All the Broken Pieces by Ann E. Burg
I have a now brother.
He doesn’t look like me.
I’m too much fall–
wet brown leaves
under a darkening sky.
Tommy is summer–
sunlight, peaches,
wide, grinning sky.
Even Tommy’s hair is summer.
Curls cling to his scalp like
the yellow-and-white sweet corn
at McGreavy’s Market.
Only one straight tuft sticks up,
like a clump of sun-scorched hay.
(p 8 )
When he was ten years old (but looked six) Matt was given to American soldiers by his Vietnamese mother so that he could escape the war. Adopted by a loving American family, Matt carries the heaviness of a past defined by war and a secret shame.
All the Broken Pieces is like a short story by Hemingway. Told in verse, the words are short and the sentences terse but packed with meaning. The descriptions are tied to nature and lovely in a straightforward way that reminded me of Hemingway.
The days are getting
really warm.
Summer is sitting
on spring
and squeezing out
all the wetness.
(p 218)
There isn’t an extraneous line in the novel. It will take about two hours to read but you’ll find yourself reflecting on it long after you finish. Just beautifully written, the story unravels with polished eloquence. A definite contender for the Printz, in my estimation.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
So how to explain Leviathan? It is set during 1914 in an alternate world in which Charles Darwin discovered biotechnology. So the British Empire was built on the backs of strange, fabricated beasties while the Germans and the Austro-Hungarian Empire bulked at such blasphemy and relied on machines instead, earning them the title of Clankers.
Reading it on the heels of Howl’s Moving Castle, I couldn’t help but imagine the book coming to life in the hands of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. The was an element of mecha anime – the “clanker” machines used by that walk around like AT Imperial Walkers (think of Howl’s Castle). Then imagining the blend of machine and animal employed by the British; what the creators of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke could do with that!
It is the first in a series of three books (published October 2009, 2010, and 2011) and one full-color guidebook, The Manual of Aeronautics. It includes illustrations by Keith Thompson “because back in 1914, almost all books were illustrated, and I wanted it to look and feel like a book from that period. Plus, there are so many weird animals and machines in the world of Leviathan that I wanted to show them” (Scott Westerfeld).
According to the Akron-Summit County Public Library, “Steampunk is a genre with a huge underground following… but it has yet to become mainstream. Scott Westerfeld may help to change that. His newest title, Leviathan, takes history, fantasy, adventure, animals, Star Wars and the women’s movement, tosses them in a pot, swirls them around, and creates an absolutely delicious feast of a story.”
Read the great review at A Chair, A Teacozy and a Fireplace that made me pick this one up.
Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman
I was reluctant to pick this one up because of its Pollyanna cover art. It’s initial tone was as I suspected. Set in Connecticut during the Great Depression, it follows eleven-year-old Allie as her family moves from New Haven to Stamford when her father lands a job.
Much of the story is reminiscent of a simpler time when girls played hopscotch and boys played marbles, where mothers were homemakers and divorce was rare. But while these nostalgic images are pleasant, Hoberman reminds her readers that life was equally as difficult then as it is now; jobs were scarce, hobos weren’t bad people but rather men who could not find work, across the ocean anti-Semitism was growing.
As the story progressed, I grew more interested. Allie developed in so many lovely ways. Take this passage on page 160,
When we got home, I went into the dining room and stared at my grandmother’s cups and saucers. My mother has said that someday they would be mine. I wondered whether when I grew up I would let my little girl drink from them like Mrs. Minnick or be like my mother and keep them safe behind glass doors.
The supporting characters were also well developed and while Allie’s best friend and her family met with a happy ending, her other friends and their families had more ambiguous futures. Definitely a contender for the Newbery but it’s not my front runner.
Murder at Midnight by Avi
“There can never be enough books,” said Magnus. ” The pity is it takes years to create each one.”
“Is that true?” said the surprised boy.
“Fabrizio, a book must first be written. To do so, the writer exchanges days for words, months for paragraphs, and years for chapters – time turned into books. There’s your magic” (p 31).
I wasn’t expecting funny but this book was a hoot! Especially in the beginning. It reminded me strongly of the word play humor of R.L. Stine’s (sadly out-of-print) Space Cadets series (see Fabrizio’s misunderstanding of the truth, pg 49 – 50).
Fabrizio was a street urchin before Magnus and his kind wife took him in as a magician’s apprentice. In his extreme naïveté, Frabrizio succeeds in implicating his master in a plot to overthrow King Claudio of the Kingdom of Pergamontio, Italy in 1490. A loyal servant to the end, Fabrizio must prove his master’s innocence before the stroke of midnight or his master shall be killed and Fabrizio will become homeless once again.
