The Perks of Being a Wallflower

I just finished reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I really enjoyed the book for several reasons. First of all, it reminded me of the classic, Catcher in the Rye, because of the stream of consciousness writing. Second, I thought the book was intelligently written with some life-lessons to learn. Though the characters are frequent drug users, they struggle with the same dilemmas as most high schools, trouble fitting ins or finding yourself.

I must say that I had to re-read the last 10 pages about 5 times to "get it." With the first read, I completely missed what happened. With the second read, I couldn't believe what happened. Around the 5th time, it started to sound really obvious and as if I should have figured out the dynamic from the beginning of the novel. I hope that wasn't a spoiler for anyone!

There is a recent movie with Emma Watson out and I really look forward to seeing it, probably from Redbox! Our book club is talking about using this is a book. I feel like reading this would be very thought provoking for many students and maybe help some understand the difference that they have with their peers.

The Queen of Kentucky

 Recently, I read Alecia Whitaker's The Queen of Kentucky.  Raised on a cattle ranch, I deeply enjoyed reading this book because the main character Ricky Jo/ Erica is a farm girl too. This book is about her finding her place at a new school. In the beginning, she is trying to reinvent herself. Part of that reinvention involves changing her name from Ricky Jo to Ericka. Part of that reinvention involves new clothes and trying out for cheerleader.

I felt that this novel had some excellent lessons for teenagers but might be difficult for kids raised in a city to relate to. I identified with the main character, but I have trouble seeing many teens learning what they should from this novel, because they might have trouble understanding some of Erica's life experiences, like working in a tobacco field all summer to earn spending money.

Living in Buffalo, NY, I might not buy this for my high school library. Were I still living in Little Rock, AR, I wouldn't hesitate.

Jane: A modern retelling of Jane Eyre

First of all, I am a sucker for a retelling of a story that I already know and love. Just like I enjoyed reading Tiger Lilly by Jodi Lynn Anderson, I deeply enjoyed reading Jane by April Lindner. The plot line is basically the same as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Jane is hired to be a nanny by someone in a different social class than here, in this case a rockstar. They fall in love and the secrets in the attic have a very dramatic and heart-breaking effect on their relationship and the reader.

Jane would be appealing to readers who love and enjoyed the classic. It would also bring the classic to a more readable level to today's teenagers. They will be able to understand Jane's attraction to the rockstar Nico Rathburn a little better than Jane's attraction to the surly lord of the manner, Mr. Rochester. Where the Victorian novel only evolved into heavy breathing, the modern retelling ventures further into an adult relationship and might not be appropriate for all classroom libraries or library settings. This address a few mature issues and requires the reader to understand the deeper meanings behind a character's action.

Tiger Lilly

I've just finished reading Tiger Lilly by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I selected the book because I enjoyed reading the Peaches series, but I quickly discovered that this book was nothing like the previous series I had read. Instead of the story being about southern women growing up, this is a retelling of a children's favorite in a more adult way.

In this case, the narrator is Tinker Bell and she has a small obsession with Tiger Lilly, the strong Indian girl from the Peter Pan classic. There are a few differences between this tale and what one might expect from a retelling of Peter Pan. First, the story focuses on Peter and Tiger Lilly's love story. There is more of a focus on what life is like in Neverland for the different groups of people who live there. Tiger Lilly is a Sky Eater, a tribe of people who grow to a certain age and stop growing.

I liked this book for several reasons. I had to keep adjusting what I knew about the story of Peter Pan. Anderson changes a few details. For example, the flying is a myth, mermaids are evil and will drowned you, and Smee is a crazed serial killer.

The book also tackles important issues. For example, Tick Tock, Tiger Lilly's adopted father, believes that each person has parts of man and women inside them. When the tribe, prompted by an Englisher who is visiting the village, turns against him because he is "displeasing" God, issues of acceptance and kindness are addressed.

I would recommend this book to anyone who had previously enjoyed Jodi Lynn Anderson or was a fan of the dystopian fiction a few months ago. I see several different retellings of classics coming about.

