The Help - Kathryn Stockett

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

★★★★★

Summary

Miss Skeeter is an independent thinking, Ole’ Miss college graduate.  She is a reporter and wanted to do more than write a help column for people looking for cleaning advice.  Skeeter decides to secretly write a book about “the Help”, black women working for white women, in the 1960’s, in the south.

Aibileen and Minny are two of the women who tell their stories and help Miss Skeeter write the book in private.  The stories range from daily cleaning and childcare to the once in a lifetime stories you just have to read about.  The friendship that develops between these women is unconventional for the time, but has a great sincerity from all participants.   

Review

The craftsmanship is great, and the voice and dialect changes when the story is told from the perspective of Minny, Aibileen or Miss Skeeter.  This is a fictional book, inspired by the author’s personal experiences and research, but each piece of the story could have been true on it’s own. 

This is a humorous book that made me laugh out loud on several occasions.  The book tells it how it was, with a constant leaning toward the better times to come.  While this book was probably not written for school aged children, I believe that middle school and high school students would get a lot out of reading this book.  It puts the Civil Rights movement in a much more relatable light than the Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities that are usually observed in schools. 

Author Website

http://kathrynstockett.com/

I did not find her website very helpful, there were a few “no brainer” discussion questions, but mostly it served as a promotional tool.

Technical Stuff

Paperback: 544 pages

Publisher: Berkley Trade; Mti Rei edition (June 28, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0425245136

ISBN-13: 978-0425245132

Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  

Courtyard Cat - C.S. Adler

Courtyard Cat

by C.S. Adler
★★★☆☆

Summary

Lindsay is eleven years old and tasked with taking care of Garth, her 3 year old brother, for the summer while her mom works and her dad goes to school.  They had to move to the city to be closer to Garth's doctors, as Garth had previously been in an accident that disfigured his face.  Lindsay is angry that she has to take care of him, that she had to move away from her friends and that she can't leave the courtyard of their apartment building.

Even though life seems impossibly rough, a cat named Sapphire and the task of saving her from the landlady's clutches brightens their otherwise dull summer days. 

Review

At first this was a slow read but as I got into the book, it touched my heart.  I would recommend this book for 4th-7th grade readers.  It has a little mystery and gives the reader lots of personal connection points such as struggles with money, parents working and in school, taking care of siblings and pets, and much more.  

Author Website

http://www.c-s-adler.com/

Technical Stuff (from Amazon)

• Age Range: 8 and up 

• Hardcover: 172 pages

• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 18, 1995)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0395711266

• ISBN-13: 978-0395711262

Frindle - Andrew Clements

Frindle

by Andrew Clements
Ill. by Brian Selznick

★★★★☆

Summary

Nick Allen is a very bright 5th grader who likes to step out on his own against the main stream.  His teacher Mrs. Granger tells the class the history of how new words are made and Nick decides that he is going to create a new word of his own.  Frindle.  That was Nick's new word for pen.  Pretty soon kids, then adults all over weren't using the word pen anymore, but the word frindle.  Mrs. Granger tries to put a stop to it, but it was too late, the word had become a sensation.  

Review 

This book is well written, and I would recommend it for 3rd-5th grade students.  Kids will enjoy reading this story of a word invention by a student their own age.  Nick likes attention and can be a bit obstinate, but he is humble in the end.  I think that most kids will be able to connect to this book easily.  While this is a very good story, the characters are not very deep and some students might desire more.  

For Teachers

Andrew Clements' webpage has a lot of good information that could be used in an author study here.  More specifically is the page dedicated to Frindle including answers to some frequently asked questions about the book.  This was a great resource!

If reading this story with a whole class, you should be ready for your own students to start creating their own new words.  :)   This died down in my class after a few weeks, but it was interesting for a while.  

Technical Stuff (From Amazon)

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689818769
• ISBN-13: 978-0689818769

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.

by David A. Adler

Illustrated by Susanna Natti

★★☆☆☆

After meeting Cam Jansen in book one Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, she and her co-detective Eric see lights floating in the air.  Eric uses his actual camera to snap a picture of them, while Cam uses her photographic memory, and reason to find out what is really happening.  They follow the lights to the source and are almost caught by the creators of the floating lights, and lets just stay they were "aliens" from a place not so far, far away.  

While this book is very predictable for older readers making it maybe not so exciting, it would be great for young developing readers because it is fast paced and at an easier reading level.  I would use these books for students with 2-3 grade reading levels.
There is a support website with pages both for kids and teachers.  On this Cam Jansen website there are check lists for all of David A. Adler's books, comprehension questions for readers, and fun quizzes that test your own memory like Cam Jansen is always doing. 

New cover of the book

David A. Adler talks about the inspiration for the character Cam Jansen. He says the reason the mystery moves so fast is that the books are meant for slow readers so that as they read events unfold more quickly to keep children engaged in his books!




Citation:
Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.  Ill. Susanna Natti.  Viking Press, New York. 1980.


ISBN: 0-670-20041-7
AR reading level: 3.4

The Many Troubles of Andy Russell

The Many Troubles of Andy Russell
by David A. Adler

★ ★ ★ ☆☆

Andy Russell is a young boy with lots of troubles at home and at school.  Andy's best friend Tamika who lives in foster care might be forced to move away if he can't convince his parents to let her move in and share a room with his sister.  Before he has a chance to ask his parents seven of his gerbils escape and are running all over the house. Ms. Roman, his teacher, is always calling on him when he isn't paying attention in class.  Andy tries so hard, but he just can't seem to make things turn out the way he wants. 

I think that this is a good book, where the children in it are not purposefully causing trouble, but inconveniently things are always happening to them.   I would recommend this to kids in 1st-4th grades.  This book might be helpful for kids with ADHD symptoms to understand their situation better as Andy has a mind that wanders and he can't focus even when he really, really wants to.  

