Missile Mouse Book Trailer

 

 

Missile Mouse by Jake Parker

Gregor the Overlander Book Trailer

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins

Esperanza Rising Book Trailer

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Module 15: The Golden Compass

 

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman 

 

Summary: In this alternate world, every human is basically attached at the soul by their own daemons, who help to protect them, and who also happen to be shape-shifters.  Twelve-year-old orphan Lyra, and her daemon Pantalaiman are somewhat mischievous, and after their good friend Thomas disappears one day, Lyra is determined to uncover the mysterious plot that is the cause of so many missing children.  Lyra is sent to live with Mrs. Coulter, where she soon uncovers a sinister plot.  She flees, and races to find her dad, and to restore to him an alitheometer which she has found she can use to predict the future and read the past.  Lyra is eventually captured by "the gobblers" and finds herself imprisoned with her friend Thomas and many other children who are in danger of being separated from their daemons, an act which can literally kill them.  The book ends tragically, with an obvious look toward the next book in the trilogy.  

APA Reference: Pullman, P. (1995). The golden compass. New York, NY: Random House Children's Books

Impressions: This is a fairly fast paced book with intriguing characters, particularly Lyra, who is feisty and determinedly bold.  This can be seen from the beginning of the book when Lyra is hiding in a closet with Pantalaiman, trying to eavesdrop on one of the scholars of Jordan College where she lives.  The idea that humans are attached to a daemon at the sole is also intriguing, and the book reads like a action filled mystery as Lyra tries to figure out the meaning of dust, and why anyone would want to separate a daemon from a child.  While there has been some controversy about this book and it's somewhat anti-religious message, it is doubtful that most children would pick up on the message since it is somewhat symbolic, with many mysteries to still be solved in the following two books in the trilogy.

Professional Review:
Books for Youth, Older Readers: /*Starred Review*/ Gr. 7-12. In the first of a planned trilogy, Pullman has created a wholly developed universe, which is, as he states, much like our own but different in many ways--a world in which humans are paired with animal "daemons" that seem like alter egos, only with personalities of their own. The story begins at Jordan College in Oxford, where young Lyra Belacqua and her daemon, Pantalaimon, are being reared and educated by the Scholars. Although a lackluster student, Lyra possesses an inordinate curiosity and sense of adventure, which lead her into forbidden territory on the night her uncle, Lord Asriel, visits. He's there to solicit funds for a return journey to the distant arctic wastes, where he has observed and photographed strange goings-on, including a mysterious phenomenon called Dust that streams from the sky and a dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora, or Northern Lights, that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. After he leaves, Lyra finds herself placed in the charge of the mysterious Mrs. Coulter and in possession of a rare compasslike device that can answer questions if she learns how to read it. Already shocked by the disappearance of her best friend, Lyra discovers Mrs. Coulter's connection with the dreaded children-stealing Gobblers and runs away, joining a group of gyptians bound for the North to rescue missing children. Lyra has also learned that her uncle is being held prisoner in the North, guarded by formidable armored bears. Filled with fast-paced action, the plot involves a secret scientific facility, where children are being severed from their daemons; warring factions; witch clans; an outcast armored bear, who bonds with Lyra; and more. It becomes evident that the future of the world and its inhabitants is in the hands of the ever-more-resilient and dedicated Lyra. A totally involving, intricately plotted fantasy that will leave readers clamoring for the sequels. 

 Estes, S. (1996, March 01). [Review of the book The golden compass, by P. Pullman]. Booklist, 97(16), 1956. Retrieved form http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:  Introduce this book on a display at a teen night where you show the movie.  Also, this would be a good book to introduce in a book talk introducing books which were made into movies.  

Module 14: Scranimals

Scranimals by Jack Perlutsky

 

Summary: Have you ever heard of a Potatoad?  Or how about some Camelberta Peaches?  Scranimals is a slightly silly poetry book, following in the tradition of Jack Prelutsky's other books, with the addition of great artwork from Peter Sis.  It is somewhat like a story, as two children travel throughout Scranimal Island with their raft, umbrella and scooter.  While on Scranimal Island they discover all sorts of mixed up characters which are a combination of plants and animals.

APA Reference: Prelutsky, J. (2002). Scranimals. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.

Impressions: This book is sure to be a kid pleaser, and would go along nicely with several projects in school.  The illustrations are intriguing, as the Rhinocerose seems to blend right into the landscape while managing to look like a subtle cross between a rose and a rhinocerus.  The Hippopotamushrooms, which are scattered between trees, appear just like mushrooms, or maybe rhinos, and the broccolions look like positvely fierce broccoli lions.  One of my favorite characters is the Radishark, which just seems like it should be fierce when you combine the hot spicy flavor of a radish with a shark.  Jack Perlutsky's poetry is amusing, and Peter Sis' illustrations are so detailed and textured that they really bring Jack's imaginary creatures to life.

