Diary of A Wimpy Kid

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid. By Jeff Kinney. Amulet Books, 2007. 224 pages. Tr. $13.95 ISBN 978-0810993136

Summary: Greg Heffley’s memories from his first-year of middle school are replete with cartoons and lots of humor. He remembers the social suicide that befalls the boy unlucky enough to touch the basketball-court cheese; the disappointment that comes from receiving boring Christmas gifts; the social-anxiety related to boy sleepovers; and the goal of becoming a wrestling champion. He chronicles his attempt to become his school’s most-funniest person, and his anger when he learns that his best friend, Rowley, takes all the credit for the “Zoo-Wee Mama” cartoon.

Critical Review: The Wimpy Kid grew out of Kinney’s 2004 web comic, and has evolved to become a worldwide bestseller series and multi-billion dollar movie enterprise. The first movie came out in 2010, and the second is due in 2011. Kinney’s work is successful, for it authentically speaks to tween boys. The experiences that Greg Heffly relates in his journal are those shared by the majority of tweens across North America. Some adults are outraged by the acts of cruelty on display, namely Greg’s and Rowley’s deplorable behavior as kindergarten safety patrols. The image of what it means to be a man leaves a lot to be desired. However, I would argue that censoring or banning boys from reading The Wimpy Kid will not solve the problem.  Boys need opportunities to become inspired by books, and I cannot think of a better way than by providing them with books that are appealing to them. We need to provide boys with positive role models, and engage them in dialogue of what it means to be men. Boys need to understand that they do not need to behave like Greg or Rowley; there are other literary characters that they can follow (Susan Nielsen’s Word Nerd is an example), and it behooves us as librarians and teachers to market these books and make them accessible for boys. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Nominated for the Quill Awards, 2007; Original Voices Award, 2007; Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, 2009; Garden State Children’s Book Award, 2010

Reviews: Booklist (April 1, 2007), School Library Journal (April 1, 2007), Voice of Youth Advocates (April 1, 2007), Publishers Weekly (March 5, 2007)

Series: The Wimpy Kid Series: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days; Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth

Similar Materials: Lincoln Peirce’s “Big Nate Series”: Big Nate in a Class by Himself

Subjects/Themes: Friendship; Families; Maturation; Humorous Fiction; Diaries; Schools and Education

Character Names: Greg Heffley; Rowley Jefferson; Collin Lee; Fregley; Manny Heffly

Series Website: http://www.wimpykid.com/

Brief Annotation: Greg Heffly chronicles his first-year of middle school with a plethora of cartoons and humor. 

Little Women

Little Women. By Louisa May Alcott. Penguin Classics, 1989. 544 pages. PB $9.OO ISBN 978-0140390698

Summary: The March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy  – miss their father, who is fighting as part of the Northern front during the Civil War. Though money is scarce in the March household the girls are happy and safe, binding together with their philanthropic mother to brighten the lives of the less fortunate in their community. The girls form a lasting friendship with Laurie their next-door neighbor. Each March girl nourishes different longings. Meg, the oldest, dreams of being married and starting a family, while the youngest, Amy, nourishes hopes of becoming a world-renowned artist. Jo aspires to be a writer, and Meg, the quietest, holds an affinity towards music and her family.

Critical Review: Gifted tween readers will cherish the opportunity to read the unabbreviated edition of Alcott’s classic novel. Between the covers of this tome, girls will find everything they are searching for: romance, familial warmth, and career advice. Alcott demonstrates the potential of rising above inauspicious beginnings, the ability of coaxing cheerfulness from misery, and the beauty of sharing our blessings with others. Girls who enjoy L.M. Montgomery’s novels will probably enjoy Alcott’s as well. Jo March is similar to Emily Starr and Anne Shirley. All women set high standards for themselves, and have high self-esteem. These literary characters are wonderful role models for tween girls.

Genre: Friendship

Reading/Interest Level: 10-14years

Similar Materials: L.M. Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gable Series, and Emily of New Moon Series

Subjects/Themes: Sisterhood; Families; Nineteenth-Century New England; Civil War – Northern Side; Authors; Artists

Character Names: Meg March; Jo March; Amy March; Beth March; Mr. and Mrs. March; Lawrence ; Mr. James Lawrence; John Brooke; Mrs. Kirke; Professor Friedrich Baher; Franz and Emil; Aunt Josephine March; Hannah Mullet

Brief Annotation: The aspirations of four New England sisters are chronicled in this Civil War era novel.

Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables. By L.M. Montgomery. Puffin, 2008. 464 pages. PB $4.99 ISBN 978-0141321592

Summary: As an orphan, Anne Shirley is used to being in the depths of despair. She’s worked as a nanny for countless families, and has been greatly abused by the adults in her life. However, she’s always nourished a strong imagination, and when Mrs. Spencer tells her that a family from Prince Edward Island has adopted her, she’s thrilled beyond measure. It is her wildest hope to live on the most beautiful province in Canada. What will happen to Anne’s dreams when the Cuthberts find out that she’s not a boy?

