HERE IS WHERE YOU WILL POST YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE TWEEN BOOK

YOU SELECTED TO READ DURING WEEK #1.

Katie Anderson, Oregon State Library

Riordan, Rick. (2005). The Lightning Thief: Percy Jackson and the Olympians Book. New York: Miramax Books/Hyperion Books for Children.

Summary:

Percy Jackson has a habit of getting expelled from schools.  He struggles with both dyslexia and ADHD.  His mom is wonderful, but his step-father is rotten. After a series of fantastical events, Percy learns that his biological father is Greek god and his mother takes him to Half-Blood Camp.  Here he can learn about his ancestry, how to use his demigod powers, and he can be kept safe from the beasts of Hades!

While at camp, Percy is finally able to connect with his extended family, and new and old friends.  He quickly develops competency because he learns that his mind is set to read twisted ancient Greek, not standard English text, and he can finally read well and keep up academically with the others at camp.

Soon after Percy arrives at camp, Poseidon claims him as his son and he is accused of stealing Zeus’ master lighting bolt.  Percy and his two friends then set out on a quest to retrieve the bolt.  And, in typical quest fantasy, they face trials and tribulations and are ultimately successful.  Percy is rewarded by getting to meet his father Poseidon.

Reflection:

It seems like Rick Riordan researched tween psychology and reading prior to writing this book.  The Lightning Thief touches on all the Five Cs, and Percy himself is going through all the transitions described in our reading.

Throughout Percy’s experience at camp and on his quest we saw him gain confidence in his intellectual and physical capabilities.  Many tweens feel like the changes they are going through are unique, they don’t really understand what is going on, and they don’t really want to talk about.  They wish for some magical answer—like their father is a god! Percy experiences the same transition; however the changes he is going through are truly unique because he is a demigod.

Percy’s trip through Hades is particularly interesting because many adults look back on their tweens as a trip through hell and back.  Percy goes to Hades to get the master bolt, but he realizes the bolt has actually been in his back-pack for most of his journey.  Like us looking back at our hellish tween years, his trip through Hell seemed unnecessary.  Why does puberty have to be Hell?  It doesn’t, there are a few adults who look back and think it was a great time of life!  However, the trip was necessary.  It was critical to developing his confidence and his strong character.  This is the transition he must go through to have what it takes to confront Zeus and his father, to become a hero.

Tween –vs- teen literature:

If this were to be a teen book it would have:  introduced sexuality and romance, expanded to explore the greater world to see how the gods really intersected with the modern world, other characters would have been more developed and we would have learned their perspectives, and it would have been darker with a risk much greater than war between the gods at stake.

This series has been a favorite of mine for a while.  I think your point about the "darkness" of books is a valid one.  While tween books can deal with sensitive issues, they are less dark and intense.  But WHO posted this?  teri

Katie Anderson, sorry about that.

Posted by Lina

Marino, Nan.  Neil Armstrong is my uncle and other lies Muscle Man McGinty told me.  New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2009.

In the summer of 1969, ten-year-old Tamara has to deal with several problems including her best friend moving away, a new boy in the neighborhood, and her older brother's growing estrangement from their parents.

Poor Tamara!  Her world is turning upside down and she has a hard time coping with all of the changes.  Chief among Tamara's problems is that her best friend Kebsie has suddenly moved away, leaving Tamara to feel isolated even though she is surrounded by a group of neighborhood kids with whom she is friendly.  Kebsie's absence has created a void in Tamara's life that no one else can fill. Kebsie, a foster child who lived with Tamara's neighbor Mrs. Kutchner, has been reunited with her mother and has moved to an undisclosed location.  Mrs. Kutchner has two new foster children in her home, brothers Douglas and Greg McGinty.  Douglas, nicknamed Muscle Man by Tamara, easily falls in with the neighborhood kids and tries to reach out in friendship to Tamara. 

