A Wrinkle In Time

By: Madeleine L'Engle

Audiobook Reader: Barbara Caruso

          A Wrinkle in Time is a fantasy book that received the Newbery Medal in 1963.  The story follows three children (Meg Murry, Charles Wallace, and Calvin) whose lives are completely changed when they meet the strange, otherworldly Mrs. Whatsit.  Together with Mrs. Whatsit and her friends, Mrs. Who and Mrs. Which, the children travel to various other planets by "tessering," moving through fifth dimensional wrinkles in time or "tesseracts," to find Meg's father (who mysteriously disappeared a few years earlier).  The children also realize that they are working to save the earth from evil through impending shadowy Darkness, and must work together in many adventures.

          Madeleine L'Engle's book was very popular at my elementary and middle schools when I was a child.  I remember so many of my friends choosing reading and discussing the book, but I never got around to reading it myself- until now!  When I went to the library to pick up a copy of this book for myself, I was distressed to discover that there were no copies available.  Luckily for me, there was an audiobook version in stock, so A Wrinkle in Time became my first adventure with an audiobook, as well as my chance to finally read this book.

          One of the first things that grabbed my attention with this book was the rich characterization.  Barbara Caruso's voice rang through my car speakers in hilarious character voices, such as Mrs. Which depicted by Caruso's exaggerated, slow speech and Mrs. Who's rushed, breathy tone in her recitation of quotations.  Hearing the book read aloud gave me the unique opportunity to imagine characters in new ways and pick up on different nuances than I normally would have.  While I found myself losing focus occasionally, Caruso's voice found ways to draw me back into L'Engle's story, and made this book experience fun and different.  Also, it should be noted that this book ends abruptly without resolution for Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, but, as it is the first in a series, I imagine that this unanswered question is addressed in a later book.

          L'Engle highlighted the presence of individuality throughout the book through her characters.  For example, Meg Murry is an unpopular girl who struggles to find her place in life; she is incredibly intelligent in math, but cannot succeed at school.  I believe that Meg is a character that many readers, especially girls, can relate to and be inspired by through her heroic presence.  When first departing from the witches, each child receives a gift to help them in their adventures; Meg's gift from Mrs. Whatsit is her faults.  To this gift, Meg responds, "But I'm always trying to get rid of my faults!"  This moment encourages readers to note the anti-conformist push within the book, in that Meg's individuality is praised in contrast to the inhumanity of "IT" and evil.  Although the book was written over 50 years ago, these issues remain relevant to all readers today.

          Another key theme within the book is love, and the idea that love can conquer all, especially in the battle between good and evil.  One of the scenes that touched me the most was Meg's final battle against IT to save Charles Wallace, in which Meg felt the power of Mrs. Whatsit's love for her and professed her own love of her little brother.  This unceasing love contrasts the hatred that consumed "IT," and allowed Meg to become the heroine she was meant to be.

          The book focuses on many issues (including faith, dystopia, good vs. evil, fear, science, etc.) that are often dumbed down for kids.  Instead of being oversimplified, L'Engle uses eloquent, but difficult language and empowers children by presenting these issues in more complex ways.  For example, the Murry parents cannot fix everything, meaning that Meg (and children) are left to be the heroes.  I think this aspect makes this book especially exciting for readers, but makes it more appropriate for readers in late elementary or middle school and above.  The book also delves into scientific concepts (ex: the physics explanations of time travel with the tesseract), and, while I cannot comment on the validity of these explanations, readers do not need to understand them to enjoy the book.

Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Written by: Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by: Joseé Masse

           Mirror, Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse is a collection of 14 sets of short poems about traditional fairytales written in reverso, meaning that each poem is presented in two ways: top to bottom and then flipped from bottom to top.  By writing poems with this unique structure, Singer highlights the idea that there are always "two sides to any story."  Through the presentation of alternate perspectives, Singer pushes readers to think critically about what they know of classic fairytales.  Each set of poems is accompanied by an illustration that also draws upon this mirror framework to create a fresh look at many beloved stories including Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, and more.