Critical Review: Though more than one hundred years old, Anne of Green Gables continues to entrance tween girls. Anne Shirley’s optimism, strength, and positive outlook on life are traits that many will want to emulate. Anne is always getting into scrapes, however, she always learns from her mistakes. Deeply sensitive about her red tresses, Anne confronts Mrs. Rachel Lynde for making fun of her hair. She dreams of jet black hair, like her bosom friend, Diana Barry. However, even Diana notes that black hair doesn’t stop Gilbert Blythe from making fun of her. Anne has always dreamt of having a kindred spirit as a friend, and her wish is fulfilled for the first time upon moving to Avonlea. She and Diana are together around the clock, until the time that Diana unknowingly gets drunk on Marilla Cuthbert’s red currant wine, while taking tea with Anne. The two girls are distraught when they are separated, however, they become bosom friends again when Anne saves Diana’s little sister, Minnie May, from the croup. A range of other issues are on display in this classic work as Anne deals with difficult teachers, excels in her studies, dreams of puffed sleeves, walks the ridge pole of the church, smashes her slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head, dyes her hair green, attends Queens College Collage, and mourns Matthew’s death.

Genre: Friendship

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years

Series: Anne of Green Gables Series

Similar Materials: The following books in the Anne of Green Gables Series: Anne of Avonlea; Anne of the Island; Anne of Windy Poplars; Anne’s House of Dreams; Anne of Ingleside; Rainbow Valley; Rilla of Ingleside; The Blythes are Quoted

Subjects/Themes: Orphans/Orphanages; Child Abuse; One-Room School Houses; Prince Edward Island, Canada; Nova Scotia, Canada; Imagination; Adoption; Friendship

Character Names: Anne Shirley; Marilla Cuthbert; Matthew Cuthbert; Rachel Lynde; Diana Berry; Mr. and Mrs. Berry; Gilbert Blythe; Miss Muriel Stacey; Josie Pye; Jane Andrews; Rubby Gillis; Prissy Andrews; Reverend and Mrs. Allen; Minnie May Barry; Miss Josephine Barry; Mr. Phipps; Mrs. and Mr. Hammond; Mrs Spencer; Mrs. Blewett

Brief Annotation: First published in 1908, Anne of Green Gables epitomizes a bosom friendship between two Prince Edward Island girls, and legions of young readers are continually driven to this classic novel.

 

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. By J. K. Rowling. Scholastic, 2005. 672 pages. Tr. $29.99 ISBN 978-0439784542

Summary: Harry Potter’s sixth year at Hogwart’s school of witchraft and wizardry is off to a disturbing start. The Ministry of Magic has been infiltrated by some of Voldemart’s followers, and Hogwarts is no longer safe for students. Dumbledore is now teaching Harry private lessons, and they’re trying to uncover and destroy all of Voldemart’s horcruxes (i.e. portions of his soul enclosed in everyday objects). Harry Potter is certain that his Slytherin nemesis, Draco Malfoy, is up to trouble, but no one will listen to him. Can he stop Draco before he causes trouble, or will Voldemart win?

Critical Summary: In the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series we learn some truths, which we’ve unconsciously known all along. Professor Snape is secretly working for Voldemart. Harry learns more about his future role through Dumbledore’s lessons. The school community mourns Dumbledore’s death, and Harry plans for his final battle with Voldemart in The Deathly Hollows. This book also begins Harry’s relationship with Ginnie Weasley. Harry has left childhood, and is now blossoming into a young man.

Genre: Fantasy

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Quill Awards, 2005; New York Times Notable Books of the Year, 2005; Galaxy British Book Awards, 2006; Bilby (Books I Love Best Yearly) Award, 2006; Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award, 2008; Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature, 2008

Reviews: Books in Canada (January 1, 2006), Voice of Youth Advocates (October 1, 2005), School Library Journal (September 1, 2005), Publisher’s Weekly (August 1, 2005), Booklist (August 1, 2005)

Series: Harry Potter Series

Similar Materials: The following books in the Harry Potter Series: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows

Subjects/Themes: Magic, Witchcraft and Wizardry, Death

Character Names: Harry Potter; Horace Slughorn; Albus Dumbledore; Ronald Weasley; Hermonie Grainger; Ginny Weasley; Draco Malfoy; Severus Snape; Hagrid; Voldemart (i.e. Thomas Riddle); Lavender Brown; 

Author Website: http://www.jkrowling.com/

Brief Annotation: With Dumbledore’s and his friends’ help, Harry Potter tries to outsmart Voldemart and his followers, in the sixth installment of the Harry Potter series. 

Ramona Quimby, Age 8

Ramona Quimby, Age 8. By Beverly Cleary. Illustrated by Tracy Dockray. Harper Collins, 1981. 208 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 978-0-688-00477-4

Summary: The sixth book in the Ramona Quimby Collection, Ramona Quimby, Age 8, follows Ramona as she embarks upon the third grade. Ramona is excited to be starting at a new school, and to be among the oldest students. It is also special for Ramona to be apart from her older sister, Beezus, who is starting middle school. However, Ramona’s school year doesn’t work out exactly as planned. She hits a raw egg against her head during lunch, and becomes the school laughing stock. Danny, a classmate, steals her eraser and is a perpetual menace throughout the school year. Family troubles also cause some tension, and Ramona’s feelings towards her third-grade teacher, Mrs. Whaley, are mixed. 

