Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg

Konigsburg, E.L. Silent to the Bone.

Simon Pulse; 2004,

ISBN: 0689867158.

Reader’s Annotation

Conner can’t believe that his best friend Branwell dropped his baby half-sister like they say he did, but Branwell isn’t saying much to defend himself—in fact he can’t speak at all.

Plot Summary

Something terrible has happened to Conner’s best friend Branwell Zamborska.  Branwell has been accused of dropping his baby sister Natalie (also known as Nikki).  The story opens with the 911 call on Wednesday, November 25, 2:43 P.M., Eastern Standard Time.  You hear the dispatcher, then silence.  Suddenly, a Vivian, the English au pair, grabs the phone and tells the operator that the baby is unconscious—“He dropped her!”  From that time on, Branwell is struck mute.  He is taken into custody, and placed in a juvenile detention facility while the prosecutors figure out how to charge him.  Conner visits Branwell, but Branwell still doesn’t speak.  Told through the eyes of Conner, the story goes on to describe how Conner starts investigating the incident on his own.  He even devises a way to “communicate” with Branwell—or actually, Branwell gives Conner some strange, cryptic clues.  With the help of his 20-year-old half sister Margaret, Conner diligently follows the leads to find the truth behind what really happened.

Critical Evaluation

In Silent to the Bone, Konigsburg brilliantly weaves a suspenseful, intriguing story.  The plight of Branwell, who is so traumatized that he cannot even defend himself, along with the tragedy of a comatose six-month-old baby, combine to become a gripping novel that will keep readers riveted to the very last page.  Conner and Branwell share another connection—they are both part of tense, step-family situations.  Konigsburg has a knack for strategically placing critical details in the narrative that provide the reader with enough information that they are right with Conner in his investigation.  This is the kind of novel that will make you want to go back and read it again to pick up the clues you missed the first time around.

Information about the Author

E.L. Konigsburg earned her degree at Carnegie-Mellon University, and did graduate work in organic chemistry at the University of Pittsburgh.  She taught science for several years at a private girls’ school. Konigsburg started writing when her youngest child went to kindergarten.  Konigsburg is the only author ever to have won the Newbery Medal and be a runner-up in the same year.  That year, 1968, she earned the medal for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, and her novel, Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, was named an honor book.

Genre

Mystery

Suspense

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. Why do you think that someone who goes through something tragic can sometimes not be able to speak?
2. Discuss the friendship between Conner and Branwell.

Reading level/Interest age

Young Adult (ages 13 +)

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

Sexuality

• Present the library’s selection policy
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection
• Refer to ALA Intellectual Freedom resources

Why I included this work

This was one of the most surprisingly suspenseful books I have read.

Awards and Honors include:

• Edgar Award Nominee (Young Adult, 2001)
• Booklist Editors’ Choice
• ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2001)
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2001)
• Publisher’s Weekly Best Children’s Book
• ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Great Quote from the Book:

"'It's obvious that there was someone else in the room than Branwell and Vivian,' said Margaret."

Works by Jane Austen

Emma
Pride and Prejudice

Emma by Jane Austen

Austen, Jane. Emma.

CreateSpace; 2010,

ISBN: 1451537948.

Reader’s Annotation

Emma Woodhouse fancies herself a matchmaker, and she chooses Miss Harriet Smith to be her “project” to remake, little realizing the chaos that will ensue.

Plot Summary

As a wealthy young lady from a very old family, Emma Woodhouse enjoys the status that comes from such a position.  After her long-time governess and dear friend is married to a local man, Emma finds herself all alone in a big house with only her frail and ailing father to care for.  Fortunately, Emma enjoys the company of friends and neighbors, including the brother of Emma’s brother-in-law, Mr. Knightly, who is a regular visitor.  Mr. Knightly and Emma have a long-time friendship that makes Emma feel as though he was her brother.  Emma now finds herself a bit bored, and when she sees Harriet Smith, a girl without any family at all, living in the small boarding school, Emma thinks of a plan.  She will befriend Miss Smith and remake her, and finally make a match for her!  Unfortunately, one misunderstanding after another causes chaos as the man Emma chooses for Harriet, falls in love with her instead.  As Emma tries to untangle the mess, new misunderstanding spring up, until Emma is quite over her head.  It is only when Harriet mistakenly thinks that Emma is encouraging her of Mr. Knightly’s interest that Emma realizes the truth, that she herself loves, truly loves Mr. Knightly!

