My Brother Sam is Dead

Collier, J.L. & Collier, C. (1974). My Brother Sam is Dead. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 0439783607

· Plot Summary
"Life" Meeker and his son Tim are are loyal to the King of England during a time when American Colonial troops are struggling to gain independence from the monarchy. Tim's older brother, Sam, has chosen to side the Colonials against his parent's wishes. Putting his education at Yale, and his sweetheart (Betsy), and his family behind, Sam sets out to help the rebels. Things are not black and white in Redding, PA, however, and the town is composed of divided loyalties. Ultimately, Tim loses his father and brother to the injustices that occur during wartime, that sometimes have nothing to do with battle.

· Critical Evaluation
One of the best works of historical fiction to date, a truly riveting novel. The author's choice to have Life die on a British prison ship, and Sam killed when he is falsely accused of stealing his own family's cattle, is wrenching. It illustrates well how even the best individuals can become targets during war time, even at the hands of their own chosen side.

· Reader’s Annotation
Suitable for both genders, with strong characters portrayed from each. An informative piece of fiction, that includes a chapter on the real elements included in the story.

· Information about the author
James Lincoln is musician and editor, who in combination with his historian brother, Christopher, has written eight novels in this genre. The have also written more than two dozen non-fiction works for young adults. J.L. lives in New York City, while his brother lives in Connecticut.

· Genre
Historical Fiction

· Curriculum Ties
History

· Booktalking Ideas
Problem of choosing sides in the American Revolutionary War.
Morale and morality in war time.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 4-6/Ages 9-11

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
I was assigned this book in the sixth grade, and managed to read half of it before the school realized I had been placed in the wrong class. The storyline interested me, and I did finish it, but hastily because of my other workload. This book is also considered a classic in the area of tween fiction, so I thought it was worth revisiting.

The Devil's Arithmetic

Yolen, Jane. (2000). The Devil's Arithmetic. Woodland Hills, CA: Scholastic Books. ISBN: 0142401099


· Plot Summary
Every Passover, Hannah Stern attends the Seder with her parents, little brother, and older relatives. She has grown tired of "remembering" the plight of the Jewish people, and in particular, listening to the stories imparted by her Grandpa Will, Aunt Rose, and Aunt Eva of their experiences in WWII. This Seder will be different though, and as Hannah goes to open the door for the prophet Elijah, she will be transported to that same place and time that her relatives spoke of to her. Not only that, but everyone calls her Chaya, a name that means "life" just as Hannah's does. Taken by the Nazi soldiers, she and her new family must face the horrors of a concentration camp, where Hannah meets Rivka. This girl, wise beyond her years, teaches Hannah the mathematics of the camp: how to recall the numbers branded on her arm, and how to "organize" in order to gain needed clothing and food.

· Critical Evaluation
Told from Hannah's point of view, the reader sees, hears, and understands only with her perspective. The plot is full of twists and turns, but each new trial Hannah must face is as much a mystery to use as it is to her. Few novels meant for this age group so easily transport as this one, and so few do not attempt to sugar coat the brutal nature of the experiences of WWII Jews. From the children hiding in the garbage pits to avoid detection by the camp director, to the deaths of those in Hannah's new family, each point is vividly made.

· Reader’s Annotation
One cannot really appreciate the experiences of others until they have lived in their shoes. This is especially true for those that must also learn an entirely new identity, and begin to forget their own.

· Information about the author
Author/editor of almost 300 books, within the science fiction, folklore, and childrens genres. Likened to Hans Christian Anderson and Aesop by prominent magazines Newsweek and Time. Winner of dozens of awards, including the Caldecott Medal, Nebula Award, Association of Jewish Libraries Award, and World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement.

· Genre
Historical Fiction

· Curriculum Ties
History
Oral History

· Booktalking Ideas
Jewish holidays and their customs.
The Jewish experience in WWII.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 7-9/12-14

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
Fan of historical fiction, and WWII literature. Seeking material to show my daughter, since her school has not covered the topic of WWII and the experiences of the individuals to any real extent.

Coraline

Selick, H. (Director). (Released July 21, 2009). Coraline. [Motion picture]. United States: Universal Studios.