The Breadwinner

I just finish reading what might be my new favorite book The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. This book was written before the war in Afghanistan and helps to explain the powerlessness of women in that country. Parvana, a young girl, lives in Afghanistan under the Taliban. This is a place where women can not leave their homes without their husbands, much less get an education. Women cannot enter shops to buy groceries or goods for their families. They must stand outside and shout their order into the shop owner. Parvana's father, who was educated in England, is arrested. When he is no longer there to support the family she must cut her hair and pose as a young boy. Then, she can sit in the marketplace and read and write letters for people. Students have an opportunity to learn much from Parvana and her experiences. This would make a great whole class novel. While many students in 4th through 7th grade might understand the content of the book, others, who have a small cultural experience might struggle to understand the concept of such a restrictive culture. Thus, a teacher or parent might need to explain the context of the tale a little.

Water for Elephants

I recently picked up a copy of Water for Elephants because I felt a little culturally out of the loop for not reading it or seeing the movie. Before I start, I will say that I would not select this book for a young adult collection. It is about two things that I know very little about from my own personal experience, living in a circus and struggling with poverty during the Great Depression. I would recommend this book for a supplemental reading list if I high school Social Studies class were studying the Great Depression.

Jacob starts the story with a very charmed life, just like many Americans started life at the beginning of the Great Depression. As a Vet student at Cornell, he is pulled from one of his final classes and told that his parents have died in a car accident. He quickly discovers that his parents were hit hard by the Great Depression and have put themselves into extreme debt to pay for his Ivy League education.

Lost and slightly delirious by the prospect of his looming "future," Jacob finds himself on a circus train, a circus in need of a vet. Any observant reader can tell that he is going to fall in love with the show's star before Jacob even realizes it. However, to find out if he wins her away from her husband, the unbalanced master of animals on the show, you'll have to read it.

When I watched the movie, I was disappointed by the differences. There were more flashbacks to Jacob as an old man in a nursing home in the book and I felt that made him a more sympathetic character. However, both the book and the movie are worth your time to read and enjoy. Interesting lessons for readers can be found in how people struggle and cope with poverty. I felt like a complete jerk as I read this one on the beach! The reality of life for a little person or a struggling alchoholic in the Great Depression are stark and should impact any reader.

The Hunger Games Trilogy

The Hunger Games Trilogy has captured the attention of readers and non-readers alike. The series starts with The Hunger Games and Katniss Everdeen volunteering to go in to the sickest reality television show you can possibly imagine. Collins brings in an interesting love triangle that includes fellow district 12 tribute Peta and Gale, a hunting partner to Katniss. Throughout the series, which includes Catching Fire and Mockingjay, this love triangle is what makes the story interesting, beyond the obvious government gone-wrong/ save the world theme.

I was wildly entertained and I deeply enjoyed this series. As a matter of fact, I read it in a week. However, I have a serious problem with the way that the first book ends. SPOILER ALERT. Because of this ending, an attempted suicide, I have a problem recommending this book to kids and with the popularity that it has maintained over the last few years. As an educator, I am upset with librarians and English teachers alike because I feel like we have missed another opportunity to discuss a serious issue.

When Bella attempted suicide in the Twlight series, we barley mentioned it. In that series, immature readers might have even missed that she was trying to kill herself. However, no one can miss the attempted suicide in The Hunger Games. All action stops and they talk about it. I hate that this is treated so lightly by teachers and I'm not sure that most parents would even know that it is there.

Now that I have said my piece there, I have to say that I thought the movie was great. I had problems with the fact that Madge is not a character in the movie, the bodies are not picked up during the games, and Lenny Kravitz felt like a strange casting choice to me. However, I imagine that I will see it again and deeply enjoy it again.

Finally, Dystopian literature in this manner is doing social studies teachers a favor. Readers are learning to question government. It is so obvious to readers that what the Capital is doing is wrong that drawing parallels about wrongs from our own government is a natural jump.

The Secrets of Peaches

The Secrets of Peaches is the second book in a series that begins with Peaches and I will be very excited to pick up the third book as soon as possible. Reading the Princess Diaries series and this series have made me remember how much I enjoy reading for pleasure. Something doesn't need to be loaded with academic merit for me to like it and that is surley the case here, though there is some great symbolism with a sick pecan tree and bats flapping around.

As the second book of a series, this book is more mature because it address much more mature topics like leaving home for college, serious depression, and premarital sex. The girl who had sex is the last of the three that I would have expected to do so. With that thought in mind, I don't think that some middle school students would enjoy this book because so much of the content would feel very distant to them. On the other hand, depression and premarital sex may have become middle school topics since I finished middle school.

