Module 10: The Book Thief

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• Book Summary: Liesel Meminger is a nine year old girl growing up with her adoptive family during World War II in Nazi occupied Germany. The story, narrated by Death, paints a picture of both the tragedies and the beauty Liesel endures as she comes of age in a world where things are not always as they seem. Liesel learns that fighting for what you believe in sometimes comes at a very high price but in the end, it's all that really matters

• APA Reference of Book: Zusak, M. (2005). The book thief. New York, NY: Knopf Publishing.

• Impressions: Although I found this book a "slow start", once I finished it, I was fascinated with the depth of the content. There were several dualities in the book. One being on the power of words. Between Liesel's lack of reading ability at the beginning of the story, and being made fun of for it, to how she later used her reading ability to comfort people. Another being the duality between kindness and cruelty. Liesel's adoptive father dislikes the regime and is harboring a Jew for protection, yet scolds Liesel publicly when she expresses the same disdain. The author's use of details, such as when he describes the march of the Jews through the town, gives readers a good depiction of what the historical period was like. While this book is suggested reading for 9th grade and up, I feel it would be best received by 11th and 12th graders. The true messages of the book may not be picked up on by younger readers without deep discussion and analyzation of the themes.   

• Professional Review: Starred Review. Grade 9 Up–Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers. Death himself narrates the World War II-era story of Liesel Meminger from the time she is taken, at age nine, to live in Molching, Germany, with a foster family in a working-class neighborhood of tough kids, acid-tongued mothers, and loving fathers who earn their living by the work of their hands. The child arrives having just stolen her first book–although she has not yet learned how to read–and her foster father uses it, The Gravediggers Handbook, to lull her to sleep when shes roused by regular nightmares about her younger brothers death. Across the ensuing years of the late 1930s and into the 1940s, Liesel collects more stolen books as well as a peculiar set of friends: the boy Rudy, the Jewish refugee Max, the mayors reclusive wife (who has a whole library from which she allows Liesel to steal), and especially her foster parents. Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesels story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative.–Francisca Goldsmith, Berkeley Public Library, CA 

Goldsmith, F. (2005). [Review of the book The book thief, by M. Zusak]. Amazon.com. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Book-Thief-Markus-Zusak/dp/0375842209?ie=UTF8&isInIframe=1&n=283155&redirect=true&ref_=dp_proddesc_0&s=books.

• Library Use: Use the story to have a class discussion on Literacy, past and present. The novel places an importance on literacy and on what a powerful tool it is. Ask students if they can remember the first book they owned. What was their favorite book as a child and did it have a profound impact on them? In today's society, literacy is being used as a communication tool in emails and texts. Discuss how literacy has changed in the 21st century. Is it taken for granted? Do the students think we disrespect language when we text and write emails with slang and/or poor grammar?  

Module 9: Chasing Vermeer

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• Book Summary: Petra and Calder, the main characters in this title, begin the story as strangers but soon become friends drawn together by the mystery surrounding the disappearance of a famous work of art. As the duo manuever through a series of discovering clues and solving puzzles, and as they get closer to solving the mystery, their lives become more in danger. Their courage and strong desire to solve the crime keeps them focused and along the way, the two must decide which clues are relevant and which events are just mere coincidences. The suspense builds all the way to the surprise ending that will leave readers pondering whether coincidences mean anything and wanting to study the art of Vermeer more closely.   

• APA Reference of Book: Balliett, B. (2004). Chasing vermeer. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

• Impressions: This story is definitely a good choice for bright children that have higher level thinking skills. With the inclusion of the code hidden in the pages of the book, the reader is encouraged to solve the code alongside the main characters solving the mystery of the crime. While this title encourages reasoning and problem solving, two characteristics of a good mystery, it also has many characteristics of an adventure story. The characters are multidimensional and lifelike. Calder is an only child that wishes his parents gave him more freedom. Petra is shy, and like Calder, is intelligent and pays attention to detail. The plot is fast-moving and with two protagonists, one being male and one female, boys and girls alike can appreciate and enjoy this story. 

