Things Not Seen

Things Not Seen. By Andrew Clements. Philomel, 2002. 272 pages. Tr. $16.99 ISBN 978-0399236266

Summary: After stepping out of the shower one morning, Bobby looks into the mirror and notices that he has vanished. As an “invisible person” Bobby thinks about how people will perceive his invisibility, and decides that activities such as going to school, playing sports, and connecting with friends are no longer in the range of possible choices. Even Bobby’s psychiatrist is unsure of what caused his patient to become invisible and his parents are also uncertain about how to make their son visible again. Tired of staying at home and desirous of human company, Bobby ventures out to the library and soon becomes friends with Alicia, a blind girl. With the help of Alicia, will Bobby be able to become visible again?

Critical Review: The invisible theme to Bobby’s story draws from Hebrews 1:11. Through the loving friendship of Alicia, Bobby learns the power of looking beyond physical appearances of others. We have all felt invisible at one point or anther, and developing a strong internal-support system is essential. It is internal qualities that are important.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 10-14 years

Awards: Colorado Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Beehive Young Adults' Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
California Young Reader Medal (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Grand Canyon Reader Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Young Hoosier Book Award (WON AWARD) 2005
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Iowa Teen Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Golden Sower Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2005
Land of Enchantment Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (WON AWARD) 2007

Reviews: Booklist; Publishers Weekly (2004, March 8); School Library Journal (2002, March 1); Kirkus Reviews (2002, February 1); Voice of Youth Advocates (2002, February 1)

Similar Materials: Andrew Clements’ Things That Are

Subjects/Themes: invisibility, disabilities, Hebrew Bible, self-esteem

Character Names: Bobby Phillips; Alicia Van Dorn; Mr. and Mrs. Phillips

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

Brief Annotation: A fifteen-year old boy discovers that he is invisible after showering on morning. 

The Last Dog on Earth

The Last Dog on Earth. By Daniel Ehrenhaft. Turtleback, 2004. 240 pages. Tr. $16.00 ISBN 978-1417698066

Summary: Logan Moore detests life with his new stepfather, Robert, When Robert tells Logan that he would like him to have a golden retriever to teach him some responsibility, Logan is positive he wants to have nothing to do with his step-father’s plan. Instead of having a pampered pooch, Logan opts for a rescue from the local shelter. Perhaps then he would be able to train his dog to attack his stepfather? As time passes Logan bonds with his dog, Jack. Unfortunately a virile outbreak of “Psychotic Outburst Syndrome” is now spreading, and all dogs are to be exterminated before the syndrome passes to humans. Can Logan save Jack from extermination? 

Critical Review: Ehrenhaft’s Logan is initially a tough boy. Growing up Logan believed that his father abandoned him. However, he learns that his mother has been lying to him and that she was the party that asked for a divorce. Finding his biological father and bonding with Jack is highly therapeutic for Logan. He develops a stronger relationship with his stepfather and resolves issues with Devon Wallace, who lost his dog from Psychotic Outbreak Syndrome.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years

Awards: Mark Twain Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2007

Reviews: Voice of Youth Advocates (2003, April 1); School Library Journal (2003, February 1); Publishers Weekly (2003, January 27)

Similar Materials: Peg Kehret’s Ghost Dog Secrets; Katherine Paterson’s The Field of the Dogs; K. M. Peyton’s Blind Beauty

Subjects/Themes: divorce; remarriage; stepfathers; dogs; violence; biological fathers; forgiveness

Character Names: Logan Moore; Marianne Moore; Robert Moore; Jack; Dr. Craig Westerly; Rudy Stagg; Devon Wallace

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

Brief Annotation: With Psychotic Outburst Syndrome, a friendship between a troubled adolescent boy and his dog is in jeopardy. 

The House of the Scorpions

The House of the Scorpions. By Nancy Farmer. Atheneum, 2004. 400 pages. PB $9.99 ISBN 978-0689852237

Summary: Matteo Alacran is ignorant of the fact that he is the clone of El Patron, the leader of Opium, Mexico. Within the town of Opium, illegal immigrants are captured by the Farm Patrol and subjected to a lifetime of toiling in the fields. Chips are also embedded into the enslaved or ejitt’s brains, making them more compliant with El Patron’s desires. With the exception of his caregiver, Celia, and his body guard, Tam Lim, everyone who lives in Opium abuses Matteo. When word travels that El Patron is in need of Matteo’s organs, Matteo understands that he is a clone. Will  Matteo outsmart El Patron?

