Another Book From Module 10 Graphic Novels/Censorship Issues

Module 10 Graphic Novels/Censorship Issues

Giants Beware

By Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre

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Bibliography: 

 Aguirre, J., & Rosado, R. (2012). Giants beware!. New York: First Second.

Summary:

 Claudette is the daughter of a dragon slayer. She feels the need to prove her bravery and sets out to do so by killing the Giant on the mountain. She coaxes her brother and friend to join her crusade by promising the things they want most to happen will happen if they help her. They together embark on this adventure find something other than they expected.

Impressions: 

 This book is humorous incorporating modern day tendencies into a story from a early time period. The graphics are detailed and the text and panels all are arranged well to tell a fun and adventures tale.

Reviews:

 Comedy and fairy tale sensibilities balance perfectly in this exciting debut by writer Aguirre and illustrator Rosado. Delightfully spunky Claudette is set on becoming a monster slayer like her father (who is missing limbs due to his earlier adventures). When she hears the story of a giant on the loose, she is determined to leave her home—accompanied by her cowardly brother, Gaston, and best friend Marie—in order to set things right. Driven by Claudette’s courage, Marie, who wants nothing more than to become a princess, shows proper heroic wits, and Gaston reveals inner strength and determination. When Claudette discovers that not all stories are as they seem, she and her friends must fool the adults who have come to bring them home to protect an innocent monster. The rich world and engaging characters are a surefire hit—and the glorious full-color illustrations, which pack a novel’s worth of expression onto cartoon faces, should bring readers back for multiple reads of this many-layered story. One can only hope that Aguirre and Rosado have more adventures planned. Ages 7–up. (Apr.)

Children's Book Review: Giants Beware by Rafael Rosado and Jorge Aguirre. (2012, March 12).

      PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved August 9, 2014,from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-582-7

Suggestions for Use:

 This would be a great way to introduce a story writing in graphic novel style format. After students read this book they could write their own graphic short story with simple drawings or pictures laid out with panels and word balloons.

Another Book From Module 9 Poetry/Short Stories

Module 9 Poetry/Short Stories

All The Broken Pieces

By Ann Burg

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Bibliography: 

 Burg, A. E. (2009). All the broken pieces: a novel in verse. New York: Scholastic Press.

Summary:

 This is a moving story about a young 10 year old boy from View Nam during the Viet Nam War. It is a narrative written in verse about being taken from his mother and brother to America where he is adopted by a family. It sheds light on what veterans face when returning from war and a fresh perspective from a Vietnamese child. He faces troubles being accepted to a new school, country and being of the race with which our country was in a war with.  

Impressions: 

 I highly recommend this book. It talks about tolerance and moving past prejudices and working together to heal and help make each other better. The story unfolds within the setting of America's favorite past time, baseball.

Reviews:

KIRKUS REVIEW

Matt Pin’s story, told in first-person verse, opens with the evacuation of refugees near the end of the Vietnam War. Afterward Matt, an Amerasian, is adopted by a loving American family. Two years later, he remains haunted by a past in which his soldier father abandoned him, his mother gave him up and his brother was maimed before his eyes. He suffers deeply from prejudice when he tries out for the school baseball team and from his misunderstanding of both his biological and adoptive families’ motives. Through the efforts of two veterans, Matt begins to understand that his mother gave him away because she loved him, not because he was culpable in the crippling of his brother. In recognizing the analogous suffering endured by others touched by the war, Matt begins to resolve the conflicts of his spirit. Graceful symmetries between brother and brother, father and son, past and present, guilt and forgiveness shed light on the era and the individual. The verse form carries highly charged emotions and heavy content with elegiac simplicity. A memorable debut. (Historical fiction. 10-14) 

ALL THE BROKEN PIECES by Ann E. Burg. (2009). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved August 9, 2014, 

       from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/ann-e-burg/all-the-broken-pieces/ 

Suggestions for Use:

 This book would be great to introduce when talking about bullying and discrimination. The example in the book of how the baseball coach forced Matt and the bully to reconcile and work together was a great activity that could be used.

