Module 8 – Room One a Mystery or Two by: Andrew Clements

PLOT: Ted Hammond lives in a very small town located in Plattsford, Nebraska.  The population is rapidly declining and there is only a one room school house for the entire town.  But that could soon close down. Even though the school is small Ted has managed to hook himself to reading mystery and detective stories. He loves to read books and tries to solve the mystery before he finishes the books. Ted has many chores he lives on farm 3 miles from town and he drives his bicycle to get around from place to place.   Along with his farm chores he also has a paper route.  He delivers his newspapers early in the morning before school.  One day he was riding past an abandoned farm house when he sees a young girl in the window.  Ted begins to wonder why there is someone in this abandoned home and he feels there is something mysterious going on.  He can’t help but to try and investigate the situation.  As he begins his adventure he soon finds out that it is a family of three that are struggling to get to Colorado.  It is a mother and two kids.  The girl he saw in the window is April.  As he begins to learn about their situation he also tried to help them by bringing them food and water.   He knows he cannot help the family on his own so he turns to his teacher and his mother for help. In the end the family gets to their final destination and Ted is ready to move on to the next mystery.

Clements, A. (2006). Room one a mystery or two. New York: Scholastic Inc.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  This is a good book for the middle school student.  It has a combination of both genders and any student who likes mystery would really enjoy this book.  I like the book because it also has room for generosity. There are kids and people that are willing to help others and their own expense. In the book there is chapter that devotes to Ted being generous to the stranded family.  He goes and he buys food out of his own savings and takes the food to them not expecting payment in return.  He knows that this family needs help and he is willing to do whatever it takes to help them. The mother even tells Ted that it is okay to help people.  There is another part in the book where the mother tells Ted that if a family really needed help they could house them in the guest house they would share whatever little food they had with the family in need.  I also like that way Ted’s character is very honest and trustworthy.  When he turns to his teacher for help Ted makes her promise not to say anything and for a brief moment he thinks she betrayed that promise.  Turns out that she didn’t and she explained that to him.  It’s important to know that kids seek people they can trust and when that trust is breached it really hurts the kids.  In the book when Ted thinks that he was betrayed by his teacher he began to think that maybe he should of lied instead of telling the truth. This book is a great example of honesty, loyalty, trustworthiness all wrapped up in a great mystery story.  

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews (June 1, 2006)

Sixth-grader Ted Hammond, who loves a good mystery, finds one in real life when he sees a face in the window of an abandoned farmhouse while on his paper route. Befriending the homeless family of a fallen Iraq War soldier he discovers hiding there has surprising consequences, including helping his one-room school stay open. This engaging middle-grade mystery is nicely up-to-date but set in a kinder, gentler and rapidly disappearing world. Not only is Ted responsible about delivering papers on his bicycle every morning and doing his farm chores in the afternoon, he was a Boy Scout until the scoutmaster moved away, and he takes his Scout Law seriously. Like the boy, his Plattsburg, Neb., community is genuinely generous, willing to open their arms and pocketbooks to welcome the family. Once again, Clements offers readers an intelligent protagonist, trustworthy adults, an interesting school situation and a real-life problem in a story that moves swiftly enough even for reluctant readers. (Fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Review. (2006). [Review of the book Room one a mystery or two, by Andrew Clements]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 31, 2013, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/andrew-clements/room-one/

USE IN THE LIBRARY: I would use this book in a book talk and really express the “Note taking” part. After my book talk I would explain to students how important it is to take accurate notes about factual information.  I would be prepared to have a person from the school walk to the library for a few minutes have them take something off my desk and then have them leave.  Without the students knowing I would tell them to take out a piece of paper and have the students write about everything they saw and then we would discuss it.  I would then have that same person come in to compare what students wrote to see how accurate they were.

Module 8 – Cam Jansen and the Snowy Day Mystery by: David A. Adler

PLOT:  One snowy day causes chaos at school.  Lots of traffic keeps the bus from dropping off the students on time.  As the students are waiting to get dropped off Cam and her friends start playing the memory game and Cam begins to “click” away at the different things she sees. Once they get dropped off they make it to their class to get settled in.  Annoyed by a student by the name of Danny they all head off to their computers stations, but come to find out three of them are missing.  The mystery is on, who took the computers?  Cam has a great memory so she begins to piece the different clues about the break in and helps the police officers solve the mystery of the missing computers.