Critical Review: Nancy Farmer has created an absorbing book of science fiction. The action and adventure in this story kept me interested in learning what would happen to Matteo. Amazingly the dark aspect of this book did not leave a sour feeling. This was particularly because the cheerful ending resolved the majority of negative aspects in the story. Matteo successfully challenges El Patron, becoming the leader of Opium. The fact that Matteo and El Patron share similar DNA leads to El Patron’s downfall. In addition to the cheerful ending, I also enjoyed the addition of Marxism to the plot. The story of the Lost Boys poignantly illustrates how Marxism functions, and would be a suitable book to introduce these topics to tweens. 

Genre: Science Fiction; Action and Adventure

Reading/Interest Level: 11 years and up

Awards: National Book Award, 2002, Newbery Honor, 2003, Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book, 2003, Buxtehuder Bulle, 2003 (Germany), ALA Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults, IRA Young Adults' Choices, Sequoyah Young Adult Award, Volunteer State Award, 2006, Arizona Young Readers Teen Award, 2005, South Carolina Junior Readers Award, 2005-2006, Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominee, 2004, Young Hoosier Book Award, 2006, Nevada Young Readers' Award, 2005, Senior Young Readers' Choice Award, Pacific Northwest Library Association, 2005, Bay Area Book Reviewers’ Association Award for Children’s Literature

Reviews: School Library Journal (2004, October 1); Publishers Weekly (2004, May 17)

Similar Materials: Nancy Farmer’s The Eye, the Ear and the Arm

Subjects/Themes: cloning; illegal immigration; Marxism; Mexico

Character Names: Matteo Alacran; El Patron; the Farm Patrol; eejits; Tam Lin; Celia; Maria Mendoza; Lost Boys; Esperanza; the Keepers

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

Brief Annotation: A tween clone learns about his identity and confronts his malevolent creator, in this science-fiction Marxist inspired novel. 

Among the Hidden

Among the Hidden. By Margaret Peterson Haddix. Simon and Schuster, 2000. 153 pages. PB $6.99 ISBN 978-0689824753

Summary: Imagine living in a country where food is rationed so heavily that it is illegal to have more than two children. Luke Garner is the first child in the Garner household, and this forces him to perpetually hide from the authorities. One day he notices another family with a third child and he soon becomes close friends with her. Outspoken Jen urges Luke to rally with her in opposition of the Population Law. Her father, a police officer himself, additionally opposes the law. Will Luke be able to successfully confront his fears, or will he spend his life hiding from the authorities?

Critical Review: Haddix’s futuristic novel is not that far fetched. Chinese families are disallowed from having more than one child, and this novel is a perfect example of the inhumanity of that system. Among the Hidden is very much a novel of friendship. With the help of Jen and her father Luke emerges out of his sheltered upbringing. The ending is bittersweet, unfortunately. George Talbot retrieves a fake ID card for Luke, which will allow him to live a normal life without having to hide. However, by accepting these conditions Luke is forced to hide behind the identity of an affluent boy and is forbidden from seeing his family again.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 9-12 years 

Awards: Rhode Island Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2000
Beehive Children's Fictional Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2000
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2000
Young Reader's Choice Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
SCASL Book Award (South Carolina) (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
Georgia Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
Great Stone Face Children's Book Award (WON AWARD) 2001
Iowa Teen Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
Maine Student Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2000
Maud Hart Lovelace Award (WON AWARD) 2001

William Allen White Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
California Young Reader Medal (WON AWARD) 2001
Nevada Young Reader's Award (WON AWARD) 2001
Nutmeg Children's Book Award (WON AWARD) 2002
Sunshine State Young Reader's Book Award (WON AWARD) 2002
Golden Sower Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
Young Hoosier Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2002
Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (WON AWARD) 2002
Wyoming Indian Paintbrush Book Award (WON AWARD) 2003
Massachusetts Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2001
Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
Iowa Children's Choice Award (WON AWARD) 2004

Reviews: Publishers Weekly (2000, February 7); Voice of Youth Advocates (1998, October 1); School Library Journal (September 1)

Series: Shadow Children series 

Similar Materials: The following novels in the “Shadow Children” series: Among the Imposters; Among the Betrayed; Among the Barons; Among the Brave; Among the Enemy; Among the Free

Subjects/Themes: futuristic societies, dystopias, friendship, birth control

Character Names: Luke Garner; Mr. and Mrs. Garner; Matthew and Mark Garner; Jen Talbot; George Talbot; Population Police; Lee Grant

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

Brief Annotation: A boy is forced to hide from the Population Control police, in the first book of Cooper’s Shadow Children” series. 