Critical Review: The accompanying pictures and large text make this a novel that some tween readers will cherish. This warm-family tale ends with Ramona and her family being bought dinner by a total stranger, who decides that they are the epitome of a wonderful family. Tweens understand that nothing is perfect, but that warm, loving families will always be able to weather hardship by binding together. Ramona is forced to make some sacrifices. Her family depends on her to cheerfully acquiesce with four-year-old Willa Jean’s every plan, so that Mrs. Kemp will continue to babysit Ramona while her mother works. As an avid reader, Ramona especially covets Sustained Silent Reading time, however, her feelings towards her teacher dramatically alters when she hears Mrs. Whaley call her a troublemaker and “show-off”. Not wanting to cause extra trouble for her teacher, Ramona throws up during class, and feels especially sorry for herself. Time at home helps, however, and Ramona returns to school feeling confident and rejuvenated. Ramona’s courage, integrity, humor, and positive nature are assets that other tween girls will want to emulate.

Genre: Realistic Fiction; Humor

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years 

Awards: Nominated for the Newbery Award, 1982

Reviews: Booklist (December 15, 1989)

Series: Ramona Quimby Collection

Similar Materials: The following books in the Ramona Collection: Beezus and Ramona; Ramona and Her Father; Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona Forever; Ramona the Brave; Ramona the Pest; Ramona’s World

Subjects/Themes: Financial Hardship, Families, Schools

Character Names: Ramona Quimby; Beezus (aka Beatrice) Quimby; Mr. and Mrs. Quimby; Mrs. Kemp; Willa Jean; Mrs. Whaley

Author Website: http://www.beverlycleary.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.tracydockray.com/

Brief Annotation: We follow Beverly Cleary’s award-winning character, Ramona Quimby, into third grade. 

Criss Cross

Criss Cross. By Lynne Rae Perkins. Greenwillow, 2005. 337 pages. Tr. $16.99

ISBN 978-0060092726

Summary: In slow moving, beautifully drawn out prose Perkins captures the anxiety that comes with development. We follow the friendships between Debbie and her adolescent neighbors Larry, and Phil and Hector. Perkins’ unusual approach allows us to peer into the mental worlds of tweens. Debbie dreams of the day when something wonderful will happen that will set her apart from her peers, and falls in love with Mrs. Bruning’s visiting grandson. She and her friend, Patty, opt for cool clothes, exchanging their mother-approved garments for stylish fare behind the rhodendrum bushes before leaving for school. Hector learns how to play the guitar at the Presbyterian Church, and deals with his older sister, Rowanne. Juvenile anxieties about dealing with the opposite sex, finding where one’s heart lies, learning to drive, and dealing with discouragement are all explored in this superb novel.

Critical Review: Criss Cross is the sequel to Perkin’s All Alone in the Universe, and was awarded the Newbery Award. Some tweens may complain that events in this novel happen too slowly, and that nothing actually happens. Though Perkins’s novel is set in the sixties, the characters and story events are relatable to today’s tweens. I enjoyed Perkins’s idea to include non-traditional novel forms, such as graphic illustrations and haikus. 

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Series: the sequel to Perkins’s All Alone in the Universe

Reading/Interest Level: 10-14 years

Reviews: Publishers Weekly (October 31, 2005), Booklist (October 15, 2005), Voice of Youth Advocates (October 1, 2005), School Library Journal (September 1, 2005)

Awards: Newbery Award, 2006; American Library Association’s Notable Books for Children, 2006; School Library Journal’s Best Books of the Year, 2005

Author Website: http://www.lynneraeperkins.com/

Similar Materials: Ann M. Martin’s A Corner of the Universe; Rebecca Stead’s When You Reach Me

Subject/Themes: Identity Formation, Friendship

Character Names: Debbie; Phil; Larry; Hector; Chrisanne; Mrs. Bruning

Brief Annotation: The pivotal moments in a year of four adolescent friends are chronicled in this Newbery Award winning novel. 

The Tale of Despereaux

The Tale of Despereaux: being the story of a mouse, a princess, some soup, and a spool of thread. By Kate DiCamillo. Illustrated by Timothy Basil Ering. Candlewick Press, 2003. 272 pages. Tr. $17.99 ISBN 978-0-7636-1722-6

Summary: Despereaux is the last mouse born to his parents, and the only surviving mouse of the final birth. His brothers and sisters tease him for his abnormally large ears and unusual, un-mouse like behavior. He prefers to read rather than eat book pages, for example. His affinity towards music also leads him towards dangerous acts, as he ventures to hear music performed by the Princess Pea and her father, the King. Despereaux’s father is ashamed at his son’s behavior, and calls the Mouse Council to help. Despereaux’s refusal to apologize for his behavior sends him to the dungeons, where he is expected to face an almost certain death. Magically Despereaux is saved. Instead of being eaten by dungeon rats, Despereaux’s passion for stories makes him an asset to the jailor, Gregory, who protects the young mouse from danger in exchange for stories. In the dungeon, we meet another unusual animal, a young rat named Chiaroscuro. His family members encourage him to terrify prisoners, however, Chiaroscuro only finds pleasure upstairs in the palace, and longs for the beauty and serenity available there. Unfortunately his upstairs romp results in tragedy, as the Queen realizes that a rat is eating from her bowl of soup, and perishes on the spot. Chiaroscuro returns to the dungeons with an ulterior motive; his purpose in life is now to seek revenge on the Princess Pea for humiliating him. He establishes a friendship with a young serving girl named Miggery Sow. Sow’s tale is unique also. Her father sold her for a bit of fabric to an abusive master who daily boxed her ears, turning them into a cauliflower shape and causing her to almost lose her hearing. Miggory Sow dreams of becoming a princess, too, and Chiaroscuro, longing to seek revenge on the Princess Pea, selfishly uses her for his plan. Despereaux loves the Princess Pea, and learning of Chiaroscuro’s nefarious plot, returns to the dungeon to save her from harm.