Critical Evaluation

Emma is one of Jane Austen’s most light-hearted and fun novels.  The character of Emma is funny, likable and entertaining.  As always, Austen paints a picture of life for the middleclass gentry in England in the 1800s. So many of the characters capture aspects of human nature, that readers will swear that they know the characters personally.  The book Emma has been adapted into movies in various forms, most recently in the blockbuster hit starring Gwyneth Paltrow.  The popular teen movie Clueless is also based on Emma.

Information about the Author

Jane Austen was born in December 1775 to Rev. George Austen and his wife Cassandra.  Austen, the sixth of seven children, had only one older sister, to whom she was very close.  Jane and her sister were sent to boarding school at an early age for their education which consisted mainly of French, music and dancing.  Back at home jane was free to continue her education through reading and learning whatever her brothers and father could teach her. Although Austen never married, she did have several liaisons.  Her writing career culminated in six highly successful novels that have been the measuring stick for romances stories since the 1800s.  All of Austen’s works were published anonymously, and it was not 1814, after Pride and Prejudice that Austen’s identity became known.  Austen had an especially close relationship to her brother Henry, and he served as her literary agent until her death in 1817.

Genre

Classic Fiction

Romance

Curriculum Tie-ins

English Literature

     

Booktalk Ideas

1. Why do you think that marriage was so important to women in this society?
2. What do you think Mr. Knightly’s attitudes towards the different classes of people were?  Di his views differ from the other characters?

Reading level/Interest age

Ages 12-Adult

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

This novel has been made into many movies and adaptations, including Clueless.

Great Quote from the Book:

"Mr. Knightley, in fact, was one of the few people who could see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the only one who ever told her of them...."

The Gates of Zion by Bodie Thoene

Thoene, Bodie. The Gates of Zion.

Bethany House; 1986.

ISBN: 0871238705

Reader’s Annotation

In 1947, a young American photojournalist, Ellie Warne come to Jerusalem and gets caught up in a dangerous web of intrigue, even as thousands of misplaced Jews from all over Europe look for a place to call home.

Plot Summary

After World War II, thousands of displaced Jews across Europe had no place to call home.  Having endured the unspeakable horrors of the Holocaust, they looked toward Jerusalem.  Under the control of the British Mandate, Palestine was a powder keg of tension.  One young American woman, Ellie, is a photojournalist who recently arrived in Jerusalem to stay with her archeologist father.  When some Bedouins arrive one day at their house when Ellie’s father is out, they show her some scrolls they have found and want to sell to the doctor.  Ellie can’t make that decision, but she does photograph the scrolls.  She unwittingly just stepped into a web of conspiracy and intrigue that will threaten her life as “someone” tries to get those pictures.  Meanwhile, David, her American military pilot, sometimes boyfriend, comes to Jerusalem to pursue Ellie.  David claims to love Ellie, but she is torn between David and Moshe, a handsome Jewish archeologist who works with her father.  As the story goes on, the events connected with the scrolls become linked with the events surrounding the founding of the State of Israel. 

Critical Evaluation

Many people are unfamiliar with what happened after World War II and to all the Jews who survived the Holocaust.  Thoene’s remarkable talent for description brings the story alive so that the reader feels like an actual witness.  The Gates of Zion, which is book 1 in The Zion Chronicles, almost immediately captures the reader with the exciting intrigue around Ellie photographing the mysterious scrolls.  As the novel progresses, that is the main storyline.  However, the historical events and background themselves are just as compelling as the storyline. Descriptions of life under British Mandate are eye-opening, and they provide a little more understanding of current events in that region.  Told with an admittedly pro-Israel bent, The Zion Chronicles are an adventure in the purest historical fiction tradition.  A great follow-up read for The Zion Chronicles is Herman Wouk’s The Hope and The Glory.