Of course, there is a lot of intrigue and mystery leading to a satisfying theatrical ending. Another great book to add to OCL’s suggested reading list.
Publisher: Scholastic Press (September 1, 2009)
I have an ARC copy of this book. First person to leave a comment with email will get it!
The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
Telling the truth don’t come easy to me, but I will try, even if old Truth ain’t nearly as useful as a fib sometimes (p 7).
“Although he is underage, Homer P. Figg’s brother, Harold, is illegally sold into the Union Army by their ruthless guardian. Now Homer must run away from Pine Swamp, Maine, and his wretched home to find his brother and save him from the war, before it’s too late.”
Like Tom Sawyer, our young and inventive hero sets out on a ridiculously impossible task, runs into scallywags, spies, crooks and the occasional Good Samaritan and, firm in his task, Homer cajoles, performers and escapes by whatever means necessary to achieve his ends…
I scampered into that balloon with nothing in my head but the desire to get away, and no idea what it meant to cut the anchor line. I wasn’t thinking about how you get down again, that’s for sure (p 167).
An amusing and adventurous read with equal measures of depravity, death, and hope that I’m sure will be as well received by readers as it has been by critics: Fuse #8, Shelf-Employeed, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.
The cover is unfortunate. As much as I adore Shannon’s children’s picture books, this cover, while appropriate, did nothing to grab my attention.
Publisher: The Blue Sky Press (January 1, 2009)
What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell
I’m certainly catching up on great historical fiction for teens lately. It’s taken a while, but I finally got around to reading the national book award winning What I Saw and How I Lied. Have I mentioned that I don’t often gravitate toward historical fiction? Well, that might change.
There are plenty of great reviews out there: The Guardian and NYPL. I agree with both of these. I read this book in one sitting because I simply could not put it down. I had to know. And then I found out, but it wasn’t what I thought, and then Evie lies and the story shifts again. But then it ends, and I felt like I was holding air. So good.
This is definitely one of the more accessible historical fiction books for teens and I can’t wait to recommend it.
The Devil’s Paintbox by Victoria McKernan
When I was a child, my friends and I would huddle around a computer (I’m dating myself; computers were rare way back then) and play a game called The Oregon Trail. It was all the rage. (My goodness, how things have really changed!) I never thought about what it might have been like to actually traverse that path. McKernan’s novel brings it home, makes it personal.
This book is getting some Printz Award buzz. Here is a sample of the beautiful prose:
Aiden had somehow expected to wake up one day and just see the mountains there, tall and snowy and stabbing at the sky like the picture of the Alps in The Atlas of the World. But the horizon crept up so slowly that they appeared at first only as a faint rise on the far edge of the earth, like a line of baby teeth (p 61-62).
It is the spring of 1865. Having just survived a bitter winter, Aiden and his sister, Maddy, are the lone survivors on their family’s draught-ravaged farm in Kansas. Mr. Jefferson J. Jackson is a trader looking for able men to work as loggers in Washington.
“Timber company outside of Seattle will pay me one hundred dollars for every man I bring in.” He looked the skinny boy over again and hoped he wasn’t going to regret this. “Once there, you’re bound to work it off. It’s hard work. Rough living. Plus costs of your passage owed to me. That’s another hundred dollars. Each. It takes most men a year to work it off and you got her to keep, so figure two.”
Maddy and Aiden go along with Jackson’s wagon train, ending their starvation but opening the way for new dangers. The caravan is full of different people heading west for different reasons, but Aiden and Maddy are the main focus of the narrative. While the others are well described and interesting, we never feel too attached to them. Some will surely die. Their deaths are swift and unexpected but bring home the reality of the dangers each travelers faces. When a group of Indians crosses path with the train, the story widens its scope and never looks back, extending in length even after the wagon train disperses.
The whole story was fascinating and multifaceted. Aiden and Maddy’s development was brilliantly told, the plight of the Indians was not simplified nor their characters stereotypical. I was wondering where the story was going as it dragged a little after Aiden broke off from the group, but I should have had more faith. McKernan showed her readers the rough logging community, the treacherous city and the peaceful calm of Jackson’s trading post and brought it all together with the sly and calculating puppet-master, Napolean Gilivrey, timber company owner. Magnificent.
