Module 9: Scared stiff

Amazon.com

Book cover image:

Taken from Amazon.com  (Amazon.com, Inc, n.d)

Genre:

Scared stiff is listed as middle school mystery book, which is an accurate description of the genre.  This book would also fit in middle grade adventure, suspense and realistic fiction.  The situations addresses in the book, such as Rick and Kenny’s father leaving the family is a realistic situation that many kids today experience.  Additionally, the children take a break from trying to solve the mystery to explore an abandoned amusement park and embark on new adventures.

Book Summary:

The book is told from the main character, Rick’s, point of view and starts out with him remembering how his Pa always told him troubles come in threes. In his experiences these troubles have been bad, but never as bad as the most recent troubles.  First his Pa’s trailer load is stolen while he is eating dinner, then him and Ma get in a fight and he leaves, and now Ma has been kidnapped.  Rick and his brother Kenny cook dinner the night she doesn’t come home trying to act like she really will be home soon, but when she doesn’t they call Uncle Henry who lives in a purple bus that has been converted to a motor home.  Uncle Henry calls the police, who don’t believe she has really been kidnapped, and take the boys to stay with him while they try to figure out what happened.  Uncle Henry lives in the Wonderland RV Park next to the abandoned Wonderland Amusement park and while the boys are staying there they meet two new friends, Connie and Julie, who take them to explore the amusement park and help them investigate what has happened to their Ma.  Connie has apparently watched one to many crime shows, but his skills pay off when he and Rick return to Rick’s apartment to find that it has been trashed.  Their trail leads them very close to his Ma and closer to danger.  The suspense climbs when the kidnappers show up at the Wonderland RV Park in an effort to kidnap Rick and Kenny so that they can force Ma to keep quiet. 

APA Reference of Book:  

Roberts, W. D. (1991). Scared stiff. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks: An imprint of Simon and Schuster.

Impressions: 

This book has been on my to-be-read list since 2013 when it was selected for the Frenship ISD Battle of the Books list.  Every child that came into the library raved about how awesome the book was and it never quite made it to my reading list.  I can now say that I see why all the kids loved it! It is a fast-paced mystery adventure that begs to be finished in a single day.  Once I reached the high-point of the story I never could find a good stopping point to finish reading for the evening.  Willo Davis Roberts builds a realistic mystery that keeps the reader in suspense and curious at how exactly the story will end.  The book is perfect for middle-grade readers because it does feature a great amount of suspense and touches on the subject of low income families, child abuse, parents separating, theft, kidnappings, and criminals all in a delicate fashion that keeps it age appropriate.  I think my favorite part about the book is how well the characters are developed, despite the book only having 188 pages, and the fact that the story is paced well keeping reluctant middle-grade readers interested.  As an adult I was able to figure out the mystery pretty quickly, but it is written from the point of view of the 11 year old main character and written for that age group.  Most 11 year olds have not read near as many mysteries as I have and they will be kept in a good amount of suspense throughout most of the story. 

Professional Review:

Reviewed by Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME on March 1, 1991 in School Library Journal, and posted online at Book Verdict

Gr 5-8 Eleven-year-old narrator Rick Van Huler learns that troubles do indeed come in threes: a load of TVs is stolen from his father's tractor-trailer rig, his father walks out after an argument with his mother, who is then kidnapped. Rick and his younger brother go to live with their great-uncle Henry in his converted school bus in an RV park across from Wonderland, a shutdown amusement park. While searching for their mother, the boys uncover a hijacking operation and an insurance scam. The theme of abandonment pervades the novel and, as a symbol of this, the amusement park provides a suspenseful, spooky backdrop. The brisk pace, fluid style, and excitement of the novel are sure to entertain readers, while the sensitive handling of such issues as separation and alcoholism, and the not-perfect ending make the book a cut above the general fare. The title and book jacket will attract readers, and they won't be disappointed in Roberts's latest offering.

APA Reference of Professional Review: 

Media Source Book Verdict. (1991, March 1). Scared stiff. Retrieved March 23, 2018, from Book Verdict: http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-1880888.xml

Library Uses:

This book has already been used for a great purpose when it was selected as one of the Battle of the Books selections in 2014.  I think another great activity for this book for middle school readers, would be too include this as a group read for a middle school book club.  There are a lot of great topics covered in this book that would make for great discussion among a group of middle school readers who enjoy mysteries and adventures.  The librarian, or children's librarian  could read the book in advance and draft some discussion questions to be used if the discussion lulls. 

Questions to get the discussion started could include”

What did they like or dislike about the book?

Who was their favorite character and why?

What feelings did they relate to when they found out Pa had left?  How do they think Kenny and Rick felt when mom never came home?
How would they have set about trying to solve what happened to Ma when the police didn’t take them seriously? 