Adler, D., (2004). Cam Jansen and the snowy day mystery. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  This is a cute story for elementary readers this is a book that both boy and girls could read.  It has great suggestions on how to learn to observe details.  Books like this can really inspire students to look out for details and can help them with literacy.  I liked the way that Cam looks at all the details because she’s able piece the different details and come up with a logical explanation.  For example, she realizes that the robbers were not able to break in through the window even though they saw the footsteps in the snow outside the window.  She quickly figures out that there had to be two people involved in the robbery.  The two crooks worked together by having one person in the inside and the other person outside by the window so that he could carry the items to the car.  She also remembers her “click” memory game and that is how she puts all the pieces together to solve the mystery of the stolen computers.

REVIEWS:  Cam Jansen Adventure series. Girl detective Cam Jansen calls upon her photographic memory yet again. This time, she and sidekick Eric are on the trail of two computer thieves. The mystery itself is run-of-the-mill, but Danny, an annoying class clown, tags along on the case, cracking bad jokes that will resonate with the elementary-school crowd. Black-and-white illustrations accompany the chapters.

YOUNGER FICTION. (2005, Spring). [Review of the book Cam Jansen and the snowy day mystery, by David Adler]. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/207549875?accountid=7113

USE IN THE LIBRARY:  This is a great book to discuss the genre of “Mystery”.  I would use this book to explain the characteristics of mystery to elementary students.  I would pull out reading excerpts from the book to show clues, crime, details and solutions so that students could understand what a mystery book entails. I would also play the memory game with the students to see how many can remember what the other person is wearing. Some of the questions I would ask regarding the book are as follows:

·       Find some examples of factual information that the author has included that informs the reader even though the story is fiction.

·       Why is it important to get the facts right?

·        Name some situations where correct or exact facts are especially important. (For example, when following a recipe or conducting a science experiment.)

·        What happens when people "jump to conclusions?"

·        Why do you think Cam always closes her eyes when she says, "Click?"

Module 7 – Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by: Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff and Dr. Paula Kahumbu

PLOT: Owen a hippopotamus and Mzee (mm-ZAY) are united under tough circumstances.  The tsunami of 2004 that hit the Indian Ocean affected everyone, people and animals. Owen, a baby hippopotamus of about 2 feet high and about 600 lbs., lost his parents in the tsunami. He was later found the following day stranded in reef in the ocean.  People worked aimlessly to save the animal.  After many struggles they successfully managed to pull him out to safety.  Dr. Paula Kahumbu, manager of Haller Park offered to take him in offers him a permanent home.  The hippo could never return to living in the wild since he lost his parents and doesn’t know how to protect himself. They place him in an area with other animals including a turtle.  He is quickly drawn to the turtle.  After several days the turtle is also drawn to the baby hippo. Years have passed and they are still best friends to this day.  The book provides the following link to Hellar Park so you can see updated pictures of both Owen and Mzee. 

Link: http://www.lafarge.co.ke/wps/portal/ke/4_A_3-Haller_Park

Hatkoff, I., Hatkoff, C. & Kahumbu, P. (2006). Owen & Mzee. New York: Scholastic Inc.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  I really liked this heartwarming story.  I truly believe God works in mysterious ways and this is a great example of it.  It’s amazing how a hippopotamus can have a bonding friendship with a turtle.  It is sad that Owen loses his family due to natural devastation but the story didn’t end there. With the help of many generous people this little hippo gets a second chance and is united with a turtle of all things. I look at this story and realize that if a hippo, which is a mammal, and a turtle, who is a reptile, can become friends then why can’t people of different races do the same. This is a very inspirational story about people who care about other living creatures in the time of natural disaster.  Owen named after a volunteer who successfully held down the hippo long enough to save him, was scared and freighted after the tsunami that hit in 2004.  But to his surprise he would have a 130 year old turtle be his best friend. This was a great story about triumph and friendship.

