Module 8: Blood and Chocolate

Citation:

Klaus, Annette Curtis. Blood and Chocolate. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1997. Print.

Summary:

Vivian is a teenager who finds herself displaced after a tragedy along with the rest of her "family." The event has put a strain on the dynamics of the group and Vivian uses her school as her escape from the turmoil.  Love leads to pain and worse, danger, as Vivian and the rest of the pack struggle to regain balance.

Personal Impression:

I saw this movie a few years ago and was unimpressed.  However, knowing that books and movies are often vitally different, I decided to give the book a try when it showed up on the reading list for this class.  I'm glad I did.  The book is infinitely better than the movie and furthermore, it is a good read.  Despite the fact that werewolves form the majority of the characters, it serves up a good lesson in realizing that there are consequences to your actions no matter your species. 

Reviews:

Gabriel—raw and sharp like blood; Aiden—rich and smooth like chocolate. It’s Aiden, sensitive and gentle, whom Vivian thinks she desires, but he is a “meat-boy,” a human, and Vivian is a werewolf, a worshiper of the Moon and part of a small sect of werewolves living double lives in a contemporary Maryland suburb. Should Vivian reveal her proud, sleek animal self to the boy she loves? By the author of the Silver Kiss (1995), this violent, sexy novel is a seamless, totally convincing blend of fantasy and reality that can be read as feminist fiction, as smoldering romance, as a rites of passage novel, or as a piercing reflection on human nature. Vivian is a strong main character, tough yet vulnerable, and her every move reflects her duality. Klause’s imagery is magnetic, and her language fierce, rich, and beautiful, whether she is describing a frightening, vicious fight to the death among Vivian’s werewolf clan or the moment when Vivian realizes that showing her true self has been a tragic mistake. Passion and philosophy dovetail superbly in this powerful, unforgettable novel for mature teens. — Stephanie Zvirin

Retrieved from Booklist Online; http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=2810020

From Kirkus Reviews

Klause returns to the steamy sensuality of her first book, The Silver Kiss (1990), for this tale of a hot-blooded teenage werewolf who falls for a human ``meat-boy.'' Grieving for her father and unimpressed by the age-mates in her pack, Vivian defies her mother and fellow lycanthropes by setting her sights on suburban poet-schoolmate Aiden Teague. It's an experiment that's doomed from the start. Vivian may look human (when she chooses), but her attitudes, instincts, and expectations are decidedly wolflike; short-tempered, direct in action and emotion, rough in love and play, shapeshifters make dangerous companions, their veneer of rationality as thin as their senses are sharp. Poor Aiden--as a prospective lover he's not so different from prey; to Vivian his smile flashes like heat lightning, and at times he looks so delicious she wants to ``bite the buttons off his shirt.'' When, after a series of sultry but frustrating dates, Vivian reveals herself to him, he responds, not with the pleasure and lust she expects, but stark terror. Extrapolating brilliantly from wolf and werewolf lore, Klause creates a complex plot, fueled by politics, insanity, intrigue, sex, blood lust, and adolescent longings, and driven by a set of vividly scary creatures to a blood-curdling climax. The werewolves' taste for risky pranks and the author's knack for double--and even triple--entendres add sly undercurrents to this fierce, suspenseful chiller. (Fiction. 12-14) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Retrieved from Amazon.com; http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Chocolate-Annette-Curtis-Klause/dp/product-description/0440226686/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Use in a Library Setting:

I have had the idea for the past year of setting up a book club focusing on the paranormal which entails books that have vampires, witches, ghosts, and werewolves (among other things) involved.  This would be a prime example of a book to include in such a group.  

Book Trailer Project

Module 7: My Louisiana Sky and Fat Kid Rules the World

Citation:

Willis, Kimberly. My Louisiana sky. Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 1998. Print.

Summary:

Tiger Ann is the daughter of two mentally challenged parents.  The three of them live with her grandmother.  She is coming of age in an unusual situation that becomes dramatically more so with the death of her grandmother.  She has to choose between a life caring for her parents in a small town or with her sophisticated (to her) aunt in the city.

