilarious Bridget Jones-like diary of 14-year-old Georgia, who has a rather wild cat named Angus, a three-year-old sister who pees in her bed, and a best friend who is in love with the vegetable seller's son. Georgia discusses kissing (snogging) lessons, which she needs because she has just met the "Sex God" of her dreams; what to wear to parties and school; and how to spy on your crush's girlfriend (this is where thongs come into play). In typical teen manner, Georgia lives in her own world; she thinks she is ugly, is convinced that her parents are weird, positively abhors schoolwork, and has a deep desire to be beautiful and older. Yet she still has time to enjoy the mad antics of her cat and indulge her odd but sweet sister. It will take a sophisticated reader to enjoy the wit and wisdom of this charming British import, but those who relish humor will be satisfied. Fresh, lively, and engaging.

Reynolds, A. J. (2000). Angus, thongs and full-frontal snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson. School Library Journal, 46(7), 109.

My Impressions:
This book is wildly hilarious and dangerously cheeky at any given moment. Considering how the book even starts (with a direct, descriptive discussion of breasts, bras, and boob shape), I can see why this book would be challenged. Georgie, while well-intentioned most of the time, writes and records her most honest opinions and thoughts about the world around her in the journal entries that make up the book. Many of her opinions and those of teens everywhere are not always clean, appropriate, or respectful. Georgie is frequently demeaning and demanding toward her parents and friends alike. All that to say, I think Georgie's voice is a wonderful depiction of what actual, real-life teens would sound like if you could sit inside their head and listen for awhile. The content pushes boundaries and, at times, social norms, but overall, it approaches society with honesty and that often causes some amount of uproar, the least of which is book challenge.

Library Use: 
An unusual element of Angus is that it is written by a British author and Georgie is British herself. The language and slang used in the book is unfamiliar to most American audiences. This book could be used as book study into the meaning of words and how they came to be established. As an introduction into the importance and role of the library, students could discuss the passing on of information and how meanings and expectations change over time and across cultures. Angus shows how some meaning can be taken for granted while others need to be evaluated and learned in multiple formats to truly understand. Students could use multi-lingual dictionaries or urban dictionaries to determine differences in meaning and usage across cultures and languages.

Module 6: Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-brother Baseball Team

Summary:
In 1930s America, one minor league baseball team was made up entirely of brothers, the Acerra brothers. A family of sixteen children, the Acerras were a hard-working immigrant family who learned to share and rely on each other at a young age. Vernick retells their playing baseball in the field outside their house and on the baseball diamond in a way that makes it sound like a fanciful story when in actuality the information is verified and retold from information received from interviews and conversations with a couple of the Acerra boys themselves. Making it through graduations, wars, and marriages, the Acerras were the longest playing, all-brother baseball team in history.

Vernick, A. (2012). Brothers at bat: The true story of an amazing all-brother baseball team. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Review: School Library Journal
Here's a fun and true story to start out the baseball season. Vernick relates the history of the Acerra family's 16 children, consisting of 12 boys who formed their own semiprofessional baseball team in Long Branch, NJ, during the 1930s. Their dad was their coach and biggest fan. The team is honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame for being the all-time longest-playing all-brother team in baseball history. The author exhibits good humor by pointing out individual boys' distinguishing characteristics such as Charlie, the slow runner who "hit a ball nearly out of the park, but only made it to second." There is a retro feel to Salerno's illustrations done in black crayon, gouache, watercolor, and pastel, with digital color added. Shades of green, blue, and turquoise augment the outdoor scenes. Readers will laugh out loud as they spot one brother out the bedroom window at night running with toilet paper in hand to their three-seater outhouse. This story sends out positive vibes of a family who sticks together, yet couples the tale with sorrowful times as well. A delight not to miss.

Christolon, B. (2012). Brothers at bat: The true story of an amazing all-brother baseball team. School Library Journal, 58(4), 153.

My Impressions:
Historical fiction takes actual facts and tidbits and fleshes them out into complete stories that could have happened in real life and did actually happen in real life. Brothers at Bat takes what could have been a one-line world record and gives it context and meaning through fictional representations of the events and characters. Vernick added excitement to the reality of the Acerras playing together for so long and Salerno's illustrations bring about a schoolyard, Americana feel that makes the reader feel as if they're outside in the sunshine running, cheering, and playing alongside the Acerras on and off the field.

