The faculty of my school, Floydada Junior High, are greeted each morning with a new thought for our day - posted by our Principal. I knew I had to share one from last week: The man who "does not" read good books has no advantage over the man who "can not" read them. I loved this and wanted to share it with my book-loving friends. Spread the good word and share with others the books you are reading - or have recently read! Leave no page unturned!

If you are enrolled in Children's Lit/Youth Lit - the course number Summer '09 was 5420 - and are required to create a blog I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Once I got the "hang" of it, I really enjoyed it and consider that requirement to be one of the major positives of participation in that course. Obviously I have decided to continue my blog, LEAVING NO PAGE UNTURNED. I am a middle school librarian and plan to instruct a gifted and talented class in creating their own blog to supplement additional reading requirements. My email is pgiesecke@floydadaisd.esc17.net Let me know if I can be of any help.

Leaving No Page Unturned!

Module 10/SLIS 5420/August 10- 14

FOUND

by

Margaret Peterson Haddix

Bibliography

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. Found. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-41695-417-0

Summary

Through a series of unfolding events, two thirteen-year-old boys, Jonah and Chip, learn they are adopted. They discover they were two of many babies arriving on a plane that appeared out of seemingly nowhere. Mysterious, cryptic letters involve the FBI and energize a quest for the truth, uncovering a smuggling operation. Jonah and Chip are pawns in a story that includes time travel as resisting forces "battle" for control of their lives. Found is the first in Haddix' newest series, The Missing. Sent, number two in the series, is out August 25, 2009!

A Page from My Book

Having thoroughly enjoyed Haddix' Shadow Children Series I knew the first in her newest series would not disappoint! My students have enjoyed Among the Hidden for a few years now and having heard me read it aloud, there is a waiting list for the remaining books in the series the remainder of the year. Found would be a great addition to the YA section of any library.

Reviews

* Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known he's adopted; Chip learns of his adoption when both friends start receiving threatening letters labeling them "the missing." Investigating, the two discover an inter-temporal child-smuggling conflict, both sides of which are out to get them. The fascinating premise of this series opener, buoyed by Haddix's usual likable characters and fast-paced writing, is loaded with possibilities. Horn Book, Fall 2008

* Fans of Haddix's Shadow Children books will want to jump on this time-travel adventure, which kicks off yet another series. The author grabs readers' attention from the first scene, in which a planeload of unaccompanied babies lands out of nowhere at an airport. Time passes; two of those babies, Jonah, now 13, and his best friend, Chip, receive similar strange letters of warning. They set out with Jonah's younger sister, Elizabeth, to find out what's going on. Mixing in some rather esoteric physics, the narrative plunges the children into a time-travel trap from which there seems to be no escape. This outing merely introduces well-delineated characters and sets up their dilemma, ending with a teaser for the next book in the series. Somewhat slow in this installment, but intriguing enough nonetheless to keep kids reading what promises to be an exciting trip through history. Kirkus Review, April 1, 2008

Suggested Activities

I plan to use Found as a read-aloud, just as I have done with the Shadow Children Series', Among the Hidden. This book would be a great motivation to learn about genealogy. Skills in relation to researching families could be incorporated.

Module 9/SLIS 5420/August 3-9

MAKE LEMONADE

by

Virginia Euwer Wolff

Bibliography

Wolff, Virginia Euwer. Make Lemonade. Henry Holt and Company, 1993. ISBN: 978-0-8050-2228-5

Summary

LaVaughn is fourteen, Jolly is seventeen. Their lives and circumstances intersect when LaVaughn answers an ad for a babysitter for Jilly and Jeremy, Jolly's two babies, while Jolly works at a factory. Jolly is fighting her way out of - and into a better life for her and her babies, having once lived homeless. LaVaughn, who has aspired to go to college since she was five, works to add to her college account started by her mother. LaVaughn's mother is a single mother, LaVaughn's father having been gunned down when she was little. He is never far from her memory and heart as she "sees" him in little "waves" passing in seconds. As Jolly struggles with the responsibilities and hardships of being a single parent at seventeen, LaVaughn provides a much needed support system for her and those babies, nurturing them, giving them time and loving them, compromising the relationship of "employer-employee" she has with LaVaughn. As a deepening friendship evolves, issues are faced that could not be overcome without persistence and determination on the part of both girls.