· Plot Summary
Based on the book by the same name, Coraline is the story of a tween girl that has moved into a dilapidated house in a rural area with her parents, authors that write gardening books. With nothing else to do, she begins to roam the property surrounding the house, meeting a circus performer that lives upstairs, a pair of sisters who once worked on Vaudeville, and a boy around her own age named Why Born. Wybie, as he is called, finds an old doll in his grandmother's attic and gifts it to Coraline. Unknown to them, the doll once belonged to the grandmother's sister, who went mysteriously missing when they were children. When Coraline finds an equally mysterious door to another dimension in her living room, she comes face to face with the eery dopplegangers of her own parents, beings that called themselves "Other Mother" and "Other Father". Unlike Coraline's real parents, however, the Others possess buttons for eyes. They give Coraline everything she wants, and try to convince her to change her eyes as well, but it is left to a wily cat that haunts the gardens to save Coraline from the Other Mother and her scheme to imprison Coraline unto death, as she has several other children.

· Critical Evaluation
A true adaptation of the book by Neil Gaiman, an eery and fascinating film made all the more so by stop-motion photography. The vivid colors and whimsical scenes are in striking contrast to the dark natures of the characters.

· Reader’s Annotation
Good for those readers that enjoyed the original novel, though some tweens might have trouble with the content in this form.

· Booktalking Ideas
Neil Gaiman lovers event.
Horror for tweens and effects in the genre.
Concept of the Other in literature.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 4-9/Ages 9-14

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
I read the novel when it first came out, and enjoyed it a lot more than I had anticipated. I was amazed it took as long as it did for the film version to come out, but was delighted with the use of stop-motion.

The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch

Delaney, Joseph. (2005). The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch. London: Red Fox. ISBN: 0060766182

· Plot Summary
Young Thomas Ward is the son of a farmer, but more importantly, he is the seventh son of a seventh son, and his mother has knowledge most others don't possess about things that go bump in the night. When she explains to Old Gregory, the local Spook (ghost, boggart, ogre, and witchhunter), that her son can be his new apprentice, Thomas's course is set. Forced to undergo a night alone in a haunted house, and unwittingly befriending the granddaughter of one of the worst witches in the county, Thomas learns the skills he must possess to someday replace Old Gregory.

· Critical Evaluation
The first in a series of novels about Thomas Ward (Wardstone Chronicles), and written from his point of view, the reader is drawn into a world most strange. No exact time or location is provided, though certain mentions suggest Great Britain or rural New England of the late 1600s, the age of witch trials and superstition. This is not a world of black and white, all good v all evil though, and Delaney makes it possible for the reader to see many shades of gray and in between.

· Reader’s Annotation
Rural life during an age of superstition, and the harsh truths of being different, are both vividly portrayed.

· Information about the author
Joseph Delaney began his career as an engineer, but changed to become an English teacher after his college graduation. His first novel was an erotic, science fiction thriller, and penned under the name J.K. Haderack.

· Genre
Fiction, Fantasy

· Booktalking Ideas
Halloween events.
Witches, ghosts, and other things that go bump in the night.
Witch trials in 17th century Britain.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 6-8/Ages 10-12

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
Chose this book for daughter originally, but she never read it, and I thought it sounded interesting. We both enjoy accounts of things that go bump in the night, real and fiction.

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Konigsburg, E.L. (1967). From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 1416949755

· Plot Summary
Claudia Kincaid is the oldest of the Kincaid children, and is not only thoroughly bored with her life, but also tired of being taken for granted by her family. In the interest of making her parents take notice, thereby thwarting the injustice that has become a daily part of her existence, she has decided to run away to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. After careful planning, she decides to take her brother Jamie along, and the two venture forth intent on adventure. But living in a museum, while better than trying to struggle in the woods, is still no easy thing for two children. Forced to schedule everything they do in order not to be caught by the museum guards, the pair must also learn to conserve their money and other resources. Using the daytime hours to learn about the various exhibits in the museum, the two are drawn into the mystery of an angel statue, and are determined to find out if it truly is the work of the famous Michelangelo. When they believe enough time has passed for Claudia's point to have been made, she convinces Jamie to try one more adventure. They two embark for the home of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the widow that sold the statue in an auction for a mere $225.00. At her residence they confess what they have been up to, and Mrs. Frankweiler allows them just one hour to seek the information they want before sending them home. Convinced that the angel is a Michelangelo piece, Claudia is amazed, and Mrs. Frankweiler states she will leave the letter of proof to the children in her will. Little do they know that their newly adopted grandmother has had their actual grandfather (Saxonberg) as her lawyer for over four decades, and that in a series of letters addressed to him, Mrs. Frankweiler makes certain her wishes are carried out.

