Genre 6: Realistic Fiction and Fantasy: Post 3

Biographical Data:

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale.  (2008).  Rapunzel’s Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury.  ISBN 9781599902883

Brief Plot Summary:

Meet Rapunzel: a long hair, braid-lassoing outlaw who escaped from Mother Gothel's hollow tree tower - a punishment for disobeying Gothel.  This fairy-tail version takes place in the Wild West where Rapunzel grows up in the lap of luxury in Gothel's lush villa.  But when Rapunzel climbs over the wall surrounding the villa, she sees mine workers mining a wasteland.  While there she encounters her birth mother and discovers that Gothel took her from her parents as punishment for her father stealing rapunzel leaves from Gothel's garden.  Gothel banishes Rapunzel to the tree tower and visits once a year for four years to see if Rapunzel was repentant and ready to take her birthright.  Once her hair was long enough, Rapunzel uses it to escape the tree tower.  With the help of Jack, a friend she meets at a saloon, Rapunzel faces kidnappers, breaks out of jail, gets advice from Witchy Jasper, and battles ferocious beasts and a monstrous snake, and finally she has her revenge on Mother Gothel. 

Critical Analysis:

Punzie is not waiting to be rescued - she a teenager of action.  She's determined, strong-willed, and fights for justice.  And the reader will cheer her on as she and Jack, her faithful side-kick who reminds readers of Jack and the Beanstock, face fantastical beasts that fit right at home with Mother Gothel's magical growth powers, Rapunzel's long locks, and the swashbuckling Wild West.  The Hales did a wonderful job of creating colorful dialogue that fits the setting; one of the first things Rapunzel says is, "Well, I'll be swigger-jiggered and hung out to dry."  Illustrator Nathan Hale does a superb job of providing details, expressive characters, and colorful settings that contribute meaning to the work overall.  Together the characters and plot revolve around one theme:  good does triumph over evil.

Awards:

• An ALA 2009 Notable Children's Book
• A YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens
• An Eisner Award nominee (the Oscars of comics)
• A Kid's Indie Next for fall '08 (formerly known as Booksense Picks)
• 2011 Young Readers Choice Award (presented by the Pacific Northwest Library Association)
• A Junior Library Guild Premiere Selection
• Nominee for the Texas Lone Star reading list
• A Best Book of the year from kidsread.com and teenreads.com
• A Cybil Award winner
• Nominated for the 2010 Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults
• On the 2009-2010 Maine Student Book Award Reading List
• An ALA 2009 Popular Paperback
• Part of the 2010 ALA Amelia Bloomer Project Bibliography
• A Texas Maverick Graphic Novel
• A Young Hoosiers Book Award Nominee

Reviews:

The popular author of Princess Academy teams with her husband and illustrator Hale (no relation) for a muscular retelling of the famously long-haired heroine's story, set in a fairy-tale version of the Wild West. ...Rapunzel uses her brick-red braids first to escape, then like Indiana Jones with his whip, to knock out the villains whom she and her new sidekick, Jack (of Beanstalk fame), encounter as they navigate hostile territory to free Rapunzel's mom from peril. Illustrator Hale's detailed, candy-colored artwork demands close viewing, as it carries the action—Rapunzel's many scrapes are nearly wordless. With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody. Ages 10–up.  -- Publisher’s Weekly(Sept. 2008)

This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine. ...Hale’s art matches the story well, yielding expressive characters and lending a wonderful sense of place to the fantasy landscape. Rich with humor and excitement, this is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers.   -- Booklist (Sept. 2008)

Connections: 

• Reader’s Theater Script prrovided by the authors at their website:  http://www.squeetus.com/stage/rap_script-rt.html
• Can be paired with the sequel Calamity Jack which is explains Jack's background (from Jack and the Beanstock).
• Compare and contrast this version to other versions of Rapunzel

Genre 6: Realistic Fiction and Fantasy: Post 2

Biographical Data:

Anderson, Laurie Halse.  (1999).  Speak.  New York: Farrar Straus Giroux.  ISBN 978-0-374-37152-4

Brief plot summary:

Melinda Sordino is a high school freshmen and an outcast "with the wrong hair, the wrong clothes, the wrong attitude."  Everyone knows she was the one who busted the end-of-the-summer party by calling the police, but they don't know why she did it - they never ask.  As a result of that night, Melinda becomes so withdrawn that she rarely speaks.  Her friends have abandoned her, her parents don't know what to do with her, and her teacher's don't take much interest in her -except for Mr. Freeman, her art teacher.  He encourages her as she works on her art project which begins to lead her to recognize the events of the party.  Melinda realizes she has to speak the truth about that night.