Read another review at: BCCLS, Plymouth Staff Choices
Vocabulary:
scurvy (p 31), gregarious (p 35), taciturn (p 129), ague (p 135), desultory (p 251), totemic (p 260)
Discussion Questions:
- Read the Recent Trends in Infant Mortality Rate in the United States (published by the National Center for Health Statistics). How does this information compare to the infant mortality rate as painted by Aiden (p 38)?
- After speaking with Marguerite about Doc Carlos, Maddy reflects silently, “It seemed there was no end to the complexities of hurting” (p 58). What does she mean by this? Do you find this to be true as it relates to your life? How are the surviving characters hurting at the novel’s conclusion (consider Aiden, Doc Carlos, Tupic, Annie and Polly, even Napolean Gilivrey)?
- The Nez Perce Indians have a different view of religion, nature, man, and the world: “Too much Bible” (p 99), Aesop’s Fables (p 110-12), “Sand Creek changes the way the heart beats in a man.” (p 125), and prayer versus action (p 144-45). What do you think of their views and their different positions on how to deal with white men? How does Aiden react to them?
- The Nez Perce Indians are also confused by Aiden’s description of an orphan (p 148). How are orphans treated today and is it a good system?
- When Tupic and Aiden part ways, Tupic says, “In a different world, I would keep you as my friend.” Why couldn’t the two remain friends and how is the world different now? How is it the same?
- How does Aiden react to those who insult himself or his sister (p 17,77-78, 233-35)? How does his reaction reflect his physical/mental state, his development, his character/personality? How would you have reacted?
- When the army soldiers appear, the Indians are skittish and Aiden becomes suspicious and asks, “Have you done something?” “Yes, we have dome something,” Tupic said sharply. “We were born Indians” (p 115). What does he mean by this? Are there ethnic groups today that might say the same thing about their existance and why? How can we change how they are treated?
- Woud you have traveled the Oregon Trail, knowing its dangers and what awaited you at the end? Why do you think people did it?
Summer 2009 Wrap Up
This is a list of books I read this summer but didn’t have the time or inclination to review in detail. So this will be brief:
Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi – A work of historical fiction that won the Newbery in 2003. Crispin is a young boy whose mother has just died. He is soon on the run (accused of a crime he did not commit) being declared a wolf’s head (meaning anyone may kill him). The secret to his sudden fall from obscurity lies in the identity of his father. A great read but not a favorite, if you know what I mean. I hate the cover! I think it has been a turn off for a lot of young patrons, who might otherwise gravitate toward it as the language is very accessible.
Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen – Not my favorite Dessen but an okay read. Clearly one of her earlier books. I was dying to know if Michael’s parents replied to Scarlett’s letter. Dessen certainly has a hang up when it comes to Mother/Daughter relationships. Regarding teen boys, they have ranged from the wonderful (Along for the Ride and Just Listen) to average (Someone Like You) to terrible (Dreamland) in nature. It was satisfying that our heroine, Halley, didn’t end up with the stereotypical loner but that her experiences shed some light on the relationship between Scarlett and her deceased boyfriend (aka father of her child).
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David Kessler – You wouldn’t believe how you are being manipulated by the restaurant industry. Fat, sugar and salt (the three points of the compass) combine to trick your mind into eating more and more and more food you do not need. What’s worse, they stick healthy sounding names (like Spinach Dip) on the dishes to mislead you. Read this book. Take back control!
Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue by Julius Lester
Julius Lester has woven a deeply touching personal account of young slave girl, Emma,and the people connected to Emma as she is sold from one slave master to another during the largest auction of slaves in American history. The slaves were property of Pierce Butler, a man whose misfortune at cards resulted in the auction in order to pay down his debts. Drawing from written accounts by Fanny Kemble (Butler’s ex-wife), Frances Butler (Pierce’s daughter), and historical documents found in the Library of Congress, Lester provides a variety of viewpoints through use of a play-like direction and dialogue.
I wish I could make this book and others like The Road to Paris required reading for children in middle school.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate grabbed my attention immediately. Not only is the cover gorgeous but the early descriptions are lovely:
Our house was separated from the river by a crescent-shaped parcel of five acres of wild, uncleared growth. It would have been an ordeal to push my way through it except that the regular river patrons–dogs, deer, brothers–kept a narrow path beaten down through the treacherous sticker burrs that rose as high as my head and snatched at my hair and pinafore as I folded myself marrow to slide by. When I reached the river, I stripped down to my chemise, floating on my back with my shimmy gently billowing around me in the mild currents, luxuriating in the coolness of the water flowing around me. I was a river cloud, turning gently in the eddies. I looked up at the filmy bags of webworms high above me in the lush canopy of oaks bending over the river. The webworms seemed to mirror me, floating in their own balloons of gauze in the pale turquoise sky (p 3).