REVIEWS:  Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Reviewed by: Deborah Stevenson

Many audiences are now familiar with the story of Owen, the hippopotamus orphaned by the 2004 tsunami and now dwelling in a Kenyan wildlife park, and his surprising friendship with the Aldabran tortoise Mzee. Though this labels itself a sequel to Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship (BCCB 5/06), it's more a revisitation with a slightly different focus. The text briefly recapitulates the story of Owen's sea rescue, travel to Haller Park, and meeting with Mzee, and [End Page 253] it then goes on to look in more detail at the relationship between the two, their behaviors, and the possible pitfalls of this friendship. This title pushes the boundaries of the story's implications a little harder than its predecessor (the optimistic morals seem particularly implausible in light of the multitudes who weren't spared in the tsunami), but it also offers intriguing and closely observed descriptions of the two animals' interactions, noting, for instance, that they've developed an oral communication that is neither tortoise nor hippo in its nature; the book is also straightforward and realistic about issues that the park keepers face, such as Owen's unhealthy tendency to eat a tortoise diet rather than a hippo diet and the risk that he might pose to the delicate-shelled Mzee as he continues to increase in size. This book is chock full of color photos, a few clearly constrained by circumstances but many of them striking and vivid portraits that convey the beauty of the location as well as the comradeship of the two animals. Browsers will find much to nibble on just in the images, while animal lovers in particular will find the enhanced details of this pair's friendship well worth perusal. A concluding section offers a bit more information on subjects ranging from Kenya to hippos to the tsunami.

Stevenson, D. (2007) [Review of the book Owen & Mzee: The true story of a remarkable friendship, by Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, & Dr. Paula Kahumbu]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Vol. 60 (pp. 253-254). doi: 10.1353/bcc.2007.0120

USE IN THE LIBRARY: This is a book that I would do as read aloud.  I would explain to the students that this is a nonfiction book.  I would also show pictures of a grown up hippo compared to a car and a baby hippo compared to a bicycle.  I would also show the comparison of a young turtle and a 130 year old turtle.  Soon after the story and facts I would then put the students on the computers and let them explore the Owen and Mzee website located at: http://www.owenandmzeefoundation.org/.  There are many songs and true live pictures and videos of the two animals in the sanctuary.

Module 7 – Duke Ellington by: Andrea Davis Pinkney

PLOT:   Duke Ellington’s life is explained and talked about through this great picture book.  This book shows the way he was inspired to create music and eventually become one the best jazz musicians of his time.  He and several musicians create a band named the Washingtonians and travel throughout New York playing in different pubs.  As he gains followers and becomes popular he teams up with Billy Strayhorn, a musician who wrote music, and they write the most popular songs of all times.  Songs such as “Take the “A” Train” and “Black, Brown, and Beige” led him to be the greatest musicians of all times.  He and his band were one of the few African Americans that were invited to play at Carnegie Hall.  After this he was considered to be the “maestro” of jazz music.

Pinkney, A.D. (1998). Duke Ellington. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  I really enjoyed this book because I am a huge fan of jazz music.  Some of the older jazz, even if it’s just instrumental it tends to have a story behind it and when you here it you can feel the sentimental feelings in the music. This book was really cool to read because it described Duke as he was turned off by music and how he realized that he was meant to play music as he got older.  He realized he had a gift.  Many go their entire lives not knowing what their special gift is. The part I really like about this story is the way the author sets up the story and how Duke is just hanging out playing pool when he sparks an interest in the piano.  The way Duke begins putting the one-and- two-and-one-and-two tones to make his own ragtime music is so cool.  That is so a musician when they can come up with their own tunes and rhythm of playing. It’s very admirable that he forms an entire orchestra to create the most amazing music of all times.  He played with some of the best musicians such as Sonny Greer, Joe Nanton, Otto Hardwick, James Miley and many others.  These men were a great combination that made history through music. I also am inspired that African Americans became popular musicians during the hardest times of segregation and discrimination.  I really enjoy reading stories about inspirational figures that do not let anything stop them from achieving their dream. This book really solidifies that with hard work and determination your dreams can come true.

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews starred 04/01/98

PLB 0-7868-2150-7 Addressing readers directly—“You ever heard of the jazz-playin’ man, the man with the cats who could swing with his band?”—the Pinkneys embark on a cool and vibrant tour of Duke Ellington’s musical career, from the pool hall ragtime that “set Duke’s fingers to wiggling,” to his 1943 Carnegie Hall concert, also giving some of the soloists that played with him, and songwriter Billy Strayhorn, a chance to step forward. Translated into color and visual forms, music floats and swirls through the scratchboard scenes, curling out of an antique radio, setting dancers to “cuttin’ the rug” at the elegant Cotton Club and, of course, trailing behind an “A” train. Like Chris Raschka’s solos, Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop (1992) and Mysterious Thelonius (1997), this loving tribute temptingly evokes the sound and spirit of a jazz pioneer. (Picture book/biography. 8-10)