Professional Review:

Gr 2-5 –Prelutsky introduces the curious inhabitants of Scranimal Island through his skillful and captivating poems. The creatures, such as the Mangorilla and Orangutangerine, are each a cross between an animal and a fruit, vegetable, or flower, and behave accordingly. For instance, "On a bump beside a road/Sits a lowly POTATOAD,/Obviously unaware/Of its own existence there./On its coarse and warty hide,/It has eyes on every side,/Eyes that fail, apparently,/To take note of what they see." Sís's illustrations are a wonderful combination of the eerie and humorous (readers might be reminded of his fantastical island in Komodo! [Greenwillow, 1993]), and give children a visual clue as to the creature's elements, in case they haven't figured it out yet. (A rebus-like chart on the back cover is more explicit, illustrating "potato + toad = potatoad", etc.) Hippopotamushrooms smile benevolently from their forest floor, the Pandaffodil munches bamboo beatifically, majestic Broccolions stalk the lithe Antelopetunia. These black-line and watercolor illustrations in a light palette take up three-quarters of each spread; the verses, in large and legible black type, accompany them on a pastel-tinged antique paper background. On occasion on this island, readers may come across a creature that is a cross of two animals (no plant matter involved), such as the Ostricheetah or the Stormy Petrelephant. Though as eloquently described, they are simply not as funny as the Porcupineapple or the Avocadodos, and somehow spoil the fun. The point of nonsense, after all, is to stick to the rules–just, the wrong rules. Nevertheless, Prelutsky and Sís have pulled off something great here–it is their best collaboration to date.

Lindsay, N. (2002, September 01). [Review of the book Scranimals, by J. Perlutsky]. School library journal, 48(9), 217. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses: In honor of the book Scranimals, the library could hold a contest to see who could make the most creative art project out of vegetables, fruits, or plants.  Several copies of Scranmimals could be kept at the library, for families to come read during National Poetry Month.  Everyone could bring their creations in during a week period, and they could be displayed at the library.  Prizes could be given for the most creative projects. 

Module 13: Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher

Missile Mouse: The Star Crusher by Jake Parker

Summary: Secret agent Missile Mouse has a mission to perform, and with his super mouse powers it seems like nothing can stop him. His mission begins on the fifth planet in the Vasa Star System, where he has been sent to find a Star Compass. While there, he runs into not only a mouse eating parasite, but also a formidable foe named Gurne. Gurn steals the Star Compass from Missile Mouse, and leaves him to be eaten by the parasite. Missile Mouse miraculously survives, and is soon sent to save the universe from the Star Crusher, which can destroy the universe. In order to do this, he must first rescue the scientist who helped to create the device, but has been kidnapped by the RIP, or Rogue Imperium of Planets. While on his journey Missile Mouse finds that in order to defeat the enemies, he has to look deep into himself, and to the promise his dad once gave him to always remember he was a "mouse who matters".

APA Reference: Parker, J. (2010). Missile Mouse: The star crusher. New York, NY: Graphix.

Impressions: Missile Mouse will be sure to appeal to the same fans who love super heroes and Star Wars. Missile Mouse is a somewhat cheeky mouse, not too different from the popular Hans Solo from Star Wars. As he battles the villains, it seems like he is never short of ideas to get out of tricky situations with the help of his zapper type gun, and detonators he uses to blow things up. Also reminiscent of Star Wars is General Nivlak, who resembles Darth Vadar, all the interesting foes Missile Mouse must fight, and the space ships which are constantly flying through the air. The story line will be sure to keep even reluctant reader's reading, and the graphics go along nicely with the story to create a fun visual experience reminiscent of watching a movie.

Professional Review:
Gr 3-6 –Brimming with sci-fi action and futuristic gadgetry, Missile Mouse comes across as a James Bond meets Han Solo for the middle-grade crowd. The cocky, big-eared rodent is a secret agent for the Galactic Security Agency (GSA) who prefers to do things the “quick and messy” way. This penchant for disruption has the GSA keeping close tabs on him. When brilliant scientist Ulrich Vondorf is kidnapped by the evil Rogue Imperium of Planets (RIP), MissileMouse is tasked with retrieving him. Adding importance to the mission is the fact that Vondorf has knowledge of the black hole-creating Star Crusher, which RIP could use to bring the universe to its knees. While the plot, featuring rescue missions and against-the-clock thrills, doesn’t break new ground, it is satisfyingly efficient. Rarely is a panel wasted. The modern, richly colored illustrations will keep readers visually interested throughout. Entertaining, well-executed, and likely to circulate feverishly as soon as it hits the shelf, this first installment in a graphic novel series should have scores of devoted fans in no time.