Critical analysis:

Melinda's character transforms from "a wounded zebra in a National Geographic special"  who bites her lips and rarely speaks to being "suddenly...popular" because she was able to confront her rapist, Andy Evans.  The story is told from Melinda's perspective and emphasizes her internal journey ending with the events of her rape and how she comes to terms with it.  The setting is modern times in a high school in New York.  Melinda's internal dialogue is natural and believable as well as that of her others in the novel:  her parents, Heather, teachers, and her counselor.  Melinda comes across as weak and meek, but we see her gain her confidence and strength as the school year progresses.  Although the subject matter is serious, Melinda maintains a sense of humor.  The chapters are short with fun chapter titles.  This is a story of a victim who realizes that she doesn't have to be a victim "it wasn't my fault. And I'm not going to let it kill me.  I can grow." 

Awards:

• ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults
• ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults
• Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist
• IRA Young Adult Choice
• Junior Library Guild Selection
• Michael L. Printz Honor Book (American Library Association)
• National Book Award Finalist
• New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
• New York Times Bestseller List
• SCBWI Golden Kite Award
• YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults

Reviews:

In a stunning first novel, Anderson uses keen observations and vivid imagery to pull readers into the head of an isolated teenager. ...Yet Anderson infuses the narrative with a wit that sustains the heroine through her pain and holds readers' empathy. ...Only through her work in art class, and with the support of a compassionate teacher there, does she begin to reach out to others and eventually find her voice. Through the first-person narration, the author makes Melinda's pain palpable.... Though the symbolism is sometimes heavy-handed, it is effective. ...But the book's overall gritty realism and Melinda's hard-won metamorphosis will leave readers touched and inspired. Ages 12-up. (Oct.)  -- Publisher’s Weekly Oct. 1999

Melinda’s voice is distinct, unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. 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. — Booklist (Sept. 1999)

Connections:

• A unit study over assault or personal rights (a review of what is rape legally).
• Listen by Laurie Halse Anderson - a poem available on her website:  http://madwomanintheforest.com/teachers/youngadult-speak/Other books/poems?
• Webquest:  http://www.bgsu.edu/colleges/library/crc/webquest/SPEAK/

Genre 6: Realistic Fiction and Fantasy: Post 1

Biographical Data (audio book):

Gantos, Jack.  (2000).  Joey Pigza Loses Control.  New York : Farrar.  ISBN 0374399891

Brief Plot Summary:

Joey is going to spend six weeks of his summer in Pittsburgh with his father, Carter.  Joey's mother is reluctant, but she agrees because Joey is doing better now that he's on the patch - his new medication for his ADHD- and she hopes Joey can have a relationship with his father.  She allows Joey to go giving him emergency money and plenty of quarters to call her whenever he wants to.  Joey is excited about spending time with his father, but a part of him is concerned about how things will go.  In the past, Carter was an alcoholic, but he's claimed to have turned his life around and wants to spend some time with his son.  Initially, things go well with the exception of his father doing all the talking and his cigarette-smoking grandmother being a bit bossy, but things take a turn for the worse when Carter starts drinking and decides that he can be a father to Joey by taking him off his medication.  Within days the "old Joey" returns leaving a wake in his path.

Critical Analysis:

Young readers will relate to Joey because he is a kid from a divorced family who takes medication for his ADHD and just wants a relationship with his father.  He is funny, smart, and pleases everyone at the expense of himself.  The plot is believable in that Joey is spending time with his estranged father who has stopped drinking, found a job, and sought visitation rights.  Together they bond over visits to Storybook Land, baseball, and bungee jumping - all of which add to the contemporary setting of the novel.  But tensions start to grow as Carter begins to drink and escalates to Joey running away to call his mom to come get him.  Jack Gantos does a fabulous job of capturing Joey's lively personality through descriptive diction ("...I was hiding inside his shadow like a drop inside an ocean...") and actions (accidentally piercing Pablo's ear while playing darts).  All these elements converge round the topic of identity.  Joey desperately wants to be normal, even pretends to be a mannequin in the mall in order to be perfect.  He realizes that he is normal, and his medication helps him.

