Historical Fiction

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN-0395692296.  

PLOT SUMMARY
Alyce is a homeless girl with no one and no prospects when she is taken in by Jane, the midwife. Alyce becomes the midwife’s apprentice but, even though she now has a place to live and is learning a trade, things are far from perfect.          

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Right away readers are aware of the life for a homeless child who sleeps in the dung to keep warm. Cushman does not try to hide the reality of a child growing up alone in fourteenth century England. The dialect spoken is common for the setting of the story “By the bones of Saint Cuthbert….”. I am not sure that many children could relate to Alyce and the way she is treated especially in the beginning when she has no name except for insults. I feel that younger children would not be able to comprehend everything that Alyce has gone though in her short life. Cushman included an author’s note at the end of the book which provided readers with some historical background information on midwifes. I think the author’s note is helpful to readers because readers are able to connect the theme of the book with history.   

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
"has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent." - Publishers Weekly
"This novel is about a strong, young woman in medieval England who finds her own way home. ... Kids will be caught up in this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone." - Booklist

Honors

Newbery Medal
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Notable Book for Children
Booklist Editors' Choice
Horn Book Fanfare Selection
School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Hungry Mind Review Book of Distinction
Notable Children's Book in the Language Arts
Not Just For Children Anymore! Selection (CBC)
Parenting Magazine Reading Magic Awards
Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Readers Choice Award Short List
Parents' Choice Gold Award
American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists"
New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
ABC Children's Booksellers Choice Award
NYPL Books for the Teen Age List

CONNECTIONS

After reading the book have your students act out a historical play set during medieval times. 

The Midwife's Apprentice

Catherine, Called Birdy

Historical novel

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Holm, Jennifer. 2010. TURTLE IN PARADISE. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN- 9780375836886.  

PLOT SUMMARY
Turtle is forced to go to Key West to live with relatives after her mother is hired as a housekeeper by an employer who dislikes children. Key West opens up a whole new world for Turtle especially when she discovers a treasure map.        

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
TURTLE IN PARADISE is set during the Great Depression in 1935. The author does a great job in describing characters and the general attitude for most people living during the depression. Turtle seems to be more mature and grown up than her own mother. I think the Holm’s does a good job in describing events from Turtle’s point of view. “Mama’s good at looking at the sunny side of life…I blame Hollywood.”  I think that many children feel as though they know everything and are smarter than even some adults. I think that many adults would enjoy reading the book in part due to all of the references to 1935 pop culture like orphan Annie and Shirley Temple. Holm’s included a author’s note at the end of the book she explains how the book was inspired by her great-grandmother. 

 

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“This richly detailed novel was inspired by Holm's great-grandmother's stories. Readers who enjoy melodic, humorous tales of the past won't want to miss it.” - School Library Journal
"Turtle is just the right mixture of knowingness and hope; the plot is a hilarious blend of family dramas seasoned with a dollop of adventure." - Booklist

Honors

2011 Newbery Honor Book

An ALA Notable Book

Booklist Editor's Choice

Chicago Library Best of the Best

Texas Bluebonnet List

A Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Book of 2010

Spring 2010 Junior Library Guild Selection

New York Times Bestseller

CONNECTIONS

Create your own treasure map and go on a quest around the school with your students to find the treasure.

Turtle in Paradise

Our Only May Amelia

Scott O’Dell Award Winning Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Erdrich, Louise. 2006. THE GAME OF SILENCE. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN-13 978-0064410298.  

PLOT SUMMARY
Omakayas or Little Frog is a 9 year old girl who lives with her family and tribe, the Ojibwe, on an island on Lake Superior. Change is coming to Omakayas’ life, white people want Omakayas’ tribe to leave their homes and move farther west.   

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
THE GAME OF SILENCE is the second book within the Little Frog series. The events of the book occur on an island called the Golden Breasted Woodpecker which is located on Lake Superior in 1847. The author does a good job in relating Omakayas feelings to the readers. Omakayas still misses her baby brother who died two years ago and the emotions she feels for her brother are evident in a scene when she carries a baby for his mother “she would….give him all the love she….could no longer give her little brother Neewo.” Older children who understand death and who have lost someone in their own lives would relate to Omakayas. I think that students will be interested to learn about the Ojibwe tribe and the native language that is used within the book. There are black and white illustrations included within the book. The illustrations provide the reader with small details like the dolls made from corn husks and reeds that Omakayas and her cousins play with. The author note at the end of the book explains more about the Ojibwe language. The author admits that the Ojibwe words used within the book is based on phonetic spelling rather than the actual spelling of the words.         