Personal Impression:

I found this to be a sweet tale.  Unfortunately, it happens often that a child has to grow up to fast in order to care for a parent that is incapable of truly parenting.  In this instance, there reason is not bad choices, simply nature.  Tiger Ann shows true grit and compassion with her choices as well as her youth and inexperience.  

Reviews:

From Publishers Weekly

In this "unusually auspicious debut," a girl living in a small Louisiana town in 1957 must choose whether to care for her mentally slow parents or to move in with a glamorous aunt in Baton Rouge. "The author presents and handles a sticky dilemma with remarkable grace," said PW in a starred review. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc

Retrieved from Amazon.com; http://www.amazon.com/Louisiana-Sky-Kimberly-Willis-Holt/dp/0312660952/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1303144743&sr=1-1

Set in central Louisiana in the 1950s, this lyrical first novel brings fresh perspective to the guilt and anger and caring that surround the mentally disabled. Tiger Ann’s parents are “retarded,” and her love for them is mixed with shame, especially when the local kids jeer at her simple, childlike mother. Strong Granny keeps them together in their small, rough house in central Louisiana; but then Granny dies suddenly, and 12-year-old Tiger is tempted to take up an offer from her worldly aunt, Dorie Kay, and move with her to Baton Rouge. Of course, we know that in the end Tiger will not abandon her home, but her spare first-person narrative is full of surprise as she discovers complicated secrets about family and responsibility. Why did Dorie Kay leave town? What was the tension between her and Granny? All the characters, including Tiger’s parents, are drawn with warmth but no patronizing reverence. First-novelist Holt knows this place: its cruel segregation and abuse as well as its loving support. Tiger must give up being a child, but she finds courage in her Louisiana home. — Hazel Rochman

Retrieved from Booklist Online; http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=259068

Suggestions in a Library Setting:

Much of the novel revolves around the fact that it is in Louisiana during a certain time period.  This book would be an excellent choice for a showcase of the state.  It could also be used in a school library in conjunction with social studies on the time period as a demonstration of what it was like before civil rights even though that is not truly the focus in the book, it does permeate it.  

Citation:

Going, Kelly L. Fat kid rules the world. Putnam Pub Group, 2003. Print.

Summary:

Troy is fat.  That fact rules his life.  Everything in his mind revolves around that one simple statement.  As a teenager, it is an unforgivable sin especially in New York where appearance is everything.  Enter Curt MacCrae, an apparent punk scene guitar god who sees past the miserable fact of Troy's size to the person within.  Even though Curt is far from perfect, he changes Troy's life for the better and helps him to get past the fat.

Personal Impression:

I have shared Troy's problem since mid-high school.  As a teenager, dwelling on problems comes naturally as does being so totally absorbed in your own internal world that you miss everything around you.  I think the book has a good message though I find it hard to believe that anyone is as totally self-absorbed as Troy.  

Reviews:

His name is Troy, but to the world--and in his internal dialogues--he is the Fat Kid. Really Fat. Almost 300 pounds of sweating, unhappy insecurity. Then out of a moment of despair comes magic. As Troy considers whether to splatter himself on a subway track, Curt MacCrae, a charismatic punk rocker/homeless kid/dropout, comes along and stops him. For the price of a meal, Curt befriends Troy, and he sees something under all those layers: a potential musician, a friend, and someone with the ability to see through life’s bull. First-time novelist Going has put together an amazing assortment of characters. Troy is the ultimate fat kid, the kind whose every move, every thought is predicated on what it is like to wear a coat of blubber. Curt, as thin as Troy is fat, is a combination of Kurt Cobain, Ratso Rizzo, and a fairy godfather. He sprinkles Troy with the dirt and grime of punk rock and brings out the prince hiding inside the weight (to the book’s credit, Troy doesn’t get any thinner). Equally well drawn are the lesser characters, including Troy’s father, a former Marine with an innate sense of what kids need. The narrative could have been tighter in places, but this is an impressive debut that offers hope for all kids--dross transmuted into gold. — Ilene Cooper