Awards:

Newbery Honor Book, 2001

Review:

Like its predecessor, this high-voltage, honest novel mixes humor, pain, fear and courage with deceptive ease. Struggling to please everyone even as he sees himself hurtling toward disaster, Joey emerges as a sympathetic hero, and his heart of gold never loses its shine. Ages 10-up. (Sept.) -- Publisher's Weekly (Sept. 2000).

Connections:

• Write a poem for two voices where the "two Joey's" have a conversation.  This idea is taken from a teaching guide available at:  http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=841
• Pair with Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key, when Gantos first introduced Joey.
• This novel may spark conversations about divorce, special needs, medication, special education, alcoholism, and baseball.

Genre 5: Historical Fiction - Post 3

Bibliographic data:

Anderson, Laurie Halse. (2008).  Chains.  New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers.  ISBN 9781416905851

Brief plot summary:

Miss Finch promises Isabel, a thirteen year old slave, and Ruth, her five year old sister, their freedom upon her death, but, when she dies, Miss Finch's one living relative sells the sisters to a New York couple, the Locktons.  Upon their arrival to New York, Isabel meets Curson, a slave who's owner is directly connected to the Patriots.  Curzon encourages Isabel to spy on the Locktons, suspected to be Loyalist supporters, but she refuses because her only concern is taking care of Ruth and herself.  But when Mrs. Lockton discovers that Ruth has the "falling sickness," she wants Ruth out of her home; Mr. Lockton refuses.  When his involvement in the plot against the Patriots is discovered,  Mr. Lockton escapes New York.  That's when Mrs. Lockton gets rid of Ruth, and Isabel's physical and mental struggle for her freedom takes new resolve as she is determined to get Ruth back.

Critical analysis:

Set during the Revolutionary War in New York, Anderson captures the resentment between the Loyalists and the Patriots through the actions and words of characters like the Loctons and Bellingham, a Patriot supporter.  The Loctons are Loyalists who conspire against the Patriots while supporters of Washington are willing to risk their lives for personal freedom -both from England and slavery.  Anderson begins each chapter with historical quotes from various sources and authors including Thomas Paine, Abigail Adams, and Benjamin Franklin which adds authenticity to the novel.  She also weaves historical events like the British military occupation of New York, the Great Fire of New York (1776), the capture and hanging of Nathan Hale seamlessly into the lives of fictional characters like Isabel, Lady Seymour, and Curzon.  Anderson also includes the horrible treatment of slaves (punishment, branding, and public humiliation) and prisoners of war (overcrowding, starvation, and little to no medical attention) at that time.  The author's style does reflect the vernacular of the time with words like "et" for "ate" spoken by Isabel and the formal syntax spoken by Lady Seymour.  Throughout the novel one sees a reoccurring theme:  the importance of standing up for what one believes in despite the hardships that may come.

Review excerpt(s):

“Anderson brilliantly recreates New York City in the summer of 1776, viewed through the eyes of a remarkable heroine. ”—Kirkus (Sept. 2008)

“...Anderson (Speak ; Fever 1793 ) packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot. ”—Publishers Weekly *Starred review* (Oct. 2008)

Awards:

IRA Teachers' Choices booklist for 2009

2008 Booklist's Editors Choice-Books for Youth

2008 National Book Award Finalist

2009 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

2009 Top 10 Black History Books for Youth

2009 Notable Children's Book

Connections:

Forge is the sequel to Chains starting where Isabel and Curzon land in Jersey, but the perspective changes.  Now it's Curzon telling the story.  This would be a wonderful moment to discuss point of view and its impact a story.

This books compliments a study of the Revolutionary War, specially the topics of slavery, spies, and prisoners of war during that time.

A thematically similar book is Five 4^th of Julys by Pat Raccio Hughes.