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“As Erdrich said in the Booklist Story Behind the Story, "Little House on the Lake" [BKL Ap 1 99], about The Birchbark House, her research into her ancestors revealed the horrifying history and also a culture rich, funny, and warm. In this heartrending novel the sense of what was lost is overwhelming.” - Booklist

“Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.” – School Library Journal

Honors

Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction

Kirkus Editor’s Choice

Horn Book Fanfare

ALA Notable Children’s Book

ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice

New York Times Notable

CONNECTIONS

Use this book to start a lesson on Native Americans and the history of different local tribes.

The Game of Silence

The Birchbark House

Biography

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Freedman, Russell. 2010. LAFAYETTE AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION. New York, NY: Holiday House. ISBN- 9780823421824.  

PLOT SUMMARY
Follow the life of one of the leading men of the American Revolution, Gilbert de Lafayette, a French nobleman who played a pivotal role in the war. Lafayette was a young man of nineteen when he defied his king in order to join the American Revolution.       

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
LAFAYETTE AND THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION is a biography which covers Lafayette’s life from birth to death while focusing on his contribution to the American Revolution. The book is organized in sequential order with the exception of the first chapter which first introduced Lafayette’s plans to join the American Revolution. The author uses multiple quotes throughout the book from Lafayette and other’s comments about him. The author provides source notes which documents the quotes he chose to use. The book is age appropriate for the intended audience. Boys would especially enjoy reading about Lafayette’s life. Included in the book is: portraits of figures discussed in the book, illustrations, letters, and Lafayette’s signature all of which enhance the design of the book. The author integrated a time line at the end of the book which allows researchers to quickly look at a year to discover the important events that occurred. In addition to the source notes the author provides a work cited of all of the materials used to research for the book.     

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
"In this solidly researched and smoothly written biography, Freedman creates a vivid portrait of Lafayette . . . Handsomely designed with a spacious format and good use of color."—Booklist
"Freedman [writes] with an acute eye for fascinating detail and significant facts. An interesting and useful commentary on selected sources rounds out another superb volume by a master of his craft."—Kirkus Reviews

Honors

A 2011 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year

CONNECTIONS

Allow students to listen to some ballads written during the American Revolution then have the students write a ballad of their own based on an important figure from the American Revolution.

Lafayette and the American Revolution

Lincoln: A Photobiography

Author Karen Blumenthal

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Blumenthal, Karen. 2002. SIX DAYS IN OCTOBER: THE STOCK MARKET CRASH OF 1929: A WALL STREET JOURNAL BOOK. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN- 0689842767.  

PLOT SUMMARY
The stock market crash was a major event in history that lead to the Great Depression. Blumenthal, provides an account spanning six days of the events that lead up to the crash and directly after it.   

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This informational book is not intended for younger readers who would not understand most of the vocabulary used in the book. I am not entirely sure that most middle school students would fully grasp the terminology that Blumenthal, uses, “exchange officials bragged that their exchange was a free and fair marketplace..”. Blumenthal, does include explanations for terms and questions associated with the stock market such as the “bulls and bears” and “what is a company worth?” which is helpful for those individuals with no background in the subject matter. In between the recount of the events of the stock market crash the author weaves in some personal accounts from three different individuals who were all affected by the crash. Included in the book were newspaper clips, photographs, telegrams and, cartoons. The items included were useful and enhanced the book by reinforcing the concerns that many people felt about the stock market. A table of content is included which allows readers to locate specific information. The book is organized by days and each chapter explains the events that occurred on each specific date. The author provides a list of sources which were used in writing the book, the author states that a majority of her material came from newspapers and magazines written during the time of the crash.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“A Wall Street Journal bureau chief, Blumenthal, combines a fascinating overview of the infamous stock market crash in 1929 with a rare and useful primer of financial basics…. Throughout, fact boxes define financial vocabulary--stocks, bonds, bulls and bears, margins, the measure of a company's worth, and more--in clear language that is both compelling and instructive….” - Booklist

Honors

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book.