Retrieved from Booklist Online; http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=216172

GOING,K. L. Fat Kid Rules the World. Putnam. Tr $17.99. ISBN 0-399-23990-1. Gr 8 Up–An unlikely friendship buds between 296-pound loner Troy Billings and punk-guitarist Curt MacCrae, two troubled teens who share a love of music. Told with humor and a great deal of heart, this powerhouse of a novel will resonate with teens. (May)

Retrieved from School Library Journal; http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA339559.html

Suggestions in a Library Setting:

This novel is a good example of seeing inside someone else's head.  Stereotypes are prevalent in our society.  It would be a good book to use for a reading program that focuses young adults on people who are subjected to negative environments because of stereotyping like the obese, homosexuals, and minorities.  If this type of program started while relatively young it might curb the amount of bullying issues later in puberty.

Module 6: The Enemy

Citation:

Cali, Davide, and Serge Bloch. The Enemy: a book about peace. New York, NY: Schwartz and Wade Books, 2009. Print.

Summary:

Two soldiers from opposing sides are stuck in foxholes during a battle.  They have no outside contact.  From the text of the story, you can tell that they have hidden in their holes for quite some time.  They each think the other is less than human.  They have much in common though they believe the other is evil.

Personal Impression:

I honestly think that this is a most powerful message about war.  It coincides with my own beliefs.  We demonize our opponents in order to justify our cause.  We purposefully portray them as monsters so that we can ignore the fact that they are like us in a lot of respects.  This is a timely book in that many in our society are currently doing exactly that to those who don't believe as they do.  Yet the authors set the time period through the illustrations to reflect WWI and WWII, perhaps to show just how bad things can get.

Reviews:

Gr 4–8—In an understated picture book for older readers, Cali ponders the essence and logic of war from the viewpoint of a lone soldier, isolated from his fellow troops, sitting in his foxhole within sight of his enemy. "Except for hunger, the enemy and I have nothing in common. He is a wild beast. He does not know mercy. I know this because I read it in my manual. It says that we must kill him before he kills us." The man ponders the pointlessness of war, his hesitancy to let down his guard, his fear of being alone. He is tired of sitting in a hole. He waits until the moon is at its smallest, puts on a disguise, and creeps toward the enemy's foxhole. What he finds in there (family photos and a manual like his own) surprises him. What's more, he realizes that he and the enemy, sharing similar thoughts, have traded spaces. He wishes the enemy would do something to end the war, and knows that he must end it himself. Set against stark white backgrounds, black-line cartoon characters, reminiscent of Jules Feiffer's work, are dressed in khaki green. Other items are drawn in the manner of a child's doodles. Tiny touches of red color the soldiers' manuals and people and animals that have been killed. Several photos, pages from an old war manual, and bits of torn paper folded at the edges to represent foxholes, have been added in a few places. Poignant, thought-provoking, and powerful in its frankness and simplicity, this short piece will prompt discussion on war and other means of resolving conflict.—Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH


-- Retrieved from School Library Journal; http://www.libraryjournal.com/slj/printissue/currentissue/857197-427/grades_5_amp_up.html.csp

“Every morning I shoot at him. Then he shoots at me.” The words and pictures are minimal in this picture book, with just a short sentence and a small khaki-colored ink drawing on almost every white page. A uniformed soldier in a hole shoots an enemy in a hole on the opposite page. The soldier knows from the manual that “the enemy is not a human being,” that the enemy will kill families and pets, burn down forests, and poison water. The spare trench-warfare scenarios evoke World War I as the soldier crawls to the enemy’s hole and discovers their connections, including loving family photos and battle manuals filled with untruths. In eloquent contrast to the close-ups of the two small holes and barbed wire are the big double-page views of what the soldiers share: the starry night and the stormy sky. The elemental peace message will spark discussion. Add this to the core collection column, “Peace Not War” in the November 1 issue of Booklist. — Hazel Rochman

Retrieved from Booklist Online; http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=3135855

Suggestions in a Library Setting:

This book could be used in conjunction with studies about the two World Wars or about any war in order to show an alternative to pro-war attitudes.  During times like these, where multiple wars or incipient wars are occurring, we should keep in mind that the people fighting have lives outside of fighting.  It could be part of a display promoting peace.