          After reading these poems, I think that Marilyn Singer has accomplished a great feat with this book, as the reverso is a difficult format to follow.  In her "About the Reverso" section of the book, Singer states that "changes [are] allowed in punctuation and capitalization" when reversing the order of lines from one poem to the next, but nothing else may change.  Singer goes on to state that these poems are "rather like creating and solving a puzzle," and I think she has found a puzzle that children would love to hear and explore!

          In addition to her unique structure, Singer also utilizes her wit to create clever wordplay and line break strategies to increase reader engagement with these alternate perspectives.  Here is one example of an alternate perspectives within "Do You Know My Name?" on Rumpelstiltskin:

"Do you know my name?                                     "My foolish self-

Think of straw turned to gold.                                              a girl

In this story.                                                                    by greed

I am                                                                                 betrayed.

famous                                                                          I am liked,

but not                                                                                but not

liked.                                                                                famous.

I am                                                                                       I am

betrayed                                                                     in this story.

by greed,                                       Think of straw turned to gold.

a girl,                                                    Do you know my name?"

                        my foolish self."

The change in perspective highlights the story's ignorance of the girl traditionally thought of as the clever hero in the story, because she has not even been given a name.  Additionally, I love the careful reversal of the ideas of being liked vs. famous.  Masee's illustration aligns well with the text for this poem, because half of the image depicts Rumpelstiltskin's name spelled out in smoke from a fire, while the girl's half presents indecipherable scribbles of her golden thread.

                 Masee's illustrations feature acrylic paintings separated into different segments (usually in halves) to depict the distinct perspectives presented within the reversed poems.  Careful attention is given to color, evidenced by the frequent color reversal between illustration halves.  For example, when focusing on Cinderella, the first image shows Cinderella in able dress in front of a gold background, while the flipped image presents her in a yellow dress on a blue background.  This attention to color creates a stark visual contrast that mirrors the nature of the poetic text.

             In all, this is a wonderful collection of poems with colorful and engaging illustrations that would make a fantastic read aloud for young children.  The familiar emphasis on fairytales and the short length of each poem will resonate especially with young readers, though all who enjoy fairytales will probably connect with this book.  The detail given to the wordplay within each poem will fascinate readers of all ages and lead to an enjoyable experience for all!

            This book was awarded the Cybil Award in Poetry and the Land of Enchantment Picture Book Award.

Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night

Written by: Joyce Sidman

Illustrated by: Rick Allen

        Dark Emperor & Other Poems of the Night is a Newbery Honor collection of 12 poems of various forms that are brought together to explore the idea of life in the dark night.  Each poem details the lives of different animals or plants at night, and is accompanied by a stunning illustration and informational blurb on the right side of the page to introduce new vocabulary and additional details on the subject of the poem.

        Joyce Sidman demonstrates her mastery of language and artistry within every poem in this book.  She uses a wide variety of poetic forms (i.e. ballad, concrete, uni sunt, etc.) to offer a broad introduction to poem structures.  Additionally, each word is carefully placed to create vivid sensory depictions and to play with the sounds of lines and language flow through rhyme, repetition, alliteration, line breaks, and so much more.  Each poem strings words together to create distinct lines that contribute to readers' understandings to each of the characters presented; with such a wide variety of animal and plant subjects, ranging from oak trees to "dark emperor" owls, Sidman demonstrates the fluidity of poetry to create new experiences and perspectives for any subject.

         The opening stanza of the first poem, "Welcome to the Night," immediately draws readers in:

"To all of you who crawl and creep,

who buzz and chirp and hoot and peep,

who wake at dust and throw off sleep:

Welcome to the night." (p. 6). 

I love this stanza because Sidman utilizes vivid sensory language through onomatopoeia to transport readers with all of the sounds of life in the woods, while the action words connect readers to the movement of life and invite readers into the story.  I also think that the alliteration, rhyme, and repetition of the final line, "Welcome to the night," to close each stanza within the poem make this a great read aloud by allowing children to participate in reciting the poem.

            This book would not have been complete without the intricate illustrations that Rick Allen created.  According to Allen's website, he spent almost two years completing the extensive process of making the linoleum cut prints that accompanied the poems.  This unique illustrative medium, in combination with the dark color palette that Allen used to reflect real the night setting, drew my eyes to the darkness within each illustration.  I found this attraction to the darkness strange because my eye is usually drawn to any and all colors, but the skill of both Allen in his art and Sidman in her text trained my mind to focus on the elements of night.  Additionally, the intricate line within each print created a rich texture and depth to each illustration.