Critical Review: DiCamillo’s engaging prose magically recreates the magic of fairy tales.  Timothy Basil Ering’s black-and-white drawings beautifully accompany the text, bringing The Tale of Despereaux to life. Children are taught that differences are respectable, even desirable, and that the potential is always there to forgive others’ transgressions. We should always respect our accomplishments, and listen to our inner voices. Differences are indeed beautiful.

Genre: Fantasy

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years

Awards: Newbery Award, 2004; Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book, 2003; American Library Association Notable Books for Children, 2004; Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, 2005; Charlie May Simon Children’s Book Award, 2006

Reviews: School Library Journal (October 1, 2004), Publisher’s Weekly (November 10, 2003), Voice of Youth Advocates (October 1, 2003)

Series: Tale of Despereaux Series

Similar Materials: Kate DiCamillo’s The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane; Robert C. O Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH; George Selden’s The Cricket in Times Square; William Wise’s Christopher Mouse: The Tale of a Small Traveler; E.B. White’s Stuart Little; Lynne Jonell’s Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat; Dick King-Smith’s The School Mouse

Subjects/Themes: Fairy Tales/Folklore, Animal Stories

Character Names: Despereaux; Chiaroscuro (aka Roscuro); Miggory Sow; Princess Pea; Botticelli Remorso; Gregory (the jailor); Lester Tilling (Despereaux’s father); Antoinette Tilling (Despereaux’s mother); Furlough Tilling (one of Despereaux’s older brothers)

Author Website: http://www.katedicamillo.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.timothybasileringart.com/home.htm

Brief Annotation: A mouse who loves stories and songs meets a rat who wishes he was a mouse, and a girl who longs to become a princess, in this Newbery-Award winning novel. 

The Daring Game

The Daring Game. By Kit Pearson. Penguin, 2008. 240 pages. PB $7.99 ISBN 978-0143056942

Summary: Elizabeth is thrilled to be embarking upon her first year in boarding school. As an avid reader, she’s read her fare share of stories featuring the hilarious and courageous exploits of English boarding school girls. Those stories have appealed to her so much that she begs her parents to allow her to board for the year; instead of moving with them to Toronto, she wants to finally experience boarding-school life for herself. Patricia’s roommate, Helen, comes up with the idea to add some spice to dorm life; everyone in the “yellow dorm” should play the daring game!

Critical Review: Boarding-school life forces Elizabeth to deal with difficult questions. She’s constantly pulled between two opposing poles – her parent’s expectations and her friends. She does well in school, but doesn’t want others to feel that she’s a “teacher’s pet”. Developing and maintaining friendships are important to her, as they are to all tweens. Throughout the book, she’s forced to make tough decisions. Her feelings toward troublemaker Helen play a key part in her inner-development, as does her friendship with sixteen-year old Madeleine. Helen teaches Elizabeth that it’s sometimes acceptable to disobey rules. Both Helen and Madeleine send Elizabeth the message that there are more important things to think about than clothes, diets, and boys. As the book progresses, Elizabeth learns more about what her roommates home-lives are really like, from the dorm matron. This teaches her that there’s always more that lurks beneath facades. Elizabeth takes this information with relief: she need no longer be afraid that she’s not measuring up. Now Pam’s criticisms no longer hold such weight over her. Elizabeth’s feelings change towards the day students, as well. She used to believe that they were such snobs, and that they only talked about yacht clubs, dances, etc. She soon realizes that she was mistaken, and develops a friendship with one day-schooler who thinks boarding school life is infinitely more satisfying than living at home. Overall the year at Ashdown Academy shows how Elizabeth struggled, trying to reconcile her parent’s expectations with her own. She leaves school with appreciable confidence and maturity. Developing into a teen is not such a scary experience as she once thought!

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Similar Materials: Penelope Farmer’s Charlotte Sometimes; William Mayne’s A Swarm in May; Ursula Nordstrom’s The Secret Language

Subjects/Themes: British Columbia, Canada; Boarding Schools; Daring Games; Friendships

Character Names: Elizabeth Chambers; Miss Tavistock (Ashdown Academy’s headmistress); Carrie, Helen, Jean, Pam (Elizabeth’s roommates); Madeline (Elizabeth’s sixteen-year old friend)

Author Website: http://www.kitpearson.com/index.html

Brief Annotation: The trials and tribulations of a year at boarding school are chronicled through the eyes of an eleven-year old girl.

A Handful of Time

A Handful of Time. By Kit Pearson. Penguin, 2008. 192 pages. PB $7.99 ISBN 978-0143056386

Summary: Patricia is sent by her parents to Edmonton to spend the summer with her cousins at their cottage. The summer away from home, enables her parents to finalize the plans for their divorce, but initially turns into Patricia’s worst nightmare: her cousins make fun of her, and her aunts and uncles feel sorry for her. Alone she finds an old watch under a floorboard. Winding it takes her back in time to 1952, when her twelve-year-old mother summered at the same spot.