We have the same three characters, Murphy, Leeda, and Birdie, and we pick up in the same place, Bridgewater, GA, very close to the ending of the previous novel. The girls test each other's friendship in this story as they and members of their family proceede to let each other down, almost constantly. We should learn from reading this that people make mistakes and that they often won't ask for help when they need it the most.

As an avid reader, and some sort of writer, I have come to enjoy Jodi Lynn Anderson's writing because of her ability to write about smells and have me actually smell them. I find this refreshing, whether she is writing about a peach orchard in Georgia or a kitchen in Mexcio.

This book belongs in school libraries because it gives readers the opportunites to learn from the mistakes of the characters. However, I do have reservations about middle school libraries, as I expressed above.

Anderson, Jodi Lynn. The Secrets of Peaches. Harper Teen: New York, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-06-073310-0.

The Incredible Book Eating Boy

The Incredible Book Eating Boy is a great book to read to a class when attempting to promote the idea that reading is cool because it makes you look smart.

The main character, Henry, loves to eat books. But, when he starts to feel sick from the eating of such non-food items, he decides that maybe, just maybe, he should be devouring the book in another way.

The art work for this book was created on pages from weeded books from libraries, found books, or throw away books. The paint and pencil drawings are detailed, striking, and colorful. When the words from the old book pages show through the paintings, the concept or idea behind the knowledge of books is all the more powerful.

I've recently become a fan of Oliver Jeffers because of the way that he can write a book with powerful lessons in it and not sound condescending.

Jeffers, Oliver. The Incredible Book Eating Boy. Philomel Books: New York, 2006. ISBN: 978-0399-24749-1.

Up and Down

Up and Down is a story of friendship and is a great opportunity to help young readers learn to cope if they have to move away or they have friends who move away. The watercolor paintings do an excellent job of conveying emotion and movement.

The story is simple.

Even though the penguin and the boy are very close friends and do everything together, they penguin decides that he wants to fly and he wants to do it on his own.

But Penguins have short stubby wings and fat bodies? But what if the penguin gets hurt blasting out of a cannon? Answer that with, but he has a really good friend, right? Then your child will learn a lesson or two about friendship.

Jeffers, Oliver. Up and Down. Philomel Books, New York, 2010. ISBN: 978-0-399-25545-8.

Roller Coaster

Roller Coaster is the story of "one person's" journey on the roller coaster. Frazee gives the readers the message that it is okay to be scared and okay to be fearful of something new. Because some of the writing contains great examples of onomatopoeia and that onomatopoeia is cleverly used there is a special sense of anticipation created in the roller coaster ride.

The drawings would be great for study in an art class because they show a great sense of movement. Where one loop on the page ends, when you turn to the next page, the drawing picks up.

I believe that Roller Coaster is a a clever book not only because of the continuous roller coaster throughout the book but because of the moral message we can learn from it: it is okay to be scared or afraid. Oftentimes, we forget to let children know this.

Frazee, Marla. Roller Coaster. Harcourt Inc.; San Diego, 2003. ISBN: 0-15-204554-6

Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor

Amelia takes everything literally. For example, when the mayor is with the press because he has to iron some things out, Amelia promises to bring him some actual shirts to iron. This discussion of literal language against figurative language would be useful in older, high school, classrooms. While middle schoolers often are unentertained by a teacher who whips out a picture book, oftentimes high schoolsrs are very entertained by them.

Amelia makes a cake in a pan when she is asked to make "pancakes" and sticks a French flag in toast when asked to make French toast. When a citizen says it is time for change, Amelia offers him the 43 cents in her pocket.

Most or some of these jokes might go over picture book reader's heads, but these books with all the plays on words, is a great or different way to engage reluctant readers in a discussion that they hear from an English teacher every year. This is an opportunity to get reluctant readers to sit up an pay attention in class.

Parish, Herman. Amelia Bedelia 4 Mayor. Pictures by Lynn Sweat. Greenwillow Books, New York; 1999. ISBN 0-688-16722-5.

Shipbreaker

I didn't think that I was a fan of dystopian fiction because I thought it was morbid and that often dystopian fiction lacked any form of literary merit. However, it is popular now, so it is probably time that I figure out what all the kids are talking about.

I loved Ship Breaker.

Nailer lives in a futuristic world where he scavenges for copper wiring in grounded oil tankers. When he, and his crew member Pima, find a swanky clipper run aground off of the coast of Bright Sands Beach with a swank girl inside, their lives change with a few not-so-simple decisions.