In "Tween Psychology" we learn that among tweens there is a "tremendous range of emotional development."  This range is quite evident among the kids in Tamara's neighborhood.  For example, Tamara sees issues only in the way in which they directly effect her, while Mary Beth is more mature, able to see problems from another person's point of view.  Tamara resents Muscle Man because he is not Kebsie, but knows nothing about him except that he makes up stories.  Mary Beth knows that Muscle Man and his brother are in foster care because their parents recently died in a car accident and is willing to overlook his faults.  Muscle Man himself, despite the problems in his own life, tries to reach out in friendship to Tamara in an effort to make her feel better.

There is also evidence in the book of factors such as home life, that the article reports also contribute to tween development.  Mary Beth may be acting on the example set by her father, who kindly buys Muscle Man an ice cream cone when it becomes apparent that the boy is leaving because he has no money to buy his own.  In fact, Mary Beth's family, the Grabowskis, are a cohesive family who enjoy each other's company.  This does not seem to be true of Tamara's family.  Her parents pay her little attention except to yell at her when she misbehaves.  There is a gulf growing between Tamara's parents and her older brother Tim, a college student who has elected not to come home for the summer.  Tamara misses him, feeling that he would be able to give her some advice on her current problem.  Tamara's parents do not generally socialize with other families in the neighborhood.  Her mother prefers to stay indoors watching soap operas and her father tends to draw into himself when he comes home from work.

When Tamara does begin to show signs of growth, it is perhaps due to the influence of the other kids.  The kids in the group show compassion when they realize a soldier walking down the street is there to deliver news of the death of Vinnie Pizzarelli, a local soldier serving in Vietnam and a friend of Tim's.  Finally, Tamara begins to take an interest in the upcoming moon landing, an event the other kids have been talking about all summer, while Tamara knows little about it because her parents have not shown interest in it.

If the kids in this story were older teens, the same story might be told differently.  Rather than focusing so much on their daily kickball games, the kids might be more in tune with Tim's concerns of a social revolution and like him, making plans to attend Woodstock.  The group itself would probably not be intact, naturally splintering as kids develop their own interests and world views.  Perhaps there would be couples within the group who would be exploring young love.

As for a book talk, I think I would begin by asking how the kids would react to their best friend moving away.  From there, I would describe Tamara's relationship to Kebsie and how much she misses her friend now that she is gone, and finally talk about Muscle Man's efforts to help her.

This is still one on my "to be read" stack.  Guess I have to move it closer to the top.  Thanks for bringing the book to my attention.  teri

Posted by: 

Susan Bakhru, Media Specialist, Argyle Middle School.  Silver Spring, MD. 

Ashley Bryan:  Words to My Life Song by Ashley Bryan

I looked over the recommended list provided, realizing that we could suggest our own titles as well.  I knew that I didn’t have any of the books and wondered why?  I was curious and tracked down as many books at my Public Library as I could find.  The library system is quite extensive and when I realized it only had half of the list I realized that some of the books must be quite new.  I looked at what I could find, thinking about my profile for “tweens”.  I selected

Ashley Bryant:  Worlds to My Life Song by Ashley Bryan.

I always look at the cover of a book.  The cover is what confronts you visually at the beginning and forms your “opinion” of the book.  We as adults through our life experience realize that you can’t tell a book by its cover, but our tweens don’t have this experience yet. 

The book is targeted toward our creative tweens who are drawn to “art” in all its’ forms.  I found the book stunning.  The book mixes words, word images and visual displays of photographs, painting and different mediums of art.  The most interesting part of the book is the life story of Ashley Bryan.  I browsed through the book initially and got caught with the account of his life.  I was most intrigued with the thought that Ashley Bryant lived and worked in a multicultural environment and was encouraged by his supportive colleagues and family to pursue his interest. 

I looked at the opportunities he had taken advantage of, opportunities that he sought and persisted with to learn and grow with his interest in art. 

This book will be very attractive to the tweens I serve because of the multicultural aspect of the art.  My art teacher will love this book and will want to show it to her students!  This book will also be a great addition to our biography unit because it is will appeal visually to all levels of readers and is not indicative of any one “age” to read and enjoy it.  It will also be used in our Poetry unit when our students can use poems of their choice. 

There were several books on this list that, although a worthy read, I would not consider for purchase in the media center.  Some were because of the cover, print, and paper used in the publishing; others were because the topic or story were such that it would only take some effort to make it move.    

Susan Bakhru, Media Specialist, Argyle Middle School.  Silver Spring, MD.

I adore Ashley Bryan.  His speech at this year's award banquet was so typical and so moving.  You are thinking about collection development from many perspectives.  It's like juggling, right?  teri

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Posted by Valerie Suttee 

 Swanson, James L. Chasing Lincoln’s killer.  New York: Scholastic Press,  2009.

It is April of 1865 and Washington D.C. is in celebratory mode.  Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, has fallen and General Lee has surrendered to General Grant.  President Lincoln has been newly reelected and is feeling more cheerful and optimistic than he has in a long time.  However, famous actor and Confederate sympathizer, John Wilkes Booth, is feeling depressed and desperate about the fall of the Confederacy.  Seizing on a coincidence of profound historical proportions, Booth acts on his proximity to the President at Ford’s Theatre and shoots him. This well-known historic event begins a game of cat and mouse, which takes the reader along as the country pursues the men who assassinated Lincoln in an attempt to reignite the Civil War.  Swanson’s account reads like a thriller and includes photos and documents that lend to the drama of the tale.  

In addition to the book’s fast-paced appeal and attention to interesting detail, I believe its focus on social justice speaks to the sensibilities of tweens.  According to Tween Psychology, “Tweens move from an “it’s not fair” attitude and begin to think more about what is good for the whole, developing a sense of social justice”.  Readers can feel the outrage of the country as a controversial president begins to become the martyred hero in the course of a couple of weeks.  Just as tween readers are personally moving from reward and punishment to rules and procedures, the country is moving from war to healing.  

If this were written for older teens there would probably be greater discussion of the story’s historical context and possibly the gruesome details would receive more attention however Swanson does not shy away from disturbing information nor does he sanitize his characterization of the players in the story.

To booktalk this book, I would ask the kids what would happen if a famous actor killed the president as he watched a play with his family.  Assuming someone would recognize the reference I would then focus on the inherent appeal of the manhunt, highlighting the mood of the country and the communication difficulties at the time.  How do you organize a manhunt without the technology available today?  As a criminal on the run, where do you hide?  Who do you trust?  

I read this one recently and was wondering how to approach it in a booktalk.  Great ideas.  teri

Tales  From Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan

Shaun Tan is an Australian author and illustrator who received great acclaim recently for his graphic novel The Arrival.  Learn more about him at his website below.

http://www.shauntan.net/about.html

Summary

Fifteen stories that combine stunning images with tales both weird and wonderful to create a literary experience so unique it makes you want to start over when you are done.   My favorite story was Eric, about an exchange student who quietly inhabits the home of the host family, preferring to stay in their pantry rather than the room prepared for him.  He also quietly collects found objects on outings with his sponsors, and surprises them by leaving their home unexpectedly, but not without leaving behind a magical reminder of his stay.  Shaun Tan leaves you with 15 equally magical, although sometimes melancholy, stories that will be long remembered once the book goes back to the shelf.

Reflections

When I was a tween, I lived in the suburbs, but my imagination allowed me to play and stray away from the sidewalks and subdivision into mini-worlds of fantasy and pretend.  I played outside past 5^th grade, and I imagined that my father’s rock garden was a fairyland, and I pretended that there were secret worlds in the hills that surrounded our neighborhood.  In reading Tales of Outer Suburbia, I was able to envision that same appeal, that ability to disappear into these wonderfully imaginative stories, to escape the banality of suburbia.

The stories are not so much commentaries on lifestyle, though, as they are little pieces of art depicting a variety of emotions: sweet, bittersweet, funny, odd and lovely.  There is a reunion, a love story, a fantastical discovery, an argument, a rescue and lots of silliness.  A gamut of emotions are presented that will allow tweens to experience a number of the emotions discussed in the Tween Psychology reading.  The predominant ‘C’ of the five Cs I saw represented in the stories was caring: a family touched by a gift, an understanding of an old enemy, the healing power of compassion for an animal, and many more examples.  It is a touching book, both visually and verbally. 

To booktalk this book, I think I would tell one of the stories, use it as a little dangle, show them the pictures, pass the book around … wait for them to ask for it at my library.  I loved this book.