Module 5: Goin' Someplace Special and Going Bovine

Citation

McKissack, Pat, and Jerry Pinkney. Goin' someplace special. AtheneumAnne Schwartz Books, 2001. Print.

Summary


Tricia Ann is heading to a magical, special place by herself for the first time.  Along the way, she meets with prejudice, frustration and despair.  She runs across a lonely woman whose wisdom renews her positive attitude so that she can ultimately reach her special place.


Personal Impression


This book literally brought tears to my eyes which is amazing considering it's target age group and my advanced years.  It faithfully reproduces an adolescent's mixed emotions and the charged atmosphere of the time period.


Review

"Tricia Ann excitedly gets her grandmother’s permission to go out by herself to “Someplace Special” --a place far enough away to take the bus and to have to walk a bit. But this isn’t just any trip. Tricia’s trip takes place in the segregated South of the 1950s. That means Tricia faces sitting at the back of the bus, not being allowed to sit on a whites-only park bench, and being escorted out of a hotel lobby. She almost gives up, but a local woman who some say is “addled,” but whom Tricia Ann knows to be gentle and wise, shows her how to listen to the voice inside herself that allows her to go on. She arrives at her special destination--the public library, whose sign reads “All Are Welcome.” Pinkney’s watercolor paintings are lush and sprawling as they evoke southern city streets and sidewalks as well as Tricia Ann’s inner glow. In an author’s note, McKissack lays out the autobiographical roots of the story and what she faced as a child growing up in Nashville. This book carries a strong message of pride and self-confidence as well as a pointed history lesson. It is also a beautiful tribute to the libraries that were ahead of their time.— Denise Wilms"

Retrieved from Booklist


Suggestions in a Library Setting


This is a good book to display during Black History Month as well as a demonstration of life during the "free but not really" era of American history.  It is a wonderful example of life before integration and as such could be used in a school library as suggested reading in conjunction with the applicable social studies or history unit.

Citation

Bray, Libba. Going Bovine. Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009. Print.

Summary

Cameron is a 16 year old outcast who is diagnosed with a terminal disease. He is given a chance to do something "important" with the result being that just maybe he can be cured. Cameron is on a mission to save the world accompanied by a punk angel, a gnome, and a dwarf.

Personal Impression

So far this has been one of my favorite books of the semester.  Cameron is easy to identify with and his battle for survival is heart-wrenching.  This book looks at death from a unique perspective and with humor.  

Review

In a giant departure from her Gemma Doyle historical fiction trilogy, Bray’s latest offering is an unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure, as immense and sprawling as Cervantes’ Don Quixote, on which it’s based. Here the hero is Cameron, a 16-year-old C-plus-average slacker who likens himself to “driftwood,” but he suddenly becomes the center of attention after he is diagnosed with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, the human variant of mad cow disease. In the hospital, he meets Dulcie, an alluring angel clad in fishnet stockings and combat boots, who presents him with a heroic quest to rescue the planet from an otherworldly, evil force. Guided by random signs and accompanied by a teen dwarf named Gonzo, Cameron sets off on a wild road trip across the U.S. to save the world, and perhaps his own life. Talking yard gnomes, quantum physics, cults of happiness, mythology, religion, time travel, the blues, Disney World, the vacuous machine behind reality TV shows, and spring break’s beer-and-bikini culture all figure prominently in the plot, and readers may not feel equally engaged in each of the novel’s lengthy episodes. But Bray’s wildly imagined novel, narrated in Cameron’s sardonic, believable voice, is wholly unique, ambitious, tender, thought-provoking, and often fall-off-the-chair funny, even as she writes with powerful lyricism about the nature of existence, love, and death. Familiarity with Don Quixote certainly isn’t necessary, but those who know the basic plot will want to start over from the beginning and pick up on each sly allusion to the classic story.

