LS5623 Mod 3



betterworldbooks.com




amazon.com

 Downriver by Will Hobbs


Module 3 Adventure, Mystery Sports

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hobbs, Will. Downriver. United States and Canada: Bantam, 1992. ISBN 0553297171

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jessie is angry when her father forces her into a "wilderness therapy" program conducted by a Vietnam veteran. Her father is convinced that she has been hanging out with the wrong crowd and is on a path to self-destruction. Jessie blames his new girlfriend but the truth is she still hasn’t gotten over her mother’s death even though it was more than nine years ago. The camp is pretty boring and no one respects Al, Discovery Unlimited’s guide but things take a dangerous turn when Jessie and the other delinquents decide that they can raft down the Colorado River alone and without a river map. The descriptions of the canyons, rapids and near fatal accidents create an intense setting and drive the characters through one thrill-seeking event after another. This novel explores the Grand Canyon as well as the meanings of friendship and leadership. Although each teen has his or her own problems, they must work together to survive. They quickly learn what they are capable of and who they can trust.



BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

No adults, no permit, no river map. Just some "borrowed" gear from Discovery Unlimited, the outdoor education program Jessie and her new companions have just ditched. Jessie and the others are having the time of their lives floating beneath sheer red walls, exploring unknown caves and dangerous waterfalls, and plunging through the Grand Canyon's roaring rapids. No one, including Troy, who emerges as the group's magnetic and ultimately frightening leader, can foresee the challenges and conflicts.

“WARNING: STORM KING PEAK IS INFAMOUS FOR ITS EXTREME WEATHER, EXPOSURE, AND ROTTEN ROCK. THREE HAVE DIED HERE. THINK BEFORE YOU ADD YOUR NAME TO THE LIST.” (Hobbs, 21)



EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

Booklist

Jessie, 15, is one of eight problem teens participating in a nine-week outdoor survival education program known fondly as "Hoods in the Woods." Jessie's problems are hanging around with the wrong crowd and lots of friction with her widowed father over his new girlfriend. The idea of the program is to help kids "find themselves" and "come of age" by putting them in life-threatening situations that they work as a group to resolve. The first part of the program, mountain climbing, almost ends in disaster when Jessie panics and has to be talked down. But the real challenges start when the group, led by charismatic Troy Larsen, decides to ditch the counselor and head for the Grand Canyon to do some unsupervised white-water rafting. Although the characters are stock (Adam is the clown, Star plans her life with Tarot cards, and Freddy is silent but resourceful) and the adults aren't very visible or trustworthy, there are some interesting group dynamics, and the kids learn to face consequences. The rafting sequences are exciting, although it's hard to believe the teens would be so successful without experience or maps. (Troy doesn't believe in planning.) There's not the depth the plot promises, and the ending is too tidy to be believable, but there's enough action to keep kids reading.



School Library Journal

Eight problem kids (four boys, four girls, high school age) have been sent to a camp called Discovery Unlimited where they are to meet problems, make responsible decisions, and develop as adults. "Hoods in the Woods" the kids call themselves. Action occurs in the outback of southwestern Colorado and northern Arizona as Al, their adult leader, programs the group first to climb Storm King Peak (which nearly results in fatalities) and then to raft the white water of the San Juan River. The Hoods decide rafting the Colorado River will be wilder; so they steal Al's van and equipment, drive to the put-in at Lee's Ferry, sneak past the park rangers, inflate their rafts, and seven embark--one deserts. Rafting the wild Colorado is heady but difficult and dangerous. Misadventures develop the kids, but also breed disasters. So when the rangers capture the group near Havasu Creek, not all resent the rescue. The book is exquisitely plotted, with nail-biting suspense and excitement. Jean Craighead George's River Rats (Dutton, 1979; o.p.) is similar but lacks such intricate development of characters and interpersonal relationships.