Critical Review: A Handful of Time’s worth shines by expertly dealing with the pain that divorce has on children. At first Patricia fears that neither parent wants to live with her, but she soon learns that both desperately want to be given that privilege. Pearson’s prose shimmers on the page. Readers entering into Patricia’s summer will leave touched, secure in the knowledge that whatever pains them, hope remains around the bend. Escaping into the past can be helpful, but is only a temporary cure. There are people in their lives that care, who will do whatever they can to help make their lives better.

Genre: Time-Travel Fiction; Science Fiction; Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Canadian Library Association Book-of-the-Year-for-Children Award, 1988

Similar Materials: Margaret Buffie’s Who is Frances Rain?; Philippa Pearce’s Tom’s Midnight Garden; Cora Taylor’s The Doll; Cynthia Voigt’s Building Blocks

Subjects/Themes: Divorce; Summer Vacations; Cottage; Alberta, Canada; Time-Travel; Families

 

Character Names: Patricia; Ruth Reid (Patricia’s mother, a T.V. broadcaster); Harris Potter (Patricia’s father, a journalist); Aunt Ginnie (Patricia’s mother’s sister); Uncle Doug (Ginnie’s husband); Kelly, Trevor, Rosemary (Ginnie and Doug’s children, and Patricia’s cousins); Uncle Rod and Aunt Karen; Christie and Bruce Reid (Rod and Karen’s children, and Patricia’s cousins); Nan (Patricia’s maternal grandmother)

Author Website: http://www.kitpearson.com/index.html

Brief Annotation: A twelve-year old girl travels back to the summer when he mother was twelve years old. 

Awake and Dreaming

Awake and Dreaming. By Kit Pearson. Penguin, 2008. 240 pages. PB $7.99 ISBN 978-0143056379

Plot Summary: Eleven-year-old Theo lives with Rae, her puerile, narcissistic mother. Theo escapes the harshness of her poverty-infested life by reading. She especially loves books that are about families, and dreams of being a part of a warm, close-knit family. While on the ferry to Victoria, she meets the four children of the Kaldor family – John, Anna, Lisbeth, and Ben – and is embraced into their family, without question. As the months pass, members of the Kaldor family forget about Theo. This forgetting continues, until Theo becomes completely invisible to them, and she awakes, still on the ferry, with her mother.  Theo later forms a friendship with the Kaldor family and learns that they are far from perfect. 

Critical Review: Awake and Dreaming appeals to all types of readers, by showing the agency that is inherent in every person. Escaping from our problems provides only temporary relief. By tackling our problems head on, we can create a new, more vibrant life for ourselves and others. The circumstances of life are only temporary; there is always room to push beyond current circumstances. All that is needed is to hold the necessary motivation and willingness, to rise above one’s current predicament, and to claim whatever is desired.

Genre: Fantasy; Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years 

Awards: Governor General’s Literary Award (1997); The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children’s Book Award (1997); Red Cedar Book Award (1998/1999); Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award (1999); CBC Young Canada Reads Winner

Reviews: Publishers Weekly (June 7, 1999), Booklist (June 15, 1997), School Library Journal (June 1, 1007),

Similar Materials: Lucy Boston’s The Children of Green Knowe; Penelope Lively’s The Ghost of Thomas Kempe; Janet Lunn’s Double Spell; Diana Wynne Jones’s The Time of the Ghost

Subjects/Themes: Ghost Stories, Child Abuse, Families, Reading, Loneliness

Character Names: Theo; Rae; John, Anna, Lisbeth and Ben Kaldor; Mr. and Mrs. Kaldor; Mr. Barker (Theo’s teacher); Ms. Cohen (the school librarian); Mrs. Mitic (a woman who lives in Theo’s apartment building); Aunt Sharon (Theo’s mother’s sister who lives in Victoria, and cares for Theo when her mother can’t); Skye (Theo’s friend from school); Cecily Stone (ghostly writer who Theo turns for comfort)

Author Website: http://www.kitpearson.com/

Brief Annotation: A tween girl dreams of a loving family, and these dreams temporarily become reality. 

The View from Saturday

The View from Saturday. By E. L. Konigsburg. Antheneum, 1998. 128 pages. Tr. $17.99 ISBN 978-0689809934

Summary: This is a story of Mrs. Olinski, a sixth-grade teacher at Epiphany Middle School, and the four students – Noah, Nadia, Ethan, and Julian – who took part in the Academic Bowl. Why did Mrs. Olinski choose this group, and why were they so successful? We follow the teammates, watching them grow intellectually, emotionally and physically, and watch how they grow together as a team. This sensitively nuanced, award-winning novel will remain a favorite of readers for many years to come.