Information about the Author

Bodie Thoene (pronounced “Tay-nee”) claims that she has always wanted to be a writer.  However, early in school it was discovered that she suffered from the learning disorder, dyslexia.  Thoene’s mother refused to take the diagnosis lying down, and instead retained a young teacher to work extensively with Thoene.  Born in Bakersfield, CA, Thoene was a political science/journalism major when she attended college in San Jose, CA.  She covered much of the unrest in the Bay Area during the turbulent Vietnam era for U.S. News and World Report.  After Bodie married Brock and settled in Waco, TX, where Bodie attended Baylor University, she kept writing.  Bodie describes how she had the opportunity to speak to John Wayne in 1978 about her interest in the event surrounding the rebirth of Israel, and that she’d someday like to write a novel about it.  He told her,  "That’s one you ought to do. It’s the story of the Jewish Alamo!"  For more information, go to Thoene Books. 

Genre

Adventure

Historical Fiction

Curriculum Tie-ins

History

Booktalk Ideas

1. Discuss how the Jewish people were treated by the British under the Mandate.  Do you think those laws were fair?
2. Moshe or David?
3. What did you learn about history that you had never heard before?

Reading level/Interest age

Adult Crossover

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

Relgion/Christian Fiction

Why I included this work

This series has a lot of little-known historical background describing what happened to the Jews after the Holocaust.  It also has an exciting plot of intrigue and danger, with a little romance thrown in!

ECPA Gold Medallion Award (Fiction,1987)

Great Quote from the Book:

"Hope" is knowing the truth and acting on it.”

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

Kidd, Sue Monk. The Secret Life of Bees.

Penguin; 2001,

ISBN: 0143114557

Reader’s Annotation

When 14-year-old Lily runs away to discover the truth of how her mother died, she never expects to find a home.

Plot Summary

Lily Owens is fourteen years old and has fragmented memories of the day her mother died.  Lily can only remember they were arguing, a gun fell to the floor, and she, a four-year-old picked it up.  Set in 1964, in South Carolina, The Secret Life of Bees tells the story of Lily’s determination to find out what really happened to her mother that day.  Lily now lives with her neglectful father whom Lily will only call T-Ray (for Terrence Ray), and her black maid Rosaleen.   When Rosaleen takes Lily and goes to register to vote after the passing of the Civil Rights Act, she ends up getting harassed and beaten by three white men. After getting into an argument, T-Ray tells Lily that her mother abandoned her.  Infuriated, Lily packs up and runs away, stopping at the hospital to sneak Rosaleen out.  Following a clue left by Lily’s mother leads them to the Boatwright Sisters—August, June, and May—makers of “Black Mary Honey”.  Staying with the Boatwrights, Lily comes to feel loved and included in a warm household.  She learns about their own unique religion that centers around a black Madonna figurehead from an old ship.  She also learns to care for the bees, along with Zach, August’s godson, with whom Lily shares her dreams—she wants to write short stories, and he wants to be an “ass-busting” lawyer.  He and Lily are attracted to each other, but recognizing the dangers of interracial relationships in the South, they resist.  When Zach and his friends get falsely arrested for “injuring” a white man, May is so distraught, that she commits suicide.  T-Ray finally catches up with Lily, and ends up leaving her to live with the Boatwrights.  For Lily, it’s bittersweet—she’s glad to get to live where she’s loved and wanted, but sad that T-Ray’s last words to her are “Good riddance.”

Critical Evaluation

The character of Lily Owens comes alive in this poignant novel.  Her quest for closure about her mother’s death, and even more, her longing to be loved makes for a gut-wrenching, but satisfying story.  The quirkiness of the Boatwrights at first seems peculiar, but then feels just right.  The Sisters have created a religion and a home for themselves that serves as an oasis in the midst of a harsh and unloving society.  Kidd does a wonderful job at using the bees and honey symbolically.  The image of the hives, with a whole world hidden within, is a lovely illustration of how society judges on appearances, and remains ignorant of the world beneath the surface.  August’s strength ultimately gives Lily the peace she craves. 

