The Book Thief

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Zusak, Markus. 2005. THE BOOK THIEF. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-0-375-84220-7

AWARD(S) and STARS

• ALA Best Books for Young Adults, 2007
• Michael L. Printz Honor Book, 2007
• NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, 2007
• Book Sense Book of the Year, 2007
• Kirkus Reviews Editor Choice Award, 2006
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2006
• Daniel Elliott Peace Award, 2006

PLOT SUMMARY
This powerful story of friendship and survival, narrated by Death, tells of Liesel Meminger, who at the age of nine, went to live with her foster parents Hans and Rosa Hubermann becoming part of Hitler’s Youth, stealing, keeping secrets and “discovering the power of words.” Liesel learns to read and write under the compassionate tutelage of her stoic accordion-playing foster father using her stolen books, paint and a basement wall. She befriends the neighbor boy Rudy, the reclusive and depressed mayor’s wife, the hidden Jew, Max, and her foster mother’s spiteful enemy. As “the human race likes to crank things up a bit,” the reader will learn that “even Death has a heart.”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Beautifully written and interspersed with figurative language, Markus Zusak creates a visual picture of all that is ugly and heart-warming about World War II in Germany. Zusak’s uses vivid and poetic language to describe events like the foreboding feeling about the war as it “waltzed through the window with the draft” or when Rudy raced ahead “[l]ike an elastic rope, he lengthened his lead…” He sprinkles the horror with bits of humor, for example when Rudy continually asks Liesel for a kiss or when Liesel brings a “weather report” to Max by building a snowman in the basement. Throughout the novel, Zusak also uses snippets of German terms and creatively includes their translation. Without sugarcoating or sensationalizing the devastation, readers will empathize with the characters as they courageously live while “the world is an ugly stew.”

Markus Zusak gives thanks to Trudy White in his acknowledgements for her artistic ability when rendering the few illustrations for Max’s books. Her simple black and white illustrations expertly depict someone who would have been painting a story on torn out book pages that had been painted white.

In the back of the paperback version is included a brief summary of the book, questions for discussion, related titles, internet resources and a short interview/ conversation with Marcus Zusak. These resources would assist anyone wanting to conduct a book group, research more about the time, and of course, learn more about Zusak.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (2005) – “Zusak has created a work that deserves the attention of sophisticated teen and adult readers… 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 Liesel’s story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves.”
• HORN BOOK (2006) - "Exquisitely written and memorably populated, Zusak's poignant tribute to words, survival, and their curiously inevitable entwinement is a tour de force to be not just read but inhabited."
• BOOKS FOR KEEPS (2007) – “ [I]t is about survival; the survival of people in the first instance, but it is also a reflection on the survival of books despite efforts to eradicate them, and of words too in the face of a political system which makes everyone afraid of saying too much.”

CONNECTIONS

• Zusak offers four suggestions if related titles: In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer, Milkweed, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas and Tunes for Bears to Dance To. Other suggested readings would include:
• THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK by Anne Frank, ISBN 978-0582017368  
• NUMBER THE STARS by Lois Lowery, ISBN 978-0547577098
• EMIL AND KARL by Yankev Glatshteyn, ISBN 978-0312373870  
• SURVIVORS: TRUE STORIES OF CHILDREN IN THE HOLOCAUST by Allan Zullo, ISBN 978-0439669962
• Rich with poetic and figurative language, dialogue and vivid descriptions, The Book Thief would be a good book for a reader’s theater. Some suggested scripts could be when Liesel and Rudy are describing their thieving talents to the new gang leader Viktor Chemmel or when the Nazi Party is going house to house looking for deep basements for shelters Liesel purposely injures herself by running into another soccer player so she can go inside to warn her Mama and Papa knowing that Max, the Jew, is hidden in her basement.
• Zusak offers two websites for more information about this difficult time:
• www.ushmm.org
• www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org
• Below are a few more relevant websites for information or research:
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/
• http://www.besthistorysites.net/WWII.shtml
• http://www.wwiianimated.com/

Baby Mouse: Queen of the World!