The world is different. Nailer can't read and is tattooed with light crew tattoo marks. His father is addicted to drugs and beats him regularly. There is no one who can or is willing to help Nailer than Pima and her mother, Sadna.

What makes Ship Breaker have merit is the moral lessons that evolve in the story. You don't need luck just to find success; you need to me smart too. Don't judge someone by their appearance because they can be misleading. The family you are given may not be the people you love the most; you can pick your family too.

Sherman Alexie called Ship Breaker "Exciting, poetic and breathtaking." I agree with him entirely. For the last 100 pages, I couldn't stop reading. I had to know what was going to happen. Would Nailer's father be the winner in the end? Would Nailer be loyal to Lucky Girl, himself, his family, his "family," or some strange combination of those.

I would give this book to students who fell in love with books like The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins or The Giver by Lowis Lowery. Also, I would buy this book for a middle school library, a high school library, or any library that services teens. The version I read didn't have any awards on the cover and I was very surprised by this. Upon a little research, I discovered that it won the Printz Award and was a National Book Award Finalist.

Bacigalupi, Paolo. Ship Breaker. Little, Brown & Company: New York, 2010

Princess in Pink

To be perfectly honest, it is time for me to take an extended break from Mia Thermopolis. I am beginning to become concerned about what young girls could be learning Mia's insecurities. In this book, Mia, a freshman who is dating a senior, desperately wants him to ask her to prom.

But, at her birthday party at a swanky New York restaurant, Mia's Grandmere brings her dog and he trips a busboy who gets fired. Lilly, Mia's "best friend" starts a city-wide restaurant worker strike. Further than Mia's insecurities, Lilly is a terrible friend and Mia always takes her back.

Nevertheless, I always enjoy the narrative and get a good laugh at Mia's ability to observe. That makes her a good writer, but it gets her in trouble when she shares personal family information in a public way. Students, who keep blogs and make online posts, could learn from Mia's experience but so much of the plot of this book is wrapped up in Mia's insecurities, younger readers will most likely not find that moral.

Cabot, Meg. Princess in Pink. Harper Trophy: New York, 2004.

Grandfather Tang's Story: A Tale Told with Tangrams

After finishing my unit on quilts, shapes, and the Underground Railroad, I intend to move forward with Grandfather Tang's Story and focus on shapes and storytelling. First of all, a tangram is made of seven shapes that make a prefect square. Students can play with the shapes and make different animals, like a fox or a dog.

Grandfather Tang's Story is about friendship. Wu Ling & Chou transform into different animals/ tangram shapes. For example, when one transforms into a dog the other becomes a squirrel so he can hide in the tree. The moral of the story exists in the idea that competition between friends doesn't help friendship grow. However, with this book lessons in shapes abound.

Giving each student a set of tangrams or maybe even having them cut them out results in a tactile lesson where they can attempt to make the same shapes that are depicted in Grandfather Tang's Story. So few teachers expect librarians to help facilitate math instruction that lessons and books like these add real value to our library curriculum.

Tompert, Ann. Grandfather Tang's Story: A Tale Told with Tanagrams. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Crown Publishers Inc.: New York, 1990. ISBN: 0-517-57487-X

Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook

This is a great book to begin the school year with 2nd or 3rd graders. Miss Smith has a magical storybook that the characters: dragons, witches and even the three bears, come out of as she reads. When she finishes reading, the characters return into the book.

The real problem arises when Miss Smth is late for school one morning and the storybook scares the principal away from the classroom. The story is great because it ends with the words "Who would ever have guessed that reading could be so much fun?"

For this story to be successful, students need to be vaguely familiar with storybook conventions. The drawings, however, are very exciting. After all, Miss Smith has fire orange hair, a leather jacket, and general rocker appeal.

Garland, Michael. Miss Smith's Incredible Storybook. Dutton Children's Books, New York: 2003. ISBN: 0-525-47133-2.

Actual Size

As the title suggests, Jenkins utilizes a sophisticated form of collage to depict animals in their actual size. Each animal, or part of an animal, is displayed. For example, the Atlas Moth, which measures 12 inches is displayed opposite of the Dwarf Goby, the smallest fish, which measures 1/3 of an inch. Instead of an entire animal, sometimes we only see parts of animals, like an elephant's foot and a gorilla's paw.

This is a great picture book for teaching proportion in an elementary school math class or for use in a science class. There isn't much actual "reading" here, but there is a section that resembles a glossary that gives more information on the animals at the end of the book.