Information about the Author

Sue Monk Kidd graduated from Texas Christian University with a B.S. in nursing in 1970, and worked as a registered nurse and as a college nursing instructor throughout her twenties.  When a personal essay she wrote for a writing class was published in Guideposts, and later reprinted in Reader’s Digest, Kidd really got her start in writing.  She later went on to become a contributing editor at Guideposts.  The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd’s first novel became a phenomenal success.  Kidd later wrote The Mermaid Chair.  For more information, go to Sue Monk Kidd. 

Genre

Historical Fiction

Curriculum Tie-ins

History—Racism and Civil Rights

Domestic violence

Booktalk  Ideas

1. How do our actions as very young children affect us throughout our lives?
2. Discuss Our Lady of Chains, and what she meant to the Boatwright sisters.

Reading level/Interest age

Adult Crossover

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

Violence

• Present the library’s selection policy
• Be familiar with similar works in the collection
• Refer to ALA Intellectual Freedom resource

Why I included this work

• ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2003)
• ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (2002)

Great Quote from the Book:

“People who think dying is the worst thing don’t know a thing about life.”

Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.

HarperTrophy; 1997,

ISBN: 0064407055.

Reader’s Annotation

Ella has to obey—she’s been cursed with the "gift" of obedience—but will she find the way to break the curse, and make her life into what she wants it to be?

Plot Summary

Talk about a gift that you don’t want!  When Ella is born and is just an hour old, the fairy Lucinda bestows a gift on the baby—the gift of obedience.  Of course, this turns out to be an absolute nightmare, since Ella is doomed to a life in which she has to do whatever she is ordered to do whether she wants to or not.  When she is told to never reveal the curse to anyone, she is compelled to obey, and can tell no one--not even Prince Charmont.  When Ella’s mother dies, Ella goes to boarding school with her two horrible stepsisters Hattie and Olive.  Hattie soon figures out about Ella’s curse and takes terrible advantage of Ella.  Ella runs away, and sets out to find Lucinda and beg her to remove the curse.  After many adventures, Ella finds Lucinda, and to her dismay Lucinda refuses.  Ella’s friend Prince Charmont, is in love with Ella, but she knows that to marry him would endanger him, and she tells him no.  Then, not knowing about the curse, the prince commands Ella to marry him… 

Critical Evaluation

Levine’s twist on the classic Cinderella has a lot of fun putting a modern spin on that timeless tale.  The book actually takes a character from literature who seems rather weak and doormat-like, and transforms her into a heroine who takes charge of her life.  When she finds life with Lucinda’s curse unbearable, she set out to change things.  She’s determined to break the curse.  Even while under the curse, Ella’s spirit comes through as she finds little ways to get back at her tormentors.  This novel presents an excellent picture of the difference between forced obedience and willing acquiescence. Levine tops it off with a highly satisfying ending, suitable for a happily ever after.

Information about the Author

Gail Levine came from a highly creative family, and for years Levine wanted to be a painter and actor.  In 1967, she married David Levine. She majored in philosophy at New York’s City College, where she received her B.A. in 1969.  She spent the next 27 years working for the government of the state of New York, mainly as a welfare administrator, helping people find jobs.  After taking some classes in writing, Levine tried to have her manuscripts published for nine years.  Her first work to be published was Ella Enchanted was accepted by HarperCollins Trophy on April 17, 1996—Levine calls that one of the happiest days of her life.

Genre

Fantasy

Fairy Tale

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. How is Ella different from Cinderella?
2. Can you think of another fairy tale that you would want to remake?

Reading level/Interest age

Ages 10 +

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

• Newbery Honor Book
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children’s Book Award (Vermont)
• Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Award
• California Young Reader Medal
• Iowa Teen Award
• Arizona Young Readers’ Award

Great Quote from the Book:

"Hattie: It's me he's going to have at his coronation.
Ella: Yeah, in the middle of the table with an apple in your mouth."

Wicked (Audio CD)

 

Schwartz, Stephen (Composer).   Wicked (Audio CD). 

ASIN:  B0000TB01Y. Label:  Decca Broadway.

Format:  Cast Recording.  Release Date: 2003.

Listener Annotation:

The story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda in the hit Broadway musical, Wicked is captured in this electric and compelling cast recording.   

