Module 4: Rules

Citation:

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. Prince Frederick, MD.: Recorded Books LLC. 

Summary:

Katherine has a younger brother named David. By all accounts he's annoying like any little brother should be. But David is not a "normal" little brother, he's autistic. Even though Katherine knows it's  not his fault, she can't help but wish that her brother would wake up one day and be normal. As a teenage girl, tries to reconcile her world in David's reality with her desire to live a normal teenage girl life. She doesn't quite know where she fits in.

Impressions:

The author does an excellent job of capturing the torn and complex feelings of the lead character Katherine. The reader, Jessica Almassy, did an average job, but I felt her characterization was lacking in diversity. I think this is a valuable book for teens struggling with special needs family members, but is also speak to the issue of popularity and fitting in that all teens struggle with.  

Usage in the Library: 

This would be a great title to pair with a No Place for Hate or Anti-Bullying lesson. The lesson could include a role-playing component in which students practice dealing with uncomfortable or tense scenarios in which someone is being bullied. The library could also hold a poster competition in which students submit poster entries promoting tolerance. 

Review: 

Gr 4-7-- Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him ("It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store"). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.

Review Citation:
 
Burns, C. (2006). Rules. School Library Journal, 52(4), 142.

Module 4: Confetti Girl

Citation: 

Lopez, Diana. (2009). Confetti girl. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Summary:

Confetti Girl is set in Corpus Christi, Texas, and centers around the life of Apolonia "Lina" Flores, a middle school student who loves playing sports, and has an extensive collection of socks. Lina is dealing with normal "tween" drama, i.e. figuring out how to navigate her first romantic relationship with a boy, and wishing her volleyball team could actually win a game. But Lina's life is not your typical teenage girl's life in that she is dealing with the death of her mother and figuring out how to cope with her now very depressed and disconnected father.

My Impressions: 

Confetti Girl was a fun read, with some wonderful references to the Hispanic culture that will appeal to a minority audience and teenage girls in general. I don't see boys enjoying this book, it is definitely geared toward a female audience. The writing is very honest  without being overly dramatic, and can perhaps help young adults experiencing loss and the confusion that comes with it.

Library Usage: 

This would be a great book to promote to the Spanish classes, as it includes many idiomatic expressions in the story, and even has a glossary of expressions at the end of the book. It could of course be promoted along with other titles that highlight the Hispanic culture during Hispanic Heritage Month. You could conduct a book talk with these titles, and then have craft time in which students stuffed and decorated their own cascarones.

Review: 

Gr 4-8-Lina attends middle school in Corpus Cristi, TX, has a crush on classmate Luís, loves science and sports, and has a sock obsession as a result of her pants never being long enough for her tall body. Her best friend, Vanessa Cantu, lives across the street with her mother, who is still bitter about a divorce that happened a few years earlier. Lina's mother died last year, and her father is still grieving but struggling to live up to his responsibilities. Dichos, Spanish sayings or proverbs, are translated at the top of every chapter. Spanish phrases are sprinkled throughout the text, reflecting Lina's bilingual community. The budding romance, and typical middle school events such as detention, lunchroom disasters, and reports, keep things moving. Lina is essentially a sunny, happy child and her sadness and anger are more blips on the radar than real angst. A subplot about Luís's stuttering seems extraneous. Quite typical in characters, plot, and style, this story is most notable for its casual introduction to Spanish language and culture, overtly accessible to all.

Review Citation: 

Edwards, C. (2009). Confetti Girl. School Library Journal, 55(7), 88.

Module 3: The Westing Game

Citation: 

Raskin, Ellen. (1998). The Westing game (Audio ed.). New York: Recorded

Books, LLC.

Summary: 

I'd label the The Westing Game a comedic mystery. The story opens when realtor Barney Northrup fills the newly constructed Sunset Towers condos with a very specific list of 16 individuals. Shortly thereafter, the tenants are called upon to attend the reading of the will for well-known businessman Sam Westing, whose mansion is just across the lake from Sunset Towers. The reading of the will reveals that not only will one of these 16 characters be the heir to Westing's multi-million dollar fortune, but one of them is also his murderer. The individuals are paired up into teams and given several clues written on toliet tissue. They then proceed to go on a wild goose chase to track down the murderer and become the sole heir to the fortune. Each character's past, or connections to the Westing name is slowly unveiled, and the audience is left to speculate just what in heaven's name is going to happen next. There's one thing for sure. The answer to the riddle will surprise you. 

 My Impressions: 

This was a book I saw quite a few kids reading when I was in 5th and 6th grade. I'd always wanted to read it myself, but just never could get around to it. When I took a look at the Newbery list for module 3, I knew immediately I wanted to finally learn what this story was all about. As per my usual, I sought out an audio copy of the book, and found a 1998 version in the library. During the first couple of tracks I was disappointed, as the reader was sounding a bit monotone to me. However, I gave it a chance, and soon found myself "sinking" into the story. The reader, Jeff Woodman, did a good job bringing the characters to life with unique voices. Ellen Raskin did an excellent job developing the quirky characters, and leaving you scratching your head as to who was responsible for the murder, who planted bombs that threatened everyone's safety, and just who would inherit the fortune.

Usage in the Library: 

This of course would be a great book to pair with a mystery themed booktalk. You could also create a scavenger hunt in the library as an activity to go along with it. This would allow students to use their library and information seeking skills to locate different titles or resources throughout the library while trying to solve a riddle. You could also have a board games event in which clue and monopoly could be paired with the story. 

Review: 

A supersharp mystery, more a puzzle than a novel, but endowed with a vivid and extensive cast. In the Christie tradition, Raskin isolates a divers group of strangers--the mysteriously hand-picked tenants of a new apartment building within sight of the old Westing mansion--and presents them with the information that one of them is the murderer. Actually, it turns out that there is no corpse, but no one is aware of that when they are all assembled for a reading of old Westing's fiendish will, which pairs them all off and allots each pair four one-word clues to the murderer's identity. As the winning pair is to inherit Westing's fortune, there is much secret conferring, private investigating, far-out scheming, and snitching and scrambling of the teasing, enigmatic clues. (For example, those of black judge Josie Jo Ford, which she takes for a racial insult, read SKIES AM SHINING BROTHER.) As a result of the pairings, alliances are made and suspended, and though there is no murderer there is a secret winner--the pigtailed youngest of the "heirs"--plus extravagant happy endings for all. As Westing had warned, all are not what they seem, and you the reader end up liking them better than you expected to. If Raskin's crazy ingenuity has threatened to run away with her on previous occasions, here the complicated game is always perfectly meshed with character and story. Confoundingly clever, and very funny. 

N.a. (1978, May 1). The Westing game. [Book Review of the book The Westing game].  Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ellen-raskin-0/westing-game-raskin/