Bibliographic Information
McKissack, P. (2001). Going' someplace special. New York: Atheneum Books.
Summary
'Tricia Ann is ready to take a big step and travel into town by herself. Her grandmother reminds her to remember that she is 'somebody' before 'Tricia Ann heads out the door. She is so excited to be traveling alone and is proud that she can get there on her own. Along the way 'Tricia Ann experiences multiple instances of segregation but also encounters encouraging friends who help her continue on her journey. After a morning of challenges, 'Tricia Ann reaches her "someplace special," the public library, where "all are welcome."
Impressions
I think this is a wonderful book that conveys what it was like to grow up in a segregated setting from a child's perspective. At the beginning of the book 'Tricia Ann seems like any typical young girl, wanting to do something that makes her feel independent and grown up. It's only after she sets off on her journey that we, the reader, realize that 'Tricia is living in the segregated south. I particularly enjoyed the people that she meets along the way. Every time 'Tricia Ann encounters something that makes her want to turn back and give up, she comes across someone who will encourage her and help her keep her head up. When she finally reaches the public library, we gain a sense of understanding about how wonderful it must have felt to find a place where everyone was treated equally, where no one was excluded simply because of the color of their skin. I especially loved that the "someplace special" was a public library.
Review
Tricia Ann's first solo trip out of her neighborhood reveals the segregation of 1950s' Nashville and the pride a young African-American girl takes in her heritage and her sense of self-worth. In an eye-opening journey, McKissack takes the child through an experience based upon her own personal history and the multiple indignities of the period. She experiences a city bus ride and segregated parks, restaurants, hotels, and theaters and travels toward "Someplace Special." In the end, readers see that 'Tricia Ann's destination is the integrated public library, a haven for all in a historical era of courage and change. Dialogue illustrates her confidence and intelligence as she bravely searches for truth in a city of Jim Crow signs. Pinkney re-creates the city in detailed pencil-and-watercolor art angled over full-page spreads, highlighting the young girl with vibrant color in each illustration. A thought-provoking story for group sharing and independent readers.
Review Reference
Elam, M. (2001, September). [Review of Goin' Someplace Special, by P.
McKissack]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/detail/detail?vid=30&
sid=105c84c3-cba0-4214-858f-9e0a2fff46c6%40sessionmgr198&hid=112&
bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=lls&AN=5122224
Library Use
~This book would be a good title to use in a study of Civil Rights. Since it is written from a child's perspective, it would give students an understanding of what life would have been like for them if they lived in that time.
McKissack]. School Library Journal. Retrieved from
http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/detail/detail?vid=30&
sid=105c84c3-cba0-4214-858f-9e0a2fff46c6%40sessionmgr198&hid=112&
bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=lls&AN=5122224
Library Use
~This book would be a good title to use in a study of Civil Rights. Since it is written from a child's perspective, it would give students an understanding of what life would have been like for them if they lived in that time.
Bibliographic Information
Rosoff, M. (2004). How I live now. New York: Random House, Inc.
Summary
Daisy arrives in England feeling sad and unwanted. She left her home in New York at the request of her stepmother, sent to live with an aunt and cousins she's never met. With a mother who died giving birth to her and a father she doesn't connect with, Daisy's expectations of her new life are pretty low. As she settles in to life in England, Daisy begins to appreciate her new family. Even though her aunt is very busy working with the government and facing the prospect of war, Daisy can still see how much she cares for her children and for Daisy as well. Daisy also has a growing affection for her all cousins, and she develops an especially strong attraction for her cousin Edmund.
After a few weeks, Aunt Penn departs on a work trip to Oslo, leaving Daisy and her cousins in charge of themselves for a few days. With Aunt Penn out of the house, Daisy and Edmund embark on a full-fledged affair. The cousins have only a short time to enjoy their freedom when war breaks out in London. At first their life in the countryside doesn't change very much. They live off food from the farm and supplies from the shop in the village. Everything changes when soldiers show up and commandeer the house, separating the boy cousins from Daisy and Piper. For a while the girls live with an army commander and his family, but Daisy has plans to escape and go back to the only place she's truly felt at home, back to Aunt Penn's house and to Edmund.