A Page from My Book

I. LOVE. this. book.

I could get carried away just summarizing it, but it is a favorite, a VERY favorite, of the books I have read for my UNT course. Wolff is an extraordinary and talented author. Her words paint pictures that create sensory responses of, and to life lived as a seventeen-year-old unwed mother, living in the projects, in poverty, struggling to exist - and a college-bound hopeful who wavers between her own ambition and doing what is necessary to "save" the life of another. This is a novel told in verse, with text lines that break naturally as it progresses. I could not put the book down. It is just a wonderful story of putting other's needs ahead of one's own, gambling the outcome of remaining steadfast in their lives regarding what you know in your heart and mind is best for them. I will be adding all other YA books by Wolff to the library as soon as possible. I am so glad to have discovered this author. True Believer is the sequel - canNOT wait to read it! Be sure and read the following reviews!

Reviews/Awards

* ``This word COLLEGE is in my house,/ and you have to walk around it in the rooms/ like furniture.'' So LaVaughn, an urban 14-year-old, tries to earn the money she needs to make college a reality. She and her mother are a solid two-person family. When LaVaughn takes a job babysitting for Jolly, an abused, 17-year-old single parent who lives with her two children in squalor, her mother is not sure it's a good idea. How the girl's steady support helps Jolly to bootstrap herself into better times and how Jolly, in turn, helps her young friend to clarify her own values are the subjects of this complex, powerful narrative. The themes of parental love, sexual harassment, abuse, independence, and the value of education are its underpinnings. LaVaughn is a bright, compassionate teen who is a foil for Jolly, whose only brief role model was a foster parent, Gram, who died. The dynamics between the two young women are multidimensional and elastic--absolutely credible. LaVaughn's mother is a complete character, too, and even Jolly's kids become real. The tale is told in natural first-person, and in rhythmic prose arranged in open verse. The poetic form emphasizes the flow of the teenager's language and thought. The form invites readers to drop some preconceptions about novels, and they will find the plot and characters riveting. Make Lemonade is a triumphant, outstanding story. Carolyn Noah, School Library Journal, July 1993.

* Fourteen-year-old LaVaughn accepts the job of baby-sitting Jolly's two small children but quickly realizes that the young woman, a seventeen-year-old single mother, needs as much help and nurturing as her two neglected children. The four become something akin to a temporary family, and through their relationship each makes progress toward a better life. Sixty-six brief chapters, with words arranged on the page like poetry perfectly echo the patterns of teenage speech. Horn Book, September 1993

* "Rooted not in a particular culture, but in the community of poverty, the story offers a penetrating view of the conditions that foster our ignorance, destroy our self-esteem, and challenge our strength." Booklist, starred review

* Golden Kite Award for Fiction

* ALA Best Book for Children

* ALA Notable Book for Children

* ALA Recommended Book for Reluctant Readers

* Parents Choice Award Winner

* Parents Magazine Best Kids' Books of 1993

Suggested Activities

The story derives it's title from a lemon seed planted by LaVaughn for Jeremy to watch grow. The growth process is symbolic of the events transpiring in the story. Use this book in a book talk, concluding with a share time of examples of "when life gives you lemons ... Make Lemonade!"

Module 8/SLIS 5420/July 27-August 2

SCARY STORIES

by

Alvin Schwartz

Bibliography

Schwartz, Alvin. Scary Stories. HarperCollins, 1981. ISBN: 978-0-397-31927-5

Summary

Scary Stories is a collection of ghost stories, verse, etc., some based on folklore or urban legend. The illustrations, by Stephen Gammell are chilling, ghostly, and alarming - no doubt lending to the allure of the books in this series. If one can move past the illustrations they will discover titles such as "The Big Toe", "Hook" and "The Ghost with the Bloody Fingers". There is a nice forward by the author in which he suggests how and when to read the collection!

A Page from My Book

I have long been aware of the fascination with the books in this series. I have also seen the fascination wane some over the years as a proliferation of books on this subject has just exploded. Kids, young and old, love a good ghost story - well, most do - and this particular title seems to satisfy that appetite - if you are able to find it on a library shelf. It is to be noted that Scary Stories is included/cited among the top 100 of America's most frequently challenged books in the 21st century.