Jonker, T. (2010, January 01). [Review of the book Missile Mouse: The star crusher, by J. Parker]. School library journal, 56(1), 66. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses: Pair up with other books about space for a fun program on space. Invite a local astronomer to visit, and have them make an entertaining presentation on space, stars, planets, and other unusual things from space. If this program is done at night, have the astronomer bring a telescope so the kids can check out some of the cool things they can see in space.

Module 12: Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport

Summary: Martin Luther King had a dream, and it started before thte time he was an adult.  Martin's Big Words walks briefly through the life of Martin Luther King beginning when he was a young child and progressing to the time of his death.  As a child, Martin's mother made sure he knew he was as good as anyone regardless of his skin color.  His father taught him about God, and as he grew he studied Mahatma Gandhi and his non-violent impact on India.  When Martin eventually became a preacher like his father, he knew he wanted to make a difference for the black people in America.  He did this by advocating non-violence and love rather than hate to make changes.  Martin's Big Words shows a preliminary look at Martin's journey speaking and marching peacefully with his people.  It also shows the challenges he faced as he was jailed, and as the lives of he and his family were threatened.  The book leaves the reader with Martin's big words, such as peace, freedom, love, and together, which are still important today.

APA Reference: Rappaport, D. (2001). Martin's big words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children. 

Impressions: Both a Caldecott Honor book, and a Coretta Scott King Honor book, Martin's Big Words proves itself more than worthy of these awards.  The illustrations in the book are a striking and very realistic combination of water color and collage, and they do a lot to bring the story in the book to life.  Martin Luther King is often pictured surrounded by the dark, with an illuminated face which helps to emphasize the words which he spoke.  The illustrator uses symbolism and the image of a stained glass window to portray beams of light blazing out of the dark.  Doreen Rappaport's written words correspond perfectly with the illustrations and emphasize the things Martin would have wanted emphasized, rather than the hate which is still seen and felt in so many books about the civil Rights Movement.  The writing is powerful because it emphasizes unity, love, and the ability all people have to make a difference in the world. 

This picture-book biography provides an ideal introduction to this leader and his works. Juxtaposing original text with quotes from King's writing and speeches, Rappaport's (Escape from Slavery ) narrative offers a pastiche of scenes from King's life, beginning with his childhood experience of seeing "White Only" signs sprinkled throughout his hometown. He questions his mother about their meaning, and she assures him, "You are as good as anyone." Listening to his father preach, the boy asserts that "When I grow up, I'm going to get bigwords, too." Rappaport also touches upon King's role in the Montgomery bus strike that followed Rosa Park's 1955 arrest for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger and his subsequent efforts as a civil rights crusader. After briefly describing the circumstances of his death, the story concludes, quite abruptly, with the statement, "His bigwords are alive for us today." The author relies on her subject's own words, and his power, passion and pacifism shine through. Collier's (Uptown ) striking watercolor and cut paper collage art feature closely focused, lifelike images of King and other individuals against an inventive montage of patterns and textures. The portraits of King exude his spiritual strength and peaceful visage. In the background of some scenes are intricate recreations of stained glass windows, which, Collier explains in an introductory note, he interprets as a metaphor for King's life. An elegant, understated pictorial biography. Ages 5-9.

[Review of the book Martin's big words: The life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., by D. Rappaport]. (2001, October 08). Publishers weekly, 248(41), p. 64. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/


Library uses: Have a program during Black History month emphasizing some of the most influential people of the Civil Rights Movement.  The book is short enough, that it would be very effective to project it onto a large screen, and have a prominent African American in the community come read it aloud.  This would be a great springboard for a discussion afterward about how everyone can make a difference in their community just by doing little things.

Module 11: How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

 

 How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfull Famous by Georgia Bragg

 

Summary: A fairly in depth look at the causes of death of 19 famous people from history.  This book dispels common myths, such as the  notion that Cleopatra was bitten by an asp, and walks the reader through common medical practices, such as leeching, which later proved to be more harmful than good.  The book is arranged in a chronological order of those who died, starting with King Tut who died in 1323 BC, and ending with Albert Einstein who died in 1955. 

APA Reference: Bragg, G. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: NY: Walker & Company.

Impressions:  This book was so riveting I couldn't put it down, consequently I read it late into the night.  The language of the book is full of slang and kid lingo, and the illustrations really add to the information about the famous deaths.  Each passage is short (between 2-4 pages long), so kids who like short stories, will be drawn to this easy to read format.  The book is also full of delightfully quirky facts.  For instance, who would have guessed that King Henry VIII's stomach actually exploded after his death, or that Mozart actually died of Strep Throat?  The facts are interesting, and the reader will leave with a message of the amazing miracles of modern medicine.  
 