Lynne Ring / George Memorial Library / Richmond, Texas 

I loved it, too.  I had the pleasure of listening to Tan talk about his books a few weeks ago.  Wow. teri

Submitted by Keira Digel Drake, Athens, GA

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson, Scholastic Press, 2009

Summary

Lincoln’s assassination is a story that we all know from elementary school. We are familiar with the who, the where, and even, in most cases, the why. But what do we know about what happened AFTER the assassination? What happened to John Wilkes Booth? How did he pull it off? Who else was involved? How is it that he was on the run for 12 whole days? This book answers these questions and more.

Reflections

Chasing Lincoln’s Killer is a fast-paced adventure, written in documentary style. I felt like I was reading the transcript from a 60 Minutes episode. The quick back and forth between Ford’s Theater and what was happening around Lincoln and the persons organizing the manhunt and on horseback, in the field, and in the pines with Booth and Herald kept the book moving forward and my interest firmly in hand.

The real-life characters in this book provide a variety of role models for readers, so obviously poor role models, while others are exemplary. Frederick Seward seeming to instinctively know that his father was in danger from the ‘messenger’ that had come to deliver medicine to him. Dr. Richard Stuart refusing to provide medical help or a place to hide for Booth and Herald; at the same time not alerting the authorities of the assassin’s whereabouts. The story provides many problem-solving examples as well including the best way to find the killers and the best way to remain hidden and escape the authorities.

There are some interesting examples of social justice (or lack there of). Booth claims that his actions are for the good of the Confederacy although he often boasts of his actions and is very interested in reading about himself in the newspapers. Colonel Baker, the man put in charge of the manhunt in its’ later days, was ‘one of the best’ detectives in the area and was determined to capture Booth and his co-conspirators yet his interest in doing so was as much a matter of the reward money as it was to capture the assassin of one of the most beloved presidents.

Booktalk

I would start with what we know – the story of Lincoln’s assassination – and follow that with a brief description of one the greatest manhunts known to this country. I would continue by asking the students to discuss the classic ‘what if’ question – what if this happened today? Could this happen today? This is a compelling, action-adventure story. With little assistance, this book sells itself.

Another good idea for booktalking this selection.  teri

Posted by Morgan

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Summary

When ten-year-old orphan Peter Augustus Duchene encounters a fortune teller in the marketplace one day and she tells him that his sister, who is presumed dead, is in fact alive, he embarks on a remarkable series of adventures as he desperately tries to find her.

Reflections

I felt like this book would be over the heads of many tweens. The language was very beautiful and deep, lyrical even. Kate DiCamillo is one of my favorite authors for tweens. I adored Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn Dixie.

Book Talk

I would suggest this to more precocious readers. I would also give it to my fellow diehard DiCamillo fans.

I cannot tell you how much I love this book.  I do think it will not be totally understood by young readers who will miss the allegorical nature of the story.  However, I do hope folks read it aloud as the language is exquisite.   teri 

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Posted by Rory

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Scholastic Press

Summary

Soon-to-be 11-year-olds Amanda and Leo, born on the same day, have celebrated their birthdays together for the past 10 years. However, this year is different. Something happened at their joint 10-year birthday party to separate the best friends. So Amanda, the protagonist of the story, now has to spend her 11th birthday without Leo for the first time. In the days that follow, both Amanda and Leo discover that they are caught in a time loop, each morning repeating their 11th birthday! To figure out why this is happening to them, they become friends again and experiment by making different choices throughout the day to see what happens. Will they figure out what needs to be done and finally wake up to a Saturday morning or are they doomed to be just turning 11 for the rest of their lives?

Reflection

11 Birthdays really focuses on the aspect of emotional or, as I’d prefer to call it, social development. Despite the fact that there is a little magical twist in the tale (reliving the day over and over again), Amanda, as the main character of the book, really goes through a lot of emotions that a tween would go through in developing social relationships with their peers. Amanda and Leo were literally thrown together as best friends because of their shared birthday. When Amanda accidentally overhears Leo saying something not to nice at their 10^th birthday party she feels betrayed. She thinks to herself, Well, fine, he doesn’t want to be seen as best friends with a girl so we aren’t best friends anymore. And because of this action she leaves their birthday party and they drift apart for a whole year. The fact that the 11^th birthday is going to be their first separate celebration a lot of feelings are dug up and Amanda and Leo have to confront one another and talk.