Critical Review: E. L. Konigsburg’s engaging, award-winning novel alternates between first-person and third-person narrators. This unusual structure captures the different personalities of each member of the team, showcasing the unique talents that each team member brings. Tweens learn that judging others by outside appearances often results in an inaccurate impression of their strengths, and that our interactions would be terribly circumscribed without the ability to engage with all types of people.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Newbery Award (1997)

Reviews: Booklist (December 15, 1998), School Library Journal (March 1, 1998), Publisher’s Weekly (February 2, 1998)

Similar Materials: E. L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler; Gary Schmidt’s The Wednesday Wars; Neal Shusterman’s The Schwa Was Here

Subject/Themes: Disabilities; Academic Bowls; Friendship; Calligraphy; Divorce; Sea Turtles; Bullying; Teams; Afternoon Tea; Musicals

Character Names: Noah Gershom; Nadia Diamondstein; Ethan Potter; Julian Singh; Mrs. Olinski

Programming Ideas and/or Lesson Plans:

http://www.planetbookclub.com/kids/archive/saturday12.98/saturdayintro.html (Fourteen Lessons)

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/view/viewtg.html (Activities)

Brief Annotation: First-person and third-person narration describe the evolution of Epiphany Middle School’s Sixth Grade Academic Team, as they prepare for and participate in the Academic Bowl. 

Eye of the Crow

Eye of the Crow. By Shane Peacock. Tundra Books, 2007. 264 pages. Tr. $19.95. ISBN 978-0887768507

Summary: Our story begins with thirteen-year old Sherlock playing hooky on the streets of Victorian London. Naturally solitary, Sherlock prefers his own company, despising his malevolent and stupid classmates, and boring class assignments. News of the horrendous murder interrupts Sherlock’s outdoor reverie, and he watches as a young terrified boy is led to prison. Sherlock is certain that this boy isn’t the culprit, and does some digging to help clear his name. Apprehended at the scene of the crime, Sherlock is incarcerated by the police, who mistakenly believe Sherlock to have played a role in the murder. How is Sherlock to prove his and Mohammad’s innocence, and ensure that the real murderer is punished?

Critical Review: Shane Peacock perfectly captures the nuances of Victorian London, in this award-winning mystery novel. Lovers of historical fiction will especially savor Peackock’s attention to historical detail, through this is, in many respects, a work of fiction. There simply isn’t enough information to authentically satisfy our understanding of Holmes’s tween years, however, this book does a very good job at providing a variety of theories to determine what may have contributed to Holmes’s desire to become a classic writer of detective fiction. This is a novel that tweens will want to read far into the night, and many will be happy to note that there are several more books within the Sherlock Holmes Mystery Series when they are finished.

Genre: Mystery

Series: The Boy Sherlock Holmes

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Nominated for CLA Young Adult Book Award, 2008; Arthur Ellis Award, 2008; ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, 2007; Nominated for CLA Book of the Year for Children Award, 2008

Reviews: Voice of Youth Advocates (February 1, 2008); School Library Journal (November 1, 2007); Booklist (November 1, 2007); Quill and Quire (July 1, 2007)

Author Website: http://www.shanepeacock.ca/

Similar Materials: The following books in The Boy Sherlock Holmes Series: Death in the Air; The Vanishing Girl; The Secret Fiend

Subject/Themes: Victorian London; Judaism; Sherlock Holmes; Murder; Friendship 

Character Names: Sherlock Holmes; Malefactor (leader of the gang of street boys); Ratfinch (the fishmonger); Mrs. Rose Holmes (previously Rose Sherrinford and an opera singer); Mr. Wilber Holmes (previously a professor at the University College of London, now releases the birds at the Chrystal Palace); Mohammad Adalji (the young accused man); Irene Doyle (a philanthropist who aids Sherlock in clearing his name).

Brief Annotation: Thirteen-year-old Sherlock Holmes tackles his first case, in this first book in The Boy Sherlock Holmes series. 

Beezus and Ramona

Beezus and Ramona. By Beverly Cleary. Illustrated by Tracy Dockray. Harper Collins, 1955. 160 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 978-0688210762

Summary: It seems that whatever Beatrice Quimby does, she cannot get away from her annoying little sister, Ramona. Ramona follows her big sister to the library and art class, and wreaks havoc at home by butting into chess games. Whatever can Beatrice do to rid herself of her pesky sister? Or is she simply stuck with her?

Critical Review: Although more than fifty-years old, this story continues to enchant all those who suffer from an annoying little brother or sister. In the end of the story, Beatrice realizes that her feelings towards Ramona are normal, and grows to love her little sister. Her Aunt Beatrice explains that, as a young girl, she also nurtured similar feelings towards her younger sister (i.e. Beatrice’s mother), but that these feelings didn’t prevent her from developing a warm-relationship later in life.

Genre: Friendship; Humor; Realistic Fiction 

Series: The Ramona Collection

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years

Author Website: http://www.beverlycleary.com/

Similar Materials: The following books in the Ramona Collection: Ramona and Her Father; Ramona and Her Mother; Ramona Forever; Ramona Quimby, Age 8; Ramona the Brave; Ramona the Pest; Ramona’s World

Subject/Themes: Imagination; Friendship; Sisters; Family life

Character Names: Beatrice Quimby (aka Beezus) and Ramona Quimby; Mr. and Mrs. Quimby; Aunt Beatrice; Henry Huggins; Ribsy

Brief Annotation: Nine-year old Beezus deals with her pesky little sister, Ramona, in Beverly Cleary’s classic novel for tweens.

Booktalking Ideas: I would pair the novel with the movie (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493949/) and ask students to compare/contrast the two. Beezus and Ramona can be used to discuss family experiences, especially having a younger brother or sister. Tweens can contribute whether Beezus’s trials mesh with their experiences, and can receive/exchange advice on how to deal with difficult younger siblings. 