            There are two full-bleed illustrations within the book- on the first and last pages.  The first one depicts dusk, as readers are entering their nighttime journey, and the final one shows dawn and the end of night's reign.  One aspect that immediately caught my attention was the presence of the the eft within each illustration (except for the final full-bleed to close the book).  In an entertaining Where's Waldo-like adventure, I found myself searching for the eft as I moved along the story, and was incredibly excited to read the poem that featured the "wandering eft" itself.  As mentioned earlier, the final full-bleed illustration is the only page missing the eft, which I think demonstrates the end of night and the camouflaged status of all the animals, except the owl, at dawn.  Additionally, by zooming out with respect to the perspective presented to readers, the reader grows distant from the night setting as day comes.

             I am not well-versed in poetry, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I think the text aligns beautifully with the illustrations to create a book that would make a great addition to any elementary units on nocturnal animals and habitats, or even just as a way to expose students to quality poetry in the classroom.  I also loved that this book exposes children to various forms of poetry and remains interesting through all of the different perspectives presented, and think it would be great to share aloud to students!

A Pride of African Tales

Written by: Donna L. Washington

Illustrated by: James Ransome

          A Pride of African Tales is a collection of six tales of varying types from different regions in Africa that draw on the oral tradition of storytelling.  Each story is briefly introduced with the title, type of tale, where it is from (demonstrated on a map), and the main message/moral.  The six tales within this collection are "Anansi's Fishing Expedition" (a trickster tale from Ghana), "The Boy Who Wanted the Moon" (a pourquoi- story of how things came to be- from the Congo), "Shansa Mutongo Shima" (a cautionary tale from the Democratic Republic of the Congo), "The Roof of Leaves" (a tale of anger and forgiveness based on a real occurrence in the Congo), "The Wedding Basket" (a taboo story from Nigeria), and "The Talking Skull" (a fable from Cameroon).

          When working on this collection, Washington states that she "consulted as many written and oral sources as she could find" to increase the authenticity of the text (front book flap).  Throughout the book, she weaves the common thread of storytelling, allowing the various stories to come together for one purpose: to encourage oral storytelling.  In her Introduction, Washington even encourages readers to participate in and add their own flair to different stories through communication. "Stories are meant to be told.  Please accept my invitation to tell these stories. That is why they exist!" (p. ix).

           At the end of the work, Washington includes a section of "Story Notes and Further Reading" to describe her process in compiling information for each story presented, which serves to increase her authenticity.  For example, in the notes on "The Wedding Basket," she states that the original source is unknown because she has "never seen it in print before," because of the cultural emphasis on oral tradition (p. 70).  While this story has an unclear written history, most of the other stories have more documented history for Washington to draw upon in compiling her own version of the tales.

          Each tale focuses on different morals, many of which occur across cultures, such as the ideas of thinking before you speak, not judging a book by it's cover, forgiveness, and respect.  However, some of the morals, such as the emphasis on quick thinking in "The Roof of Leaves," are more unique.  Despite the various elements of each story, I appreciated the larger emphasis on the importance of sharing these values through storytelling throughout the book.  I think this point is powerfully stated at the end of "The Wedding Basket" when the rich man learns valuable lessons and shares them so they "were not lost on his children.  They passed them down to their children.  Now I am passing them on to you" (p. 57).  I love this quotation because I believe it demonstrates the power of Washington to pull readers into this rich tradition of oral storytelling!

           Ransome's skillful watercolor illustrations also work to draw readers in and add interest to this collection.  Ransome utilizes warm, vibrant colors to bring life to various characters, traditional clothing, and the landscape through various full-bleed illustrations.  He performed extensive research in attempts to accurately depict the various African settings in each story (taken from the illustrator information on the back cover flap), which adds significant authenticity to the work.  The full-bleed illustrations scattered throughout each story mesmerize readers and draw them into the text.  Even on the pages of mostly text surrounded by white background, Ransome adds small illustration details, which often look like strips of patterned textiles or plants, keep readers engaged.  Also, various maps of Africa are present to pinpoint the locations of each story's focus allow readers to become aware of the geographical implications of various settings.