 

Songs include: 

1. No One Mourns the Wicked
2. Dear Old Shiz
3. Wizard and I, The
4. What Is This Feeling?
5. Something Bad
6. Dancing Through Life
7. Popular
8. I'm Not That Girl
9. One Short Day
10. A Sentimental Man
11. Defying Gravity
12. Thank Goodness
13. Wonderful
14. I'm Not That Girl (Reprise)
15. As Long as You're Mine
16. No Good Deed
17. March of the Witch Hunters
18. For Good
19. Finale

Critical Evaluation

As the show opens with the death of the Witch of the East, the recording begins dramatically with the song “No One Mourns the Wicked”.  Other songs that have become especially well known are:  the fun “Popular” (Kristin Chenoweth); the wide-eyed “The Wizard and I” (Idina Menzel); the rousing “Defying Gravity” (Kristin Chenoweth); and probably the most poignant ballad of the  show, “For Good” (Kristin Chenoweth).  The 2003 Broadway musical, Wicked is loosely based on Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, which in turned is a parallel novel of the 1939 movie  by  Frank Baum.  Though the musical was met with mixed reviews when it first premiered, the show has remained hugely popular with fans of all ages.  The Broadway production's success spawned productions in Chicago, Los Angeles, London's West End and San Francisco, as well as international productions in Japan, Germany, Australia and elsewhere, and two North American tours that have visited over thirty cities in Canada and the United States.

Genre

Broadway Musical

Discussion points

1. Have you ever gotten to see the shows?
2. Which song best captures the relationship between Elpheba and Glinda? 

Audience/Interest Age

All ages

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

Wicked premiered in October in 2003, and although its reviews were rather mixed, Wicked remains wildly popular with fans. Wicked has broken box office records around the world, and has broken records for weekly-gross-takings in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, St. Louis, and London.  Both the West End production and the North American tour have been seen by over two million patrons.

The show was nominated for ten 2004 Tony Awards, winning three, including for Best Actress (Menzel). It also won six Drama Desk Awards and an Olivier Award.

Great Quote from the CD (Spoken) :

GALINDA :  “Elphie – now that we're friends, I've decided to
make you my new project.”
ELPHABA:  “You really don't have to do that.”
GALINDA:  “ I know. That's what makes me so nice!”

Number the Stars by Lois Lowery

Lowery, Lois. Number the Stars.

Laurel Leaf; 1998,

ISBN: 0440227534.

Reader’s Annotation

Annemarie and Ellen are friends, but when the Nazis in Denmark begin arresting Jewish families, Ellen must become Annemarie’s sister in order to hide her true identity and save her.

Plot Summary

Annemarie Johanson and Ellen Rosen are best friends living in Copenhagen Denmark in 1943.  World War II has begun, and the Nazis are already in Denmark.  One day, Annmarie and Ellen are racing in the streets when a German soldier stops Annemarie and questions her.  Her parents warn her to avoid that route to and from school from now on.  Annemarie has a little sister Kirstie, and she had an older sister Lise, who was struck by a German soldier’s car and killed before the beginning of the story.  Lise’s fiancé Peter, has become active in the Danish Resistance, and he comes to the Johanson’s and warns them that Jewish businesses are being taken by the Nazis, and Jewish families are being rounded up and killed or taken away.  Peter takes Mr. and Mrs. Rosen into hiding and Ellen comes to live with Annemarie’s family, posing as Lise.  When soldiers come one night to question the Johansons about the Rosen’s whereabouts, Ellen is almost killed then and there when a soldier is suspicious that the Johansons have two blonde daughters and are claiming this dark-haired girl is their daughter.  Mr. Johanson quickly shows them a labeled picture of Lise as a baby with dark hair like Ellen’s.  Soon the Johanson go to Annemarie’s Uncle Henrik’s house by the sea.  After one peaceful day there, Annemarie’s mother tells them that Great-aunt Birte died and that they were going to have a funeral—only Annemarie knows that there is no Great-aunt Birte.  The funeral, complete with a coffin filled with warm blankets and clothes, is a cover in order to prepare Jews, including the Rosen family, to be smuggled out of Denmark and taken by boat to Sweden.  Annemarie tells Ellen goodbye and goes to bed.  When she awakens, she sees her mother on the ground outside.  Annemarie runs to her, fearing the worst, but her mother has just broken her ankle.  But her mother has a package that must get to Mr. Rosen on Uncle Henrik’s boat.  It’s up to Annemarie to take it, despite the danger of the Nazi soldiers all around.  Annemarie has just become part of the Danish Resistance Movement.