Every elementary school librarian most likely already owns this book. Also, the internet abounds with lesson plans for teaching with this book. Try some of these websites:

http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=actual+size+steve+jenkins&media=lesson

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/books-teaching-about-animals

Jenkins, Steve. Actual Size. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: 2004. ISBN: 0-618-37594-5

The Secret to Freedom

In this beautiful piece of historical fiction, the narrator, Great Aunt Lucy, tells her niece a story of a piece of cloth on a wall, and, in turn, the historical signifigance of quilts in the Underground Railroad. Each quilt pattern means something. For example, as told in the story and the glossary, the monkey wrench pattern means to gather the tools and supplies that the slaves will need when they escape and the tumbling blocks pattern announced it was time to escape.

I will be using this book as the second in a unit on quilts, geometry and the Underground Railroad for African American History month. The pictures in the text tell much of the story. The emotions of the characters are visible on their faces. The colors of the quilts are beautifuly exciting. The glossary provides adults and/ or advanced readers with enough information to become informed on the uses of quilts in the Underground Railroad.

Vaughan, Marcia. The Secret to Freedom. Illustrated by Larry Jackson. Lee & Low Books Inc., New York, 2001.

Goodnight iPad

"Ann Droyd" has written us all a beautiful parody of one of our much loved children's books. As we all fell in love with Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown when we were children, now we can fall in love with the idea of "powering down" for one night. Where Goodnight Moon had a few colors on each page, Goodnight iPad has beeps, boops, taps, and booms jumping off the page. Where Goodnight Moon was designed to put children into a sleepy nighttime haze, Goodnight iPad, just like your ipad, nook, Kindle, phone, television, and computer, will leave you bright eyed and awake.

As adult familiar with children's literature, I believe that this is an hysterical parody. As a child, this book issues a challenge: slow down and calm down. The statement is simple, we do not have to be constantly stimulated by technology.

Incidentally, "Ann Droyd" is a pseudonym for an IRN Children's Choices Winner. Upon investigation in the verso I found that Dave Milgram owns the copyright. He has written books like Santa Duck, I'm Getting a Checkup, and My Mum Goes to Work.

Milgrim, Dave. Goodnight iPad: A Parody for the Next Generation. Blue Rider Press: New York, 2011.

Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt

In this picture book, Sam Johnson discovers a love of quilting while his wife is away and the awning breaks. When he tries to join the women's quilting club, he is laughed away. So, he starts his own quilting circle. The men's club builds a quilt to compete with the women's at the county fair. The competition is fierce; who will win?

The drawings are beautiful and color is used to display simplicity and an element of country elegance.

I intend to use this text as part of a unit that combines geometry (the symmetry of quilting patterns), and the historical significance of quilts in slaves' escape to freedom through the Underground Railroad. I will start this unit with second graders with this book because I need to get boys to buy into the idea of quilting. Otherwise, they will not want to join in with our final activity, building a quilt using geometric patterns.

Reference:

Campbell-Ernst, Lisa. Sam Johnson and the Blue Ribbon Quilt. Lothrop, Lee & Shepard: New York, 1983.

Princess in Waiting

More moral/ royal lessons abound for Mia. This time, in Princess in Waiting, Mia opens her mouth too much in her first address to the people of Genovia, fears a break-up from her new boyfriend, takes something she shouldn't from the royal Genovian museum, and is terrified of her grandmother when she doesn't want go to a ball.

Another element that makes Princess in Waiting entertaining, are the different forms of media that Cabot includes in Mia's diary. Mia makes lists of romantic heroines that teach us valuable lessons and of the hottest guys. There are chat conversations, essays for English class, and notes passed back and forth between friends.

Also, Mia's grandmother has her read Jane Eyre so that she may learn how not to chase boys. Mia takes it too far when she doesn't call Michael back upon her return from Genovia and her mother tells her so. However, Mia doesn't really start to question her own actions until she sees that Tina's boyfriend has broken up with her for the "not chasing" pact. Perhaps, some students might be motivated to read Jane Eyre!

To justify my love of this series:

ALA Booklist- "She wines; she gloats; she cheers, worries, rants, and raves; reading her journal is like reading a note from your best friend."

VOYA- "Although Mia has successfully commanded attention on the silver screen, teens will find the readable princess more personal and sophisticated."

