Module 5: Zora and Me

Bibliography
Bond, V., & Simon, T. R. (2010). Zora and me. Somerville, MA.: Candlewick.

     

Book Summary:
Zora and Carrie live in the little town of Eatonville, where they spend their time with their friend Teddy, and frequently go swimming in the Blue Sink (what they call their local swimming hole). Zora and Carrie witness an alligator attack and rescue a local elderly woman from drowning, but Zora is very suspicious of the accidents. The girls try to figure out if a local man is really half alligator, and after a migrant worker is found headless on the train tracks, Zora and Carrie decided to figure out what is really going on in their sleepy little town.

My Thoughts:

I really couldn't put this book down. I love a good murder mystery, and this fictionalization of the early life of Zora Neale Hurston definitely delivered. I was also surprised to learn that this book is a fictional version of the early life of literary figure Zora Neale Hurston. Overall, a great read--it's easy for me to see why it was selected for a Coretta Scott King award!

Professional Reviews:

*The childhood of African-American literary giant Zora Neale Hurston is brought to life with this fictionalized account. At the turn of the 20th century, in the all-black town of Eatonville, Fla., Young Zora is considered both a brilliant storyteller and the town liar. Her best friend, Carrie, the "me" of the title, is drawn into Zora’s family and story world after her father leaves for work and never returns home. Zora’s stories about a shape-shifting alligator take on a life of their own when two murders occur around Eatonville. The suspect is a reclusive neighbor, Mr. Pendir, whom Zora is convinced is the “gator man.” Yet the answer is much more prosaic, as the segregated world outside Eatonville encroaches upon their town in the form of traveling man Ivory and the preternaturally beautiful yet mysterious Gold. The brilliance of this novel is its rendering of African-American child life during the Jim Crow era as a time of wonder and imagination, while also attending to its harsh realities. Absolutely outstanding. 

(2010, September 15). [Review of the book Zora and me by Victoria   

     Bond and T.R. Simon]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/victoria-bond/zora-and-me/

*Excerpt of review: Where is the black version of Caddie Woodlawn (a 19th-century Wisconsin tomboy) or Harriet the Spy (a 20th-century Upper East Sider), smart, spunky, fictional heroines for the tween crowd? Tanya Simon, a literary agent, asked herself that question while pregnant with her daughter, now 4. She answered by reaching back in time to Zora Neale Hurston, a canonical Harlem Renaissance writer, and imagining her as a girl detective. Ms. Simon and her close friend Victoria Bond put flesh on that idea with “Zora and Me,” an evocative mystery published last month by Candlewick Press. 

Lee, F. (2010, November 2). Revered Writer Becomes Girl Detective       

     [Review of the book Zora and me by Victoria Bond and T.R. 

     Simon]. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/02/books/02zora.html

Suggested Activities:

Have children make up their own tall tales, complete with illustrations. I would like to then make an e-book copy of the tales and make them available to the children and their parents.

Image Source:
http://www.candlewick.com/images/cwp_bookjackets/648/0763658146.jpg

Module 4: Maniac Magee

Bibliography

Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company.



Book Summary:

Jeffrey Magee is better known to the kids of Two Mills as the legendary Maniac Magee. Tales of his feats have been greatly exaggerated over time, making him a celebrity on both sides of town. Truthfully, Maniac was an orphan, living on his own on the streets.  Living with multiple families on both sides of his racially divided town, Maniac runs back and forth between the two, trying to find a place where he belongs.

My Thoughts:
This has always been one of my favorite books, but once again, reading it as an adult really changed my perspective of it. This time, I was struck by the conditions in which Manic Magee lived, and how he barely survived all by himself on the streets. The way he conquered racism is admirable, and a lesson children and adults can take to heart. I would recommend this book in a heart beat!

Professional Reviews:

*An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run. 

(1990, March 15). [Review of the book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli]. Kirkus Review. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jerry-spinelli/maniac-magee/

*Maniac Magee is prose on a pogo stick, bounding breathlessly from one outrageously exaggerated comic contretemps to another. The characters are engaging and the dialogue zings with slangy bravado. But when Spinelli gets serious, the plot turns to mush. Maniac is just too sweet and good, even for a legend. His tender relationship with an illiterate old baseball player verges on the embarrassing. And no kid who reads this book is going to believe that racism can be conquered so easily and sentimentally. Still, energy and good- heartedness make this novel — most of the time — an exhilarating read. B+.

Landsberg, M. (2012, August 29).  [Review of the book Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli]. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved from http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,313147,00.html

Suggested Activities:

This book could be used in a variety of settings, such as a book club or a middle school. A whole unit would be done on the book-analyzing how far the truth had been stretched, the methods Maniac used to teach Grayson to read, and even a knot untying contest.


Image link:
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/files/2012/05/ManiacMagee5.jpg

Module 4: Island of the Blue Dolphins

Bibliography

O'Dell, S. (1960). Island of the blue dolphins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.