Interstellar Pig

Interstellar Pig. By William Sleator. Puffin, 1995. 208 pages. PB $6.99 ISBN 978-0140375954

Summary: When Barney was invited to play Interstellar Pig with his cottage neighbors he didn’t realize that his performance in the game could impact his non-gaming world. As he explores his cottage, Barney locates papers that lead him to Piggy. The player that controls Piggy ultimately decides the destiny for their planet and other worlds. When Piggy is found, all other words apart from the winner’s planet will instantly vanish. Will Barney be able to save his world and the entire galaxy?

Critical Review: Interstellar Pig is a fascinating example of science fiction writing at its best. Sleator’s prose vividly recreates Barney’s experiences. The rules and technological related aspects of the novel are clearly written in an engaging style. I heartedly recommend this novel to young fans of the genre.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 10 years and up

Reviews: Publishers Weekly (2004, February 9)

Similar Materials: William Sleater’s House of Stairs and Singularity 

Subjects/Themes: human-alien encounters; pigs; board games; cottages; summer vacations; neighbors

Character Names: Barney; Zena; Manny; Joe; Captain Lantham

Author Website: http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~sleator/billy/index.html

Brief Annotation: Can Barney save his world and the galaxy from complete annilhation when he joins his neighbors in a game of Interstellar Pig?

Uglies

Uglies. By Scott Westerfield. Simon Pulse, 2005. 448 pages. PB $9.99 ISBN 978-0689865381

Summary: In the town of New Pretty, everyone under the age of sixteen is ugly. Fifteen-year-old Tally Youngblood is avidly anticipating her sixteenth birthday, when her ugliness will turn into her into a stunning beauty. Tally’s friend Shay is an anomaly. She wants to hold on to her ugliness, and opts to run away before her sixteenth birthday. Shay’s decision pains Tally and forces her to question her community’s values. However, to Tally the urge to become pretty is too strong, and when Dr. Cable informs Tally that her pretty operation will only take place if she finds Shay and brings her back to the community, Tally quickly sets out to find her friend. In the primitive town of Smoky, Tally finds Shay in a community where freedom is valued above all, and learns to appreciate this too. With time she decides that she doesn’t want to go through with her pretty operation. Unfortunately she hits her tracker in error, notifying Dr. Cable and New Pretty Town’s leaders of their whereabouts. Will Tally, Shay, and their friend David be able to escape, or will they be forced to become pretty?

Critical Review: Uglies leaves a lot for readers to look forward to in the series. Westerfield captures the anxiety that comes with physical development. Children have infinite freedom; they are not judged by their looks alone, and do not spend an infinite amount of time fretting about their appearance in front of a mirror. Yet, this all changes when children turn into adolescents. Tweens are different from teens and from children, as we’ve discussed in this course. However, the onset of secondary characteristics places tweens closer to the teen camp. Consequently tween girls are apt to pay attention to previously unheard of topics, such as fashion, diets, makeup, hairstyles, boys, etc. The media certainly does not help tween girls, by appropriating skinny models as the norm. It is wise to encourage tweens to rethink overly focusing on outer beauty. The Uglies series is a worthy step towards teaching tweens that genuine beauty comes from within.

Genre: Science Fiction

Reading/Interest Level: 12 and up

Awards: School Library Journal Best Books of the Year, 2005; Australian Science Fiction Achievement Awards (Ditmars) (Nominated for an Award) 2005

Reviews: Books in Canada; (2005, November 1); Voice of Youth Advocates (2005, June 1); Publishers Weekly (2005, March 21); Booklist (2005, March 15); School Library Journal (2005, March 1)

Series: the Uglies series 

Similar Materials: The following books in the Uglies series: Pretties, Specials, Extras

Subjects/Themes: beauty; individuality; social norms; conformity; Big Brother; body image; self-esteem; coming of age

Character Names: Tally Youngblood; Pevis; Shay; Dr. Cable; David; Az; Maddy

Author Website: http://scottwesterfeld.com/blog/

Brief Annotation: A fifteen-year-old girl vacillates between choosing inner or outer beauty in a futuristic society.

The Black Canary

The Black Canary. By Jane Louise Curry. Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2005. 288 pages. Tr. $17.99 ISBN 978-0689864780

Summary: James resents his white musicologist father and his black opera-singing mother for pressuring him to enter the music fold. When traveling to London, however, he notices a flying disc from his dream, and enters a portal to the 1600s. Once there he’s captured, and forced to perform as a singer in “Children of the Royal Chapel” for Queen Elizabeth. James must decide whether it’s in his best interest to return to the 21^st century or if he should stay in Tudor England.