Critical Evaluation

Number the Stars is a story of the Holocaust, chronicling the Rescue of the Danish Jews—The rescue that allowed the vast majority of Denmark's Jewish population to avoid capture by the Nazis and is considered to be one of the largest actions of collective resistance to repression in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany.  Lowery puts a human face on the event, and tells the story through the eyes of Annemarie.  The novel has a gripping pace, with Annemarie, at the beginning completely innocent of the atrocities being perpetrated, and as the story progresses, becomes more and more aware and eventually involved herself.  Ellen’s Star of David necklace, which was broken when it was ripped from Ellen’s neck in order to disguise her, becomes symbolic as Annemarie works to repair it after the war ends a few years later.

Information about the Author

Lois Lowery began her career as a photographer and a free lance journalist.  Lowery, who was born in 1937, has written more than 30 books for children and published an autobiography. Two of her works have been awarded the prestigious Newbery Medal: Number the Stars in 1990, and The Giver in 1994.  She especially enjoys writing about difficult topics such as the Holocaust, terminal illness, and murder.

Genre

Historical Fiction

Curriculum Tie-ins

History (the Holocaust)

Booktalk Ideas

Do you think that Annemarie’s parents should have told Annemarie more about what they were doing?

What do you think that the Star of David symbolizes in the book?

Reading level/Interest age

Ages 10-Adult

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

This story tells a story of the Holocaust from a unique aspect.  It was included on Goodread's Best Book for Young Adults. 
Awards and honors include:

• An ALA Notable Book
• Newbery Medal (1990)
• A Horn Book Medal (1990)
• A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
• American Bookseller “Pick of the Lists”

(show all 10 items)

 Great Quote from the Book:

"Now she was ten, with long legs and no more silly dreams of pink-frosted cupcakes. And now she - and all the Danes - were to be bodyguard for Ellen, and Ellen's parents, and all of Denmark's Jews."

The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Return of the King : Being the Third Part of The Lord of the Rings.

Mariner Books; 1999 (originally published in 1955),

ISBN: 0618002243.

Reader’s Annotation

In the conclusion of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Frodo draws ever closer to the goal on his perilous quest to destroy the Ring of Power, and save Middle Earth from the clutches of the evil Lord Sauron.

Plot Summary

After the fellowship of the original nine companions has failed, Frodo and his friend Sam continue on their unlikely quest to Mordor, in order to destroy the Ring of Power, and thus save all of Middle Earth from the tyranny of the evil Lord Sauron.  They made the creature Gollum their unlikely guide, since he has actually been to Mordor.  Even though Frodo and Sam know that Gollum is treacherous, they have no choice but to trust him.  Meanwhile, Sauron's armies of Mordor are already moving and preparing to go to war with country of Gondor.  The original companions of the Fellowship are separated even further in this third book of the trilogy:  Frodo and Sam sneak into Mordor to try to get to Mount Doom; Pippin, after getting into some trouble, goes with Gandalf the wizard to Minas Tirith, capitol of Gondor; Merry remains with the king of Rohan, the country to the north of Gondor which will try to come to Gondor’s aid and fight against Mordor; Aragorn, Legolas the elf and Gimli the dwarf, take a haunted path through the mountains to call up the cursed “undead” army that once betrayed Gondor and has been cursed to never rest in peace until they come help Gondor in its hour of need.  As the armies all converge on Minas Tirith, Frodo and Sam creep ever closer to Mount Doom.  But so much remains uncertain—will Mordor or the armies of the West win the battle?  Will Frodo and Sam make it to Mount Doom against the will of the Ring, and once there, will Frodo have the strength to throw the Ring into the fire?        