— Gillian Engberg

  
Retrieved from Booklist


Suggestions in a Library Setting


This would be a good book to recommend to a young person dealing with terminal illness (in a reader's advisory fashion).  I would also recommend it as a book club selection for young adults.  

Module 4: Witch of Blackbird Pond and Walk Two Moons

Citation:


George, Elizabeth. The witch of Blackbird Pond. Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 1958. Print. 


Summary:


Kit was a native to Barbados until her grandfather passed away.  She finds herself headed to a strange new life with her Puritan aunt, uncle and cousins.  She has a very difficult time fitting into the somber lifestyle with her being vivacious and bright.  She finds herself faced with two paths: one of stability and security with little of the pleasure to which she was accustomed and a path of uncertainty and excitement yet filled with love.


Personal Impression:


This was a beautiful, romantic story that appears to be a precursor to historical romances.  The story is well-crafted if a bit disjointed at times but that I attribute to the fact that the main character is a teenager and they tend to wander themselves.  It is also historically realistic though it seems some punches may have been pulled in consideration of the audience.



Review:


"Strong plot, fully realized characters and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative of a girl whose rebellion against bigotry and her Puritan surroundings culminates in a witch hunt and trial."--Booklist.
Retrieved from Amazon.com


Suggestions in a Library Setting:


Besides being displayed with the other Newbery winners, this book can be used in conjunction with history lessons concerning New England settlements, Puritans and even with studies about the witch hunts.  It should get the attention of at least the girls of the appropriate age groups.
 

Citation


Creech, Sharon. Walk Two Moons. New York, NY: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.


Summary


Salamanca is an unhappy adolescent who is made to move from her beloved Tennessee hills to the radically different Ohio.  The move is sparked by the supposed desertion of her mother to Idaho.  In Ohio, Sal meets a family with troubles as great as her own so she begins to emerge from her shell.  She heads with her grandparents on a pilgrimage to find her mother in Idaho; an eventful six day road trip during which she relates the tale of the family and her father's "friend" Mrs. Cadaver to her grandparents.


Personal Impression


On the School Library Journal site, there were some serious criticisms for this book as a Newbery winner.  I disagree with the opinion that this book wasn't worthy of the honor.  This tale will always stick with me.  It is a wonderful coming of age tale that is told with humor and invites empathy with the main character if not her friend.  It was deserving of it's award.


Reviews

"Thirteen-year-old Sal Hiddle can’t deal with all the upheaval in her life. Her mother, Sugar, is in Idaho, and although Sugar promised to return before the tulips bloomed, she hasn’t come back. Instead, Mr. Hiddle has moved Sal from the farm she loves so much and has even taken up company with the unpleasantly named Mrs. Cadaver. Multilayered, the book tells the story of Sal’s trip to Idaho with her grandparents; and as the car clatters along, Sal tells her grandparents the story of her friend Phoebe, who receives messages from a “lunatic” and who must cope with the disappearance of her mother. The novel is ambitious and successful on many fronts: the characters, even the adults, are fully realized; the story certainly keeps readers’ interest; and the pacing is good throughout. But Creech’s surprises--that Phoebe’s mother has an illegitimate son and that Sugar is buried in Idaho, where she died after a bus accident--are obvious in the first case and contrived in the second. Sal knows her mother is dead; that Creech makes readers think otherwise seems a cheat, though one, it must be admitted, that may bother adults more than kids. Still, when Sal’s on the road with her grandparents, spinning Phoebe’s yarn and trying to untangle her own, this story sings.

