Awesome Web 2.0 Tools

It's been a while since I've posted, and a whole semester has gone by. In the Spring and Summer semesters, I have had the opportunity to learn about some awesome tools that are completely FREE and easily to learn for library and classroom use. I thought I'd swing by and share those tools with anyone out there who might be reading my blog...

Screen-O-Matic: An awesome way to record what you're doing on your screen
PowToon: A cool way to create video presentations that is engaging and fun!
My Storybook: Let your students publish their writing to share with the class
Popplet: Organize your thoughts with this mapping tool

That's it for now! I'll definitely be sharing more soon!

Review: The Book Thief

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. New York: Random House Children's Book, 2005.  ISBN 978-0-375-83100-3

2.     PLOT SUMMARY

After witnessing her younger brother's death, Liesel is taken to a new home in Germany where she meets and grows to love her new foster parents. Young Liesel makes friends, attends school and spends time learning to read with her Papa, as the story of happy and devastating times unveil.  


3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Liesel is a strong, likeable protagonist who, despite being haunted by her brother's death, is able to make friends and enjoy the little things in life once again. Teenagers and adults alike will be able to connect to and respect Liesel's willpower and strength to move on, though trouble always seemed to be lurking around the corner. Through everything that is happening during Hitler's reign, the young girl still finds things to believe in - words. Liesel discovers the power of words, and no matter how difficult it may seem, she strives to learn to read and write with her Papa's help. She successfully accomplished something she has set her mind to, and books became her obsession, playing a big part in the story.

The setting, Germany. Hitler reigns, the war is underway. Jews are being sent to camp and killed, as are German supporters. Himmel Street is home to family, friends, soccer games, races, bike rides, late nights reading and writing. That is where Liesel's life happens, until it is completely gone. The weather plays a huge role in the setting because sunny or rainy days, once appreciated by Max, who lived in a basement, turn into red, orange, and gray skies through the bombings. Zusak's descriptive words of the skies lay the groundwork for the happy days and the tragedies to come.

The question "will good or evil prevail?" is presented through the many circumstances in Liesel's life, but especially through the main plot of the storyline of her stealing books. Readers will agree that it is wrong to steal, but is stealing a book from a bonfire really stealing, if no one really wants it? Or if the mayor's wife knows books are being taken, is it still considered stealing? And though this protagonist's passion was books, how bad was it to steal food when they were truly hungry? or to hide a Jew in their basement because he was a person, too? So many opportunities for discussion are available in this book.

Most prominent, the narrator. Though the book reads as an regular novel, the narrator in this case is death, himself. His voice, as he describes the job of taking souls in a few sections of the book, are nothing short of terrifying. Though he tells the orphan's story, through her written words in the book he had found and carried with him throughout the years, he some times chimes in on his role in the horrible era of Hitler and what he has seen. If nothing else, the way the book ends says something about the affect this significant historical tragedy had on the world: "A last note from your narrator - I am haunted by humans."

On a personal note, I did something through the last 15 or so pages that I had not done in quite some time - I cried as I turned the las few pages, and read the story of this poor child who lived through it all. What does that say about what humans are capable of, when  from one point of view, Zusak presents death as someone who is not doing the haunting, but the one who is haunted?

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

New York Times Bestseller

Michael L. Printz Honor Book Award

Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The Horn Book Magazine, School Library Journal, Booklist and The Bulletin

From School Library Journal: “Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesels story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative.”

From Horn Book Magazine: “Exquisitely written and memorably populated, Zusak's poignant tribute to words, survival, and their curiously inevitable entwinement is a tour de force to be not just read but inhabited."

From Booklist: "More than the overt message about the power of words, it's Liesl's confrontation with horrifying cruelty and her discovery of kindness in unexpected places that tell the heartbreaking truth."

5.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other Children's Holocaust Fiction books to read such as:

• Number the Stars. ISBN-10 0547577095

• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. ISBN-10 0385751532

Gather other Markus zusak books to read such as:

• Azarao. ISBN-10 8528616436

• Bom de Briga. ISBN-10 8528616533

Use in conjunction with an in depth study on the Hitler's reign and the war

Review: Lunch Lady

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit. New York: Random House Children’s Book, 2010.  ISBN 978-0-375-86729-3