Critical Evaluation

Epic in scope, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is difficult to sum up in a few sentences.  The books were never intended to be three separate books, so there is a sense that each is the beginning, the middle and the end.  That makes The Return of the King by far the most dramatic and exciting of the three books.  Tolkien borrowed extensively from his experiences in World War I, to convey the true horror of war.  The entire book is basically the climax of the whole trilogy.  All the story lines are brought to their conclusion and by the last page, the reader is thoroughly satisfied.  Although made more popular in recent years by the release of the movies by Peter Jackson, much of the color and textures from the book are lost in the movie.  One-third of The Return of the King is comprised of appendices that show the true depth of Tolkien’s genius.  It is here that background histories are chronicled, languages are explored, and glimpses of the future in Middle Earth.  Anyone who loved the movies must read the books!

About the Author

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892, but grew up in England.  He was orphaned at the age of twelve, and the parish priest cared for young Ronald and his younger brother, seeing that they were taken in by a relative, and then overseeing their spiritual and academic growth.  Tolkien went on to excel in linguistics, especially old- and middle-English, and he served as a professor at Oxford.  After the success of the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien and his wife Edith had to move from their house and change their telephone number, due to the number of overzealous fans.  For more information, go to:

http://www.tolkiensociety.org/tolkien/biography.html

Genre

Fantasy

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

Discuss Eowyn and her desire to go to war.

1. Why do you think that Aragorn is rather reluctant to claim his right to be king?
2. Do you think that the Ring is symbolic of anything in particular?  If so, what?

Reading level/Interest age

Ages 12+

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

The Return of the King was a recent blockbuster movie, and  the Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my absolute, all-time favorite works of literature.

Recommended at: New Brunswick Free Public Library

Great Quote from the Book:

"’Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!’ Then Merry heard the strangest of all sounds in that hour the strangest. It seemed that Dernhelm laughed, and the clear voice was like the ring of steel. ‘But no living man am I!’”

October Sky (Film)

 

Johnstone, Jon (Director).  October Sky.

Written by:  Homer Hickam Jr. and Lewis Colick

Release date: February 19, 1999 (USA)

Paramount Pictures

Cast:

Jake Gyllenhaal:   Homer Hickam

Chris Cooper:   John Hickam

Laura Dern:   Miss Frieda Riley

Chris Owen:   Quentin Wilson

William Lee Scott:   Roy Lee Cooke

Chad Lindberg:   Sherman O'Dell

Natalie Canerday:   Elsie Hickam

Randy Stripling:   Leon Bolden

Viewer’s Annotation:

In a town where boys grow up to work in a coal mine, Homer Hickam Jr. decided to follow his dream--all the way to space.

Storyline:

In Coalwood, West Virginia, in 1957, almost every man in town worked in the coal mines.  That was no exception for the father of Homer Hickam.  Homer, a high school student, loved school—especially science.  But Homer’s father John loved the mine and expected both of his sons to join him there one day.  Then came the day in October when it was announced that the Russians had launched Sputnik, the first man-made satellite to orbit the Earth.  Homer was inspired but the possibilities, and began to study about and to try to make his own rockets.  With the help of Quentin, the school’s math geek and his friends Roy Lee and O’Dell, Homer actually builds and launches some rockets.  Most were flops, but with the support of Miss Riley, the science teacher, they experimented with the fuel and design, and were successful.  When a forest fire starts some distance away, Homer and his friends are blamed, with the authorities stating that it was a failed rocket that started it.  Then a disaster in the mine result in one death, and Homer’s father is injured.  Homer has no choice, he leaves high school and takes his father’s place at the mine while John recovers.  Eventually, Homer researches rocket trajectories, and he and his friends are able to find and recover their lost rocket—which was far from the fire.  Reinspired, Homer and his friends enter their work in the school Science Fair.  They win and the school sends Homer to the national science fair.  When Homer wins the top prize, colleges knock themselves over offering him scholarships.  When he returns to Coalwood and visits the hospital to see Miss Riley, now ill with Hodgkin’s Disease, and show her his medal.  The movie ends with the “Rocket Boys” launching their biggest rocket yet, named the “Miss Riley”.