Another Book From Module 8 Mystery/Series

Module 8 Mystery/Series

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

By Barbara Park

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Bibliography: 

Park, B. (1992). Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. New York, NY: Random House

Summary:

This is a fun book written in the language of a kindergartener named Junie B. Jones that describes her first experience with school, which began with riding the bus. She is not to happy at all about riding the bus and not getting the red seat. Her fear of riding the bus made her take matters into her own hands and stir quit the commotion.

Impressions: 

 This was a fun read. It is written so that the reader understands what Junie B. Jones understands. Her mischievous, vocal and innocent personality makes for an adventure of mayhem. This was a great start to the Junie B. Jones series.

Reviews:

 School Library Journal

K-Gr 3 --Park is truly a funny writer. Although Junie B. is a kindergartner, she's sure to make middle graders laugh out loud when they read about her adventures on the first day of school. Even the most insecure readers will feel superior because they know so much more than she does. Brunkus's occasional black-and-white pencil illustrations are appealing and reinforce the mood of the text. Junie B. is a real character; she talks a lot, is funny without knowing it, and honest to a fault. This book will get lots of peer recommendations, and younger kids will enjoy listening to it when read aloud. It's a real hoot! --Gale W. Sherman, Pocatello Pub . Lib . , ID

School Library Journal (1992) Retrieved August 9, 2014 

     http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/junie-b-jones-and-the-stupid-smelly-bus-barbara-

     park/1100271728?ean=9780679826422 

Suggestions for Use:

I think this book would be great to use as inspiration for a writing activity. What would you do if you go left in the school alone? Would you explore like Junie B. Jones. Another cute idea found on Pintrest was the creation of a trailer. Check it out here: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/112590059405456181/.

Another Book From Module 5 Fantasy and Science Fiction

Module 5 Fantasy and Science Fiction

Divergent By Veronica Roth

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Bibliography: 

Roth, V. (2011). Divergent. United States of America: Katherine Tegen Books.

Summary:

 This book is about a girl named Tris in a world that is divided into factions. There are 5 factions and each is responsible for different jobs. At the age where eveyone is given the opportunity to choose their faction, she takes a test that is supposed to tell which one she is best suited for. The results were unexpected. Follow Tris on a ride of unexpected adventures and trials as she finds her place.

Impressions: 

This book was action packed, with a hint of romance. It was unpredictable and suspenseful. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy this type of fiction.

Reviews:

Gr 9 Up— In the dystopian Chicago setting of Roth's novel (Katherine Tegen Bks., 2011), the population is divided into five factions. Upon declaring allegiance to one of them, 16-year-old Beatrice will decide her future. Beatrice and her brother, Caleb, grew up in helpful, unassuming Abnegation, always putting others first. During her aptitude testing, a simulation probes her suitability for Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. Rather than getting a clear reading of her strengths, Beatrice's result is disturbing and dangerous: she is Divergent. At the choosing ceremony, the teenager impulsively joins Dauntless, the tattooed "hellions" whose value is bravery, and who protect the community. Beatrice, now called Tris, finds she feels brilliantly alive in Dauntless, even during the brutal training. She enjoys seeing her muscles harden, testing her courage, protecting the underdog, and working her way up the ranks of recruits. Making both friends and enemies, she moves through simulations tailored to trigger her Fear Landscape. Gradually, her Divergence shows itself, allowing Tris to see that the faction-dominated world isn't as wonderful as she has been told. The likeable characters, excellent pacing, and blooming romance will have listeners hooked. Emma Galvin's youthful voice has a twinge of huskiness that lends itself to voicing both young men and women. The audiobook will be very popular, so library patrons will have to be careful considering the packaging: a lightweight box and foldout sleeves. You might want to purchase the audio download instead.—_I_Maggie Knapp, Trinity Valley School, Fort Worth, TX_i_

 Knapp, M. (2013). Divergent. School Library Journal, 59(10), 1.

Suggestions for Use:

I think it might be fun for the students to choose  what faction they think they would be in and to have a similar ceremony. Then have those students group together to talk about their strengths and what their role would be today if those factions really existed.