Reviews/Awards

* "Divided into five sections, this collection of American folklore has a little of everything--but not enough of anything. The opening chapter, “’jump stories’ to make friends JUMP with fright,” is varied but uninspired. In the opening tale, a big toe is discovered, brought home, cooked, and eaten. Are you entertained so far? The allegedly scary bit is when the storyteller accuses a listener of possessing said toe. The best offering is “A Man Who Lived in Leeds,” a creepy, catchy rhyme of nonsense…or is it? The second section’s theme is ghosts. The first selection involves two friends chased by a skeleton; a year later, one of the friends dies…and “looked just like the skeleton.” The following story, “Cold as Clay,” is a strong, spine-tingling one. The rest range from pointless to gruesome: “the flesh was dropping off her face…She had no eyeballs…and no nose.” Chapter three is particularly rife with nightmarish, disturbing images. Chapter four consists of stories that “young people tell about dangers we face in our lives today.” The only outstanding entry is “High Beams,” in which a teenage girl is stalked by a car. It turns out that the bad guy is already in her car and the “stalker” was trying to warn her! The final chapter is devoted to tales meant to amuse rather than frighten. Only the first two succeed. The black-and-white illustrations by Caldecott winner Gammell are outstanding; next to them, the stories, not the readers, pale." Naomi Milliner, Children's Literature

* Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 1983

* Utah Children's Book Awards, 1986

Suggested Activities

Share the Hispanic legend of La Llorona by Joe Hayes and compare it with Scary Stories. Take the opportunity to share these types of legends around the end of October or beginning of November. Discuss Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican cultural observation/celebration, with the students and in turn, allow them to share with the group ways their families honor those who have died - perhaps an ofrenda was created in their memory - or rituals associated with November 1.

Read aloud the beginning of a lesser-known ghost story and have the students write an ending.

After examining the art of illustrator Gammell, select a story to read aloud and have the students illustrate it, a story/illustrations you purposely omitted when sharing the illustrations.

Module 7/SLIS 5420/July 20-26

Meet Kit

by

Valerie Tripp

Bibliography

Tripp, Valerie. Meet Kit. Pleasant Co., 2000. ISBN: 978-58485-017-5

Summary

Kitt Kittredge is a nine-year-old girl in 1934 experiencing life in the full throes of the Great Depression. When her father's business is closed, Kit's mother opens their home to boarders in order to cope with a failing economy and tenuous job market. Kit is a determined, headstrong girl who immediately assumes a more mature role as she works to help her family. Kit is clever and resourceful, making her a strong role model for young girls. She remains optimistic through the most difficult of situations and is a character, whose mere presence seems to affect everyone around her in a positive way.

A Page from My Book

I am impressed with Pleasant Co.'s continued dedication to quality products for young girls. As the company has grown so has their commitment to providing a collection of books and dolls representing different eras of history - education a priority behind those endeavors. Found at the end of each American Girl book is a pictorial history and reference to the era, or even culture, depicted in the book. I especially enjoy this aspect of each of the AG books. I love the illustrations - I have thought about their appeal and I think it because they remind me of the illustrations in the basals from which I learned to read - Dick and Jane!

One review I read said Meet Kit is an "idealized portrayal of the Depression", but I consider it the right amount of information along with an entertaining story that illustrates important lessons such as working hard, maintaining a positive outlook and the significance of making a contribution to the betterment of family or community. I found a video clip on Amazon.com advertising a movie based on the book. I have not seen the movie, but now have it on my list to find - I would encourage the viewing of the clip - and notice ... it even mentions a librarian boarding at the Kittredges!

A favorite memory is of taking my niece one Sunday afternoon to an event, "An American Girl Party", planned in conjunction with a Junior League holiday event in Lubbock, Tx. We both enjoyed our afternoon of learning songs, crafts and sampling yummy food. I will always have a fondness for anything AG-related. There is a wonderful interactive online site for girls to enjoy and I would also recommend a subscription of the magazine for the library. It would be a great addition to periodicals found in elementary schools.

Reviews

* "The newest 'American Girl,' Kit is a resourceful young woman struggling during the Great Depression. The book's 'Peek into the Past' section showcases information and photographs of the United States during the 1930's. Kit is a sure winner!" A. Braga, Parent Council Reviews, Vol. 8

Suggested Activities

Compare the 1930's to present day - Use the opportunity to discuss economy as a cross-curricular connection to Social Studies.