          As Washington is a professional storyteller, actress, and author (stated on the back flap), I believe that this collection of tales cannot be fully appreciated and experienced unless read aloud.  Her language throughout each tale begs to be shared with others in a communal learning experience.  I think this book would make a good introduction to African folktales because it provides a brief introduction to six different types of tales, which allows readers to determine which ones they like best for further exploration.

Additional Resources:

General website on African Folktales (and others around the world)

Another version of "Anansi's Fishing Experience"

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

By: Grace Lin

        The Newbery Honor fantasy book, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, is the story of a curious young girl named Minli, which means "quick thinking," who lives with her parents- Ma and Ba- in the Valley of Fruitless Mountain (names for its barren appearance).  Every day, the family works hard in the fields to earn a living, but Ma is never satisfied with their level of poverty.  Despite Ba's endless storytelling and Minli's cheerful outlook, Ma's unhappiness and an encounter with a talking goldfish eventually cause Minli to chase after the Old Man of the Moon, a powerful figure who can answer any question in the world with his Book of Fortune.  On her journey, Minli encounters many new friends (Dragon, a magical king, Da-a-Fu, and more!) who help her through various obstacles on her quest for answers and to bring good fortune to her family.

        Grace Lin artfully weaves elements of traditional Chinese folklore with fantasy to create this captivating novel.  The importance of storytelling remains key throughout the book, as is visible through Minli's fascination with all of Ba's fantastical stories.  Each time a story is told, it is offset from surrounding text by a decorative heading and italicized font.  In her "Behind the Story" segment at the end of the book, Lin states that many of the folktales presented within the book were inspired by Chinese myths and embellished with aspects of her own fantasies.  For example, the Old Man of the Moon is a combination of the myths of "Yue-lao- the Chinese God of Marriage" and "Shou Xing, the God of Longevity."  

           By drawing on these traditional myths, Lin connects to the Chinese culture that inspired much of the story, which, in turn, allows Lin to present Minli's adventures as a new myth.  This idea is highlighted at the end of the story when the children of the (what is now referred to as) Village of the Fruitful Mountain come "every night because they want to hear they story again- the story of Minli's journey to and from the Never-Ending Mountain!" (p. 278).  This scene mirrors earlier instances of Minli's enthusiasm for Ba's storytelling, with Minli as the new storyteller, and emphasizes the importance of stories and their interconnected nature throughout the work.

         In addition to the rich context surrounding the inspiration for many of the myths within the story, Lin's use of vivid imagery creates a setting that transports readers.  From the first line of the text, Lin demonstrates her mastery of description with the image of Fruitless Mountain as "a black mountain that cut into the sky like a jagged piece of rough metal" (p. 1).  The depiction of the setting becomes even more authentic with the insertion of various examples of figurative language, such as how "the stars above files the sky like spilled salt on dried seaweed" (p. 27).  Not only does this figurative language paint a clear picture of the setting in readers' minds, but it also draws upon various aspects of Asian foods.

        The book highlights the importance of other values as well, including obedience, the value of life and presence of spirits within all things, faith, and hospitality; however, the most important is "Thankfulness" (p. 250).  Minli reads this word from the Paper of Happiness when she visits the Old Man of the Moon, and connects this word to her own life.  Thankfulness becomes the key to teaching Minli a valuable lesson on the importance of being thankful for the love that she has, from both her family and her friends.  The teamwork demonstrated throughout the novel shows the power of friendship and familial love when supporting one another, and allows the book's satisfyingly happy ending to come to light.

        One aspect of the book that is unique from many other chapter books of this length is the presence of various illustrations done by Lin.  Small illustrations accompany each chapter title to give a hint about what is to come in the text, but there are also full-page illustrations scattered throughout the book.  These full-page illustrations are filled with bright colors and ornate details that draw readers deeper into the story.  Some of the illustrations are even based on real locations from Lin's travels around China, described in the "Behind the Story" portion of her book.  For example, Lin's sketch that became the mountain village of Moon Rain is based on her own experiences in seeing the mountain village of Chaudixia.