Princess in Love

I think that I keep reading the Princess Diaries Series partly because in each book Mia learns a lesson through her mistakes or through her inquisitive nature. This is often missing from many television shows (cough cough Jersey Shore) and books. In this book, Princess in Love, the lesson she learns is more about "kissing."

Mia has been kissed before. Josh Richter kissed her in front of a bunch of cameras when he took her to a dance. Kenny, her boyfriend that she doesn't like "that" way, has kissed her- but not of the French variety. I think that, as an adult or as an experienced kisser, we often forget how never-shattering the entire idea of kissing can be. The best part of the entire book is when Mia writes out a list of questions for her friend Tina, who is an expert on kissing. Tina's point in her answers to the questions Mia writes: kissing, with someone you really like is natural and enjoyable.

The major problem in the third instalment of the Princess Diaries Series, Mia is in love with Michael- not her boyfriend, Kenny. And you can't become an expert on kissing- like all of your friends- with someone you are not in love with.

By the way Kirkus Reviews says "The best ending yet, which proves that princesses always find true love."

Cabot, Meg. Princess in Love. Harper Teen: 2002.

Peaches

I was told that as a southern woman, I had to read Peaches by Jodi Lynn Anderson. I enjoyed reading this book because the way that Anderson plays young friendships off of nature and the spirit of hard work.

This book has three main characters that are so different the real entertainment begins when they start to become friends. Leeda is the "spoiled brat" who makes an appearance of being perfect but is the misfit within her own family. Birdie is her sheltered/ home-schooled cousin with a passion for her home and the survival of her family's peach orchard. Murphy is a brilliant student who lack guidance and a sense of direction. When they all three end up working at the peach orchard for the summer, some by choice and some not by choice, the relationships they develop will change each of their lives.

Spoiler Alert: The only problem that I have with this story is that Leeda sort gives Murphy her boyfriend. This feels wrong to me on so many levels, no matter how much Murphy and Rex loved each other.

Ann Brashares, the author of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, said that "Peaches is a sweet and delicious read." This is very true. I have to say that Peaches reminded me of a cross between The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Divine Secrets of the Ya- Ya Sisterhood. I'd buy this book as an addition to a middle school or high school library. It is part of a series that spans the gap between the maturity levels of middle school students and high school students.

Pink and Say

Every time that I have entered an elementary school library over the last few months and asked what picture book I should read, I have been referred to some book by Patricia Polacco. Pink and Say is one of my two favorites.

Pink and Say is the story of a Union Civil War soldier, rescued by the 1st black person that he had ever seen, Pinkus. Pinkus takes the soldier, Sheldon Curtis, to the home where his mother, Moe Moe Bay, is now living. Their friendship grows when they spend time healing from their wounds and learning about each other. Pinkus, a former slave, even offers to teach Sheldon to read.

This story gives explanation of where slave names came from and other important cultural explanations like "jumping the broom."

The use of words, complimented by the use of white in the drawings adds as much as the expert use of color. Pinkus calls slavery "the sickness" and he is called "polised mahogany" by Sheldon. I found both of these uses of figurative language to be touching.

This story was passed to Polacco in an oral tradition, from her great-grandfather to her grandmother. It ends with the statement 'When you read this, before you put this book down, say his name out loud and vow to remember him always.' This statement made me believe in the power of text and the beauty of Polacco's drawings, because I sure did what she told me to. Overall, this was one of the most touching stories that I have ever read, not only because of the content, but because of the words played against the drawings.

Polacco, Patricia. Pink and Say. Putnam & Grosset Group, 1994. ISBN 0-399-22671-0.

Princess in the Spotlight

I enjoyed reading the first Princess Diaries book so much that I quickly picked up the second book. Like I've said previously, I was very entertained by this book and even though I know the story, I enjoyed looking for differences and making comparisons to the movie.

Mia is again a unique and interesting character. Now that I have spend so much time reading her diary though, I wonder what young readers might learn from Mia's secret keeping, forgetfulness, and infrequent lies. For example, the major conflict in Princess in the Spotlight arrives when Mia discovers that her Grandmere is planning a royal wedding for Mia's mother, an eccentric artist.

Mia keeps the secret of the wedding from her mother because her grandmother basically bribes her with a pretty dress. Also, Mia doesn't tell anyone about the secret admirer letters and instant messages that she keeps receiving.