Readalikes: 

Mysteries, in my experience are fantastic for intriguing reluctant readers and getting them excited about reading.  They are often fast paced and full of adventure and suspense that gets them hooked and excited to finish a book.  I often call these books ‘gateway books’ that will lead children on to more books and adventures and will turn them in to readers. 

The Boxcar children mysteries by Gertrude Chandler Warner is a classic mystery series that has over 100 books in the series! (I had to look that up – I had no idea there were that many!) The series starts with The Boxcar children and introduces the four Alden siblings who have ran away from their mean grandfather and make themselves a home in an abandoned train boxcar. The stories are lighthearted, fun, simple mysteries that are perfect for younger middle grade readers.  As a librarian I love seeing children wrapped up in classic series like this.  It is always fun watching them browse through the series box, trying to find ones they have not read yet.

A newer mystery series that middle-grade readers are enjoying is Masterminds by Gordon Korman.  The three-book series includes Masterminds, Criminal Destiny, and Payback and is perfect for children who love adventures. The characters live in a perfect, Utopian town in New Mexico where life is perfect, and honesty and kindness are the backbone of the idyllic community.  When one of the families in the town disappears, the group set out to find out what exactly happened.  They quickly discover that their perfect town is not what it seems and that they can’t trust anyone, including their parents.

For the slightly older middle-grade readers who enjoyed the realistic element of Scared stiff, I would highly recommend Holes  by Louis Sacher. This book is mystery, adventure, humor, and realism all rolled into one perfect book.  I personally love how Sacher creatively reveals little pieces of the mystery throughout and connects them all together in many ah-ha moments that will capture the attention of even the most reluctant reader.  And…. if anyone ask, the book is WAY better than the movie!

Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT. 

Module 8: The magician's elephant

Book cover image: 

Taken from Amazon.com (Amazon.com, Inc, n.d)

Genre:

The magician’s elephant is listed as fantasy for upper elementary and middle school readers, which is very fitting for a story that features an elephant falling through the opera house ceiling after being summoned by the magician.  This event certainly defies all natural and physical laws of this world which defines the fantasy genre. 

Book Summary:

This magical story follows a young orphan, Peter Augustus Duchene who is living with Vilna Lutz, who served as a soldier with Peter’s dad.  Peter has a longing in his heart to find his baby sister, Adele, who according to Vilna died at birth.  Peter has doubts about her death and reaches out to a fortune teller who confirms to him that his sister is alive.  The only part that doesn’t make sense to Peter is that the fortune teller tells him that he must follow the elephant to find her.  This is when the magic begins! An older magician, performing at the Bliffendorf Opera House plans to conjure up a bouquet of lilies, but ends up conjuring up an elephant that falls through the roof and lands on Madam LaVaughn, crushing her legs.  The magician lands in prison, and Peter sets out on a quest to visit the elephant and figure out how the elephant will lead him to his sister. 

APA Reference of Book:  

DiCamillo, K. (2009). The magician's elephant. Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Impressions:

DiCamillo’s writing brings about feelings of love, hope, and a desire to belong even after a loss. This book was a fairly easy read, but one that was thoroughly enjoyable even for a more mature reader.  Despite the story being completely magical, the emotions and characters are very realistic. The book is only 200 pages, but thanks to DiCamillo’s exquisite writing, she is able to give emotion and personality to all of the characters, not just Peter who is the main character. She captured the sadness of Vilna Lutz, the love and longing in the hearts of Leo and Gloria Matienne, the compassion of Sister Marie, the innocence of Adele, and even the unique personality of the singing beggar, Tomas.  I think my favorite part of this book is that the author is able to give hope to the reader in a world that sometimes feels like all hope may be lost. She captured the innocence of children and their desire to simply belong and know that they have someone waiting for them who loves them and she does that all without wasting even a single word. There are a lot of  ‘what ifs’ and ‘but how’s’ asked in the book, which should be expected in a book that enters into the magical world of elephants falling through roofs, but the biggest question of all is asked in chapter 3 and sets the tone for the entire story. “What was it like, Peter wondered, to have someone who knew you would always return and who welcomed you with open arms?” (DiCamillo, 2009, pp. 40-41).  By the end of the story, both Peter and Adele find that with Leo and Gloria Matienne and occasionally the beggar, Tomas and his dog Iddo.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal review from Book Verdict, Reviewed on August 1, 2009

Gr 4-6 On a perfectly ordinary day, Peter Augustus Duchene goes to the market square of the city of Baltese. Instead of buying the fish and bread that his guardian, Vilna Lutz, has asked him to procure, he uses the coin to pay a fortune-teller to get information about his sister, whom he believes to be dead. He is told that she is alive, and that an elephant will lead him to her. That very night at a performance in the town's opera house, a magician conjures up an elephant (by mistake) that crashes through the roof and cripples the society dame she happens to land on. The lives of the boy, his guardian, and the local policeman, along with the magician and his unfortunate victim, as well as a beggar, his dog, a sculptor, and a nun all intertwine in a series of events triggered by the appearance of the elephant. Miraculous events resolve not only the mystery of the whereabouts of Peter's sister, but also the deeper needs of all of the individuals involved. DiCamillo's carefully crafted prose creates an evocative aura of timelessness for a story that is, in fact, timeless. Tanaka's acrylic artwork is meticulous in detail and aptly matches the tone of the narrative. This is a book that demands to be read aloud."