• Professional Review: Art, intrigue, and plenty of twists and turns make this art mystery a great read. Petra Andalee and Calder Pillay set out to find the connection between their teacher (a freewheeling constructivist teacher), the eccentric woman in their neighborhood, the bookstore owner, and an international art thief. Balliett intersperses fascinating information about Johannes Vermeer and his paintings throughout the two friends’ quest to solve the mystery—a mystery layered with pentominoes (a mathematical tool consisting of 12 pieces), puzzling clues, and suspicious strangers. Helquist’s detailed black-and-white chapter illustrations hold hidden messages, clues related to the pentominoes, and more puzzles. Fans of E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler or Ellen Raskin’s The Westing Game will find equal pleasure in this debut by a talented writer. (Fiction. 11-14)

(2004). [Review of the book Chasing vermeer, by B. Balliett]. Kirkus review. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/blue-balliett/chasing-vermeer/.

• Library Use: Have students get into groups and solve pentomino puzzles together. Using a labeling scheme, have students create their own for other groups to solve. 

Module 8: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

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• Book Summary: Edward Tulane is a beautiful china rabbit doll that is well loved and well taken care of by Abilene, the little girl that he belongs to. Despite the adoration he receives, Edward thinks only of himself and is very pretentious. When a tragic event leads to Edward being separated from Abilene, he embarks on a long journey that includes coming in contact with many people, some mean and some nice. Edward learns many lessons along the way that slowly soften his heart with each new experience. The surprising twist at the end is sure to leave readers feeling warm and filled with thoughts on love and redemption.    

• APA Reference of Book: DiCamillo, K. (2009). The miraculous journey of edward tulane. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

• Impressions: The first experience I had with this story was listening to the audiobook version about seven years ago with my then 5 and 11 year-old children. I thought it was such a poignant story and was excited to revisit it for the fantasy genre. This book contains all the characteristics of well written fantasy according to the textbook, Young Adult Literature (Bucher & Hinton, 2014, p. 200). While it has been compared to Velveteen Rabbit and Pinocchio, other stories of inanimate objects getting a "soul", it has an originality that makes it enjoyable as a read-aloud to younger children as much as for older children. I love how the story spanned so many years and with each interaction Edward had with each new character introduced, the reader sees transformation in Edward that builds up to the traits in his final character revealed at the end.   

• Professional Review: *Starred Review* Gr. 2-4. As she did in her Newbery Medal Book, The Tale of Despereaux (2004), DiCamillo tucks important messages into this story and once more plumbs the mystery of the heart--or, in this case, the heartless. Edward Tulane is a china rabbit with an extensive wardrobe. He belongs to 10-year-old Abilene, who thinks almost as highly of Edward as Edward does of himself. Even young children will soon realize that Edward is riding for a fall. And fall he does, into the sea, after mean boys rip him from Abilene's hands during an ocean voyage. Thus begins Edward's journey from watery grave to the gentle embrace of a fisherman's wife, to the care of a hobo and his dog, and into the hands of a dying girl. Then, pure meanness breaks Edward apart, and love and sacrifice put him back together--until just the right child finds him. With every person who touches him, Edward's heart grows a little bit softer and a little bit bigger. Bruised and battered, Edward is at his most beautiful, and beautiful is a fine word to describe the artwork. Ibatoulline outdoes himself; his precisely rendered sepia-tone drawings and color plates of high artistic merit are an integral part of this handsomely designed package. Yet even standing alone, the story soars because of DiCamillo's lyrical use of language and her understanding of universal yearnings. This will be a pleasure to read aloud.

Cooper, I. (2006). [Review of the book The miraculous journey of edward tulane, by K. DiCamillo]. Booklist Online. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/The-Miraculous-Journey-of-Edward-Tulane-Kate-DiCamillo/pid=1574791.

• Library Use: This book would be ideal to use to do a character study. Discussing how a character changes throughout a story; have groups of students make an anchor chart with beginning, middle, and end labeled. Identify the main character’s (Edward) strengths and weaknesses, events that occur that cause the character to think differently about life, and how the character shows growth.

Reference:
Bucher, K., & Hinton, K. (2014). Young adult literature: Exploration, evaluation, and appreciation (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.