· Critical Evaluation
A humorous look at the often mundane issues that will cause children to need an escape, and a good introduction to the mystery genre. Literary questions and suggested activities relevant to the novel are included at the end. The relationship between Claudia and Jamie shows a marked creativity, with just the right amount of sibling squabbling and support seen throughout.

· Reader’s Annotation
Suitable for early tweens, and easily read in just one or two sittings. A classic of the category, and recommended start for possible suspense fans.

· Information about the author
Elaine Lobl Konigsburg was born in New York, but grew up in Pennsylvania. She was valedictorian of her class, and received a degree in chemistry. She married her husband while in graduate school, and the pair moved to Florida where Konigsburg worked as a school teacher. After the birth of their three children, the family moved back to Elaine's home state of New York, where she began her literary career.

· Genre
Mystery
Suspense

· Curriculum Ties
Art

· Booktalking Ideas
Michelangelo and his influence on Renaissance art.
Metropolitan Museum of Art and its place in New York history.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 6-7/Ages 10-11

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
I read this book when I was fifth grade, but did not remember anything about it, and my daughter did not read the edition I bought her a year ago. I found it on her shelves, and decided to refresh my memory, because I did recall that I had enjoyed it myself.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Rowling, J.K. (1998). Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 059035342X

· Plot Summary
Due to the deaths of his own parents, Harry has spent the first eleven years of his life in the house of his despised aunt, uncle, and cousin. His room is a closet area under the staircase, and his clothing consists of those items inherited from his cousin (Dudley), who is substantially larger than Harry. When the family visits a zoo for Dudley's birthday, Harry manages to magically free a python that lives behind a glass wall, although he has no idea at the time how he's achieved it. When it is revealed that Harry's parents were wizards, and he is transported to the magical world of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, he finally begins to unravel the truth of his past. Lord Voldemort is the most evil wizard the world has ever known, yet he was unable to kill Harry, giving him only a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt. Harry is famous in the wizard world as the only person to ever survive Voldemort's murderous intentions, and when one of the professors is taken over by the Dark Lord, Harry's new friends (Ron and Hermione) must help him to thwart the wizard's plans. Voldemort wishes to gain control of a magickal stone that gives its owner the ability to live forever, a stone that is guarded by a three-headed dog, and the cunning of perhaps the only wizard more powerful than Voldemort, Hogwart's own Head Master, Dumbledore.

· Critical Evaluation
While Harry is a nice character, he lacks the skills to hold his own, and must be helped by his professors and friends. He seems more interested in playing Quidditch so that he can be like his father, than in his studies, and it is difficult to see him in a positive light. It is only through the ingenuity and skill of Hermoine and Ron that he manages to escape the clutches of Professor Quirrel/Lord Voldemort, and unravel the secret of the stone.

· Reader’s Annotation
Suitable for younger tweens, though the length of the novel might be off putting to some. Possible better boy role models in other novels, if that is the desired result.

· Information about the author
J.K.Rowling was born in Chepstew, Gwent in England. She earned her French and Classics degree from Exeter University, and was working for Amnesty International when she began outlining the ideas for the Harry Potter series. She has one child, and was living on welfare when she began writing the series that has launched her into millionaire status.

· Genre
Fantasy

· Booktalking Ideas
Wizards and witches in modern fiction.
Heroes of legend, and modern representations.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 6-9/Ages 10-14

· Challenge Issues
In the past, this series has come under fire because it involves witches and wizards. The information contained in the novels, is entirely fictional, and nothing is done to encourage readers to attempt spells or manipulate the will of other individuals. Most of the students in the novel are reasonably intelligent, and can be viewed as positive role models.