LS 5623 MOD 3



juniorlibraryguild.com

 

randomhouse.com





Notes From the Dog by Gary Paulsen

Module 3 Adventure, Mystery Sports

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Paulsen, Gary. Notes from the dog. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2009. ISBN 9780385738453

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Finn was a sensitive, insecure young man before Johanna moved in next door.  His world was womanless, quiet and lonely.  But caring for Johanna as she battles cancer, teaches Finn to cherish the people he cares about and that his family is whoever he loves.   Johanna uses Dylan, Finn's dog, to send him notes of encouragement and affirmation.  Finn's confidence and social life begin to grow as he finds the strength and belief in himself to build Johanna a beautiful garden, compete in a triathlon in her place and get the girl of his dreams.  The turning point for Finn comes when he finds a way to use the wedding china his mother left behind the day she also left him and his father.  It is as though he unwraps a new Finn when he unpacks the china that has never been used.  This is a heartfelt story of a young man who is surrounded by good male role models but is hurting from the lack of a loving mother.  Finn struggles with wanting to love and be loved but not having the confidence to risk getting hurt. The notes from the dog are just what he needs.


BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

“A completely bald woman drove up, parked in front of the house next door and jumped out of her car. I knew she'd moved in a couple of weeks ago to house-sit for our neighbors, professors on sabbatical. I'd seen her a few times from my kitchen window, but I hadn't spoken to her. I hadn't noticed she was bald, either, and that kind of detail didn't seem like one I'd miss. She was probably in her early twenties. She was wearing faded jeans that looked way too big for her and purple cowboy boots. She carried a leather backpack and had one of those bumpy fisherman sweaters draped over her shoulders even though it was hot. She saw me, waved and headed in our direction. Dylan sat up as she got closer and looked at her with that teeth-baring border collie grin that scares people who don't know that dogs can smile.”



Meet Gary Paulsen on Scholastic’s website

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/iditarod/top_mushers/index.asp?article=gary_paulsen



EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

School Library Journal

Fourteen-year-old Finn is terrified of meeting new people, and conversation is painful. His true friend, Matthew, is talkative, overly confident, and sometimes a thorn in his side. The boy is content with books and Dylan, his canine companion. He's determined that his summer vacation will not be marred by the intrusion of people, and thus, the discomfort they cause him. Then he meets his pretty new neighbor, 24-year-old Johanna, who shares her joy of life with Finn and Matthew and employs Finn to help her create gardens in his sorrowful-looking backyard. Johanna's enthusiasm for research, compost, fertilizer, and all things garden break down Finn's barriers. When she tells the boys that she is a breast-cancer survivor, their initial trepidation shifts to friendship. As she trains for a triathlon to raise money for cancer awareness, Finn and Matthew join her team. Right before the race, more adverse reactions to chemotherapy thwart her run, and the two boys take up the torch. Johanna's spirit and optimism infuse Finn with courage and love, and he finds his voice. 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.

VOYA Voice of Youth Advocates
This brief novel explores one eventful summer in the life of a meek and geeky teen, Finn, who would rather have his nose in a book than interact with family or friends. Then in moves a force of nature next door named Johanna, a bald but ebullient twentysomething cancer patient. She immediately turns Finn's life upside down by hiring him to plant a garden, coercing him to help her raise funds for a cancer fun run, and making a date for him with a girl he has been too shy to approach. Thrown into this mix are Finn's only real friend, Matthew, his single-parent father, and his unusually human dog, Dylan, who keeps showing up with handwritten notes for Finn in his mouth. Consequently Finn discovers a developing talent for connecting with others as he breaks out of his seclusion and soon the lives of his father and even his granddad are touched by his efforts. There is an undercurrent of lighthearted comedy in Finn's efforts with the garden and his fundraising speeches. Given the brevity of the book and its inclination to be a book for "boys," it could be recommended to reluctant readers. The author certainly has a long history of success in reaching the teen audience, however, in this book, the dialogue and story line seem a little too pleasant and the lives of the teens lack any real angst or conflict outside the horrors of Johanna's chemo side effects. Reviewer: Kevin Beach

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LS 5623 Mod 3

 

ala.org



harpercollinschildrens.com





 Nation by Terry Pratchett



Module 3 Adventure, Sports and Mystery



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pratchett, Terry. Nation. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. ISBN 9780061433016

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

While Mau has gone to leave his boy soul and gain his man soul, a wave comes and wipes out his entire Nation. When he returns, he begins to bury the bodies and wonder what will become of him since he has no soul now at all. Ermintrude, washes up on the beach of Mau’s island and joins him as they reinvent themselves and the Nation. They learn each other’s languages and customs as they piece together a new community from the refugees that continue to land on the shores of the island. As Mau continues to look for spiritual answers concerning the beliefs of his people, Ermintrude or Daphne as she renames herself, explores the island and uses her extensive European education to try to solve the mysteries she discovers. Daphne proves that she is a wise and strong leader while she confidently awaits the arrival of her father and his search party. Although Mau never views himself as his nation’s new leader, he is the one they depend on to solve all their problems and guide them into a future. Pratchett combines clever humor with serious introspection, adventure and harsh survival situations in this unique coming of age story.



BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

What if you woke up one morning and you were the only one left alive? What if you were washed up on an island and you had to learn a strange language, eat foreign things and use a weapon just to survive? In Nation, a young boy without a soul and a princess learn what they are willing to do to rebuild a nation.

Interview with Terry Pratchett:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m1S8OILL1C4YWF/ref=ent_fb_link



EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

Booklist

*Starred Review* “Somewhere in the South Pelagic Ocean,” a tidal wave wipes out the population of a small island—except for Mau, who was paddling his dugout canoe home after a month spent alone, preparing to become a man. The wave also sweeps a sailing ship carrying Daphne, an English girl, up onto the island and deposits it in the rain forest, where Mau finds her. Over the months that follow, they learn to communicate while welcoming more people to their shores and building a community of survivors. Mau searches for the meaning behind his people’s gods, while Daphne applies her nineteenth-century knowledge of science and history to the many puzzles she discovers in this unfamiliar place. Broad in its scope and concrete in its details, this unusual novel strips away the trappings of two very different nations to consider what it is people value and why. Certain scenes are indelible: Mau’s nonverbal communication to Daphne that a pregnant woman has landed, and she must help with the birth; or the terrifying yet awesome descent into a cave. Quirky wit and broad vision make this a fascinating survival story on many levels. -Carolyn Phelan



School Library Journal

Starred Review. In this first novel for young people set outside of Discworld, Pratchett again shows his humor and humanity. Worlds are destroyed and cultures collide when a tsunami hits islands in a vast ocean much like the Pacific. Mau, a boy on his way back home from his initiation period and ready for the ritual that will make him a man, is the only one of his people, the Nation, to survive. Emintrude, a girl from somewhere like Britain in a time like the 19th century, is on her way to meet her father, the governor of the Mothering Sunday islands. She is the sole survivor of her ship (or so she thinks), which is wrecked on Mau's island. She reinvents herself as Daphne, and uses her wits and practical sense to help the straggling refugees from nearby islands who start arriving. When raiders land on the island, they are led by a mutineer from the wrecked ship, and Mau must use all of his ingenuity to outsmart him. Then, just as readers are settling in to thinking that all will be well in the new world that Daphne and Mau are helping to build, Pratchett turns the story on its head. The main characters are engaging and interesting, and are the perfect medium for the author's sly humor. Daphne is a close literary cousin of Tiffany Aching in her common sense and keen intelligence wedded to courage. A rich and thought-provoking read.—Sue Giffard

Many Stones

Many Stones

Click here to view my trailer for Carolyn Coman's Many Stones.

LS 5623 Mod 2



sarahdessen.com



ebookstore.sony.com



Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen


 Module 2 Realism, Romance and Censorship


BIBLIOGRAPHY

Dessen, Sarah. Lock and key: a novel. New York: Viking, 2008. ISBN 9780670010882

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

What is family? Readers will all have their own answers but Ruby’s story of survival and friendship examines this question in depth. Abandoned by an addicted mother, soon to be eighteen year old Ruby, tries to make it on her own. Soon she is reluctantly reunited with her older sister who “got out” several years ago and now lives in an half million dollar home – a complete contrast to the house with no running water or heat in which she was living. Ruby dreams of “being free and clear” but never believed she would find love and a family more important. Dessen takes readers along on Ruby’s journey from desolation and neglect to love and security. Deliberate dialogue and surroundings enhances distinctions between the old, yellow, country house where Ruby was abandoned and Cora’s newly constructed brick and cream home complete with balconies and huge walk in closets and the overcrowded, hostile Jackson High to the green lawns and cause supporting student body at Perkins Day private school. Ruby is changed throughout the novel by her environment and the characters she meets. So much so that when the story is complete, readers may find it hard to recall the Ruby they met at the start.



BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

“Minor child is apparently living without running water or heat in rental home abandoned by parent. Kitchen area was found to be filthy and overrun with vermin. Heat is non-functioning. Evidence of drug and alcohol use was discovered. Minro child appears to have been living alone for some time.” (Dessen 14)

“I felt a lump rise up in my throat, raw and throbbing, but even as the tears came I wasn’t sure who I was crying for. Cora, my mom, or maybe just me.” (Dessen 153)

“My view was blocked by my sister, who had moved to stand between us, one hand stretched out behind her, toward me. Seeing her, I rememebered a thousand nights in another house: the tow of us together, another part of a pattern, just one I’d thought had long ago been broken, never to be repeated.” (Dessen 225)



EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

Booklist

Ruby hasn’t had much success with family. Her father left; her protective older sister, Cora, left; and her boozing mother finally leaves, too. Ruby is alone until Cora learns of her situation and swoops in. Suddenly, Ruby finds herself living with Cora and her wealthy brother-in-law, attending private school, and wondering just where she fits in. As in previous books, Dessen takes on a central theme—here the meaning of family—and spins many plots and subplots around it. Most prominent yet least successful is the thread about Cora’s relationship with boy-next-door Nate, who rescues her when she needs it, but has difficulty accepting Ruby’s help, tentative at first, when she discovers he’s being physically abused. Nate seems too good to be true (as does Cora’s husband), while his father is a caricature. And one of the most important elements, the issue of the girls’ mother lying to them, gets lost. Despite the uneven narrative, Dessen’s writing can be beautiful, and her story is involving.


School Library Journal

Ruby, 17, is taken in by her older sister and brother-in-law when her mother abandons her. Ruby and her sister haven't spoken since Cora left for college a decade earlier. She moves from a semi-heated, semi-lighted farmhouse to a McMansion in a gated community. The theme of abandonment permeates the narrative-Ruby's mother's disappearance, Cora's perceived abandonment, and all of the small abandonments around every corner throughout Ruby's life. The plot hinges luxuriously on character arc. Ruby's drama of pathological self-reliance to eventual trust plays out through thoughtful, though occasionally heavy-handed, inner monologue and metaphor. As always, Dessen's characters live and breathe. Ruby's sweet hipster brother-in-law and Nate, the freakishly affable hottie next door, are especially vivid, and Cora's change from bitter control freak to sympathetic co-protagonist is subtle and seamless. Though Ruby and Nate don't have quite the cinematic chemistry of many of Dessen's couples, their cautious friendship into romance seems that much more realistic. The author's feel for setting is as uncanny as ever, and Ruby's descriptions of the homogenous nouveau riche Anytown are sharp, clever, and honest. The dialogue, especially between Ruby and Cora, is crisp, layered, and natural. The slow unfolding adds to an anticipatory mood. What's more, secrets and situations revealed in the second half of the novel are resolved more believably by already deeply developed characters. Recommend this one to patient, sophisticated readers.

LS 5623 Mod 2



hcplonline.org

illinoisauthors.org



 Rules of the Road by Joan Bauer

Module 2 Realism, Romance and Censorship

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bauer, Joan. Rules of the road. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1998. ISBN 0399231404

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Bauer has created a character in Jenna Boller that is unlike any other. Readers will respect her, cheer for her, ache to be her friend and miss her when the story ends. Jenna Boller is a tall, honest, courageous sixteen year old shoe salesgirl in Chicago who becomes the long distance driver to the cranky, old owner of Gladstone Shoes.  Jenna is unsure what to do with the conflicting feelings she has concerning her father and his addiction but is very confident in her love for her mother, sister and ailing grandmother. She isn’t the typical confused and tormented teen. Instead Jenna is strong, bright and faces her flaws without shame. She faces challenges with a level head and a loyal heart.  When employed by the dymanic Mrs. Gladstone to drive her to Texas and back, Jenna proves to be a true hero to herself, Mrs. Gladstone and to teens everywhere.

BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES

Headlines:

Drunken Dad Disgraces Daughter, Driving for Dollars, Terrified Teen Has Drunk Father Arrested, Daring Duck Beats Odds to Win.


EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS

Booklist

It's downright wonderful these days to find a teenage protagonist who is smart, moral, funny, confident (mostly), and open-minded about grown-ups. Not that hulking Jenna Boller doesn't have her share of problems. A strapping five foot eleven with a strong work ethic, Jenna is an outsider at school. The fact that she spends most of her time selling shoes at Gladstone's shoe store (and loving it) doesn't help in terms of a social life. But it's her alcoholic father who is her main concern. When he suddenly comes back into her life, drunk as usual, she's not sure she can handle it. Lucky for her, rich, curmudgeonly Mrs. Gladstone, who is 73, needs someone to chauffeur her to Texas to a stockholders' meeting and help her check out the Gladstone stores along the way. It seems her son is engineering a company takeover that is breaking her heart. Like Squashed (1992), this has its introspective side as well as its share of sad moments that show the long-term damage alcoholism has on families and individuals. But it's also a warm, funny, insightful story about ordinary people who look beyond age to the things they have in common and the wisdom they can share.



School Library Journal

Jenna Boller, 16, has had a lot of practice at being responsible. Her mother is a nurse who works the night shift, and her younger sister yearns for attention. Jenna's long-divorced, alcoholic father embarrassingly shows up whenever he gets an occasional urge to "make it up" to her. In addition, her wise and beloved grandmother is grappling with Alzheimer's disease. So the teen's mother reluctantly agrees to let her accept a summer job driving the elderly Madeline Gladstone, the crusty and demanding president of the shoe chain for which Jenna works, from Chicago to Texas. Jenna is surprised to learn that Mrs. Gladstone has problems, too: an aching hip as well as an aching heart. Her conniving son is maneuvering to take over the company and sell out for a huge short-term gain. Jenna comes to admire and love her boss and eagerly enters into an alliance of loyal employees to save the company. In making this valiant attempt, she finds herself truly transformed. Bauer's juxtapositions are inviting; youth and age, wealth and work-a-day struggle, big-city loneliness and big-state caring, practicing alcoholism and big-hearted sobriety, stockroom wisdom and boardroom chicanery. The author creates some fabulous and sometimes flamboyant characters, witty dialogue, and memorable scenes, thus making readers really care about the intricacies of matching shoes to people and finding the right focus for Jenna as she strives to meet tall goals. Bauer's best yet.

LS 5623 Mod 2



publishersweekly.com



youarewhatyouread.scholastic.com



  

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson



Module 2 Realism, Romance and Censorship



BIBLIOGRAPHY


Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak. Ringwood, Victoria, Australia: Puffin Books, 2001. ISBN: 014131088X



CRITICAL ANALYSIS


The summer before her freshman year in high school, Melinda is a clever, fun loving girl.  But after she is attacked at a party she wasn't supposed to attend, she becomes only a shell of her former self.  Speak is an accomplishment of characterization. Anderson has created a thoroughly funny novel that is simultaneously deeply tragic. This could not have been achieved if Melinda (the heroine) was not so carefully fashioned. It is not only the look readers get into Melinda’s pain but also the severe disconnect between who she really is and how she is now existing that breathes such life into this character. As a freshman at a large suburban high school, Melinda is an outcast. However, the humor and wit with which she addresses her world, contradicts her sudden withdrawal from it. She is a fighter that does not know how to fight for herself. But the time comes and when Melinda begins to speak with her writing and art. And when that happens she is no longer a victim but is instead victorious.



BOOK HOOK/EXPLEMPLARY OR FAVORITE LINES


“Rachel bruin, my ex-best friend. She stares at something above my left ear. Words climb up my throat. This was the girl who suffered through Brownies with me, who taught me how to swim, who understood about my parents, who didn’t make fun of my bedroom. If there is anyone in the entire galaxy I am dying to tell what really happened, it’s Rachel. My throat burns. Her eyes meet mine for a second. ‘I hate you,’ she mouths silently.” (Anderson 4-5)


“My Spanish teacher is going to try to get through the entire year without speaking English to us. This is both amusing and useful-makes it easier to ignore her.” (Anderson 13)


EXTERNAL ASSESSMENTS


Booklist


“In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen’s struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda’s sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.” Debbie Carton






The Horn Book


“An uncanny funny book even as it plumbs the darkness, Speak will hold readers from the first word to the last.”