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Holm, Jennifer L. and Matthew Holm. BABYMOUSE: QUEEN OF THE WORLD! New York, NY: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-0-375-83229-1

AWARD(S) and STARS

• Gryphon Honor Book Award, 2006
• ALA Core Collection: Great Graphic Novels for Younger Readers, 2006
• ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 2006
• Booklist Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth, 2006

PLOT SUMMARY
The first of the popular Babymouse graphic novel series, Babymouse: Queen of the World “squeaks” volumes about the desire to be popular with the “in” crowd and friendship that outlasts everything. Spunky Babymouse shares her “typical” days of lockers that are stuck and whiskers that just won’t straighten out while using her imagination to battle squids, become “Babymouserella,” fly into space and navigate the spooky castle. Babymouse: Queen of the World will win your heart with its humor, quirkiness and links to real life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jennifer and Matthew Holm, a brother and sister team, create a lively tale about a young mouse navigating school, friends and life. Jennifer Holm, also known for her Newbery Honor Book winners Penny in Heaven, Our Only May Amelia and Turtle in Paradise, composes the snappy easy-to-follow manuscript based on brainstormed ideas that she and her brother remember about their childhoods. Children will relate to Babymouse’s life because it could easily be their own. Every part of this book has Babymouse appearing with a comment even on the copyright page she’s peering at all the information and comments in a speech bubble, “What is all this stuff?”

Matthew Holm creates the images from the storyboard his sister has created using black felt marker and splashes of pink. Most of the text is delivered in boxes and speech bubbles in regular comic strip format. Humor is also indicated in the illustrations like when the caption is “The Joy of Learning,” the giraffe is bent over backwards snoring, the cat is turned around in her seat, Babymouse is reading her detective book and another character is filing her nails. This is a great novel to get young girl readers interested in graphic novels.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• THE BULLETIN OF THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS (2005) – “A new hero emerges in these graphic novels about the resolute mouse, Babymouse, who faces the average third-grade set of problems with an audacious sense of humor and a vivid imagination…. The artwork is simple and accessible; the black lines are sturdy yet energetic, and pink accents indicate Babymouse’s frequent daydream sequences and add touches of color. The sometimes sarcastic and always informative contrast between the understated narrative captions and the high-energy speech bubbles of the characters helps establish the separation between the way life appears to adults and the way it actually feels to children. Graphic novels for the early elementary set are rare, and this humorous and adventurous series will be snapped up.”
• CHILDREN’S LITERATURE (2005) – “Babymouse’s imaginative subplots are hilarious, as are the wonderful illustrations that give life to Babymouse and her friends and acquaintances. A delightful read for the middle elementary female reader who is looking for a quick read.”
• COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER CHOICES (2006) – “A perfect entrée into the land of graphic novels for grade school girls, Babymouse brims with humor and imagination. Babymousewill be met with open arms by libraries everywhere that are anxious to meet high demand for graphic novels, and especially eager to find good choices for younger readers.”

CONNECTIONS

• New to using graphic novels in the classroom? This website has a Teacher’s Guide just for you! Use this guide to help you get started sharing these literary treasures: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375857126.pdf.
• Want to get better connected to Babymouse? Try the Babymouse website at http://www.randomhouse.com/kids/babymouse/homepage.htm. Learn about Babymouse and her books, create your own Babymouse story, read about the authors, print posters, play games and send e-cards.
• After reading Babymouse: Queen of the World and other Babymouse graphic novels, students will realize they can create stories about their “typical” days. Using a storyboard format, have students create a comic strip story using an event from their day. Keep them simple and perhaps add one “splash” color to add emphasis like Matthew Holm does.