        As a reader, I have always loved folk and fairytales, so this modern twist in incorporating fantasy into elements of traditional tales made this book a perfect read for me.  I believe that the emphasis on bringing stories to life makes this book interesting and relatable to readers of various ages, though I believe it would be best for those in 4th grade and above.  The language would lend itself nicely to an exciting read aloud, especially because of the way many of the folktales within the story draw on storytelling language patterns.  Additionally, the action-packed, short chapters make the story fly by for readers.  All of the elements of the story come together to create a beautifully engaging and heartwarming tale that I think all readers, especially those who love folk and fairytales, would enjoy!

The Talented Clementine

Written by: Sara Pennypacker

Pictures by: Marla Frazee

     The Talented Clementine is the second book in the series following the spunky, empathetic, and independent 3rd-grader, Clementine.  Clementine's school is having a fundraiser, in which all of the 3rd and 4th grade students must perform in the "Talent-Palooza, Night of the Stars."  All of the kids are bursting with excitement, except for Clementine, who can't find a talent.  The story follows Clementine's hilarious and adventure-filled search for any talent to perform in the show.  While trying to learn other students' talents, Clementine's efforts seem hopeless; however, she eventually surprises herself by finding her place to shine.

         The story is told from Clementine's perspective, so Pennypacker works to incorporate language and thinking patterns of children to develop Clementine's character in this series.  Pennypacker frequently uses a stream-of-consciousness style to narrate Clementine's thought process and inquisitive nature.  There are also many examples of made-up words within the story to increase the believability that readers are entering this child's mind.  For example, Clementine states, "I'm lucky that way: astoundishing ideas are always popping into my head, and I don't' even have to use my brains to get them there" (p. 20).  Additionally, Clementine's voice highlights her sense of humor that many children would relate to and be entertained by.  Throughout the story, Clementine refers to her brother by various vegetable names (ex: Cabbage, Onion, Potato) instead of calling him by his real name; this is a clear demonstration of her imaginative humor.  Pennypacker also highlights Clementine's creative thinking, which mirrors that of many young girls, in scenes such as the deception of braces as "teeth-bracelets" (p. 20).  All of these examples of authentic children's speech patterns help to engage readers in Clementine's world and become attached to her quickly.

         Readers will find many pen and ink style illustration scattered throughout the book.  Frazee's use of this cartoon-like illustration style would be especially engaging to young readers, because it is so familiar.  Clementine states that she is "practically a famous artist" within the story, drawing readers' attention to her own artwork (a sketch of a sphinx) on the following page (p. 22-23).  Clementine's artwork fits with the rest of Frazee's cartoon-style illustrations and works to create a cohesive whole with the text.

         Pennypacker's writing style allows Clementine's voice to shine brightly, as the reader immediately becomes entranced in the mind of this imaginative 3rd-grade girl.  Reading this realistic fiction book brought back many memories of my own childhood because the character is reminiscent of those in earlier series, such as Junie B. Jones and Ramona Quimby.  Clementine's sense of humor and voice would make this book especially engaging for younger elementary schoolers as an early chapter book.  I also think this book would make a great read aloud for young students, because the carefully crafted language captivates readers.

Esperanza Rising

By: Pam Muñoz Ryan

     Esperanza Rising is a historical fiction novel that received the Pura Belpré Award.  Set in the Depression Era, the book follows the story of 13-year-old Esperanza Ortega and her family and friends.  Initially wealthy landowners of "El Rancho de las Rosas" in Aguascalientes, Mexico, the Ortega family experiences a drastic change when Esperanza's papa is killed by a group of bandits.  After her papa dies, Esperanza, her Mama, and some of their friends/former servants (Alfonso, Hortensia, and Miguel) must leave Mexico to begin new lives in California.  Upon entering the United States, Esperanza faces many trials as she adjusts to her new life at the company farm camp as a worker, but she also learns the important values of family, love, and hope.

