Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Notes from the Dog

Paulsen, Gary. 2009. NOTES FROM THE DOG. New York: Random House, Inc. ISBN 978-0-375-73845-3

During the summer, middle-schooler, Finn Howard Duffy, plans to limit his contact with other people to twelve which includes his single-parent father. Little does he know when he meets the new neighbor, graduate student Johanna Jackson, things are about to change. Also during the summer, Finn’s border collie, Dylan, delivers notes like “You’re not as ugly as you think.” and “Family is who you find.” in his slobbery snout, helping Finn learn about life. Finn and his “true friend,” talkative and confident Matthew, are hired by Johanna to cultivate a garden in Finn’s yard for her to enjoy as she struggles with the effects of chemotherapy while battling cancer. Johanna’s tutelage and friendship have a profound effect on Finn as he breaks out of his shell – dating Karla, speaking in front of construction workers encouraging them to donate to to Johanna’s triathlon fund-raiser, and being there for someone in need.
“Paulsen’s fans may miss his trademarks: the notorious exploits of boys, the page-turning wilderness adventures, or the sled dogs that often take center stage. Yet this candid and tender tale, told with his signature humor, is a salute to the bravest of the brave (Follos, 2010).” Unlike his usual genre of adventure stories, renowned novelist Gary Paulsen creates a believable story about a lonely middle school boy determined to spend his summer isolated from human contact reading novels. Narrated by Finn, readers will be able to relate to typical awkward teenage moments – freezing when the girl you like walks up – and some that not every teen has experienced – using self-tanning solution and having it make you look “like a highway caution cone.” While the setting of a normal neighborhood is downplayed, moments such as when Finn has overwatered and fertilized his backyard turning it into a swamp of “reconstituted cow poop” add to the entertaining and sensitive plot. Reluctant readers will find this a refreshing read due to it’s brevity, humor and connection to real life.
As Tracy A. Fitzwater states in the Library Media Connection (2009), this novel is “dedicated to everyone who has faced cancer, this is a story that will make readers think about what the important things in life are, an d written by Paulsen to show that cancer can’t crush the human spirit.” Included in the back of the novel are Internet resources for those interested in learning more about breast cancer and how women and their families deal with it.
Included on the Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of the Year list in 2010, Notes from the Dog also received the 2009 National Parenting Publications Award as a Gold Book for Children 12 years old and up.
References
Follos, Alison. 2009. "Notes from the Dog." School Library Journal 55, no. 9: 170. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 19, 2011).
Fitzwater, Tracy A. 2009. "Notes from the Dog." Library Media Connection 28, no. 3: 79. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 19, 2011).

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Airborn

Oppel, Kenneth. 2004. AIRBORN. New York: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-06-053180-0

“I was born in the air,” states Matt Cruse, cabin boy on the Aurora, an enormous luxury airship that sails across the Paicificus carrying wealthy passengers bound for foreign lands. During one of the voyages headed to Sydney, Australia, tardy passengers, Kate deVries and Miss Simpkins, her chaperone, board the Aurora via an “ornithopter,”( called mosquitoes by the crew because of their incessant buzzing and flitting). Later, arriving in an unmarked airship, pirates plunder the Aurora, and as they leave, a storm buffets their ship into the skin of the Aurora causing Captain Walken to shipwreck the Aurora on an island considerably off-course. While stranded, Kate and Matt find the “cloud cat,” or “half-bird, half-panther,” Kate’s balloonist grandfather had written about in his journal right before he died; Kate is determined to prove him right. This spellbinding book will keep readers on the edges of their seats as they travel through the many adventures with Matt and Kate.
In Airborn, a 2005 Michael L. Printz Honor Book,Kenneth Oppel creates a suspenseful swashbuckling adventure story with imaginary creatures, pirates, and airships seemingly set about 100 years ago, in the air and on an isolated tropical island. The action begins immediately as the Aurora assists a stray hot air balloon with a dying pilot. Using ficticious language like “hydrium” which is gas lighter than air and “alumiron” parts that hold the ship together, Oppel takes his readers for a flight that’ll surely make them want to read the sequel Skybreaker. Vivid details create lasting pictures yet don’t weigh the story down like the description of the volcano as “a glutenous tongue of black and orange lava oozed” or the pirate ship as a “sleek black raptor.” Readers will identify with the protagonist, Matt Cruse, who yearns to be a “sailmaker” like his father as he tells this coming-of-age story filled with adventure, near-death experiences, and fictitious animals making this fantastical novel believable. Through humorous interactions between Kate, Matt and Bruce Lunardi, the boy who took Matt’s job, boys and girls will be captivated and find themselves pulled into the adventures as they relate to the conflicts, tensions and heroic deeds by each character. Sharon Rawlins (2004) from the School Library Journal states, “This rousing adventure has something for everyone: appealing and enterprising characters, nasty villains, and a little romance.”
As an extension, students and teachers may want to visit Kenneth Oppel’s Airborn website which offers “visuals” of the airship and its parts, newspaper articles about the voyage, and a 123-page literature unit created by Martha Martin  for grades 6, 7, 8 or 9.
Airborn has been listed on a number of best books list including the 2005 ALA’s Notable Children’s Books, the 2004 School Library Journal Best Books, and YALSA’s 2005 Best Books for Young Adults.
References
Martin, Martha. 2004. “Airborn by Kenneth Oppel: Literature Unit for Grades 6, 7, 8 or 9.” http://kennethoppel.com/pages/novel%20studies/Airborn%20Novel%20Study.pdf (accessed October 18, 2011).
Oppel, Kenneth. 2011. “Airborn.” Kenneth Oppel. http://kennethoppel.com/airborn/airborn.shtml (accessed October 18, 2011).
Rawlins, Sharon. 2004. "Airborn (Book)." School Library Journal 50, no. 7: 110. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 19, 2011).