Critical Analysis:

Based on the book Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam Jr., October Sky is a inspiring story of one boy’s determination to follow his dream, despite the pressures put on him to do otherwise.  Homer’s relationship with his father, one of the main subplots in the movie, is filled with the tension between Homer desperately wanting the approval of a father, and yet wanting and needing to follow his own path.  The other main subplot is Homer relationship with Miss Riley.  Her support of Homer and the other boys endears her to the viewers.  When Miss Riley lies in the hospital bed dying of Hodgkin’s Disease, your heart breaks for her.  But seeing how her encouragement and support has propelled Homer closer to his dreams, brings her a measure of peace and closure.  Knowing that this is a true story makes this movie all the more inspiring.

Genre

Drama

Curriculum Tie-ins

Science

Rating

PG

Challenge Issues/Challenge Defense Ideas

None

Why I included this

• So many teen movies are comedy/dramas based on high school life and teen angst.  October Sky features a different kind of story that may inspire teens to not give up, and to shoot for the stars.
• October Sky has a 93% "Fresh" rating on review site Rotten Tomatoes based on 59 reviews

Great Quote from the Movie:

“No. Coal mining may be your life, but it's not mine. I'm never going down there again. I wanna go into space.”

Secrets of My Hollywood Life by Jen Calonita

Calonita, Jen. Secrets of My Hollywood Life.

Little, Brown and Company, 2006.

ISBN 978-0-316-15442-0

Reader’s Annotation

After 12 years of working as a TV child star, Kaitlin Burke needs and break, and a chance to experience “normal” life, but her plan affects more people than she anticipated, including Evan, a boy she dates who has no idea of who she really is.

Plot Summary

Sometimes being a celebrity is just plain exhausting.  For 16-year-old Kaitlin Burke, the stress (and the competitiveness of her costar Sky Mackenzie), have her wondering what it would be like to just be an ordinary teenager for a few months.  She devises a plan to enroll in the same high school as her friend Liz, and for a few weeks enjoys the simple joy of being liked just for who she really is (or rather, who she appears to be).  Only the principal of Clark Hall High School and, of course, Liz knows Kaitlin’s true identity.  Because she has been working since she was four years old, Kaitlin savors the simple things that she’s never experienced before.  Taking the name Rachel Rogers, and student visiting from England for two months, Kaitlin indulges in things like math class that she loves, and serving on the dance committee.  Kaitlin even begins a relationship a great guy named Evan, who ironically has a slight crush on the famous Kaitlin Burke.  When, at a school dance, Sky cattily “unmasks” Kaitlin, her friends and Evan feel betrayed.  Will Kaitlin be able to save her new-found friendships?

Critical Evaluation

Who doesn’t secretly wish that they could be a celebrity—to live a glamorous life and be the center of attention.  Secrets of My Hollywood Life puts a new spin on that daydream, giving readers a fresh perspective on what that kind of life might actually be like. The fact that Kaitlin has been working since she was four clues you in that she is searching for her identity just like every teen does.  And most teens don’t have a pushy agent, stage mom, and a competitive costar to contend with.  Kaitlin’s relationship comes across as a honest breath of fresh air for Kaitlin, even though you know that it can’t last.  While the premise of the story is as old as the Prince and the Pauper, Secrets of My Hollywood Life is a very entertaining, fun read, and is the first of a six-book series.

Information about the Author

Jen Calonita knows what she writes about.  Uniquely qualified to write celebrity, Calonita worked as a Senior Entertainment Editor at Teen People, and has also written for TV Guide, Glamour and Marie Claire, has interviewed countless young stars.  Calonita live in Merrick, NY with her husband and two sons.  For more information, go to: Jen Calonita.

Genre

Reality Fiction

Chick Lit

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. Did reading Secrets of My Hollywood Life change how you view celebrities?  Why or why not?
2. Discuss Kaitlin’s relationship with Liz.  Compare what that friendship meant to each of them.

Reading level/Interest age

Young Adult (ages 13 +)

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None

Why I included this work

Yalsa's Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults

Winner of the Louisiana Young Readers Award

Great Quote from the Book:

“What if? Your picture was taped inside teenage boys’ lockers across America, your closets were bursting with never-worn designer clothing, and the tabloids constantly asked whether you were losing your “good girl” status?”