Library Use:
Brothers at Bat could be used as a fictionalized starting point for discussing America's pasttimes and culture throughout the 20th century. The rules of baseball and political events that took place from the 1930s - 1950s gives more context to the power of sports during that part of America's history. The discussion could continue into news reporting and students could examine events in history and there portrayals in different media outlets and news reports. Students could use online newspaper databases to locate information about singular events and compare the details selected in different primary sources.

Module 3: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Summary:
A family of three without a mother or wife lives in Kansas in the early 20th century. The mother of Anna and Caleb dies with the birth of Caleb and their father and family is rocked completely. With little to no laughter or joy in their lives in the aftershock, their father sends for a mail-order bride. Sarah arrives from the northeastern coast of Maine to try out being a wife and mother to the grieving family. The four of them learn through trials and miscommunication that love can transcend boundaries if you're willing to break them down and open up your heart again. As the story progresses, Sarah misses her home in Maine and the family in Kansas finds they need her more than they thought possible. The four of them take deep, inward looks at their real hearts' desires and decide that family is most important in life.

MacLachlan, P. (1985). Sarah, plain and tall. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Review: School Library Journal
A book that is filled with wisdom, gentle humor, and the practical concerns necessary for a satisfying life. Terse writing and poetic rhythm flow to create a tender story about the fragile beginnings of a family relationship on its way to permanence. Mama died at Caleb's birth, and Papa has not sung since. When a request for a mail-order bride brings a response from a woman from Maine, both Anna (who tells the story) and Caleb want to know if she sings. Sarah arrives for a trial period, and the children and their father wonder if Sarah will miss her family and the sea to much to stay with them. The characters emerge through dialogue, Sarah's letters and the family's responses to her. Through a simple sentence or phrase, aspects of each character's personality--strength, stubbornness, a sense of humor--are brought to light. Refreshingly, this novel portrays children as receptive to the love, nurturing and attention that a step-parent can offer--and the willingness to return the affection. Throughout the story, MacLachlan weaves in the colors of the prairie as the seasons pass. Readers will hold their breaths with Anna and Caleb, wondering if indeed Sarah will stay, and breathe a sigh of relief when she does. A short but moving book that is anything but plain--for those who prefer quality to quantity.

Jones, T. (1985). Sarah, plain and tall. School Library Journal, 31(9), 92.

My Impressions:
Sarah, Plain and Tall is a timeless tale and deserves the Newbery Award it won. While the story takes place in a version of society that is time-specific, it doesn't really effect the story because the elements of their surroundings are, for the most part, peripheral. The story is about a blended, new family and the ability of humans to rally together and grow through difficult times and trials when they open their hearts to one another and learn to trust each other. There is a voice and character in the story for everyone. Each role of the four main people in the story bring a different perspective to the situation and each of them has to learn to appreciate the differences in the others so they can make a cooperative, loving life together.

Library Use:
Sarah, Plain and Tall could be used as part of a diversity in family exercise with students in the library or co-taught with the school counselors. Families may look different and include people not related to you. It is important for students to understand that family requires compromise and sacrifice for the good of everyone. This could be attached to a challenge to the students to vocalize their gratitude over Thanksgiving Break to the people in their lives they consider family.  

Module 10: Amulet: The Stonekeeper

Summary:
Two young kids are forced to move with their mom to an old family home in the middle of nowhere after unexpectedly losing their father in a sudden car crash. The home belongs to the children's great grandfather, Silas, who went missing many years ago never to have been heard of again. Upon cleaning and searching the house, the kids and their mother find a workshop filled with unique items and inventions as well as a secret passageway. They are soon descending into an alternate reality of earth after their mother who was captured by a monster. Ruby has responsibility thrust upon her when the pretty amulet she took from her great grandfather's home proves to be an intense channel for power. In search of their mother and in desperation to get home, Ruby and Navin rally with the unique beings around them to figure it all out.