Kirkus Review. (1998). [Review of the book Duke Ellington, by Anrea Davis Pinkney]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 20, 2013, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/andrea-davis-pinkney/duke-ellington-2/

USE IN THE LIBRARY: This book would be a great book for two lessons. The first lesson would be a book talk and an activity.  The activity I would do is to play some of Duke’s jazz music and then play some popular song of today and have them compare and contrast the music. The second lesson would be used as an introduction to a social studies lesson about the different types of mediums of art that existed during the Harlem Renaissance. These would include writers, poets, and artists. 

Module 6 – The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark by: Carmen Agra Deedy

PLOT:  Denmark is a small country that had a big king.  During the 1940s King Christian X was the ruler of Denmark and all of his people respected him.  King Christian X rode his horse every morning through the streets without body guards.  He did not fear his people and his people didn’t fear him.  Soon the Nazi invasion reached Denmark and King Christian had to make difficult decisions.  When the Nazi’s invaded Copenhagen they placed a Nazi flag on top of the building where all the citizens of Copenhagen could see it.  King Christian ordered a soldier to remove the Nazi flag. A Nazi officer questioned King Christian and told him that another flag will be put up and King Christian said then it to will be taken down.  The Nazi officer informed the King that if anyone tried to remove the flag that they would get shot.  The King had to make a decision to stand up for his country and the way he did it, was to make sure that the Nazi flag was not going to be hung. The Nazi’s had to figure out who was Jewish and who was not so they ordered everyone that was Jewish to sew a yellow star and display it when they were in public.  King Christian, once again, felt he needed to stand up for his people so he to also wore a yellow star.  Everyone then wore the yellow star.

Deedy, C.A. (2000). The yellow star: The legend of King Christian X of Denmark. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers LTD.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  World War II historical fiction books are my favorite topic.  There are many stories where people displayed bravery and compassion for the fallen.  This book demonstrates how a king displayed his bravery for his people and how he is willing to stand up for what is right.  I really like the way there is a loyalty between the Danish people and their king.  He shows his respect and loyalty by riding his horse around the town unprotected.  The king knows that he doesn’t have the man power to fight the Nazi’s so he finds different ways to lift the spirits of his people. The king empowers his people to wear a star so that everyone looks the same and to show that everyone is Danish. This book gets two thumbs up.

REVIEWS:  Publishers Weekly (July 17, 2000)

Although it is billed as "legend," Deedy's (The Library Dragon) WWII story raises disturbing questions regarding the importance of historical accuracy. Here Denmark's courageous King Christian responds to the Nazi edict that all Jews must wear a yellow star by wearing a yellow star himself, and his act inspires his subjects to do likewise. Deedy's writing is vivid and lyrical–but in an afterword she acknowledges that her story is "unauthenticated" and that no Danish Jews were "forced" to wear the yellow star. As Ellen Levine points out in her recent Darkness Over Denmark (Children's Forecasts, June 26), the order about the star was never issued in Denmark. Where Levine cited the false story of the king's yellow star to explore the facts about Danish resistance to the Nazis, this book, in perpetuating a myth, clouds history; it also deflects from the country's most famous act of resistance in rescuing the overwhelming majority of its Jews (the afterword reports that Danes smuggled over 7,000 Jews to Sweden in fishing boats). Ultimately, despite the graceful prose, the insight offered into a dark era and Danish artist Sorensen's magnificent oil paintings, the book's fundamental flaw is difficult to overlook. Ages 8-12.

Publishers Weekly. (2000). [Review of the book The yellow star: The legend of King Christian X of Denmark, by Carmen Agra Deedy]. Peachtree Publishers LTD. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-56145-208-8

USE IN THE LIBRARY:  This a perfect book to introduce to a teacher and collaborate to create a lesson about the Holocaust.  This book would be used as an ice breaker or introduction to an extensive research lesson on the Holocaust.  After reading the book students could begin their research by using databases or using websites such as the US Holocaust Memorial Museum site at www.ushmm.org/education or Holocaust Page of the Internet School

Library Media Center  at www.falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/holo.htm.  These websites offer an extensive amount of information where students can create an essay or a visual media presentation.