CONNECTIONS

While studying the stock market crash read excerpts from the book for a more detailed definition of terms used in the stock market.

Six Days in October

Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition

Orbis Pictus/Sibert Award winning book

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Montgomery, Sy. 2006. QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO: AN EXPEDITION TO THE CLOUD FOREST OF NEW GUINEA. Photographs by Nic Bishop. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN-13 9780618496419.  

PLOT SUMMARY
Montgomery leads readers through the cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in the search for an exciting animal that most people have never seen or heard of before. Tree kangaroos are an endangered species once hunted for their pelts and meat. Learn more about conservation, the cloud forest, and most of all tree kangaroos in QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO.  

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
QUEST FOR THE TREE KANGAROO is an informational book that is a part of a series entitled Scientists in the Field and is written based on a specific expedition. Montgomery himself was part of the expedition that traveled to Papua New Guinea to study the tree kangaroo. The book includes quotes from members of the conservation team and members of Yawan village. I think that children as well as adults would enjoy reading this book. The writer interjects some casual language which seems to be an attempt to connect with an intended younger audience, “On a previous expedition, a leech dropped into Lisa’s eye. Yuck!”. The author did not include a table of contents to identify the organization of the book. The book seems to be organized based on the sequence of events that occurred before the expedition, during, and a follow up after the trip ended. The author included no sources although a majority of the text involves information that the team discovered based on the study. The book includes some incredible photographs of landscapes, people, and animals with captions. The pictures are all bright and vibrant which enhances the subjects of the book. In some of the pictures of the tree kangaroos it seems as though you could reach out and stroke the kangaroo’s soft looking fur.  

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series….” - Booklist

Honors

Henry Bergh Children's Book Award Winner

Orbis Pictus Award

Robert F. Sibert Honor Book.

CONNECTIONS

Inform students about local conservation efforts. Allow students to choose a local animal on the endangered species list to research and then have the students present the animal in class.  

Quest For The Tree Kangaroo 

The Tarantula Scientist

Poetry

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brown, Calef. 2006. FLAMINGOS ON THE ROOF: POEMS AND PAINTINGS. Ill. by  Calef Brown. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN: 0618562982

PLOT SUMMARY
This book is filled with poem after poem about unusual, off-the-wall topics. This book will fill young children with delight. Where most children listen for reindeer on their roofs during Christmas time in Brown’s world children hear flamingos on their roofs in December. 

  
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
 The book is an individual poet compilation. There is no theme for the book other than that all of the poems are silly and funny. I find the poems to be every unique such as the poem “Ten-Cent Haiku” I have never read a poem inside of a poem. I also like this poem because it introduces children to a different type of poem. Most children have never heard of a haiku, I know that I did not learn about haikus until I was a student in high school. Brown uses creative language in which the reader uses to build images within the audience’s mind. This is apparent in the poem “Weatherbee’s Diner” this poem is about a diner that serves not food but dishes made from the weather, “The thunder is wonderful, order it loud/with sun-dried tornado on top of a cloud”. I can picture these dishes in my mind and I know that children will too especially at the thought of ordering weather to eat.      

The illustrations are kooky and some of the pictures remind me of the work of Picasso. For me the most interesting depiction is that of the allicatter and the gatorpillar. I think that young children will enjoy the thought of an alligator that is a caterpillar that then turns into a butterfly.   

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
“…The author's strong command of poetic form and his way with words make creating nonsense rhyme look effortless. Full-page, flat acrylic illustrations, most painted in harmonious jewel tones, face single-toned pages of text in a variety of colors. The style is abstract with a folk-art quality, often cartoonish, and always whimsical. The characters have humorous, stylized features and varied skin tones, ranging from pale blue to light green to burnt umber. Packed with amusing details, the paintings consistently expand upon the text….” – School Library Journal

“….Words and pictures manage to be both clear and weird, an enjoyable mix.” - Booklist

Honors

New York Times #1 Best Seller In Children’s Picture Books
Winner of the Myra Cohn Livingston Award for Poetry
A 2007 Children’s Book Council Choice

CONNECTIONS

Read the poems aloud to children and, then have the children write their own zany poems with illustrations that they have drawn to accompany the poems .

Flamingos on the Roof

Hallowilloween: Nefarious Silliness

Calef Brown