     From the first page of the book, Muñoz Ryan frames the story with short sayings written in Spanish to immediately draw readers into the authenticity of the setting.  The two Mexican proverbs translate to "He who falls today may rise tomorrow" and "The rich person is richer when he becomes poor, than the poor person when he becomes rich."  Both of these quotations introduce some of the important themes and the bits of Spanish text throughout the book.  The title of every chapter is the name of a crop written in Spanish, with an English translation in smaller print below.  This organization style allows readers to enter the mindset of the farm-working calendar, in that time is measured by whatever crop workers are harvesting and packaging at any given moment.  Esperanza echoes this idea late in the story when she states that "she didn't measure time by the usual seasons. Instead, she told it as a field-worker, in spans of fruits and vegetables and by what needed to be done to the land" (p. 246).  In terms of authenticity, Muñoz Ryan also depicts traditional Mexican foods (i.e. frijoles, tortillas, flan, etc.) and other Spanish phrases, most of which are immediately followed by English translations.  While I do think the translations are necessary to increase understanding, they occasionally break up the natural flow of the text.

     The book reverses the traditional rags to riches plot found in many fairy tales by depicting Esperanza's adjustment into life as a worker instead of "la reina" (the queen) she was on her family's ranch in Mexico.  By challenging the traditional idea of the American Dream which equates wealth to happiness, the story makes readers think about what truly matters in finding joy.  In this story, joy comes from the support of loved ones, faith, hope, and resilience.  One phrase that is repeated in the book is "do not ever be afraid to start over" (p. 253).  This phrase parallels the image of Esperanza as a phoenix, rising from the ashes to start anew, and becomes a powerful image for readers.

     Within the Author's Note following the story, Muñoz Ryan draws upon reader emotions even more when she states that the story is based on the experiences of her own grandmother, also named Esperanza Ortega.  While the story is fictional, this connection to real history encourages readers to continue to reflect on the main issues present.  The story depicts serious themes of immigration, racism, death, illness, labor issues, and socioeconomic differences and prejudice; each issue is explored in depth by presenting many of the challenges accompanying characters as they grapple with the world.

     The writing style and serious nature of the issues developed within the story made me an emotionally invested reader that never wanted to put the book down.  I think this book would be best for late elementary school readers, and would align well with any study of Mexican-American history, immigration or labor issues, and/or the Depression Era.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963

By: Christopher Paul Curtis

     The Newbery Honor book, The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963, is the historical fiction story of the Watson family (Momma, Dad, Byron, Kenny, and Joetta) in Flint, Michigan in 1963, as told through the humorous voice of a young Kenny.  Readers learn all about the Watson family quirks and adventures through Kenny's stories of his parents' senses of humor and discipline, as well as through descriptions of Kenny's own experiences of being bullied as the "poindexter" of the school.  When Kenny's older brother, Byron, starts doing too many "delinquent" acts, the parents decide to send Byron to live with the strict Grandma Sands in order to shape up.  Through this decision, the Watsons embark on a family road trip in the Brown Bomber (the family car) down to Grandma Sands in Birmingham, Alabama.  Once there, a life-shattering event occurs that changes the family's perspectives and lives forever.

     Throughout this story, the focus remains on the characterization of each member of the "Weird Watsons," as Kenny likes to call his family.  While many issues, such as racism, are present within the text, this familial focus highlights the similarity of the human experience, and allows readers to relate to the family.  Each member of the family carries different experiences and personality; however, they all come together across crazy experiences and obstacles through the laughter that resonates throughout the story.  One of the main strengths of this book as a work of historical fiction is that it was not created to solely focus on civil rights issues or race relations of the time.  By crafting the story through Kenny's humorous perspective, Curtis weaves these issues into the context of the story (especially in the tragic event in Birmingham at the end of the book) without trying to be overtly present as a civil rights lesson. This strategy allows the readers to feel more emotionally connected with the characters and the story, as if they are experiencing the shocking, historical tragedy along with the characters.

     In addition to family, another major theme in the book is growing up.  Both Kenny and Byron experience various changes over time, both physically, through the humorous excitement over the appearance of facial hair, and emotionally.  For example, Byron's character moves from being a "delinquent" bully and Daddy Cool "god" of Clark elementary school (p. 20) to the caretaker of his little brother through dark times after their experiences in Birmingham at the end of the novel.  This transition is something all readers can relate to through the coming of age experiences, and is an example of the attention that Curtis gives to the development of each character within the story.