 (Reviewed November 15, 1994)— Ilene Cooper and retrieved from  

http://www.booklistonline.com/ProductInfo.aspx?pid=240976

From School Library Journal

"Grade 6-9-An engaging story of love and loss, told with humor and suspense. Thirteen-year-old Salamanca Tree Hiddle's mother leaves home suddenly on a spiritual quest, vowing to return, but can't keep her promise. The girl and her father leave their farm in Kentucky and move to Ohio, where Sal meets Phoebe Winterbottom, also 13. While Sal accompanies her eccentric grandparents on a six-day drive to Idaho to retrace her mother's route, she entertains them with the tale of Phoebe, whose mother has also left home. While this story-within-a-story is a potentially difficult device, in the hands of this capable author it works well to create suspense, keep readers' interest, and draw parallels between the situations and reactions of the two girls. Sal's emotional journey through the grieving process-from denial to anger and finally to acceptance-is depicted realistically and with feeling. Indeed, her initial confusion and repression of the truth are mirrored in the book. Overall, a richly layered novel about real and metaphorical journeys.
Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc." 

retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Walk-Two-Moons-Sharon-Creech/dp/0060560134/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1301430160&sr=1-1

Suggestions in a Library Setting

This would be an excellent source to use in a group dealing with youths confronting grief.

Module 3: The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses and Ashanti to Zulu

Citation:

Goble, Paul. The girl who loved wild horses. Simon & Schuster, 1978. Print.

Summary:

A young girl tends and loves the horses that belong to her nomadic tribe.  One day there is a stampede because of a storm.  The herd is far away from the tribe so she gets swept up in the mad dash away from the storm.  The herd ends up joining with a wild one where the lead stallion accepts her as a member.

Personal Impression:

The beautiful story with its striking illustrations makes this book unique and memorable.  It exposes children to another culture's legends and provides an insight into their values and lessons.  I highly recommend it.  There is a version available with an audio tape that has Native music playing in the background during the reading.

Review:

"K-Gr 3 - After becoming lost in a storm, a young Indian girl joins and lives with a herd of wild horses until, finally, she becomes one herself.  The story is good for telling aloud, but the real strength of the book lies in the highly detailed, full-page lithographs finely printed in bright colors that correspond with the text.  For example, a night scene in a dark canyon is enchanting, conveying well the mood of desolation.  The illustrations alone make this worth owning. - Victoria Campell, Great Falls Public Library, Mt." Published in the School Library Journal in December 1978

Suggestions in a Library Setting

This would be an excellent book to use in conjunction with a program focusing on multiculturalism.  Children can draw pictures of horses.  A display can be fashioned that showcases Native American items or a variety of native horses.  If one acquired the book/tape set, that would be a wonderful way to conduct a storytime.

Citation:

Musgrove, Margaret, Leo Dillon, and Diane Dillon. Ashanti to Zulu: African traditions. Dial Books for Young Readers, 1976. Print.

Summary:

This is a different take on the traditional A to Z book, normally for young children.  In order to inform an older age of children, about a variety of African tribes in a familiar format.

Personal Impression:

I liked the text and the illustrations but I don't know how much the information would appeal to children.  I believe this is one of those books that would appeal to a certain audience but not to a general one.

Review:

" Gr 3 - 5 -Twenty - six African tribes - from Ashanti to Zulu; from the Sahara down to the savannas - file by in the Dillons' dazzling processional.  Each framed tableau in lush tropical tones (parrot green, mango, aqua, lemon) offers a composite picture of a particular people, showing their regional dress, wildlife, type of home, etc.  Unfortunately, the text, limited to a boxed paragraph below each picture, neglects to point all this out and, instead, is restricted to describing a folkway or custom.  At best there are snippets of interesting information... Still the artwork makes it all worthwhile; as beautifully designed as the famous Ashanti kente cloth, its stylized elegance manages to capture both the variety and vitality of African tribal life. - Jane Abramson"  Published in School Library Journal in February 1977.

Suggested Use in a Library Setting:

This particular book is an excellent example children's book artwork.  It could be used in conjunction with a program focusing on art and its practical applications.  It could also be used as a cultural book during Black History Month.