2.     PLOT SUMMARY

The Lunch Lady is an adventurous, crime chasing hero who works behind the scenes alongside a brave bunch of students named the Breakfast Bunch to save the day when someone steals all the baked goods for the bake sale she has organized to raise money for the school, in order to pay for a fieldtrip to the museum.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The simple plot of the Breakfast Bunch helping the Lunch Lady find out what happened to the stolen goodies for the bake sale takes readers through the adventures of three students, Dee, Hector and Terrence, your typical middle school students dealing with a crazy bus driver, grumpy teachers and a know-it-all, hall monitor. Young adults will relate to this fun story through the mere thought of "what if?" Why can't a lunch lady have an alter ego that helps her fight crimes with the help of some savvy middle school students? What if they were those students? The storyline is definitely something that could happen in real life, especially through the eyes of a child, with some fantasy in the form of "BUSZILLA", the crazy bus driver's bus that comes to life in the form of a dinosaur.

Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit is a graphic novel that is told entirely through the characters' dialogue, providing readers with vivid and fun, black, white and yellow illustrations that help in telling the story. The main setting is the school, where a lot of excitement happens, but the school bus yard plays a big part in the story, since that is where the thief is found and the climax of the Lunch Lady and BUSZILLA battling it out and saving the kids takes place.

3.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

From School Library Journal: “The story packs goofy humor and lots of action into a familiar setting, and simple panels and layouts make it easy to follow.”

From Kirkus Review: “A delightfully fun escapist read. Be sure to recommend this to fans of Captain Underpants."

From Booklist: "A know-it-all fellow student, a crusading health teacher, and a maniacal bus driver are among Krosoczka's funny and over-the-top red herrings. The high action of the yellow-washed, black-and-white cartoon panels is echoed in the narrative's pacing. The end clearly sets up the gang's next adventure."

4.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other Lunch Lady series books to read such as:

• Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta. ISBN-10 0375860940

• Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown. ISBN-10 0375860959

Gather other Jennifer Holm books to read such as:

• It's Tough to Lose Your Balloon. ISBN-10 0385754795

• Punk Farm. ISBN-10 0440417937

• Platypus Police Squad: The Frog Who Croaked. ISBN-10 0062071645

Review: Savvy

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Law, Ingrid. Savvy. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group, 2008.  ISBN 978-0-8037-3306-0

2.     PLOT SUMMARY

Believing she can save her father with her new "savvy", Mibs stows away in the back of a bus on her thirteenth birthday to get to the hospital, unintentionally taking siblings and some new friends along for what would turn out to be the adventure of a lifetime.


3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Savvy is told through Mibs' eyes, a thirteen year old protagonist who most young girls will be able to relate to. She makes spur of the moment decisions, deals with bullies and boy problems, has an out-of-the-ordinary family, and is looking to find her special ability. Though Mibs' savvy (i.e. ability) is where the fantasy aspect of the book comes into play, the concept is easily relatable because most people have something they are great at - like baking, playing a sport, singing - though their skill is not magical.

The obstacles that present itself throughout Mibs' adventures are events that could happen in real life, making the plot believable to readers in this low fantasy tale. Occurrences such as Mibs stowing away in the back of a bus, her father having a tragic accident, her feeling the need to do something to help, new friends and their good deeds and falling in love are events that keep the reader's interest from one page to the next.

The main setting in Savvy becomes the pink bus, as it carries the characters from home, to the diner, the hotel, Carlene's trailer, and finally to the hospital where Mibs father is. Each location plays an important role in the story, sharing a bit more about the characters and providing great pieces to the storyline, but the bus is what ties it all together.

Law is able to capture the emotions and point of view of a 'tween' through her wonderful use of language and appropriate slang, as well as through Mibs' explanations of what she sees, feels and experiences throughout the story. Savvy keeps readers on he edge of their seats wondering what will happen next, and also leaves them wanting more. I am personally looking forward to reading the next two books in the series that tell the tale of Mibs' sister and her cousin.


4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2008 Boston Globe - Horn Book Award

2009 Newbery Medal and Honor Book

New York Times Bestseller

From School Library Journal: “With its delightful premise and lively adventure, this book will please a wide variety of audiences, not just fantasy fans.”

From Kirkus Review: “Law displays both a fertile imagination...and a dab hand for likable, colorful characters."

From Booklist: "Law’s storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire cast of whacky, yet believable characters delightful."

5.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other 2009 Newbery Award Medal and Honor books to read such as:

• The Graveyard Book. ISBN-10 0060530944

• The Underneath. ISBN-10 0375860959

Gather other Ingrid Law books to read such as:

• Switch. ISBN-10 0803738625

• Scumble. ISBN-10 0142419621

• Le formidable voyage de Missi Beaumont. ISBN-10 2747038688

Writing a personal narrative - "If I could have a super power, I would like to..."