     The climax of the story and connection to the Civil Rights Movement is visible through the devastating church bombing that occurred on September 15, 1963.  This scene is particularly terrifying for the Watson family, as Joey is believed to be in the church at the time of the bombing.  Through Kenny's perspective, readers are taken through the whirlwind experiences of shock and numbness that he experiences, causing him to lose himself.  Even as the family heads back home to Michigan, Kenny remains lost as he searches for "quiet and dark and still" places to heal himself (p. 193).  Kenny's reaction to the bombing allows readers to feel the strong impact of racial violence.  At the back of the book, Curtis inserted a powerful Epilogue to discuss the historical events surrounding the story and comment on the historical accuracy of various elements of the book, including the connection to the real Sixteenth Avenue Baptist Church bombing (p. 209).

     As far as reading this book, I would recommend this for students in early middle school years (6th grade and above), because I think readers must be given the chance to build up historical background information in order to fully comprehend the text.  The use of slang/Southern dialect (ex: the whole "Wool Pooh" incident) and Kenny's personality add humor to the story, making the story enjoyable and relatable to readers.  By involving this book in a larger unit studying the history of the 1960s in America and the Civil Rights Movement within the classroom, readers can make connections with historical events surrounding the story, and even begin to apply concepts to their own present lives.  A greater understanding of the story's context will allow readers to feel connected to the time period through the lives of these fictional characters, while also drawing parallels to readers' lives and society today.

The One and Only Ivan

By: Katherine Applegate

     The Newbery Medal winner, The One and Only Ivan, is the story of a Silverback gorilla named Ivan, who lives in his "domain" at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  Through the first-person narrative of Ivan's perspective, readers see that Ivan is content watching TV and the humans surrounding him, chatting with his animal friends, and making artwork.  Although the mall is not a suitable place for any animals to live, Ivan never desires to leave it until a baby elephant named Ruby moves in.  She brings a fresh perspective to the mall, having just come from the wild, and encourages Ivan to remember his own past.  After seeing the mall in this new light, Ivan concocts a plan to use his artistic talents to enact change for all of the Exit 8 Big Top Mall animals.

     Applegate utilizes a unique writing style characterized by short paragraphs and significant amounts of blank space on each page within the book.  In addition to strictly limiting the amount of words presented, this style allows Ivan's character to shine through.  Ivan states that "Humans speak too much. They chatter like chimps, crowding the world with their noise when they have nothing to say" (p. 3).  By commenting on the tendency of humans to speak too much, Ivan creates a contrast to his own careful selection of words, which remains constant throughout Applegate's writing.  Furthermore, this scene draws readers' attention to the extreme care that Applegate used in making sure that each word is emotionally charged and meaningful to the work as a whole.

     From the beginning of the story, as we are thrown into Ivan's perspective, it is clear that he is unlike other gorillas.  Ivan is a passionate artist who deeply loves his friends at the mall, and this love is what helps Ivan realize some of his true Silverback potential.  His intense desire to protect others is evident through his promise to Stella.  Applegate also presents the human characters with great complexity.  Looking at Mack, who is the villainous figure, readers see great depth to his character.  Though readers are enraged when Mack pulls out the claw-stick to force Ruby to perform certain tasks and neglects Stella, he is also portrayed as a father figure to Ivan.  In detailing the close relationship that Ivan and Mack once shared in Mack's human home, some of the heart wrenching elements of Mack's life arise (i.e. marriage ending, financial trouble, etc.); however, it is still clear that Mack's role in keeping the animals captive in the mall is wrong.  While readers experience a full spectrum of emotion when learning about Mack, the animal rights issue remains at the forefront, making Mack a multidimensional villain.  In contrast to Mack, George and Julia are presented as positive examples of humans because of their role in working to help the animals, and the special emotional connection they both share to their respective animal friends.