Module 6 – The Other Side by: Jacqueline Woodson

PLOT:  This is a story about two little girls that are separated by a long fence between their yards.  Clover an African American little girl lives on one side and Annie who is a lonely little girl lives on the other side.  Both Clove and Annie have been instructed not to cross the fence.  However, Clover begins to see how lonely Annie is and she soon begins to talk to her. One day Annie jumps over the fence to play with the other little girls. Clover’s friends are not very accepting of Annie in the beginning but they soon accept her as a playmate.  Even though they are not allowed to jump over the fence the girls learn that there is no rule about sitting on the fence.  The fence is a symbolization of segregation but this obstacle does not stop the girls from becoming friends.

Woodson, J. (2001). The other side. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  This book was a great read. I really enjoy reading historical fiction books, especially picture books. The illustrations in this book are beautiful. The books have a combination of realism and impressionism art which really gives the book a sense of a genuine historical setting. Clover’s character is strong and she comes across as a leader. In the beginning of the story Annie asks if she could play with the girls and Clover’s friend Sandra responded no, without even asking the rest of them. As the book continues Clover observes Annie even on the rainy days and realizes that Annie is very lonely. After the rain stops Clover decides to go to the fence and talk to Annie, they hit it off as friends, however, Clover’s friends are not so accepting.  As Annie and Clover are sitting on the fence Sandra and the rest of the girls are giving them strange looks and are not very accepting of Annie. Clover turns and looks at them and ignores her friends and continues to talk to Annie as they sit on the fence.  After this Clover’s friends are accepting of Annie and the friendship that Clover has created. Later in the story Clover’s friends allow them to play jump rope and all the girls learn to sit on the fence and hang out.

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews (January 1, 2001)
Race relations, a complex issue, is addressed in a simple manner through the eyes of two young girls, one black and one white, on either side of a fence that divides their yards and, in fact, the town. Both girls have been instructed not to go on the other side of the fence because it's not safe. Each stares at the other, yearning to know more, but they don't communicate. When Annie, the white girl, climbs on the fence and asks to jump rope, she is told no by the leader of the black group. The narrator, Clover, has mixed feelings and is unsure whether she would have said yes or no. Later, the girls, with their mothers, meet on the sidewalk in town, looking very much the same, except for the color of their skin. When asked why the mothers don't talk, the explanation is, "because that's the way things have always been." During the heavy summer rains, Annie is outside in her raincoat and boots, having fun splashing in puddles--but Clover must stay inside. When the rains stop, Clover is set free, emerging as a brave soul and approaching Annie in the spirit of her freedom. Eventually, the story finds both girls and all of Clover's friends sitting on the fence together, kindred spirits in the end. "Someday somebody's going to come along and knock this old fence down," Annie says. What a great metaphor Woodson has created for knocking down old beliefs and barriers that keep people apart. Children learn that change can happen little by little, one child at a time. Award-winning Lewis's lovely realistic watercolor paintings allow readers to be quiet observers viewing the issue from both sides. (Picture book. 5+)

Kirkus Review. (2001). [Review of the book The other side, by Jacqueline Woodson]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 11, 2013, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jacqueline-woodson/the-other-side-6/

 USE IN THE LIBRARY: This is a great book and many lessons can be created for many subject areas.  Before reading the book a discussion can take place regarding the purpose of a fence and why it is used.  For upper grades you can discuss the purpose of boundaries and the symbolic meaning on the book cover.  During the read you can ask simple questions such as: Why do you think the white girl seems so sad? How do you think the black girl feels about that girl? After reading the book you can show the last couple of pages and discuss questions like: What do you think is going on in these pictures? Or Why do you think Clover’s mother didn’t tell her to get down from the fence?

You can end the lesson by doing a hands on project such as experimenting with water colors and painting your family or have upper grades write a short story about how they make friends.

