Module 9: Room One A Mystery or Two

Summary:
Ted Hammond loves mystery stories and he has two to solve in this book. In rural small town Nebraska his one room schoolhouse is in danger of closing and he saw a face in the window of an old, abandoned house. Ted learns a family lives there, he brings them food, and tries to help them. He ends up confiding in his teacher about the family and she becomes his ally. Eventually the family runs to a different abandoned house, and Ted gets his mom involved in trying to help the family but it's too late. In the meantime Ted's mom, through word of mouth, brings most of the small town out to meet the new family in hiding. However, the family had already packed up and moved to Colorado to stay with the mom's sister. The event drew some publicity for the town on television and the newspaper and the town ended up getting some families to move in, thus saving the one room schoolhouse.

Reference:
Clements, A. (2008). Room One A Mystery or Two. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks.

Reviews:
Phelan, C. (2006, May 1). [Review of Room One A Mystery or Two]. The Booklist, Vol. 102, No. 17.
Gr. 3-5. In a one-room school in a small Nebraska town, Ted is the lone sixth-grader sandwiched between four fourth-graders and four eighth-graders. Besides doing his chores on the family farm, he delivers newspapers, attends 4-H Club meetings, and enjoys reading mystery books. Riding his paper route one morning, Ted spies a girl's face in the window of an abandoned farmhouse. He puts his detective skills to the test as he tries to discover who she is, why she is there, and how he can help her. Though the mystery element in the plot is relatively mild, the story is strong enough that readers will want to find out what will become of Ted's vulnerable new friend. When she entrusts him with a secret, he must decide how best to honor that trust while helping solve her family's dilemma. The convincing, contemporary rural setting is an inextricable element of the novel, which is illustrated with small black-and-white sketches that enhance the refreshingly innocent tone of the story.

My Impressions of the Book:
I enjoyed reading this fast moving mystery story. The setting gave me a feel for what small town life must be like. It was also interesting to see the entire town bond and come together for a united cause to help a family in need.

Uses in a library setting:
This book would be great to introduce the mystery genre to students.

Module 8: Flawed Dogs

Summary:
On a plane trip to go and live with her uncle, Heidy sees a dog who is trying to escape from his kennel so she helps him unlatch his door. The dog, Sam, ends up adopting her and going to live with her and Uncle Hamish. Little does Sam know that a pristine, white and fluffy award winning poodle named Cassius already lives in that home and wants nothing to do with Sam. Cassius sets up an evil plan to get rid of Sam one day, bringing the baby in the house out into the woods in the snow and destroying the infant's room. Cassius tricks Sam into rescuing the baby so he's made to look guilty. Uncle Hamish fires a shot into the air and it grazes Sam's skull. Uncle Hamish is unable to "finish the job" so another person comes in and takes Sam to the National Last-Ditch Dog Depository, where the dogs sit around all day and watch the movie "Lassie Come Home." Sam escapes from this place and is picked up by a man who enters him into a dog fight to earn money. Sam escapes after winning the dog fight, returns to the Last-Ditch Dog Depository, and convinces the seven mutts living there to help him destroy the Westminster Dog Show (where Cassius is expected to be.) Sam and his friends disguise themselves as a human and wreak havoc on the dog show.

Reference:
Breathed, B. (2003). Flawed dogs. New York: Philomel Books.

Reviews:
Chipman, I. (2009, October 15). [Review of Flawed Dogs]. The Booklist, Vol. 106, No. 4.
After forging a brilliant career as a cartoonist, most notably with Bloom County, Breathed applied his well-honed artistic skills to picture books and now takes his first stab at novel writing. His worldview of the lovable loser skewering pomposity is a natural fit for middle-graders, as is the dog-centric nature of this tale. The plot follows Sam the Lion (actually a dachsund), admired by dog-show types for his rare genetic tuft of hair, who is cast out by his adoptive family due to the machinations of a jealous poodle. Over the next few years, any number of terrible/zany adventures befall Sam (including losing a leg and having a soup ladle tied on in its place) before he’s reunited with his owner and justice is done. The story is essentially an animated cartoon in prose form (complete with a mutts-piled-on-top-of-each-other-dressed-as-a-human gag), but Breathed proves an able writer, laying on plenty of over-the-top ebullience that should perk the ears of kids’ inner underdog. A bevy of Breathed’s signature bulbous illustrations—a few in color—add some body to the story.

Marie, J. (2009, November 1). [Review of the book Flawed Dogs, the Novel: The Shocking Raid on Westminster]. School Library Journal, Vol. 55, Issue 11, p. 101.
This chapter book is a spin-off of Breathed's 2003 picture book of the same name (Little, Brown). Sam the dachshund was bred to be an award-winning show dog, right down to his priceless "Du glitz tuft." But Sam has no interest in appearances; like all dogs, beautiful or "flawed," all he really wants is to belong to someone special, and to be loved. After a dramatic escape from his frightful new owner, he sneaks into a girl's luggage and soon wins her affections. But Cassius, a champion full-size poodle and denizen of Sam's new home, is not accustomed to being second in anyone's heart and is determined to get rid of him. What follows is a series of misadventures for Sam and a group of abandoned animals from the National Last-Ditch Dog Depository. Featuring some harrowing moments, this is not a story for the faint of heart, but readers will definitely be rooting for Sam and his comically imperfect band of followers. Black-and-white and full-color illustrations, done in the award-winning author's familiar style, are sprinkled throughout, adding depth to an already engaging and well-paced tale.-Jessica Marie, Renton Public Library, WA Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.