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
I tried reading this novel to my daughter when it became available in a paperback version here in the United States, but she was never interested in having it read to her, nor reading it herself. It sat on the shelves for several years, but I hate to see a potentially good book go to waste.

Nim's Island (DVD)

Flackett, J. & Levin, M. (Directors). (2008). Nim's Island. [Motion picture]. United States: 20th Century Fox.

· Plot Summary
Since the death of her mother, Nim has lived on a remote island in the South Asiastic Sea with her father/scientist, Jack Russo. Her friends are the animals that populate the island, and enjoys the shipments from the mainland that her father orders, particularly the action novels of Alex Rover. When Nim convinces her father to let her remain on the island while he seeks a species of plankton he calls Protozoa Nim, and Jack fails to return as planned, she is dismayed. Believing her father's stories of pirates to be true, a group of cruise ship tourists fall victim to Nim's inventive means for protecting her island from their settling. In the meantime, the real Alex(andra) Rover is living in New York, but refuses to leave her own house-a victim of agoraphobia. Alex contacts Jack regarding the volcano on the island as part of her research for a new book, and ends up in communication with Nim. With no other resource, Alex manages to leave her home, board a plane, and brave the wilds of the nearby villages to find Nim's location. After reaching the island, Nim does not at first believe Alex is who she claims to be, but eventually warms to the slightly rattled author. Jack returns with his sample, but only after being aided by a wily pelican, and the duo becomes a trio.

· Critical Evaluation
Eleven year-old Nim is spunky and brave, the kind of girl that can survive the wilds, but is naive to the world outside her own. Her "rescue" by Alex makes for first rate humor, and the reunion at the film's end is heartwarming without being gratuitously so.

· Reader’s Annotation
One of those rare films for tweens that does not try to make the main character act as though she is less than nine or more than sixteen. Nim is enjoyable, and her reactions in keeping with the events as they unfold.

· Booktalking Ideas
Asiatic Sea and life within it
Famous island discoveries

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 4-8/Ages 9-13

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
Honestly, I watched this film because of the actors and actresses in it, more than the plot. That this movie turned out to be a gem was just the icing on the cake.

Little Women

Alcott, L.M. (1989). Little Women. New York: Grosset and Dunlap. ISBN: 0448060191

· Plot Summary
The March family of Concord has, with the onset of the American Civil War, fallen on hard times. Mr.March is in battle, while his wife and four daughters are left to fend for themselves during possibly the most turbulent time in American history. Meg is the eldest daughter, and still remembering when the family knew better times, craves nice clothing and parties to attend. Jo (Josephine) is the budding author, a regular tomboy who keeps her sisters amused each night with her gothic writings. Beth is the quiet sister, kind-hearted, and quite content to remain at home. Amy is the youngest sister, fiery and artistic, but also petulant and possibly more pragmatic than her older siblings. The mother, Marmee, is the backbone of the family and yet constantly faced with the reality that she became a war widow with four children to raise alone.

· Critical Evaluation
A heartwarming novel that has endured the test of time, the situations faced by the March family are authentic, without being maudlin. The reader is able to share in their heartaches and joys on a personal level, losing the feeling of being separate from the novel's characters.

· Reader’s Annotation
The period of the American Civil War effected not just those on the battlefield, but also those at home, and no one on American soil was beyond its reach.

· Information about the author
The daughter of abolitionist parents, she included this aspect (as well as their town, home name, and sisters) in her novels. Hers was not a rich family, and Alcott worked at various professions appropriate to a woman of her standing at the time. Her youngest sister died, and Louisa took in May's daughter, who had been named after her aunt. Alcott would be a proponent of woman's suffrage, her death attributed to mercury poisoning brought on by a dose of medication she was given when she contracted typhoid fever. Today, it is believed she more likely died of complications as a result of lupus.

· Genre
Historical Fiction, Novels

· Curriculum Ties
History
English

· Booktalking Ideas
American Civil War and effects on daily life.
Early female authors and their literary subjects.

· Reading Level/Interest Age
Grades 6-10/Ages 10-15

· Why did you include this book in the titles you selected?
Longtime favorite I wanted to reread, and believe all tween girls at least should read.