Professional Review: Gr 5 – 9 — King Tut died of malaria; Edgar Allan Poe is suspected to have had rabies. Beethoven and Galileo both met their ends due to lead poisoning. Fifteen other historical figures, including world leaders, writers, and scientists, were felled by things as mundane as pneumonia and as unpredictable as angry mobs. Each entry provides the circumstances of the person's death and gives context to those circumstances, from discussions of the political climate to medical practices of the time. Chapters are separated by a spread of brief facts related to the individual, the demise, or the era. Lively, full-page caricatures set in decorative frames appear throughout, along with spot illustrations. Back matter includes a lengthy list of sources. The sometimes-snarky writing gives the material a casual, conversational tone that will appeal to many readers. The title alone provides an easy booktalk; expect this one to be passed around and pored over.

Danner, B. (2011, April 1). [Review of the book. How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous by G, Bragg]. School library journal, 57(4), 189. Retrieved from http://www.slj.com/

Library Uses: Host a mystery investigation during October.  Have kids work in groups, assigning each group one person from the book to investigate.  Each group will make a poster drawing of their person, surrounded by quirky facts about that person's death.  Groups will present their poster to the group.  This activity could be accompanied by skeleton games, such as having groups race each other to wrap one member in toilet paper like a mummy.  Give skeleton bone bracelets for prizes. 

Module 10: Esperanza Rising

Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan

Summary:  Esperanza has spent her whole life (12 years) on a very prosperous ranch in Mexico.  While there, she becomes used to the finest dresses, parties, new dolls, and having servants to provide for her every need.  On the eve of her 13th birthday, Esperanza's life changes forever when her father is suddenly killed by bandits.  

Fearing for their lives and for the consequences they might face if they stay in Mexico, Esperanza and her mother are forced to give up everything they have, and they flee to the United States.  When they arrive in the U.S., they end up on a migrant farm in California during the time of the Great Depression.  While there, Esperanza learns what it means to make do with very little, but also experiences the hardships of being away from her family, trying to learn a new language, and to fit into a new country where people no longer think she is very smart.  When Esperanza's mother becomes very ill, Esperanza learns what it means to work hard to provide for her family, and to raise money to bring her beloved grandmother to the United States.    

APA Reference: 
Ryan, Pam M. (2000). Esperanza rising.  New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

Impressions:  Esperanza Rising is a touching story, which allows the reader to learn several important lessons.  As Esperanza experiences frustration over her new poverty level, having to learn English, and even learning to do simple jobs like sweeping, it becomes easy to gain a new understanding of the frequent prejudices and discrimination faced by immigrants.  In addition, the book also brings to light information on the Spanish Culture, the Dust Bowl, The Great Depression, the Mexican Deportation act, and the horrible living conditions experienced by early migrant workers.  Esperanza is such an endearing character, and the life lessons she learns are so great, the reader can't help cheering for her in every step of the book.  To make things even more interesting, each chapter of the book is named after some sort of Mexican produce, which not only allows for greater education by the reader, but also serves as somewhat of a search and find for each chapter. 

Professional Review: Gr. 5-8. Moving from a Mexican ranch to the company labor camps of California, Ryan's lyrical novel manages the contradictory: a story of migration and movement deeply rooted in the earth. When 14-year-old Esperanza's father is killed, she and her mother must emigrate to the U.S., where a family of former ranch workers has helped them find jobs in the agricultural labor camps. Coming from such privilege, Esperanza is ill prepared for the hard work and difficult conditions she now faces. She quickly learns household chores, though, and when her mother falls ill, she works packing produce until she makes enough money to bring her beloved abuelita to the U.S.. Set during the Great Depression, the story weaves cultural, economic, and political unrest into Esperanza's poignant tale of growing up: she witnesses strikes, government sweeps, and deep injustice while finding strength and love in her family and romance with a childhood friend. The symbolism is heavy-handed, as when Esperanza ominously pricks her finger on a rose thorne just before her father is killed. But Ryan writes movingly in clear, poetic language that children will sink into, and the books offers excellent opportunities for discussion and curriculum support.
  
Engberg, G. (2000, December 01). [Review of the book Esperanza rising, by Ryan, P. M.]. Booklist, 97(7), 708. Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/

Library Uses:  This book would be a fun community reads title, which could culminate in a library activity celebrating Mexican culture.  It could be held on Dia De Los Ninos or perhaps the Dia De Los Meurtos, and might include a pinata, taste testing of Mexican foods, and a variety of Mexican entertainers.