Review: Elijah of Buxton

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher. Elijah of Buxton. New York: Scholastic Press, 2007.  ISBN-13 978-0-439-02344-3

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
Elijah is the first freeborn child of Buxton, Canada, a settlement of runaway slaves. He has got a good head on his shoulders, helps others whenever he can, does his chores, attends schools and shows the utmost respect for his parents and other adults, though he can be a bit too trusting. Elijah finds himself in an unfortunate situation when he believes he is to blame for a thief stealing a friends’ money, that was to be used to buy his family’s freedom, and tries to make it right.

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Elijah of Buxton takes place at the Elgin Settlement and Buxton Mission of Raleigh in the 1860’s. The portrayal of separation between the North and the South is present throughout the story, as characters share their dark past of enslavement down south in the United States and how they knew to head north to find freedom, acceptance and a new life in Canada. The authenticity of Buxton, the liberty bell being rung to celebrate new arrivals to the settlement and other landmarks is confirmed through the Author’s Note in the back of the book. In addition, Curtis shares that Buxton was self-sufficient and had everything it needed for those looking to make it on their own. Furthermore, the author goes on to add that “while I fictionalized some aspect of Elijah of Buxton, much of the story is based on fact."

The character’s dialect set an appropriate tone for the story – “Ma! I thought we were trying to make it so’s I wouldn’t be so fra-gile! Look at me, I cain’t quit shaking!” In addition, it serves to show the respect that was given to all adults with simple answers of “yes, ma’am/sir” and a lesson to be learned at the use of racial slur. Curtis powerfully connects readers to the horrors of slavery through the vivid imagery of the beating that killed Mrs. Holton’s husband, Mr. Leroy working from sun up to sun down to buy his family’s freedom, and Chloe and the other slaves Elijah meets who are chained, and rather give up a child to a total stranger so that she may know freedom, rather than the horrible fate that awaits her. On the other hand, it shows a tight community that supports one another like a family, because all its members share a past that no one could ever explain, unless they had experienced it first-hand.  

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2008 John Newbery Honor

2008 Scott O’Dell Award

2008 Jane Addams Children’s Book Award Nominee for Older Children

2008 CLA Book of the Year for Children Award

From School Library Journal: “Curtis is as consistent in this as he is in producing quality children’s literature that’s a heckuva lot of fun. “Elijah of Buxton” stands to grow in popularity and presence. A great book and well deserving of any buzz it happens to achieve.”

From Booklist: “Many readers drawn to the book by humor will find themselves at times on the edges of their seats in suspense and, at other moments, moved to tears. A fine, original novel from a gifted storyteller.”
From Kirkus Reviews: "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.”.

5.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other Best Children’s Historical Fiction books to read such as:

• Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. ISBN-10 0451528824

• Alcott, Louisa. Little Women. ISBN-10 0451529308

Gather other Karen Cushman books to read such as:

• Bud, Not Buddy. ISBN-10 0553494104

• The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963. ISBN-10 044022800X

• The Mighty Miss Malone. ISBN 0440422140

Use to explore dialect and slang within novels set in different times and places

Use in conjunction with a study on slavery

Review: Turtle in Paradise

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer. Turtle in Paradise. New York: Random House Children’s Book, 2019.  ISBN 978-0-375-83688-6

2.     PLOT SUMMARY

Turtle in Paradise is a story about a young girl named Turtle who is forced to move in with her aunt when her mother gets a job as a housekeeper for a woman who dislikes kids. What began as an unwanted bump in the road, became an adventure that Turtle will never forget, as she learns about her family, discovers the joys of childhood and community and find a place to call home.  

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This historical fiction novel takes place in 1935, under Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency, during the Great Depression, where jobs and money were scarce. As Holm mentions in her author’s note, “Key West was in economic ruin, with the majority of the population on public relief.” Children are walking around barefoot, eating ice cream served in a can out of horse-drawn wagons, using outhouses and the neighbor’s phone and monthly payments on the protagonist’s dream home are $30-45. Young Turtle’s frame of reference are Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers and Amelia Earhart, showing the time in which she was growing up.  Some of the characters with whom Turtle interacts with in the book are real people whom the characters were based upon, including well-known author Earnest Hemingway, who lived on the island during that time.