This coming of age story follows eleven-year-old Calpurnia, the only daughter of seven Tate children, as her burgeoning friendship with her paternal grandfather opens her mind to the natural world around her and the possibilities therein. But like any women ahead of her time, her evolution meets many obstacles. Kelly takes a timeless subject and excels. From vivid description to the subtle accompaniment of literary tools like alliteration that allows sentences to roll of the tongue, the writing is captivating and beautiful.
If not for an unsettling disconnect, this would be a perfect book. The story is told from the first-person limited point of view – Calpurnia’s. Yet the vocabulary (as evident from my list below) is mature. I don’t know any eleven-year old that wouldn’t have trouble understanding many of the words Calpurnia uses. That Calpurnia would even use them is doubtful, as evident from her difficulty pronouncing ‘prerequisite’ (p 119) and her misspelling of ‘piss’ (p 234). This was my only fault for this otherwise excellent book, even if Hemingway would balk at the vocabulary, I think he would approve of the setting. Of course, just because this is about an eleven-year-old, I don’t believe it belongs in a Children’s Department.
That being said, I could definitely see this book with a Newbery Honor sticker on it.
Here is a list of vocabulary words used in The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate that your students might need to define prior to reading:
pestiferous (p 3), benzene (p 4), chivvy (p9), torpid (p 11), loiter (p 13), envisaged (p 16), torrid (p 17), excelsior (p 18), dilapidated (p 18), consternation (p 19), curios (p 20), malacca (p 24) , laburnum (p 27), morass (p 30), transom* (p 33), cadge* (p 37), octoroon (p 50), aborning (p 58), dissonant (p 62), pedagogic (p 63), protuberant (p 74), salvo (p 76), ostentatious (p 86), petulant (p 88), interminable* (p 89), bonhmonie (p 91), pargon (p 96), daguerrotype (p 117), codger, prodigious (p 118), prerequisite (p 119), inane* (p 142), uncinate, desiccated (p 160), rank (p 167), deference, ensconced (p 172), expunge (p 179), kowtow (p 185), onerous (p 210), veritable (p 211), dross (p 213), distaff (p 218), tumbrel (p 223), quagmire, efficacious (p 230), detritus (p 231), noxious (p 232), aspics, assiduously (p 237), futile, convivial (p 238), cannily (p 240), pompously, rota (p 242), tetchy (p 245), dyspeptic (p 245), futile (p 260), redolent, tarpaulin (p 271), foofaraw (p 287), insipid, odious (p 288), citadel (p 298), perspicacious (p 321), deckled (p 329), tepid (p 330).
(* signifies a word used more than once)
Have your students find pictures of the following:
pinafore (p 3), swallowtail coat (p 4), hackberry tree (p 10), spool table (p 19), Woolly Caterpillar (p 109), spittoon (p 118), vetch (p 160), cirrus cloud (p 286-87)
Play a game with your students: Statues (p 17), Dominoes (p 118)
Discussion Questions:
- What is the Flat Earth Society (p 13)?
- Explain the controversy surrounding Charles Darwin’s Evolution of Species (p 13-14). Has the issue been settled or is it alive today?
- Has there ever been a book you wanted that the Library or your parent refused to provide you with? If so, what type of library was it: a school library or public library? What reason did the Librarian or parent give for not having the book? Do you think Calpurnia is treated fairly by the Librarian when she requests a book they do not own (p 14-15)?
- While pondering the gender of her pet Petey, Calpurnia remarks, “I wonder why human children weren’t given the option in their grub stage, say up through age five. With everything I had seen, I would definitely choose to be a boy grub (p 115).” Why do you think she would prefer to be a boy. Are there any perks to being a girl?
- Calpurnia is treated differently than her brothers by her parents and the rest of the community. In what ways is she treated differently and why? [examples: behaviour expectations (p 145), salary (page 199-200), and Thanksgiving turkey watch (p 264)] How does she react to this treatment? Are girls treated differently then boys today - at school, at home or in the workforce?
- While discovering the natural world, Calpurnia has some hiccups, experiences miracles and at times, is completely grossed out. Track her evolution. Would you have enjoyed her experiences? Relate your own experiences with nature.