Book Summary:

This book is based on the real life story of a Native American woman who lived in the 1880's. When white men come to the island to take it's inhabitants back to civilization, Karana is left behind when she jumps off the ship to stay with  her little brother, Ramo, who went back for a spear and missed hte ship in the process. Shortly after returning to the empty village, Ramo is killed by wild dogs. Forced to survive on her own, Karana struggles with the isolation of her existence. Will the white men come back for her, or will she be there alone for the rest of her life? Read the book and find out :)

My Thoughts:
I originally read this book when I was in intermediate school, and for some reason or another, I never realized that Karana was twenty-four years old when the story began. Knowing she was so close to my own age really put this book in perspective. I was totally in awe of her will to survive despite her isolation on the island. The heartbreak I felt when Ramo died really hit home with me this time, even though I knew from my previous experience with the book. I would definitely recommend that adults pick this one back up, or encourage your child to read it with you, it is a great story of survival!

Professional Reviews:

*Take TV's Survivor and Fear Factor, Hollywood's Cast Away, and the books Robinson Caruso and Call of the Wild...wrap them all together... make them SO MUCH better (in my opinion!) and what do you have? The classic book by Scott O'Dell, Island of the Blue Dolphins.

Ratha, M. (2009, July 2). [Review of the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell]. Ink Splot 26 Blog. Retrieved from http://blog.scholastic.com/ink_splot_26/2009/07/book-review-island-of-the-blue-dolphins.html

*This is the story of Karana, the indian girl who was stranded on an island known as the Island of Blue Dolphins with her brother Ramo. After a few months, Ramo died, leaving behind Karana all by herself. Year after year, she waited for a ship to come and take her away. While she waited, she built shelters, made weapons and hunt for food to keep herself alive. She also managed to make friends with some island animals. This story is not only adventurous but also a tale of self-discovery.

Zahn, R. (N.d.). [Review of the book Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell]. Retrieved from http://www.allreaders.com/topics/Info_25513.asp

Suggested Activities:

I would love to use this book in a middle school setting to have students discuss isolation and survival in the wilderness. Building on this theme, we would also read other books on survival, such as Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, and compare and contrast the situations and characters of the two books.

Image link:
http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=4Ua&sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1573&bih=706&tbm=isch&prmd=imvnsb&tbnid=SiP-93iFfFqxCM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/2012/05/28/top-100-childrens-novels-45-island-of-the-blue-dolphins-by-scott-odell/&docid=aSXgpJrrJF02NM&imgurl=http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production/files/2012/05/IslandBlueDolphins.jpg&w=268&h=400&ei=1rdgUP3BLaWC2wWf8YHYCg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=327&vpy=251&dur=2075&hovh=274&hovw=184&tx=91&ty=157&sig=108315845861219599235&page=1&tbnh=114&tbnw=72&start=0&ndsp=32&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0,i:180

Module 3: Jumanji

Bibliography:

Allsburg, C. V. (1981). Jumanji. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.


Book Summary:

One day brother and sister Peter and Judy find a board game, and decide to take it home with them. Once their parents are gone, Peter and Judy begin playing a game with very real consequences. Tormented by monkeys, being attacked by lions, and surviving a rhino stampede, this game sends Judy and Peter on a an amazing adventure.  Is all this really happening, or is it just a product of their imaginations? Read it, and you'll find out :)

My Thoughts:
Growing up I saw the movie version of this book many, many times, but I never realized it was based on a book. Needless to say I felt a bit ridiculous for never reading the book version, because it was fantastic. The realistic quality of Van Allsburg's illustrations really enhance the story, bringing life to the words. I especially loved the monkeys, and was surprised to discover that the movie monkeys looked almost identical to the ones in the book.

Professional Reviews:

*Fantasy and reality merge, overlap and complement each other in Jumanji (81) by Chris van Allsburg. Peter and Jilly are bored and begin a boxed Jungle Adventure game but find themselves integrated with the creatures of the game itself. The illustrations are first class precise draughtsmanship with extraordinary imagery, presented as observation, as the house and jungle become intrinsically and fantastically linked.

(2012, December 12). "Picture books for older readers." [Review of the book Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg]. School Librarian, 160.

*This Caldecott Award winning book has been intriguing people since it first came out. For those of you unfamiliar with the plot, it's the story of a bored brother and sister, left on their own for the afternoon, who find the board game, Jumanji, under a tree in the park. The instructions, on a note attached to the box, are firm: once started, the game must be played to the finish. When the children play the game, each adventure on the board brings the real creatures and events to life and into their home, creating danger and chaos. It isn't until Judy reaches Jumanji, the golden city at the end of the board, and yells the name that everything disappears, broken things are made whole and all is normal. The children put the game back where they found it, telling no one, only to watch children of friends of their parents who are known for not reading directions, take the game.

Hurst, C. (N.d.). [Review of the book Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg]. Retrieved from http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/jumanji.html

Suggested Activities:
I think this book is perfect for a multiple part project rather than a single activity. Have children design their own board games that they will construct themselves. Also have them make up their own rules for their new game, then they can name it. The children will then play their games with each other!

Image Source:
 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/CM_jumanji.jpg