One night in the midst of a battle, Daisy and Piper put their plan in action. They run away with a few supplies and a compass that they hope will lead them home. Through days of wandering through the countryside, with little food and nothing to shelter them from the elements, Daisy finds a strength and courage inside herself that she never knew she had. Not long after they make it home, Daisy's father finds a way to bring her home to New York. Six years later, we find Daisy still longing for England. As soon as the war ends, she goes back, only to discover that Edmund is alive but very damaged from all that he's seen in the war. Because of her years of struggle, surviving the war, and dreaming of being reunited with Edmund, Daisy finally knows where she belongs, and she vows that she will do whatever it takes to help Edmund become whole again.
Impressions
I felt like I was on an emotional roller-coaster as I read this book. Daisy's struggles really strike a chord with the reader because she's going through things that all of us have felt at one time or another, even if our experiences aren't quite as dramatic as hers. I'm sure her longing to belong somewhere affected her judgement and emotions in regards to falling in love with Edmund. When she first realizes that she has feelings for him that are more than one would have for a cousin, she's worried and wants to keep those feelings a secret. But her inner struggle is not enough to keep her from him and his offers of acceptance and love. I liked how we see Daisy grow throughout the story, from someone who seemed so sad and broken when she first arrives in England, to someone who has the courage to wander across an unknown country to get back to those she loves. Even after years of separation and heartache, Daisy knows she has the strength to help Edmund find his way back to himself and her. This book is a true story of finding yourself among adversity and hardship.
Review
Daisy, 15, a troubled New York City teen with a distant father, a wicked (and pregnant) stepmother, and an eating disorder, is sent to England to stay on a rambling farm with her deceased mother's sister's family. It is made up of Aunt Penn "who always has Important Work To Do Related to the Peace Process" and her brood of children: Osbert, 16; 14-year-old twins Isaac and Edmond; and 9- year-old Piper. As the kids spend more and more time together, Daisy warms to them, beginning to tune in to a seemingly psychic bond that the siblings share. When Aunt Penn travels to Oslo, Daisy begins a sexual relationship with Edmond. At the same time, hostile forces invade England. Originally enjoying the freedom of a world that seems to have forgotten them, the cousins are inevitably separated, leaving Piper and Daisy to struggle across the countryside and rejoin the others. Daisy's voice is uneven, being at times teenage vapid, while elsewhere sporting a vocabulary rich with 50-cent words, phrases, and references. In addition, Rosoff barely scratches the surface of the material at hand. At times, this is both intentional and effective (the enemy is never named) but for the most part the dearth of explanation creates insurmountable questions around the basic mechanisms of the plot. There is no explanation of how a small force could take out all communications (including cell phones) and proceed to overrun and to control an entire country. Perhaps even stranger, the ramifications of psychic abilities and underage sexual relationships between first cousins is never addressed.
Review Reference
Davey, D. (2004, September). [Review of How I Live Now, by M. Rosoff]. School
Library Journal. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/
detai/detail?sid=af3f9db0-620d-42fc-830d-0ac468e78615%40sessionmgr
115&vid=16&hid=112&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=lls&AN=
14408225
Library Use
~ This book would be a good read for a high school book club. Many teens deal with a sense of not belonging and feeling misunderstood. I think they would have strong connections with Daisy, and they might see some of her strength and resilience in themselves through the reading and discussion of this book.
Book Trailer by Melissa Leonard
Summary
Daisy arrives in England feeling sad and unwanted. She left her home in New York at the request of her stepmother, sent to live with an aunt and cousins she's never met. With a mother who died giving birth to her and a father she doesn't connect with, Daisy's expectations of her new life are pretty low. As she settles in to life in England, Daisy begins to appreciate her new family. Even though her aunt is very busy working with the government and facing the prospect of war, Daisy can still see how much she cares for her children and for Daisy as well. Daisy also has a growing affection for her all cousins, and she develops an especially strong attraction for her cousin Edmund.