Kibuishi, K. (2008). Amulet: The stonekeeper. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Review: School Library Journal
Hurrying to pick up her brother, Emily and her parents have a tragic accident, and her father dies. After this dark beginning, the story skips forward two years to when the remaining family members are forced to move to an ancestral house in a small town. Rumored to be haunted, it is unkempt and forbidding. The first night there, Emily's mother goes down to the basement to investigate a noise and doesn't return. The kids search for her and discover a doorway into another world, where their mother has been swallowed by a monster and is being taken away. An amulet that Emily found in the house tells her that together they can save her, but her brother isn't so sure that this voice can be trusted. Still, what other choice do they have in this strange place? Gorgeous illustrations with great color bring light to this gloomy tale. Filled with excitement, monsters, robots, and mysteries, this fantasy adventure will appeal to many readers, but it does have some truly nightmarish elements.

Rutherford, D. (2008). The stonekeeper. School Library Journal, 54(1), 152.

My Impressions:

Amulet is well organized with appropriate flow from one stage or event to the next. The illustrations are crisp in execution but still filled with warmth to make it approachable and cozy. However, visual appeal aside, the story is very direct and moves quickly from one happening to the next. With the right amount of dialogue to feel natural and productive, Amulet strikes a nice balance between comics and prose. The characters feel possible and their feelings seem believable. Action packed on almost every page, Amulet is a great representation of what middle grade graphic novels should look and feel like. There is enough depth in character and story to occupy the emotional needs of middle-schoolers while still not so deep that they feel bogged down by long text or hyper-detailed story. 

Library Use: 
Amulet could be used as a guiding material for students to work on synthesize and revision. The story feels very complete and filled out in Amulet, but when you examine the number of words used or conversations had, much more is said through the images than the words of the characters. Students could replicate their own story in graphic novel format where they determine the lines for the panels and the story they want to tell. You could give them a letter character limit so they're forced to whittle down their thoughts and ideas into small verbal phrases and fill out their story with images and illustrations instead. It could be taken one step further by taking an existing narrative story they'd written and transforming it into a graphic novel representation as a form of revision. 

Module 1: Owl at Home

Summary:
A beginning reader's companion, Owl at Home, follows Owl as he goes through everyday routines around his house. With very little dialogue, readers see what Owl is doing more than hear it through dialogue. Owl gets scared and then reassured throughout the five different stories. He doesn't do anything extraordinary or outlandish. It is,overall, a group of small stories that show Owl's life on his own.

Lobel, A. (1975). Owl at home. New York, NY: Harper & Row.

Review: School Library Journal

Owl at Home is the latest in Arnold Lobel’s long string of successes. Five brief episodes in Owl’s life are told simply, without the intrusion of any other characters, unless one counts Owl’s friend, the moon, or the two bumps underneath the bedcovers (his feet) that frighten him. Lobel’s illustrations are as imaginative and satisfying as ever and this will make  a worthy companion piece to Frog and Toad are Friends.

Ehlert, A. (1975). Beginning-to-read: Owl at home. School Library Journal, 22(4), 64.

 
My Impressions:
While the illustrations are quaint and calm, the events Owl experiences are not tranquil. Although nothing bad actually happens to Owl, there is a sense of unrest throughout the whole book and in each of the stories. The incidents of Owl in each of the stories are only loosely connected and related to each other. Most of the stories abruptly end leaving the book as a whole very disjointed and feeling uncomfortable. Owl isn't a very approachable character, but I suppose he seems realistic. The simple movements and actions of Owl make it effective reading for young children still learning basic functions of acting independently from their parents and the sequencing of what Owl does provides a straightforward structure for young readers. The illustrations match the actions in writing near exactly and provide the imagery needed for an effective picture book.
 
Library Use:
Owl at Home could be used as an example of what it looks like to take care of yourself and complete tasks. For an elementary library, this book could start the conversation toward personal hygiene and maintenance. The students could find personal health and hygiene books in the non-fiction section of the library after discussing what types of books they might want to check out to get information about those areas of life. 

Module 8: Time Warp Trio - Marco? Polo!

Summary:
The Time Warp Trio consists of Joe, Fred, and Sam, Joe being the protagonist and the one narrating the story. The Trio stumbled upon a special book that has the uncanny ability of 'warping' the boys to another time period without any rhyme or reason and without any sort of warning. This time, the innocent swimming pool game, Marco Polo triggers the mystical book and sends Joe and his compatriots back in time to 13th century China where they meet the real Marco Polo and must weasel their way into the good graces of the Chinese emperor and his council or risk being stranded in the past forever, or worse, find themselves deceased.

Scieszka, J. (2006). Time warp trio: Marco? Polo! New York, NY: Viking Press.