Module 5 – Skellig by: David Almond

PLOT: Mum and Dad with their two kids Michael, who is 11 years old and his premature sister Joy, have just moved into a fixer up house. Michael who is concerned about his little sister and whether she will live or die brings worry to him and his parents.  As Michael explores the interiors of an old dilapidating, filled with junk garage, located in his backyard he comes across a man who is hiding behind a tea chest. The man seems to be malnourished and not very healthy. Not sure of his whereabouts he helps the man by bringing him aspirin, Chinese food and brown ale.  Michaels little sister has to return to the hospital because she is not well and needs heart surgery. Due to his sisters health condition Michael detaches himself from school and his friends and becomes good friends with Mina, a young girl about his age, who lives across the road from him.  Mina is homeschooled and it is evident that she has many talents. Michael soon entrusts her with his secret of the man in the garage.  She helps him and moves the man to an abandoned home down the street.  It is at this moment that they realize that he is not all man, he has wings and they are not sure exactly what he is.  The man tells them that his name is Skellig and that he is kind of an owl and an angel. They continue to visit the man and bring him back to health.  As Skelling becomes stronger he shows Michael and Mina his powers by joining hands and spinning in a circle.  Both Michael and Mina are amazed at what they can see and feel within themselves.  Skellig assures Michael that his little sister will not die and that he should not worry. Skellig thanks them for their help and he leaves.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC CITATION:  Almond, D. (1998). Skellig. New York: Dell Yearling.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  This supernatural read was very interesting and captivating.  It started kind of slow in the first couple of pages but it soon hooked me when Michael found the man in the garage.  I enjoyed the characters that were portrayed in this story. I especially liked Mina’s character because of her wisdom and knowledge of science, poetry and art.  She comes across as a very bouncy, fun loving and sarcastic character.  Michael comes across as patient, caring and understanding.  I really enjoyed the way the author wrote the book because he used slang words such as “bloody”, “eh” and “mum”.  This made the story seem that it was taking place in another country or of different origin. Skellig’s character is very dark and mysterious and after you find out he has wings then you know he has to be a good guy in the story.  The ending is satisfying and humbling. I give this book a one and a half thumbs up.

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews starred (1998)

Almond pens a powerful, atmospheric story: A pall of anxiety hangs over Michael (and his parents) as his prematurely born baby sister fights for her life. The routines of school provide some relief, when Michael can bear to go. His discovery, in a ramshackle outbuilding, of Skellig, a decrepit creature somewhere between an angel and an owl, provides both distraction and rejuvenation; he and strong-minded, home-schooled neighbor Mina nurse Skellig back to health with cod liver pills and selections from a Chinese take-out menu. While delineating characters with brilliant economy--Skellig's habit of laughing without smiling captures his dour personality perfectly--Almond adds resonance to the plot with small parallel subplots and enhances his sometimes transcendent prose ("'Your sister's got a heart of fire,'" comments a nurse after the baby survives a risky operation) with the poetry of and anecdotes about William Blake. The author creates a mysterious link between Skellig and the infant, then ends with proper symmetry, sending the former, restored, winging away as the latter comes home from the hospital. As in Berlie Doherty's Snake-Stone (1996) or many of Janet Taylor Lisle's novels, the marvelous and the everyday mix in haunting, memorable ways.

Kirkus Review. (1998). [Review of the book Skellig, by David Almond]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/david-almond/skellig/

USE IN THE LIBRARY:  This is a book I would like to promote in a reading circle or book club.  As we read the story and meet to discuss the book I would open up the discussion with several questions. Such as the following:

1. Michael is very unhappy at the beginning of the novel. Discuss how Michael's life changes after he discovers Skellig and meets Mina. Think about ways that you deal with fear and loneliness. How can you help a friend who appears unhappy?

2. Almond never gives the reader a specific description of Skellig. Based on the glimpses of Skellig found throughout the novel, what is your impression of Skellig? How might Michael describe Skellig at the end of the novel?

3. Michael brushes his hands against Skellig's back and detects what appear to be wings. When he asks his mother about shoulder blades, she answers, "They say that shoulder blades are where your wings were when you were an angel . . . where your wings will grow again one day." What does this statement reveal about Skellig?