Adler, David A. The Many Troubles of Andy Russell. Ill. Will Hillenbrand. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace & Company.  San Diego, CA. 1998.  

ISBN: 0-15-201295-8

The No Place Cat

The No Place Cat
C.S. Adler (link to her webpage)

★★★★☆

I had never heard of this author before I began on this quest to read through the library and I have to say I'm falling in love with her.  She likes writing about different problems that real kids face in real life, like parents' rules, other kids, pets, responsibility, friendships etc.  I would recommend this book to any young reader grades 4-8.  


Tess, a young independent girl, has been trying to get used to her new stepfamily, but it just isn’t working.  When a school project gets ruined by her little stepsister, Tess has finally had it. She decides to run away and live with her mom on the other side of Tucson. The drive there didn't seem that long but the walk took two days.  While trekking through the park a cat begins to follow Tess adopting himself to her.  As she deals with the cat she is able to learn some difficult lessons about what is best for her and her parents.  It was a good lesson that what we want is not always what is best for us.  

The Bombed House

So I was planning on reading the Young Adults fiction section of the library from A-Z, but there were a group of kids in the "A" section so I went to the other side and now I'm reading from both sides and will meet somewhere in the middle many years from now.

The Bombed House by Jonny Zucker

This book is about the bombing of London during World War II.  Ned and Harry are two boys who are awaiting their relocation to the English countryside when they find a German solider hiding out in a bombed house.  They disobey their father and sneak out of the house to get a better look, but in the end they are treated like heroes.

I did not like this book at all.  It was very boring with not a lot of detail.  Almost every sentence was it's own paragraph set apart by a large space making the flow very difficult.  I would not recommend this to any of my students.

The Night Crossing

The Night Crossing by Karen Ackerman

This is a good introductory book for learning about the Holocaust for young readers.  The book is about a young girl named Clara and her family as they make preparations to journey from Austria to freedom in Switzerland.  The family wants to save a pair of candlesticks that are the only heirlooms they have left.  Clara is instrumental in keeping them safe from many people who would like the treasure by hiding them in her dolls. 

While this book alludes to the terrible exterminations of human life it does not talk about it directly, and everyone in Clara's family escapes unharmed, although there are some "close" calls to keep it exciting.

I would recommend this book for 2-4th grade students.  If you are studying WWII would make a good read aloud in a 2nd grade classroom.  

I give this book 2 stars out of 5

Ackerman, Karen. The Night Crossing. Alfred, A. Knopf. New York. 1994.

The Land of Elyon (series)

1. The Dark Hills Divide (2005)

2. Beyond the Valley of Thorns (2005)

3. The Tenth City (2006)

4. Into the Mist (2007)

5. Stargazer (2008)

I recommend reading this series in the order listed above, however, Patrick Carman says that Into the Mist can be read as a prequel to the trilogy.  Into the Mist explains some of the why, and back story of the first three books written, but I think it would spoil some of the magic of reading the books for the first time. 

Summary:

    The Land of Elyon has four cities that are walled-in keeping the "unknown"  (which of course is bad and scary) out and all of the people inside safe and sound.  The walls have done more than keep out the unknown though, they have also severed the magical link between the people and the animals in the Land of Elyon.  The Land of Elyon series follows a young girl named Alexa Daley who goes on many magical and mysterious journeys with several different friends, including a squirrel named Murphy and a giant named Armon.  She also has the help of many adults, such as the librarian, her father and some of his friends, although they don't always know they are helping.  
     Thomas and Roland Warvold are main characters that helped design the Land of Elyon as it changed over time.  Into the Mist tells of their childhood and how overcoming some early trials in an orphanage effected what they did over the course of their lifetimes. 

I would recommend this book for students who like fantasy and have about a 6th grade reading level. 

Carman, Patrick.  The Land of Elyon (book series). Scholastic Inc. New York.  2005-2008.

My Name is María Isabel

My Name is María Isabel

by Alma Flor Ada

This is a short story about a young girl named María Isabel Slazar Lopez, but her teacher shortened her name to Mary Lopez. María became depressed because she didn't even recognize her own name, and because she joined the class in the middle of the school year, she didn't have a part in the winter program.  After reading Charlotte's Web she writes a paper telling that her greatest wish is to be called by her given name. When her teacher realizes what has happened she gives her a special part in the winter pageant.  

What's in a name?  To some people, a name is everything.  This story reminds me that teachers should not shorten, or change names unless the child requests it.  This story would be good for use in a classroom to start a discussion about multiculturalism and a reminder of how we should all treat one another.     

 

This story is also found in grade 4, Theme 4 of the Houghton Mifflin Reading program.   

Ada, Alma Flor.  My Name is Maria Isabel. Illustrations, K. Dyble Thompson. Translation, Ana M. Cerro. Atheneum, New York. 1993.

How the Wizard Came to OZ

How the Wizard Came to OZ
By Donald Abbott

Ever wonder where the fraudulent Wizard in OZ hailed from?  Well this book will explain the history of the Wizard and many other things about the land of OZ.  This book talks of the two witches of the North and South, and the two bad witches of the East and West.  The Wizard, who has no magical powers, comes to OZ in a flying balloon and tries to improve the lives of the green loving Ozites.

How the Wizard Came to OZ is a good book if you love the book or movie The Wizard of OZ because it give some history and explains why certain things are how they are.  However the story line was hard to follow from chapter to chapter and the illustration are very antiquated.  I did not particularly enjoy this book, but found some parts of it interesting. 

Abbott, Donald. How the Wizard Came to OZ.  The Emerald City Press. New York, NY. 1991.