Review: School Library Journal
This installment in the series takes Joe, Sam, and Fred over the Silk Road into China. As it opens, the infamous blue Book transports Joe from the pool of his local YMCA to the desert where he meets Marco Polo, who is on his way to meet Kublai Khan. The boy is reunited with his friends only after rescuing himself and Marco Polo from bandits and a sandstorm. He also teaches the explorer how to play the game named after him, which provides for some very funny moments. The book concludes with a description of the animals in the Chinese Zodiac. This title is as rich in historical detail as it is in humor and will have special appeal to reluctant readers.

 Meulen, K. (2006). Time warp trio: Marco? Polo! School Library Journal, 52(12), 116.

My Impressions:
The Time Warp Trio series is a fun, light-hearted historical fiction series that's great for younger readers and/or reluctant readers who prefer non-fiction but still need to be entertained and persuaded to read. Jon Scieszka is a master at inserting humor into his books as well as goofy, kid-friendly illustrations that make the narrative and its speaker that much funnier. The information presented throughout was useful and informative without being tedious or over-detailed. If the intention of this book, and whole series in fact, is to provide a basic introduction of historical figures and events, then this series is great and distracts readers from the serious learning they're doing by means of humor and adventure.

Library Use:
The Time Warp Trio is a great series for students to use as mentor texts that provide context for writing about a situation where you are not in  your element or able to comprehend what is going on around you. Students could use the example of the Time Warp Trio as inspiration for summarizing most important information about a historical figure and and humanize them as a real person while doing so. Students can create their own extension by imagining themselves being dropped in a foreign land and time period. They can write their experiences through a similar narrative and use biographical and other non-fiction texts in the library to fuel and expand their research. That type of assignment is a great opportunity for showing students how to synthesize their ideas and use the Dewey Decimal classification system to their advantage. 

Module 6: Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

Summary:
Everyone has trash. Trash needs to go somewhere to be thrown away. What if you live on an island and run out of space? Where do you put all the garbage? Apparently, you call the garbage barge and send it away to live somewhere else. Too bad nobody wants the garbage. Readers can follow the long journey of the garbage barge of Long Island as it goes on a quest to get rid of all the garbage.


Winter, J. (2010). Here comes the garbage barge. New York, NY: Schwartz & Wade Books.


Review: School Library Journal
A fictionalized account of real events that occurred in 1987, this story will convince young readers to take their recycling efforts more seriously. When Islip, NY, has nowhere to put 3168 tons of garbage, the town officials decide that shipping them south is the right thing to do, so a tugboat towing a garbage-laden barge takes it to North Carolina. But North Carolina won't allow the vessel to dock. It goes on to New Orleans, but again is denied harbor rights. Then it is on to Mexico, Belize, Texas, Florida, and back to New York. The garbage is ripening all along the way. Now even Islip refuses to take it back. Finally a judge orders Brooklyn to take it and incinerate it, 162 days after the barge started its journey. Islip is ordered to take the remains to their landfill. The illustrations are photographs of objects made from garbage. The people, full of personality and expression, were made from polymer clay, and wire, wood scraps, and leftover materials of all kinds were used for the tugboat and barge. The inside of the paper jacket explains how the art was done. This title should be a part of every elementary school ecology unit.


Bates, I. (2010). Here comes the garbage barge!. School Library Journal, 56(1), 84.

My Impressions: Here Comes the Garbage Barge! is a visual masterpiece. Red Box Studio constructed each 3D-model from real junk and found objects. The feel of the pictures is very gritty and real because they are photographs of actual 3D objects. The effect of the art style on the book is great. Readers see and can almost feel the different textures and elements of each piece. The garbage becomes the character itself throughout the pages of this non-traditional, historical fiction tale. The exaggerated caricatures of each country provides vivid imagery for their culture and lifestyle at the point in history when the garbage barge frequented their shores which provides realistic context for its journey. All the while, the garbage barge slowly chugs along and illustrates how inconvenient waste is to people on the planet.  

Library Use: Here Comes the Garbage Barge! could be used in conjunction with an Earth Day initiative done in the library. The book could be read aloud to highlight the amount of waste accumulating and the danger of all of it in our country and on our planet. A library lesson could be used to examine the trend of paper books becoming digital books and the impact that shift and other digital shifts can and are having on the planet and its environment.