As I was reading the book I really felt that Amanda’s character development was written quite nicely. I could see a lot of young girls viewing her as a sort of role model—as a friend or as a “hey, she’s like me” type of thing. The mysterious “curse” that keeps rewinding time for Amanda eventually seems less important than the power that Amanda finds within herself. When Leo emboldens her with the idea of daily do-overs, Amanda discovers that small changes in her attitude and actions result in sometimes subtle, sometimes monumental changes in life for herself, her family, and her friends.

Booktalk

While I can see how this book would be more appealing to tweens (my library shelves it in the children’s fiction not the teen collection), I could see older teens reading it to and enjoying it. I had no idea when I started reading it that it would have a magical bent to the plotline! I don’t know how I missed that bit of information from the book jacket. : ) I think it is more appropriate for tweens than books for older teens because it is tamed down in regards to subject matter and language. There is nothing really controversial at all about the book. The cover is really appealing and eye catching. I think I would introduce this book to some of my die-hard tweens by trying to sell the magical aspect of the book. My tweens and teens are obsessed with fantasy books. So if I try to tell them this book has a bit of a magical “curse” that causes Amanda and Leo to relive the same day over and over again they might get interested in the story despite the fact that it is more of a realistic story than pure fantasy that they are used to.

___Wendy Mass is one of those underrated authors:  she flies under the radar.  teri

____________________________________________________________________________

From Gail Tobin

Stroud, Jonathan. Heroes of the Valley. New York: Hyperion Books, c2009

I choose this book because I love high fantasy and Jonathan Stroud is the author of the Bartimaeus Trilogy, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Summary:

A hero quest set in a medieval world that brings to mind Norse epics, Halli Sveinsson, 14, has never really felt like part of his family. He is short and dark while they are tall and fair. He is the youngest child of the rulers of the House of Svein and has always admired the heroes of old (which his ancestor is the greatest of all, of course!) He is a bit of a troublemaker and a harmless prank gone bad sets in motion his quest to avenge the murder of his uncle and instigates war among the 12 houses for the first time in generations. He is forced to grow up and rally his people, while he learns the truth behind the tales of heroic quests of his ancestor, Sven Sveinsson, who defeated the flesh-eating trows and created a barrior protecting his people from them. Halli’s story is framed by snippets of Sven’s and in the course of his quest, Halli is creating his own legend and he discovers the real meaning of heroism.

Reflection:

This book is a natural fit for tweens. Halli’s emotional growth in the course of his quest reflects the moral development and psychological growth in tweens and discussed in the tween physchology article. We see Halli run away in a rage of anger and frustration and without a thought to the consequences on a quest to avenge the murder of his uncle. He is confident that he will avenge his uncle’s murder, but when, after much effort, he has the opportunity to kill his uncle’s murderer, he realizes he doesn’t have the temperament or desire for it and furthermore realizes killing another would be senseless and won’t make things right. In addition to that he comes to realize that all the hero tales he idolized over the years are not as straight forward as he thought and maybe not quite as “heroic” either.  Halli makes a psychological transition as he moves from an “it’s not fair” attitude to thinking about what is good for the whole. To illustrate this, at one point in the story he says he’s not going to kill his uncle’s murderer, he’s going to follow the rules and procedures by testifying against him and let the houses punish him with their ruling against him and his house. Of course, things don’t work out exactly as he planned when his uncle’s murderer tries to prevent him from testifying. The emotions talked about in the tween psychology article are definitely incorporated in this book and make it a strong choice for tweens. We see Halli develop competence, confidence, connection, character, and caring.

Although I believe this book works for many ages, if this book was written for older teens I think we might see more romance and sexuality, as well as more more direct violence and gore (even though there is plenty of suspence and action!)

I would booktalk this by focusing on the fantasy and revenge aspect and then ask what would you do if your favorite uncle was murdered? How would you react? This book will sell itself to those who love fantasy.