Though I see flaws in Mia's character that I really wouldn't want my child to learn from, I plan to keep reading the stories because I laugh at Mia's unique observations and quirkiness. Knowing the story does not make the series less entertaining for me of for the readers in the library that have been returning the books. The series and the movies are so different that we merely just know the characters.

Cabot, Meg. Princess in the Spotlight. Harper Teen, New York, 2001. ISBN 978-0-06-147994-6.

The Princess Diaries

Before starting my library practicum at middle school, I had no idea that one of my favorite contemporary teen movies was a book series first. I am usually in tune with these sorts of things but, with very few differences- like being set in New York City instead of San Francisco and the fact that Mia's father is still living- I found the Princess Diaries: Volume I to be very entertaining, engaging, and exciting.

Like the very popular movies, what makes the book series (at least 10 books and a series of novellas) is Mia's voice and sense-of- self. Teenage girls are undoubtedly very unsure of themselves and so is Mia in her won way. Watching her grow, as an adult reader, makes me reflect on my own growth as a teenager.

Young readers will enjoy making comparisons to the movies that they have probably already seen. This kind of thinking skill is very valuable, especially when it comes from asking students to read for pleasure. Also, the moral lessons that the books open up for discussions abound. Mia is a vegetarian, when she goes on a date and he orders her a steak: What should she have said? What is appropriate for her to do? Mia's friends, specifically Lilly, seem to want to belong to a cause; what makes a cause good or worthy of joining?

Currently, I am reading the second book, Princess in the Spotlight. I just book talked the book as "realistic fiction." The corrector in the class reminded be that there was "no such country as Genovia." True. However, everything else could probably happen. Then I tapped the child on the head with my wand and said "I'm always right."

The Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots

Jane Yolen and Robert J. Harris have created a unique novel in The Queen's Own Fool. They selected a real person in Nicola but have fictionalized a few events and her charming voice to tell the story of Mary Queen of Scots.

Mary and Nicola find that they have more in common than what one would think. At the beginning of the story Nicola, a member of a traveling acrobatic troop, promises to always tell the queen the truth. Though she breaks this promise a few times, Nicola's loyalty and sense of duty to the queen drive the plot when every reader would think that the end is impending for Mary.

I think this book is a great choice for an addition to a middle school or high school library because reading it gives young people an opportunity to learn more about an actual person in history and actual events in history. I am sure the the emotional parts of the story between Queen Mary and Nicola are very fictionalized. However, the historical content of the deaths of Mary's husbands and her final end are very true. Students will also learn a string of moral lessons about trust and truth telling. Also, the intelligence in Nicola's wit might be lost on some young readers. Her jokes are clever, often exercising the use of puns, and as an adult I found this book deeply funny.

Yolen, Jane. & Robert J. Harris. The Queen's Own Fool: A Novel of Mary Queen of Scots. Philomel Boks: New York, NY. ISBN 9-780399-233807.

Coraline the Graphic Novel

I've never seen the movie or read the book so when I saw this adaptation at my local library, I thought it was worth the read. The "adapter" P. Craig Russell is the winner of the Harvey & Eisner Awards.

The story in the graphic novel undoubtedly follows that of the book and the movie. Coraline and her mother and father move into a large house that has been divided into several flats. Miss. Spink and Miss Forcible, retired actresses, live downstairs. An old man who claims to be training mice to perform in a circus lives upstairs. Coraline is bored in her new home and her trouble starts when she asks her mother where the door in the formal room leads. The real answer is a brick wall. However, in her explorations Coraline discovers her "other" mother.

I enjoyed this story told in this format because it was scary and a bit suspenseful; the pictures encouraged these feelings. What was left unsaid by the characters or word bubbles was almost as entertaining as what was said. The "other" mother with her button eyes and spidery fingers terrified me.

Children can learn many lessons from this adaptation of Coraline.

• Be thankful for what you have
• Going in search of entertainment can get you into trouble.

However, I worry about the fact that Coraline plays in a well in order to dupe her "other" mother's hand that crossed over from the other side. Growing up in rural Arkansas, my momma taught me to stay away from those things, even if they were boarded up.

I can see why Tim Burton turned this into a movie; the story is a little strange, just like him! I'd use this particular adaptation or parts of it with ESL students or students who have difficulty following a traditional narrative for reading skill level reasons.

In the long run, the graphic novel has a place in the development of modern literacy skills. Today's students need to train their eyes to take in the whole picture on a computer monitor- not just the words on a page.