Questions found at:
Random House (2010). Readers guide Skellig. Teachers@Random Catalog. Retrieved from
      http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780440229087&view=rg

Module 5 – Icefall by: Matthew J. Kirby

PLOT: Hidden between a frozen fjord and mountainside the Kings heirs and their protectors are must remain in this fortress for an entire winter. Gunnlaug was denied as the future husband of the King’s eldest daughter and therefore declared war against the King and his kingdom. The King is at battle with his might enemy Gunnlaug.  The King and his trusted counselors decide to send his children away during this war to keep them safe from harm’s way.  The King has three children, the eldest Asa, being the most beautiful captivating young lady, the second child is Solveig who is not very attractive and serves no purpose to the royal family, and the third is his son, soon to be heir of his father’s throne, Harald. The story is told by Solveig and how she and her brother and sister have to struggle through a life of solitude and confinement in this fortress for an entire winter. The closest and most trusted servants and workers are sent with the children along with Captain Hake and his men who are called berserkers, savage men prepared to fight in a moment’s notice. During the long winter time there are many mysterious accidents happening.  Their cows are set free so the wolves in the forest could eat, the food is poisoned and many berserker die and everyone is blaming each other.  There is obviously a traitor among the group. As the story unfolds Solveig begins to find herself and realizes that she too has a purpose in the royal family.  She is strong willed, honest, caring and most of all brave. She also realizes that she has a gift for telling stories.  She begins to trust in herself and shows humbleness to everyone in the hall. The servants along with the traitor respect her very much. As the winter ends and the fjord begins to melt away they prepare for their voyage back home. However, before they could depart Gunnlaug enters the fjord and holds them ransom in exchange for marriage to Asa and land for Harald.  Solveig is not in Gunnlaug’s plans but she is determined to set her fate by freeing the servants and her brother.  Right before the escape she it is revealed as to who the traitor is and she must make a hard decision to save the others and herself before they are captured and killed.

Kirby, M. (2011). Icefall. New York: Scholastic Press.

IMPRESSION OF THE BOOK:  I was captured after reading the first paragraph of this book. There was no “putting down this book” I read it in two nights.  The writing of this book is so captivating that it allows your imagination to flow and create these vivid pictures of the story.  I was captivated by Solveig’s character and bravery.  I felt as if there was a strong connection between her and Hake, the captain of the berserkers and I just rooted for their survival, because I wanted them to end up together.  Alric’s character fooled me.  I for sure thought he was the traitor in this story and to come to find out he becomes the hero, I loved the twist in the story.  At first I was confused as to Harald’s age I thought of him as a teenager or alittle older and I later come to find out he is much younger, that really put me on the edge of my seat because he has to survive, he will take over as King. This gripping story was amazing I am so afraid of just blurting out the end because I will ruin it for everyone.  The book has a great ending so that a series could continue from it.  I really think this should become a movie or they should continue this book into a series. The next book should include Solveig’s travel with Hake as a skald and then they pump into her sister Asa. This book gets two big waving thumbs up… Go Solveig!!!

REVIEWS:  Kirkus Reviews (2011)

The king's three children and a small group of warrior-protectors take refuge in a winter-bound steading on a northern fjord and discover there's a traitor in their midst. Beautiful Asa, the eldest princess, faces an arranged marriage, although she loves another. Harald, the youngest, will one day be king. But the narrator, middle daughter Solveig, is neither attractive nor particularly useful, until she begins to realize she has talent as a storyteller and could have a future as a skald, or court bard. As food runs low and bitter winter tightens its hold, someone in the group begins to sabotage the remaining supplies, and Solveig has a dream that foretells a tragic end to their efforts to survive. Interesting, well-developed characters abound, and Solveig's strong narrative voice adds authenticity as she grows into her new role, not just telling stories of the mythical Scandinavian past but creating tales to alter the behavior of those around her. Valid clues and occasional red herrings heighten the sense of mystery. The chilly, claustrophobic, ancient setting is vividly created, and the sense of impending doom generates a gripping suspense overarching the developing--and deteriorating--relationships among the group, marking Kirby (The Clockwork Three, 2010) as a strong emerging novelist. Recommend this one to teens who crave a good mystery set in an icily different time and place. (Alternative historical mystery. 11-18)

Kirkus Review. (2011). [Review of the book Icefall, by Matthew J. Kirby]. Kirkus Reviews Issue. Retrieved July 10, 2013, from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/matthew-kirby/icefall/

USE IN THE LIBRARY:  I would use this book in a vocabulary book display with a literature response.  I would use the vocabulary words such as fjord, ravine, berserkers, skyr, thrall, skald, glacier, rations, rafters, heir, throne, and savages.  I would also try and pull other books with the similar context.  I would create crossword puzzles, a question answer sheet and even a few pictures to color on the display.  If the students read the book and can answer the questions or crossword puzzle then they get their name put up on the display as part of the royal family and get some type of reward.