My Impressions of the Book:
I didn't love this book during the first chapter or even the second, but as I got further into the book I discoverd its greatness. The humorous writing and word choice won me over and it has become one of my favorite books. I have a Dachshund at home that resembles Sam (minus the Duglitz tuft!) so the story was that more endearing to me. I am reading this book aloud to my class after discovering it through this class. They absolutely love it too!

Uses in a Library:
This book could be featured in a fantasy unit or read during a lunctime book club.

Module 7: Mick Harte Was Here

Phoebe Harte's brother, Mick Harte, is dead. She wants readers to know this in the very beginning of the book so we are not surprised. She retells the story of how Mick was killed in a bicycle accident, wavering between grief for Mick and recalling happy times with her brother. No one is immune to grief, depression, and feelings of despair in this book. The family runs the gamet of emotions, but eventually begins to communicate about Mick and how special he was.

Reference:
Park, B. (1996). Mick Harte was Here. New York: Random House.

My impressions of the book:
This book strikes a good balance between grief and happiness. When someone dies it is hard to cope with the loss at first and one's body runs through different stages of grief. I felt like I had an inside view of the family, their personal struggles, and how they were choosing to overcome their family member's death. The book's message is clear and one all children should heed: wear your bike helmet.

Reviews:
List, S.K. (n.d.) Mick Harte Was Here Book Review. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/mick-harte-was-here/details
This book is a demonstration of the devastating power of simplicity. With breathtaking economy and precise strokes, Barbara Park brings Mick Harte and his sister Phoebe to vivid life. And because Park gives Phoebe such a distinct, genuine voice, her reactions are real and familiar. Park moves the reader back and forth, from Mick to his sister, gradually disengaging them, separating the tightly interwoven strands of their lives, until Phoebe can stand alone. The author makes hardly a misstep; all the book's elements are tied together with enormous skill. Even the lesson about wearing bicycle helmets is made so directly and simply that it doesn't seem at all preachy. In fact, when the father wishes he had made Mick wear his, it's one of the book's most moving moments.

Not all young readers will want or be able to handle the questions Park asks. But those who do will find that, with MICK HARTE WAS HERE, "here" is a lasting place in their hearts.



Use in a library setting:
This books would be well suited for an upper grade book club or for a unit on bicycle safety.

Module 7: Stargirl

Summary:
Susan Caraway, aka Stargirl, was a mysterious, earthy creature who bestowed her presence on Mica High School in Arizona. She dressed in long, flowy skirts and played "Happy Birthday" on the ukelele to people in the cafeteria. She left random gifts for strangers, carried around a pet rat, set coins out on the street for people to find, cheered for the other basketball team, and left presents for fellow students in her homeroom class on special occasions. She didn't fit in with the crowd at Mica High who were into acting and dressing the same. She was truly one of a kind. At first people at school really liked her and then they started to turn at a basketball game where she ran to render aid for a basketball player on the opposite team. Stargirl meets Leo who becomes her boyfriend, the narrator of the story, and he convinces her to try to be normal. It doesn't work, Stargirl is miserable, and goes back to being her old self. Students begin to like her again at the end of the story when she shows up for the Ocotillo Ball and starts the bunny hop. After the dance Stargirl moves to Minnesota with her family without saying goodbye. Fifteen years later Leo still thinks about Stargirl and all of the random acts of kindness she showered everyone with.

Reference:
Spinelli, J. (2000). Stargirl. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impressions of the Book:
In Mica High the people who are normal are the ones who conform. Stargirl is different because she doesn't fit into the normal teenage mold. She is uncomfortable to be around because she is not like everyone else, nor does she care to be. This books celebrates being unique and an individual and being proud of who you are. Years later at a reunion people still spoke of Stargirl and the impression she made onm everyone. Her random acts of kindness leave a mark on Leo, probably forever. Spinelli's book probably hits home with a lot of teens and pre-teens that are too shy to stand out of the crowd. Spinelli's book is an enjoyable read, but Stargirl's character is almost too strange and "out there" at times for my taste.

Reviews:
Cooper, I. (2000, June 1). The Booklist, Vol. 96, No. 19/20.
Gr. 6-9. Sixteen-year-old Leo recounts Stargirl's sojourn at Mica High in an allegorical story that is engagingly written but overreaches. Everyone notices Stargirl when she comes to school. She wears a granny gown, strums a ukulele, and sings "Happy Birthday" to kids in the cafeteria. She also carries around a pet rat. Her classmates veer between ignoring her and being discreetly fascinated by her weirdness--dancing when there's no music, speaking in class of trolls and stars. Slowly, Stargirl attracts a following, especially after she gives a spellbinding speech in an oratorical contest and singlehandly stirs up school spirit. But her intense popularity is short-lived as, predictably, the teens turn on her. Leo is attracted by Stargirl and her penchant for good works. But just about the time they get together, the rest of the school is shunning her, and to his confusion and despair, Leo eventually turns his back on Stargirl, too. Spinelli firmly captures the high-school milieu, here heightened by the physical and spiritual barrenness of an Arizona location, a new town where people come to work for technology companies and the school team is called the Electrons. Dialogue, plot, and supporting cast are strong: the problem here is Stargirl herself. She may have been homeschooled, may not have seen much TV, but despite her name, she has lived on planet earth for 15 years, and her naivete is overplayed and annoying. When Leo tells her that not everyone likes having somebody with a ukulele sing "Happy Birthday" to them, she is shocked. That she has not noticed she is being shunned is unbelievable, and, at times, readers may feel more sympathy for the bourgeois teens than the earnest, kind, magical Stargirl. That's too bad, because Spinelli's point about the lure and trap of normalcy is a good one. But to make it real, Stargirl needed to have at least one foot on the ground.

Uses in a library:
This book could be featured in an author study as one of the highlighted books. It would make a good books discussion read. Students could discuss conforming versus individuality.