Invite a guest speaker who grew up in the same era to share with students their memories of this time.

Perhaps the students have grandparents who lived through the Depression. Have them supply a recorded or written interview. As a group determine questions to explore.

Module 6/SLIS 5420/July 13-19

HARVESTING HOPE

by

Kathleen Krull

Bibliography

Krull, Kathleen. Harvesting Hope. Harcourt Children's Books, 2003. ISBN: 0152014373

Summary

Harvesting Hope is an illustrated biography of Cesar Chavez, a Mexican American, civil rights activist, who worked peacefully and tirelessly as the voice for migrant farm workers. Because of his leadership, once terrible working conditions were improved. He is credited with co-founding the American Farm Workers and his face became the face of a people struggling with deplorable quality of conditions for workers, imposed by the growers for whom they toiled. Harvesting Hope is a richly illustrated chronology of Chavez's life from boyhood through the events of a worker's protest, organized by Chavez, in 1965. The book is simply written without the weight of heavy information. This straightforward interpretation of the man who is credited with energizing the effort to improve the state of conditions and salary for farm workers, as well as civil rights, has a place of importance among the biographies of leaders who make/made a difference.

A Page from My Book

I would recommend adding Harvesting Hope to your library shelves. It is a beautifully illustrated picture book about an important figure in U.S. history. The attractive, vibrant colors are appealing and it is a book that would appeal to older students as well as elementary-age students. The addition of this book to a Texas library would be especially meaningful to those students who share a similar heritage. It is a deliverance of hope that with determination and hard work dreams of a better life can be realized. Harvesting Hope also effectively communicates that consideration of others improves their lives with the potential of enriching and advancing the lives of many more - a ripple affect - with positive consequences for generations to come.

Reviews/Awards

* Krull, author of the excellent Lives Of series and Wilma Unlimited (rev. 9/96), depicts Chavez's early life on his family's ranch in Arizona as almost idyllic. Then in 1937, when he was ten, drought forced his family to give up the ranch and move to California. Migrant work was brutal, the conditions atrocious, and the pay minimal. Showing how Chavez developed into an advocate and spokesman, Krull focuses on the march he led from Delano to Sacramento as part of a grape-pickers strike; she offers vivid details of the over-three-hundred-mile march: "Cesar developed painful blisters right away. He and many others had blood seeping out of their shoes." The brief text creates a remarkably complex view of Chavez--his experiences and feelings. Krull's empathetic words are well paired with artist Yuyi Morales's mixed-media acrylic paintings, which are suffused with a variety of emotions, especially fear and sorrow. The pictures glow with intense shades of gold, green, pink, and orange, and the farm landscapes show delicately detailed strawberries and grapes. One particularly effective spread portrays the imposing portico of the state capitol dominating the small figures below, reflecting Chavez's struggle against great power. An author's note at the end fills in more about Chavez's later life and work (though there are no sources). This is an excellent choice for furthering children's understanding of racism, of nonviolent protest, and of the lives of workers before unions. Most of all, it is a powerfully moving tribute to an important person in U.S. history. Horn Book, July/August, 2003

* Cesar Chavez, like his heroes Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, believed in non-violent change. He fought ceaselessly for the rights of migrant farm workers to have a decent living conditions and a living wage. Krull does not offer a birth-to-death biography, instead focusing on the influences of his early years, the organization of the National Farm Workers Association, and the first contract with the grape growers. She portrays Chavez as a quiet, patient, strong-willed man who believed implicitly in his "causa" and worked tirelessly for his people. She presents additional events in his life and the circumstances of his death in an author's note. Morales uses bright acrylic colors that flow across the pages, mirroring the constant movement in Chavez's life. The overall look of the work is reminiscent of a Diego Rivera mural. Krull and Morales introduce a long-neglected figure from recent history to a new audience in an informative, eye-catching manner. A notable achievement. (Biography. 8-12) Kirkus Review, July 1, 2003

* ALA Notable Children's Book

* Pura Belpre Honor Book Illustrator

* Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List, 2004-2005

Suggested Activities

Use Harvesting Hope to introduce students to the author Francisco Jimenez and make a literature connection to novels by Jimenez, The Circuit: Stories From the Life of a Migrant Child and Breaking Through. Although classified as fiction, The Circuit is based on Jimenez' life. Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, in addition to the others, would be another book that could be highlighted in a book talk.