Just Juice

Hesse, Karen. (1998). Just Juice. New York: Scholastic Press.

Literary Genre: Realistic Fiction (Chapter Book)

The Faulstich family is going through a hard time. Pa has difficulty keeping work and is depressed. Ma is pregnant and has gestational diabetes. Juice is in trouble with the truant officer because she does not go to school as she should. Markey and Charleen (Juice’s older sisters) worry about Juice. Juice, Markey, and Charleen pitch in to care for the two little ones, Lulu and Turtle. They barely have enough food to eat, so when Pa gets a letter saying they have to pay taxes or lose their house, he keeps it a secret from Ma.  It seems like the Faulstich’s are doomed. Can Juice get her family through these hard times and deal with her own secret?

Hesse successfully captures the essence of a family’s bond and love. Throughout all these hardships, the Faulstich’s encourage one another, support each other, and remain hopeful that things will get better. The language has some slang that might stump some young readers in the beginning but it allows the reader to visualize the characters. Hesse also does a nice job of addressing the challenges that people with reading disabilities face in their day-to-day lives. My only criticism is that there is not a sequel.

Probuditi!

Van Allsburg, Chris. (2006). Probuditi! Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Literary Genre: Fiction (Picture Story Book)

Calvin’s birthday gift is tickets for him and a friend to go see “Lomax the Magnificent, the world-famous magician and hypnotist”. After the performance, Calvin and his friend decide to do some hypnotizing of their own and shortly after Calvin’s little sister Trudy is barking, whining, panting, and walking on all fours like a dog. The real magic of this story is the humorous events that take place as the boys spend the afternoon trying to snap Trudy back to normal. Van Allsburg’s incredible, sepia pencil drawings will hold the attention of readers and pull them back into the 1940s where this story takes place.

I absolutely love this story. Many of Chris Van Allsburg’s books are magical but the realistic nature of this story makes it much more magical to me. Calvin and Trudy’s relationship is portrayed very true to the complicated but loving dynamics of siblings and is one in which readers will most certainly relate to. The 1940s setting is a nice touch because it represents the perfect childhood neighborhood and again readers will be able to make connections to their own childhood shenanigans. This story could be used in the classroom for a variety of things, but I would focus on the development of the relationships between characters.

Coraline -spoiler alert-

Gaiman, Neil. (2004). Coraline (Kindle Edition). D. McKean. New York: HarperCollins e-books

Literary Genre: Fantasy (Chapter Book) 

Coraline Jones just moved into a new large house with her mother and father. The house is so large that the Jones’ share it with others. Coraline is an explorer and her parents are always busy on their computers, so it isn’t long before she starts to explore the house and meet her neighbors. Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, “both old and round,” live in the flat below Coraline’s family with a number of Highland terriers. A crazy old man who is training mice for a mouse circus occupies the flat above Coraline’s family. After several rainy days, Coraline becomes bored. She counts ever door in her flat and stumbles upon a door that leads to a creepy parallel world.

In this creepy parallel world, Coraline has an “other mother” and “other father”. Her “other” parents and “other” neighbors resemble the real parents and neighbors only they are taller, thinner, and have black buttons for eyes. The “other mother” is the creator of this world and she very much wants Coraline to have black button eyes and remain with her forever. Although, this other world has better food, magical toys, a talking cat, and more attentive parents, Coraline does not wish to stay this other world. The “other” mother hides Coraline’s real parents in an attempt to lure Coraline but Coraline reverses the roles and challenges her “other” mother instead. With the help of the talking cat, and the ghosts of three children trapped in the shadows of a magical mirror, Coraline manages to escape her “other” mother’s creepy world with her parents and the souls of the ghost children. However, when the “other” mother’s bony hand follows her into the real world Coraline must face her “other” mother alone. Is she successful? You must read this magically creepy tale told from Coraline’s perspective to find out.

When I first started reading this book, I really struggled with how creepy it was. I could only read a few pages at a time and I even had some nightmares about my own son encountering his “other” mother. When, the Coraline discovers that her parents are missing through the magical mirror, it felt more like a scene from an episode of Criminal Minds not a scene from a children’s book. But once, Gaiman introduced Coraline’s challenge, the story transformed into an adventure and I was then able to root for Coraline. The guidance Coraline receives from the talking black cat reminds of Binx, the talking black cat from the movie, Hocus Pocus. Coraline is most definitely a memorable piece of literature. Coraline has a distinct honest voice that readers will be able to relate to. The book reads almost like a fairy tale, the language is descriptive enough for readers to visualize the unfolding tale, yet simple enough for younger readers to understand. The creepiness of the text is in part due to Gaiman’s amazing ability to make this “other” world seem possible, which is a critical element of quality fantasy. Coraline’s story is full of action, believable characters, creativity, and extraordinary elements which paired with Gaiman’s language and McKean’s black ink sketches makes a captivating realistic fantasy that interests readers.

Goal!

Javaherbin, Mina. (2010). GOAL! A. G. Ford. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.

Literary Genre: Multicultural/International (Picture Book) 

Ajani has to get water from the well before dark, but his homework is finished, so first it’s soccer time! Ajani and his friends must be careful as they play soccer because the streets are not safe in South Africa. When bullies come their way, Ajani and his friends are clever. The combination of repetitive phrases and detailed illustrations of bright blues and warm browns bring soccer to life and successfully highlights its power to bond the friends together during hard times.