Review written by Tim Wadham, St. Louis County Library, MO" Copyright 2009 Media Source Inc.

APA Reference of Professional Review:

Media Source Book Verdict. (2009, August 1). The magician's elephant. Retrieved March 10, 2018, from Book Verdict: http://bookverdict.com/details.xqy?uri=Product-6056171.xml 

Library Uses:

While reading this story (before I ever read any reviews) my first thought was that this book is begging to be read aloud to a group of children.  It almost appears to me that DiCamillo wrote this book specifically with that purpose in mind. Because DiCamillo is a very excellent author, I would use this book as a read aloud in the classroom with extension activities.  Some of the activities could include creating a timeline of all the events that occur throughout the story.  This could be a work in progress that is created throughout the reading so that’s students can follow along as the story is read.  Additionally, the teacher could introduce the concept of plot diagrams after finishing the story.  The students would be able to identify the beginning (exposition), rising action, climax, falling action, and the resolution of the story using a worksheet prepared in advance. Lastly, The magician’s elephant features a handful of wonderful illustrations by Yoko Tanaka that capture some of the key moments in the story.  After reading the story, the children could create their own storyboard to illustrate five or six important events from the story that really captured their attention.  The children could be given the option to illustrate one scene or different scenes from the entire novel. 

Readalikes:

There are so many other great titles for readers ranging in age from 8-12 years old who loved the magical adventure of The magician’s elephant.  Readers likely enjoyed the realistic characters, the hope and love, and the magic created by DiCamillo and each of the following books captures some element of that.

Where the mountain meets the moon by Grace Lin is a Newberry Honor book that includes all the magical elements of a great fantasy along with friendship and adventures.  There are no elephants, but there is dragon, although he is unable to fly.

Another great fantasy title for young readers is Dying to meet you by Kate Klise.  This fantasy-mystery tells a slightly humorous story of an author named Ignatius B. Grumpy that moves into a mansion located at 43 Old Cemetery Road.  There is a problem though; the house is actually already occupied by an 11 year old boy, a cat, and a ghost named olive.  The great thing about this book is it is part of a 7 book series featuring stories from 43 Old Cemetery Road which will keep kids reading.

For a unique take on fantasy fiction, I highly recommend Zorgamazoo by Robert Paul Weston because it is written entirely in rhyme yet still tells a fantastic story.  I personally think this book is best used for a read-aloud either at home between parents and children or in a classroom setting.  The story tells of two young girls who are taken on an adventure to the moon and they try to save the planet from an evil boredom machine.  Many of the reviews called the book Dr. Seuss on steroids! This really is a must read for kids in upper elementary or middle school.

Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT. 

Module 7: Travel team

Book cover image:

Taken from Goodreads.com (Goodreads, Inc., n.d.)

Genre: 
Travel team by Mike Lupica is considered realistic fiction because it is a story that could realistically happen and centers around real themes and issues.  The book could also fall under sports fiction as well as sub-genres of realistic fiction such as contemporary realistic because of the issues of divorce and alcoholism and a coming of age/ emotional realism based on Danny’s struggles with figuring out who he is.

Book Summary: 
The protagonist in the story, Danny Walker, is a 12-year-old boy who is small for his age and does not make the 8th grade travel baseball team because the coaches are trying to make a ‘bigger team’ so they can win the championship.  Danny’s father was also smaller than most boys but was a legend in their town for helping his team go all the way when he was Danny’s age, despite his smaller size.  The manager of the team that cuts Danny happens to also he his dad’s rival from when they were young which makes matters worse.  Danny’s dad made it to the NBA and played for the warriors but was in a drunk driving accident that injured him and took him out of the game forever.  Danny’s mom has tried to hide his dad’s drinking from him, but when Danny gets cut from the 8th grade travel team his dad comes back to town and starts a new team with Danny as the star.  Through this journey Danny learns a lot more about his dad and also how to be a leader despite his size.

APA Reference of Book: 
Lupica, M. (2004). Travel team. New York: Philomel Books.