When You Reach Me

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH M: Listening Library CDs. Performed by Cynthia Holloway. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-0739380727

OR
Stead, Rebecca. 2009. WHEN YOU REACH ME. New York, NY: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-0-375-85086-8

AWARD(S) and STARS

• John Newbery Medal Winner, 2010
• ALA Notable Children’s Book, 2010
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children’s Literature, 2010
• Indies Choice Book Awards Winner, 2010
• IRA Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Award Winner, 2010
• NCSS/ CBC Notable Children’s Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies Winner, 2010
• NCTE Notable Children’s Trade Books in Language Arts Winner, 2010
• Parents’ Choice Gold Award, 2009
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2009
• Andre Norton Award Finalist, 2009

PLOT SUMMARY
Miranda, also known as Mira, receives mysterious notes about saving someone’s life while navigating her own life during her sixth grade year in 1978. How does the person sending the notes know what’s going to happen before it actually happens? Miranda and her mom’s boyfriend Richard prepare her mom to be a contestant for “The $20,000 Pyramid” television game show. Learning to show sensitivity to a homeless man, finding out about epilepsy, becoming friends with her former “enemy” and taking the brunt of jokes for a girl too shy to ask to go to the bathroom, Mira realizes that “there are days when everything changes…”

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Deemed a mystery and science fiction novel, Rebecca Stead merges a tale of a young girl trying to find her identity with a story about time travel, yet artfully keeps it a mystery until the end of the book. Narrated by Miranda as if she’s talking to the writer of the notes, readers will relate to Miranda’s relationship with her mother, new found love and budding friendships, while remembering old friendships and frustrations in flashbacks. Readers will see the courage and risks that Mira takes. In order to emphasize the climax, Stead artfully uses numbers, bold print and italics to emphasize events pinpointing the story’s peak exactly when it occurs.

Cynthia Holloway performs the narration of When You Reach Mealmost flawlessly. Her strong voice and tone keep the reader engaged in the story. She changes her voice slightly for different characters, yet not always accurately. This does not detract from the telling of the story. Offering this novel in audio form will delight readers of all ages and abilities.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• BOOKLIST (2009) -"[T]he mental gymnastics required of readers are invigorating; and the characters, children, and adults are honest bits of humanity no matter in whatplace or time their souls rest."
• HORN BOOK (2009) - "Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the beginning and catch what was missed."
• SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL (2009) "This unusual, thought-provoking mystery will appeal to several types of readers."
• CHILDREN’S LITERATURE (2009) – “The movement between the ordinary and the fantastic creates a kind of magical realism, in which the extraordinary is every bit as acceptable as the everyday. Amusing, bemusing and occasionally plain puzzling, this book works its way to a deliciously twisty ending. It is an interesting, multi-layered book that can be read and interpreted at many levels.”
• LIBRARY MEDIA CONNECTION (2009) – “This well-written book is planned and executed to keep readers engaged until the very end. The author’s style is appealing because of her character development and clever plot vehicles. The topics are interesting and the short chapters keep the pace flowing quickly.”

CONNECTIONS

• In When You Reach Me, Miranda is reading “her” book, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle. Have several copies of this book available for students to read or to refer to as Miranda tells the story to Belle.
• Miranda is helping her mother prepare for the $20,000 Pyramid. Have students watch some clips of former episodes of the television show (YouTube offers a number of clips). The kids will probably get a kick out of the fashions and hairstyles of the contestants! Then have students create their own categories and lists to play $20,000 Pyramid with each other. This would be a great way to prepare for a culminating test to a subject area or vocabulary practice.
• Students will be intrigued by the time travel element from the novel. Have other books available with the time travel theme such as:
• TIME TRAVEL TRAP (Twisted Journeys) by Dan Jolley, ISBN 978-0822588740 – In this 111-page graphic novel the reader chooses what will happen next allowing for rereading and different combinations of plots.
• NICK OF TIME by Ted Bell, ISBN 978-0312380687 – Nick is thrown back and forth through time fighting pirates, Napoleon’s naval forces, and Nazi spies – a sure read for middle school boys.
• THE TIME MACHINE by H.G. Wells, ISBN 978-1403709905 – The classic 1895 science fiction novella offers students a view of the inspirational book that coined the concept of a “time machine.”