Runner

Deuker, Carl. 2005. RUNNER. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 978-0618-54298-7

Senior Chance Taylor finds himself in the role of parent to his alchoholic Gulf War veteran father as they live moment by moment on a 30-year-old dilapidated sailboat near the locks of Puget Sound. He keeps a low profile at school trying not to draw attention to himself. How does he survive this unusual existence? He runs; he says especially “when I feel like my heads about to explode.” Offered a job to run secret packages for “the fat guy” in the marina office, Chance jumps at the chance to help pay off his father’s debts. Yet as things seem to be getting better, they go from bad to worse. Smugglers, terrorists, and “murder – the instant the word flashed in my mind, I pushed it out,” thinks Chance. Read this intriguing novel to find out how Chance survives through his trials at school and in life.
In this post-9/11 novel, sports enthusiast and writer Carl Deuker offers a fast-paced book filled with emotion and suspense, especially good for boys and struggling readers. The book is broken up into three parts and each of the chapters is short offering readers a sense of accomplishment as each chapter passes by. Readers are kept wondering what will happen next. Gillian Engberg from Booklist states, “Deuker drops plenty of hints about what's in the packages, but the tragic blockbuster ending may still be a surprise.” Those who have dealt with poverty vs. privledge, abandonment by a parent, or parent/child role reversal will relate to Chance’s thoughts and feelings. Ashley C. Mills from Children’s Literature also adds, “The novel addresses some interesting topics relative to today’s youth, such as terrorism, single-parent families, and alcoholism.”  The significance of the setting is subtly revealed as the story unfolds. In this young adult novel, Deuker folds various genres into its pages – realistic fiction, mystery, and romance – inviting those with different interests to read Runner. “Boys will like this book for its male lead and its focus on military issues, and teachers will find it useful in the classroom (Ingram 2005).” After a suspensful climax, Deuker offers a quick yet satisfying ending helping the reader understand what Chance believes.
Runner has been included on a number of state and national book lists to include the YALSA 2006 Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers and Booklist’s Top Ten Sports Books for Youth in 2005.

Runner would be a good selection for ethical discussions on patriotism, terrorism, military duty and students that work while going to high school. Using a debate format, students could research these topics and present their views.

References
Engberg, Gillian. 2005. "Runner." Booklist 101, no. 19/20: 1782. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 12, 2011).
Ingram, Jenny. 2005. “Runner.” VOYA 28, no. 3. Academic Search Complete, EBSCOhost (accessed October 12, 2011).

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Revolver at OneTrueMedia.com


In honor of Teen Read Week (Oct. 16-22), I have created the following book trailer for Marcus Sedgwick’s novel Revolver. I hope you enjoy it and that the trailer entices you to pick up the book and read it!