     This book ends in a very happy manner in which everything seems to quickly come together to fulfill each character's dreams.  The text itself mirrors this circular resolution, as the words "One and Only Ivan… Mighty Silverback" are repeated to highlight Ivan's pure heart and growth as a character in his new setting (300).  I think all of these aspects come together to create an engaging story for younger readers, especially those ages 8-12.  This book would make a great read aloud, as the short sentences and verse form would emphasize Ivan's strong character presence when spoken aloud.  Additionally, the characters in this book are very lovable, and young readers would easily "befriend" and become attached to them.  Book discussions, in conjunction with the read aloud, could cover topics such as animal rights, the role of zoos, and fit into any animal studies.

Wonder

By: R.J. Palacio

     Wonder follows the "not an ordinary ten-year-old kid" named August Pullman (Auggie) as he heads to a regular school for the first time (p. 3).  Not only is Auggie dealing with the normal transitional period of heading to a new school for his 5th grade year, but he also was born with a craniofacial anomaly that immediately isolates him from other people.  This book details his struggles, adventures, and the life lessons that he learns as he navigates middle school and the difficulties of trying to fit in.

     Palacio carefully crafts this story to allow readers to strongly identify with and connect to Auggie, despite his physical differences and past experiences with seemingly endless surgeries, through the depiction of his various interests and contemporary references (i.e. Star Wars, Xbox, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, etc.).  Palacio allows readers to see Auggie through his own eyes from the start of the book, in which Auggie states; "I think the only person in the world who realizes how ordinary I am is me" (p. 3).  Here, readers immediately begin to empathize with Auggie and understand that human desire to fit in and make friends that we can all relate to.  Additionally, Palacio chooses not to provide a detailed description of what Auggie looks like until much later in the story when Via's perspective takes over; this choice allows readers to identify more strongly with his character from the start without the distraction of unnecessary details that could distance readers.

    Throughout the book, Palacio takes advantage of narrative perspective to develop various characters.  The book is divided into eight parts, six of which are told from different characters' points of views.  These perspective shifts allow readers to gather a more holistic idea of the story, as well as the individual friendships that form between characters.  Furthermore, entering the minds of various characters allows readers to become exposed to other issues at play within the work, such as poverty and dealing with parent divorces, while keeping the focus on how Auggie has impacted each character's life.  By depicting these character changes, Palacio presents character growth and demonstrates the power of friendship and kindness that she constantly reinforces throughout the work.  Additionally, all of the characters have their own voice and style of narration; the most extreme example of this can be seen through Justin's perspective in part five.  In his section, no capitalization is used at all, which shows the attention to detail that Palacio worked with when crafting each character.

     I think one of the strongest elements of Palacio's writing style is her use of dialogue.  The dialogue quickly pulls readers into the scene and works to mimic the way that children speak to one another in the real world.  The use of various kid-friendly slang words (dude, lame, cool beans, etc.) creates an immediate connection with children, as they are reading the story in their own language.  Palacio even has a three-page demonstration of a conversation that occurred solely through text message, which is an accurate depiction of modern communication (p. 165-167).  Through dialogue and careful diction, Palacio utilizes humor and content that is relatable to children.

     True friendship and the importance of kindness are emphasized as major themes throughout the book.  One of my favorite aspects of the book was the use of Mr. Browne's first precept to frame the story: "When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind" (p. 48).  This message of kindness is repeated regularly throughout the work, and is even the main focus of Mr. Tushman's graduation speech.  The idea of kindness allows readers to focus on the universal aspects of humanity that allow all people to connect over the importance of internal beauty, as depicted through good character.  The classic theme of "don't judge a book by it's cover" is given a fresh perspective in this emotional tale of internal worth.  Readers will be pulled into the emotions of various characters in the story: anger at the bullies (including some parents and unintentional bullying), unease at feeling lonely and isolated, sadness at the death of the beloved dog (Daisy), hope at displays of true friendship and bravery, and so much more. 

     I was so excited to read this book because I had heard so many wonderful comments about it, and even saw five different children, in the classroom that I have been working in this summer, reading the book this past week.  All of these factors led to my high expectations of Wonder, and the book lived up to them.  Palacio creates a story that is relatable and important to all readers of upper-elementary age and above because it teaches such valuable life lessons.  This book would be great for use not only for teaching purposes within the upper-elementary school and early middle school classroom, but also for independent reading.