Number the Stars

Number the Stars. By Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children,1989. 144 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 978-0395510605

Summary: Annemarie is a ten-year-old girl that lives in Nazi-occupied Denmark. Apart from missing her beloved sweets, Annemarie’s life has been remarkably untouched by the knowledge of war. Yet her world irrevocably alters one day when German soldiers stop her sister, Kiristi, and her friend, Ellen, as they’re walking home. With time, Annemarie learns the true lesson of the horrors of war, and the strength and heroism that is necessary to protect her Jewish friend.

Critical Review: Lowry authentically captures the horrors of war, while at the same time highlighting Annemarie’s agency. The success of the Dutch resistance at saving Jewish refugees poignantly demonstrates that even in the most difficult of circumstances there is always the potential to overcome adversity through kindness to others. 

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years 

Awards: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award, 1991; Newbery Medal, 1990; Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award, 1992; Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award, 1992; Golden Archer Award, 1990; Maine Student Book Award, 1991; New York State Charlotte Award, 1992; Sydney Taylor Book Award, 1989

Reviews: School Library Journal (July 1, 2004), School Library Journal (September 1, 1997), Publisher’s Weekly (October 26, 1990)

Author Website: http://www.loislowry.com/

Similar Materials: Claire Huchet Bishop’s Twenty and Ten; Judith Kerr’s When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Subject/Themes: WWII; Denmark; Holocaust; Nazis; Judaism; Friendship; Stars

Character Names: Annemarie Johansen, Ellen Rosen, Peter Neilsen, Lise Johansen, Uncle Henrik, King Christian X, Kirsti Johansen, Mr. and Mrs. Johansen, Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, Mrs. Hirsch, Great Aunt Birte

Brief Annotation: Ten-year old Annemarie helps to save her Jewish friend from the Holocaust in Nazi-occupied Denmark. 

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall. By Patricia MacLachlan. Harper Collins, 1985. 64 pages. PLB $16.89 ISBN 978-0-06-024102-5

Summary: Patricia MacLachlan’s Sarah, Plain and Tall won the Newbery Medal in 1986 and has been a beloved novel of legions of readers from eight to twelve since that time. The novel follows the journey of a young nineteenth-century woman named Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton, who answers Jacob Whittig’s newspaper advertisement for a wife. With her cat, Seal, Sarah travels to the frontier, and helps eke out a living out of the barren landscape. Sarah deeply misses Atlantic breezes, as well as the comforts and traditions of life in Maine. However, she quickly accustoms herself to life on the prairies. Under Sarah’s cheerful guidance, motherless Anna and Caleb blossom. Anna and Caleb absorb some of Sarah’s traditions, such us singing and speaking using a Maine dialect, and Sarah assimilates to country life, learning how to ride a horse and drive a wagon.

Critical Review: Sarah, Plain and Tall demonstrates that while a part of our hearts will always remain homesick for our native land, the potential is there to successfully adapt to different climes while still remaining true to our traditions and creating new traditions, as well.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 8-12 years

Awards: Newbery Award, 1986; Christopher Book Awards, 1986; Jefferson Cup Award, 1986; Garden State Children’s Book Awards, 1988; Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award, 1986, Nominated for Mark Twain Award, 1988; Nominated for Flicker Tale Children’s Book Award, 1988

Reviews: School Library Journal (May 1, 2002); Booklist (June 15, 1997)

Series: Sarah, Plain and Tall Series

Similar Materials: the following four books in the “Sarah, Plain and Tall Series”: Skylark, Caleb’s Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather’s Dance; Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie Series: Little House in the Big Woods, Farmer Boy, Little House on the Prairie, On the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of the Silver Lake, The Long Winter, Little Town on the Prairie, These Happy Golden Years, On the Way Home, The First Four Years

Subjects/Themes: stepmothers, frontier and pioneer life, loneliness, moving

Character Names: Anna (the narrator who misses her dead mother); Caleb (Anna’s younger brother); Jacob Whittig (Anna and Caleb’s father); Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton (becomes Jacob’s wife and moves out West)

Author Biography: Authors and illustrators: Patricia MacLachlan. (n. d.). Retrieved from http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/Kids/AuthorsAndIllustrators/ContributorDetail.aspx?CId=12425

EMBA’s top 100 authors: Patricia MacLachlan. (n. d.) Retrieved from http://www.edupaperback.org/showauth.cfm?authid=34

Meet the author: Patricia MacLachlan. (2007, February 7 [date last edited]. Retrieved from http://www.eduplace.com/kids/hmr/mtai/maclachlan.html

Patricia MacLachlan (2010, October 18 [date last edited]). Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_MacLachlan

Patricia MacLachlan (1938-). Retrieved from http://biography.jrank.org/pages/2148/MacLachlan-Patricia-1938.html

Author Interview: (2009). Talking with Patricia MacLachlan. Retrieved from http://www.audiofilemagazine.com/features/A1086.html

Programming Ideas and/or Lesson Plans:  Bodin, S. (2009, January 7). Sarah plain and tall interactives. Retrieved from http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/cc/vp_gle/4th/ela/trophy_inter/bk3/sarah.htm

Denega, D. (2004). A reading guide to Sarah, plain and tall, by Patricia MacLachlan. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/kids/homework/pdfs/Sarah_Plain_and_Tall.pdf