The author brings authenticity to the book by including events that happened in real life, like the Labor Day Hurricane, the popular pastime of looking for pirate look, and the sponging industry and turtle kraals, which are now a thing of the past. Furthermore, the nicknaming of community members, the foods they eat and their pastimes all bring a sense of being in the time period. In addition, the author provides a detailed author’s note that include detailed information about her own account, as well as her great-grandmother’s account of places, people and events that play key parts in the story.

Turtle is an extremely smart, headstrong character who sees everything for what it is, making her nickname all the more fitting – hard on the outside, soft on the inside. Through the struggles of leaving her mother, moving in with family members she has never met, and adjusting to a completely different way of life, Turtle never loses her wit and charm and finds that her shell is not as tough as she thought.  

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

2011 John Newbery Medal and Honor Book

From School Library Journal: “This richly detailed novel was inspired by Holm’s great-grandmother’s stories. Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won’t want to miss it.”

From Booklist: “Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure."

From Publisher’s Weekly: "This humorous adventure effectively portrays Turtle as caught between her mother's Hollywood-inspired dreams and the very real family . . . that offer a different kind of paradise."

5.     CONNECTIONS

Gather other 2010/2011 Newbery books to read such as:

• Erskine, Kathryn. Mockingbird. ISBN-10 0440229286

• Ryan, Pam. Esperanza Rising. ISBN-10 9780439120425

Gather other Jennifer Holm books to read such as:

• Penny from Heaven. ISBN-10 0375836896

• Our Only May Amelia. ISBN-10 0064408566

• Sunny Side Up. ISBN-10 0545741661

Use in conjunction with an in depth study on the Great Depression

Review: The Midwife's Apprentice

1.     BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. The Midwife’s Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books, 1995.  ISBN 0-395-69229-6

2.     PLOT SUMMARY
The Midwife’s Apprentice is the story of a young, uneducated, impoverished girl who feels as though she has no worth and belongs nowhere, until a midwife takes her in and allows Beetle to help her with midwifery in exchange for food and a place to sleep – an opportunity for cheap labor for Jane Sharp. Though Alyce continually doubts herself, she finally finds her place in the world when she decides the profession she has stumbled upon is not only what she would like to pursue, but what makes her heart content.  

3.     CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This short historical novel takes place in medieval England, and provide so many opportunities to draw readers into the time period through specific details that are present in the story. From the straw beds, tying Burch twigs for a broom, mention of lords, ladies and knights, to Alyce fetching fruit with baskets tied to each end of a pole, the 1290’s come to life through Cushman’s writing and allow readers to experience the era first hand. Though these details are embedded throughout the chapters, in Chapter 7: The Devil, readers also see the dated punishments of that time, though some were never carried out in the book – face branding, spending the night in prayer and fasting, having one’s hands chopped off, and beatings. Punishments such as those would be thought of as crazy and extensive, not to mention unlawful by today’s standards.

As the author states in the Author’s Note, midwifery used to be thought of as witchery. The women had no training, as is required today, and it was a trade passed through oral tradition and apprenticeship. Most deliveries comprised of herbs and syrups that supposedly aided with labor, pain, bleeding and whatever else was needed. Though it seemed ideal for the time, midwives could only, truly help with normal deliveries. Mothers-to-be with any complications, such as the Bailiff’s wife in the story, would not be expected to make it through delivery. That is a lot for a young girl of only fourteen to learn.

In this story of self-confidence and perseverance in the face of many obstacles, Cushman provides an authentic experience through language, imagery and characters that are true to the time, from the way they dress do their actions, as well as a character whom young adults can relate to.

4.     REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

1996 John Newbery Medal

From School Library Journal: “Earthy humor, the foibles of humans both high and low, and a fascinating mix of superstition and genuinely helpful herbal remedies attached to childbirth make this a truly delightful introduction to a world seldom seen in children’s literature.”

From Booklist: “This novel is about a strong, young woman in medieval England who finds her own way home. . . . Kids will be caught up in this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she’s not ugly or stupid or alone.”

From Publisher’s Weekly: "Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent."

5.     CONNECTIONS
Gather other teen historical fiction books to read such as:

• Napoli, Donna. Daughter of Venice. ISBN-10 0440229286
• Lowry, Lois. Number the Stars. ISBN-10 0547577095

Gather other Karen Cushman books to read such as:

• Catherine, Called Birdy. ISBN-10 0547722184
• Matilda Bone. ISBN-10 9780440418221
• Rodzina. ISBN 044041993X

Use as a resource for studying how midwifery has evolved over the years

Use as a resource for an in depth study about the medieval times

*For a fun, authentic activity, visit a local renaissance fair