Impressions: 
I am a mom of three boys, two of which are very reluctant readers and would much rather be outside playing basketball, football, or baseball than inside reading a book.  Realistic sports fiction has been one of the best things for these two boys because they can relate to the characters.  Additionally, something I loved about this book and many other like it, is that sports is simply the vehicle the author uses to tell a story that is about so much more than sports.  For example, in Travel team, the main character, Danny Walker, is being raised by a single mom because his dad chose alcohol over his family and can’t seam to hold down any real job after he is injured in a drunk driving career and looses his spot on the Warriors basketball team in the NBA. Danny’s dad continues to drink and feels so guilty that he only really comes around to see Danny on holidays and special occasions.  Danny’s mom works hard to take care of Danny and even though she can’t give him everything, she tries her best to be a good mom.  Danny loves his dad and doesn’t know that his dad is an alcoholic early in the story and all he wants is for his parents to get back together so he can have a family, yet he realizes that probably won’t happen.  Him in his dad are not all that close and basketball is really the only way they communicate and bond early in the story.  Readers, whether they play basketball or not, can relate to many of these issues presented in the story and will be able to empathize and understand all the feelings Danny has throughout the story.  A second element is the coming of age story as Danny struggles with being smaller than most the other kids, even the girl who is his best friend and love interest.  Every kid, especially in middle school, has something about themselves that is different or makes them insecure and they will see that as Danny goes through his 8th grade year hoping to grow at least another inch.  Lupica simply used basketball as a backdrop to address tackle many of the harsh realities of life as a middle school boy in today’s world, which will help the reader to either realize they are not alone or to help them better understand friends and classmates who may be in situations similar to Danny’s.

Professional Review: 
Taken from Kirkus Reviews, Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2004,  Review Posted Online: May 20th, 2010, Kirkus Reviews originally published in print: Oct. 1st, 2004

For a small man, Richie Walker casts a large shadow over his son’s life. Danny Walker would like nothing more than to follow in his father’s footsteps. When 12, Richie, a 5’10” point guard phenom, led his ragtag Middletown Vikings from Eastern Long Island to the national finals of the Little League Basketball World Series and became the darling of sportswriters around the country. Problem is Danny didn’t make his travel team. Too small. But, in a story every bit as exciting and tear-jerking as any novel or movie in its genre—Hoosiers, Mighty Ducks, The Bad News Bears—Danny gets his chance at glory. Lupica, a sportswriter at the New York Daily News, has the knowledge of the game and the lean prose to make this a taut, realistic story not just about the game but about heart, character, and family. A winner. (Fiction. 10+)

APA Reference of Professional Review: 
Kirkus Media, LLC. (2010, May 20). Travel team. Retrieved March 2, 2018, from Kirkus:  https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/mike-lupica/travel-team/

Library Uses: 
In my opinion, this book is one that I would honestly recommend for reading for some of my more reluctant readers who are still trying to figure out what books and genres they like and don’t like, and I would want them to read it for enjoyment not for a classroom assignment.  That being said, I would use this book and other sports themed books to create a prominent display at the beginning of a busy sports season such as late fall, early spring when schools have basketball, volleyball, soccer, track, tennis, and golf all in full swing (no pun intended).  This would help highlight how many FANTASTIC books there are for kids with all different types of interest and would help highlight some of the fantastic authors who use sports as a tool to tackle real-life issues and situations.

Readalikes: 
Last year at the Texas Library Association Annual conference I sat in on an author panel about sports in literature with Tim Green, Miranda Keanneally, and Carl Deuker and I was amazed at how passionate they are about addressing real issues kids today face using sports to get them to pick up the book.  Sports may be the setting of the story, but rarely is it the primary theme.  Additionally, in no way should the sport or gender of the main character dictate who reads the book because often times the situation or conflict faced in the story is one that everyone can relate to in some way.

Football season in a small southern town means Friday Night Lights and author Abbi Glines has used the setting for the Field Party series which includes Until Friday night, Under the lights, and After the game.  The story features everything that you expect in a small southern town; Friday night football, girls, boys, pickup trucks, and of course post game parties that stir up drama.  Coupled with this, Glines throws in an all-American football star whose father is dying of cancer and a girl who just moved to town two years after her father murdered her mother.

I have to throw in my youngest son’s favorite Tim Green book, Unstoppable,because he talked about this book for months and cried when he told me about the story.  The book follows Harrison, a foster child who is in an awful foster home and knows that his dreams of playing in the NFL probably will not happen.  Harrison ends up being removed from the home and placed in a loving foster home and is finally able to chase his football dreams when he is injured and ends up with a diagnosis that stops his dreams in their tracks.

A slightly older book that might even be considered a classic at this point is the Newbery Award winning book by Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee.  Jeffrey Lionel picks up the name “Maniac Magee” after a freak accident leaves him an orphan and he takes up running to escape the realities of his life.  Maniac Magee became a legend in because of his incredible running speeds, but that’s not the most important thing he did.  This book tackles racial divides in a small town, prejudice, death of parents, loss, kindness, and friendship.

Checkout my Goodreads list of children and youth literature I read during the Spring 2018 Semester at UNT.