DeSpirt, D. (2008). Sarah plan and tall: Teaching vocabulary strategies using novel study. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/sarah-plain-and-tall-lesson-plan-a83214

Neblett, E. (1999, November 16 [date last edited]). Sarah, plain and tall. Retrieved from http://home.earthlink.net/~lizneb/sarah.html

Nielsen, C. (2002). Sarah, plain and tall, by Patricia MacLachlan. Retrieved from http://www.pls.uni.edu/nielsen/nielsen/spatintro.html

Mountain City Elementary. (2010, October 26 [date last edited]). Sarah, plain and tall. Retrieved from http://www.mce.k12tn.net/reading3/sarah.htm

Brief Annotation: A nineteenth-century woman answers a personals ad placed in a Maine paper for a wife, and moves out West.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. By E. L. Konigsburg. Antheneum, 2002. 176 pages. Tr. $ 17.99 ISBN 978-0689853227

Summary: As the oldest child, Claudia feels that she’s treated unjustly. Although she’s a straight A-student and completes her share of household chores, and on occasion those of her pesky brothers, her allowance is out of balance: it’s far too skimpy for the amount of work she does around the house. Moreover, she’s bored by the endless-stream of analogous weeks, and longs for something new. She opts to run away with her youngest brother, Jamie, to the New York Museum of Art. There she’ll stay in comfort, until the day her parents fully recognize her worth. 

Critical Review:  We often forgot that tweens’ lives are often difficult. Tweens day-to-day activities are highly circumscribed and controlled by parents and teachers. Though Claudia’s story is over 40 years old, it still is of value to young readers. Claudia’s experience with running away teaches tweens the meaning behind the old adage –“ the grass is always greener on the other side.” Claudia’s camp-out at the Museum of Modern Art isn’t as comforting as planned, and she longs for home. She realizes that she was wrong to assume her parent’s didn’t love her, and learns that it’s always best to give voice to concerns instead of letting them fester. The novel also features a lot of art history, as Claudia and Jamie research whether the angel statue is actually by Michelangelo. 

Genre: Mystery

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Newbery Medal (1968)

Similar Materials: Blue Balliett’s Chasing Vermeer

Subject/Themes: Runaways; Brothers and Sisters; Museums; Metropolitan Museum of Art; Art History; Self-Reliance; Mysteries

Character Names: Claudia Kinkaid; Jamie Kinkaid; Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Programming Ideas and/or Lesson Plans: 

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1340_type=Book_typeId=884 (Discussion Questions)

http://www.umsl.edu/~wpockets/schoolhouse/lessons/mixup/mixup.html (Budget/Planning Lesson Plan)

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=589 (Vocabulary Builder)

http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/90873.aspx (Family/Flattery Lesson Plan)

Brief Annotation: Twelve-year old Claudia runs away from her family, camping out at the New York Museum of Metropolitan Art with her younger brother.

The Higher Power of Lucky

The Higher Power of Lucky. By Susan Patron. Illustrated by Matt Phelan. 144 pages. Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books, 2006. Tr. $16.95. ISBN 978-1416901945

Summary: Two years have passed since Lucky’s mother’s death. Now Bridgette, her father’s first wife, cares for Lucky in the small desert town of Hard Pan, California. In this unusual town, twelve-step programs are scheduled around the clock, and in her part-time job as a sweeper, Lucky sits in on these meetings. Lucky is scared that Bridgette, homesick for France, will return to her country. Then who will take care of Lucky? Her father isn’t interested in fulfilling his fatherly duties.  She decides that she must take matters into her own hands, and following AAA precepts, runs away to start a new life for herself.

Critical Review:  When The Higher Power of Lucky was published, it unleashed a storm of criticism by some parents and librarians for the word “scrotum” on the fist page, and was unfortunately pulled from some library shelves. Others criticized the book for dealing with issues remote to the lives of many tweens.  How many tweens are interested in Charles Darwin or hold part-time jobs? Though Lucky is more mature than the average ten-year old, her fears of abandonment are relatable to many at this age. Patron’s sympathetic portrayal of these issues makes this a worthwhile book to share with any tween. At the book’s close, Lucy finds the love she needs. Lucky learns that Brigitte is submitting papers to adopt her.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Newbery Medal (2007)

Reviews: School Library Journal (2007, May 1)

            Publisher’s Weekly (2007, February 12)

            PW Annex Reviews (2007, January 1)

Series: Lucky’s story is continued in Lucy Breaks (2009)

Similar Materials: Beverly Cleary’s Ramana Quimby series

Subjects/Themes: self-actualization; biology; poverty; alcoholism; loneliness; deserts; small-town life; unconventional families

Character Names: Lucky (our ten-year old heroine); Brigitte (Lucky’s father’s first wife, who cares for Lucky); Lincoln (a friend of Lucky’s who ties knots); Miles (a five-year old boy that thinks Lucky is his Mother); HMS Beagle (Lucky’s dog)

Author Website: http://susanpatron.com/

Illustrator Website: http://www.mattphelan.com/new.html

Programming Ideas and/or Lesson Plans: http://teachershare.scholastic.com/resources/10405 (Making Wind Chimes)

Brief Annotation: A ten-year old girl named Lucky resolves to find her “higher power”, and to escape the challenges of her poverty-infested life in this Newbery Award winning book.