After a few weeks, Aunt Penn departs on a work trip to Oslo, leaving Daisy and her cousins in charge of themselves for a few days. With Aunt Penn out of the house, Daisy and Edmund embark on a full-fledged affair. The cousins have only a short time to enjoy their freedom when war breaks out in London. At first their life in the countryside doesn't change very much. They live off food from the farm and supplies from the shop in the village. Everything changes when soldiers show up and commandeer the house, separating the boy cousins from Daisy and Piper. For a while the girls live with an army commander and his family, but Daisy has plans to escape and go back to the only place she's truly felt at home, back to Aunt Penn's house and to Edmund.
One night in the midst of a battle, Daisy and Piper put their plan in action. They run away with a few supplies and a compass that they hope will lead them home. Through days of wandering through the countryside, with little food and nothing to shelter them from the elements, Daisy finds a strength and courage inside herself that she never knew she had. Not long after they make it home, Daisy's father finds a way to bring her home to New York. Six years later, we find Daisy still longing for England. As soon as the war ends, she goes back, only to discover that Edmund is alive but very damaged from all that he's seen in the war. Because of her years of struggle, surviving the war, and dreaming of being reunited with Edmund, Daisy finally knows where she belongs, and she vows that she will do whatever it takes to help Edmund become whole again.
Impressions
I felt like I was on an emotional roller-coaster as I read this book. Daisy's struggles really strike a chord with the reader because she's going through things that all of us have felt at one time or another, even if our experiences aren't quite as dramatic as hers. I'm sure her longing to belong somewhere affected her judgement and emotions in regards to falling in love with Edmund. When she first realizes that she has feelings for him that are more than one would have for a cousin, she's worried and wants to keep those feelings a secret. But her inner struggle is not enough to keep her from him and his offers of acceptance and love. I liked how we see Daisy grow throughout the story, from someone who seemed so sad and broken when she first arrives in England, to someone who has the courage to wander across an unknown country to get back to those she loves. Even after years of separation and heartache, Daisy knows she has the strength to help Edmund find his way back to himself and her. This book is a true story of finding yourself among adversity and hardship.
Review
Daisy, 15, a troubled New York City teen with a distant father, a wicked (and pregnant) stepmother, and an eating disorder, is sent to England to stay on a rambling farm with her deceased mother's sister's family. It is made up of Aunt Penn "who always has Important Work To Do Related to the Peace Process" and her brood of children: Osbert, 16; 14-year-old twins Isaac and Edmond; and 9- year-old Piper. As the kids spend more and more time together, Daisy warms to them, beginning to tune in to a seemingly psychic bond that the siblings share. When Aunt Penn travels to Oslo, Daisy begins a sexual relationship with Edmond. At the same time, hostile forces invade England. Originally enjoying the freedom of a world that seems to have forgotten them, the cousins are inevitably separated, leaving Piper and Daisy to struggle across the countryside and rejoin the others. Daisy's voice is uneven, being at times teenage vapid, while elsewhere sporting a vocabulary rich with 50-cent words, phrases, and references. In addition, Rosoff barely scratches the surface of the material at hand. At times, this is both intentional and effective (the enemy is never named) but for the most part the dearth of explanation creates insurmountable questions around the basic mechanisms of the plot. There is no explanation of how a small force could take out all communications (including cell phones) and proceed to overrun and to control an entire country. Perhaps even stranger, the ramifications of psychic abilities and underage sexual relationships between first cousins is never addressed.
Review Reference
Davey, D. (2004, September). [Review of How I Live Now, by M. Rosoff]. School
Library Journal. Retrieved from http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:2071/ehost/
detai/detail?sid=af3f9db0-620d-42fc-830d-0ac468e78615%40sessionmgr
115&vid=16&hid=112&bdata=JnNjb3BlPXNpdGU%3d#db=lls&AN=
14408225
Library Use
~ This book would be a good read for a high school book club. Many teens deal with a sense of not belonging and feeling misunderstood. I think they would have strong connections with Daisy, and they might see some of her strength and resilience in themselves through the reading and discussion of this book.
Book Trailer by Melissa Leonard
No comments:
Post a Comment