Critical Review: Curry’s novel is one of a few featuring biracial characters. James is a realistic, sympathetic character in both worlds. Lovers of historical fiction will cherish the authentic portrait of Elizabethan theatre, fashion, food, and other customs. Real-life characters, like the playwright and actor Ben Jonson, mingle with fictional creations. Singing for Queen Elizabeth teaches James that he does, indeed, enjoy singing. He is a remarkably talented singer. James returns to the 21^st century with a more complete awareness of himself as a person, and how he can meaningfully contribute to the world.

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

Reading/Interest Level: 10-14 years

Reviews: Voice of Youth Advocates (2005, June 1); School Library Journal (2005, March 1); Booklist (2005, February 15)

Similar Materials: Susan Cooper’s King of the Shadows

Subjects/Themes: time-travel fiction; historical fiction; Europe; performing arts; singing; Elizabethan London – Great Britain; racially-mixed-people fiction

Character Names: James Parrett; Mr. and Mrs. Parrett; Jack

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

Brief Annotation: A 21^sT century biracial boy travels back in time to Elizabethan England, developing a deeper understanding of his talents and passions.

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. 

The Giver

The Giver. By Lois Lowry. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 1993. 192 pages. TR. $ 17.00 ISBN 978-0395645666

Summary: Jonas lives in a word seemingly devoid of inequalities, unhappiness and unemployment, a world without crime, violence, conflict and human emotions. The novel opens with Jonas dreading the annual December ceremony, a right-of-passage that all twelve-year-olds go through to determine their calling. Jonas is awarded with the most honored position - the Receiver of Memory. As Jonas trains for the job, the knowledge of his community considerably broadens, challenging him to rethink how he perceives the world. 

Critical Review: As he embarks upon his training under the guidance of the Receiver of Memory, Jonas is conferred with considerable leeway to read whatever books, and to ask whatever questions come to mind. Moreover, no longer is Jonas forced to reveal his dreams like the rest of the populace.  In a society where everything is guarded, Jonas’s training is highly unusual. He’s required to keep his training a secret. This is necessary, for part of it consists of criticizing his community. The Receiver’s job is to delve into the histories of bygone eras, and while there’s much to find pleasure in here, there is also a lot to bring pain. Jonas learns that in his job as Receiver, he’s required to relieve the community from the knowledge of pain. In theory, by bearing the world’s pain, Jonas allows the community to progress through life in relative bliss. As his sessions with the Receiver progress, Jonas comes to the tragic awareness of the repressive regime at work. This knowledge forces Jonas to make life-altering choices. He decides that he cannot remain in a society that condones the murder of newborns and the elderly, and with the help of the Receiver successfully escapes. 

Genre: Science Fiction

Series: 1^st book in the Giver Trilogy (subsequent books in the series include Gathering Blue and The Messenger)

Reading/Interest Level: 10-14 years

Reviews: Booklist (September 15, 1998)

Publisher’s Weekly (August 8, 1994)

Voice of Youth Advocates (August 1, 1993)

School Library Journal (May 1, 1993)

Kirkus Reviews (March 1, 1993)

Publisher’s Weekly (February 1, 1993)

Awards: Newbery Medal (1994)

Young Reader’s Choice Award (1996)

Rebecca Caudill Young Reader’s Book Award (1996)

William Allen White Children’s Book Award (1996)

Black-Eyed Susan Book Award (1994)

Golden Sower Award (1995)

Great Stone Face Children’s Book Award (1996)

Land of Enchantment Book Award (1997)

Buckeye Children’s Book Award (1997)

Golden Archer Award (1997)

Maine Student Book Award (1995)

Garden State Teen Book Award (1995)

Grand Canyon Award (1995)

Sequoyah Book Award (1995)

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

Similar Materials: O. T. Nelson’s The Girl Who Owned A City

Subject/Themes: Coming-of-Age Story; Dystopia

Character Names: Jonas (receives the job of Receiver of Memory, at the Twelve Ceremony); The Giver (Jonas’s teacher experiences emotions); Lily (Jonas’s seven-year-old sister loves children); Gabriel (Gabe) (was kept back another year before moving on to his First Year Ceremony and was later “released”); Asher (Jonas’s best friend, assigned as the Director of Recreation); Jonas's father (works as a caregiver); Jonas's mother (works as a lawyer); Fiona (Jonas’s friend, assigned the job of Caretaker of the Old).

Brief Annotation: This award-winning Newbery Medal novel features the coming-of-age of twelve-year-old Jonas, who uncovers the horrors of his dystopian world, through his work with the Giver.