Module 9 - Down the Rabbit Hole

Ingrid is a girl who can't seem to stay out of trouble. First with her parents, siblings and then with the neighbors. But when she stumbles across the murder of the town's crazy lady, she decides to put her own sluething skills to use.

Abrahams, P. (2005). Down the rabbit hole: an Echo Falls mystersy. HarperCollins

Impressions:
I wasn't super sold on this book. It was ok, but I got bored half-way through. Since it's a series, it probably gets better, but I think a middle-school-aged child would enjoy this book.

Review:
Susie Wilde (Children's Literature)
It is hard for adult writers to make the leap to children's book. Abrahams, a best-selling author, has made a graceful entry with his first young adult novel. He develoips an intriguing character in Ingrid, an eighth grader who is obviously brilliant and , just as obviously, stubborn about where she is going to focus her mind. While she devours and thinks about Sherlock Holmes constantly, she is not going to buckle into the authority of a math teacher who seems pleased to give her failing grades. Not is she going to admit to a police chief (and father of her first potential boyfriend) that she was at a crime scene just before a woman was murdered. When she discovers she left her red track shoes at the scene, she steals out of the house to reclaim them, linking herself to the crime and strengthening her resolve to discover the real culprit. There are lots of questions, some innocent sleuthing, and action from beginning to end. 2005, HarperCollins, $15.99. Ages 11 up.
(retrieved from Children's Literature Comprehensive Database, Children's Literature Reviews)

Library or Classroom Use:
What makes a mystery?
Sherlock Holmes.

Module 8 - James and the Giant Peach and Princess Academy

Miri is sent to a Princess Academy with hopes of proving to her father that she is capable of something worthwhile. However, once there, she learns it maybe wasn't quite what she thought it would be.

Hale, S. (2005). The princess academy. Bloomsbury Children's Books. ISBN: 978-1599900735

Impressions: Hale creates a magical and lyrical story with great characters and a happy-ending story line. This is a great book to read out loud in a classroom or as a book-club read!

Review:
Rebecca Moreland, Teen Reviewer (VOYA, August 2005 (Vol. 28, No. 3))
Princess Academy is a delightful read with everything you need in a good fantasy book: action, adventure, romance - and a good kidnapping. Although many people who read this book will not have any connection to Miri's way of life (people usually don't tend goats high on a mountainside their whole lives), Hale's writing places you in the book, so you feel you can relate. The plot seems predictable, like any other book of its genre, but it has a twist that sets it apart and makes it all the more enjoyable. VOYA CODES: 4Q 4P M J (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapes; Broad general YA appeal; Middle School, defined as grades 6 to 8; Junior High, defined as grades 7 to 9). 2005, Bloomsbury, 300p., $16.95. Ages 11 to 15.
(Retrieved from Children's Literature Reviews, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database)

Suggestions for classroom/library use:

This book is an adaptation of an old fairy-tale. Reading the original version then comparing the two would be great for a book club or English class.


James escapes from his evil aunts and finds friends living in a peach that grew to enormous sizes due to a mishap with magic. The friends include a giant ladybug and spider. They have great adventures together!

Dahl, R. (1961). James and the giant peach. Puffin, ISBN: 978-0142410363

Impressions:

This is a classic children's book that is a great read-aloud as well. The illustrations, both in the original version, and new illustrations from Lane Smith, complement the storyline of fantasy and imagination. I love this book!

Review:
Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, 1996)
This newly illustrated edition of an avowed children's favorite has all the makings of a classic match-up: Milne had Shepard, Carroll had Tenniel, and now Dahl has Smith. Yes, there is a movie tied in to all of this, but more importantly, author and illustrator were mde for each other, and it's of little consequence that it took almost 35 years for them to meet. 1996, Knopf; Puffin/Penguin, $16.00 also available in paper; $4.99. (C) 1996 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.
(Retrieved from Children's Literature Reviews, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database)

Suggestions for classroom/library use:

It would be fun to do a movie/book comparison, either for a family night at the library or on a school day in the classroom!

Module 7 - Stargirl

Stargirl moves into town and is immediately classified as "wierd" and "bizarre." Leo, a young boy, sees something different in her and ends up falling in love with her, but not after much pressure from his peers. Stargirl become popular, but falls from the throne quickly.

Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. Knopf Books for Young Readers, New York. ISBN: 978-0375822339

Impressions:
This book is heart-wrentching and heart-warming at the same time. I could relate to both characters, Stargirl and Leo, even though they are so different from each other. Spinelli writes in a lyrical, soothing way when he writes about Stargirl, adding to her ephemeral character.

Review:
Mary Quattlebaum (Children's Literature)
The new girl at high school is different and full of pluck, but the other students don't know how to take her - so they shun her. The first-person narrator, Leo, is crazy about Stargirl but can't handle the ostracism, and so he starts asking her to change. Newbery Medalist Jerry Spinelli has created a situation familiar to teenagers and provided a thought-provoking conclusion. 2000, Knopf, $15.95. Ages 11 up.
(Retrieved from Children's Literature Reviews, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database)

Suggestions for classroom/library use:
A good book to use when talking about indiviuality and treating others with respect. Students or patrons can write down ways that they are unique and share them if they'd like.