I enjoyed this story because it allows readers to experience what it is like to be a young boy in South Africa. Ajani goes to school and plays with friends, but he also has responsibilities that most young boys in the United States do not, such as getting clean water and looking out for bullies that roam the streets. The illustrations represent a poor, dusty shantytown in South Africa; the boys have dirty, torn clothing; which is an accurate account of the environment and clothing of the area. Javaherbin provides an Author’s Note that provides more background on the significance of soccer. The note shares that the people of South Africa (and other countries) play soccer in spite of war, poverty, bully rulers, unsafe alleys, revolution, and hardship. “They play to stay connected. They play to stay children. They play to stay human. But mostly, they play to play.” Javaherbin does an excellent job of helping readers understand how this sport influences and inspires the people of South Africa this is what multicultural literature is intended to do.

Too Many Frogs!

Asher, Sandy. (2005). Too Many Frogs! Graves, K. New York: Scholastic, Inc.

Literary Genre: Picture Storybook 

Rabbit lives by himself, cooks for himself, tidies up after himself, and at the end of every day, he reads himself a story. Rabbit likes his simple, no fuss, no clutter way of life. Then one night, Froggie comes “knock-knockety-knocking” at Rabbit’s door and invites himself inside to listen to Rabbit’s story. Froggie is prone to fuss and clutter and after several visits to Rabbit’s house, Rabbit learns to like a different way of life. Vivid colors and expressive details in the illustrations pair nicely with the humorous and repetitive nature of the text, making this a fun read for children of all ages.

I absolutely love this book! It is an excellent read aloud because the plot revolves around Rabbit’s reading and bringing others closer together. Asher uses several literary devices to captivate the reader. For instance, several phrases are repeated throughout the book, emphasizing text with different placement on the page, and her word choice invites readers to express feelings. The art definitely enhances and extends the text and allows the readers to have a greater understanding of the characters and plot.

Duck Soup

Urbanovic, Jackie. (2008). Duck Soup. New York: HarperCollinsPublishers.

Literary Genre: Fiction (Picture Storybook) 

Max is a duck who loves to cook. Max is in the kitchen working on a special soup that is sure to be a masterpiece when he notices that it is missing something. Max goes out into the garden to find an herb that will make the soup perfect. Meanwhile, his family (a lively bunch of animals) spot a “feather” in the soup and they try to save Max until Max himself interrupts them. In the end, the family is thankful that Max is safe and they have pizza for dinner instead of soup. Colorful illustrations and bright characters that are incredibly engaging contribute even more humor to this entertaining story.

I really appreciate how Jackie Urbanovic uses a variety of font sizes, colors, styles to emphasize certain words, sounds, and dialogue of the characters. It makes the story more engaging for the reader and really fun to read aloud to children of all ages. I can also make a personal connection to the story, when things go wrong in the kitchen; pizza finds its way to my dinner table as well.

Heartbeat

Creech, Sharon. (2004). Heartbeat. New York: Scholastic, Inc. (partnered with HarperCollins Publishers) Literary Genre: Poetry (Chapter Book) Twelve-year-old Annie loves “running running running”. Especially barefoot running. She likes to feel her bare feet hit the soft earth and the wind on her face. Running is the glue that bonds Annie to many of the important people in her life. Her mother and grandfather were both runners. Her best friend, Max runs barefoot with her nearly every day, but he runs to escape his life. Max is moody, disadvantaged, and maybe even a little jealous of Annie’s family. Max’s grandfather died and his father left. Annie, on the other hand, has a loving, growing family. Annie’s mother is expecting a baby and her grandfather’s health and memory is unstable, so he moves in with Annie and her parents. Although Annie’s grandfather is losing his memory, there are moments when he shares his life experiences and wisdom with both Annie and Max. As one life is starting and another is ending, Annie gets to thinking about who people are and how they become who they are. Max sees running in track as his ticket out of the small town where the story takes place and Annie’s reluctance to join the track team seems to cause some tension in their friendship. While running is a major theme of this novel, Annie is also an artist. At school, Annie is given an assignment to draw the same apple for 100 days. Annie takes the assignment more seriously than her classmates do and she starts to view the apple (a symbol for life) from different perspectives. The baby’s birth brings change and resolution to the novel. Annie is trying to understand herself and those around her, but everything is changing. Will Annie learn to accept these changes and understand those around her? Read to find out. Sharon Creech writes this touching story in free verse poems. This format paired with strategic repetition allows the reader to feel the rhythm of Annie’s story. From the “thump-thump, thump-thump” of the running to the “a-whoosh-a-whoosh-a-whoosh” of the baby’s heartbeat, Creech’s utilization of onomatopoeias bring the story to life. The flow of the verses also lends itself well to developing Annie’s voice. Heartbeat is without a doubt quality poetry/children’s literature. The novel portrays emotion, insight, and a fresh viewpoint. Creech’s effective usage of language and poetic devices gives Annie a sincere voice that readers can connect to. I absolutely loved this novel! I was intrigued by the realness and complexity of the relationships between Annie and the other characters. **Related Links: -Visit the Author's Website at http://www.sharoncreech.com/index.html -For running tips visit http://www.kidsrunning.com/krasktraining.html -A Literature Circle Guide (For Teachers) http://teacher.scholastic.com/clubs/pdfs/heartbeat_t.pdf **Podcast Review: