Module 4 - I Am Not Joey Pigza

 I AM NOT JOEY PIGZA

Bibliographic Information

•           Gantos, J. (2007). I am not Joey Pigza. New York: Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux.

Summary
Joey Pigza is having issues fitting in to school and comes home one day to find that his estranged father has changed his name, and everyone in the family, because he has won a cash prize in the lottery.  His family reunites tentatively to see the diner and shack his father has purchased to repair and run in a new town.  As Joey struggles with his own identity and worth through adolescence his father continues to make poor choices like a "re-wedding" ceremony to Joey's mother and spending Joey's savings at a sports bar.  The real meaning of family does appear near the end of the book, but the ramifications are far from over.

My Impressions
What a great adventure!  I really enjoyed reading I Am Not Joey Pigza because of the life Joey leads that seems to be the dream of most kids.  His father keeps him out of school to run the diner, goes to a sports bar, sees his parents get back together and so much more seems to fulfill the wants of lots of students I have talked with.  This is a good book for students getting into older chapter books who want to read about someone that has the same problems they have, but worse.  It is also a good introduction to fiction since there is so much humor in the book.

Reviews
Booth, H. (2008). I Am Not Joey Pigza. [Review of I Am Not Joey Pigza, by J. Gantos]. Booklist, 104(14), 74.

With the return of his good-for-nothing dad, Joey Pigza embarks on a new batch of adventures in this fourth title in the popular Pigza series. Joey’s dad, whose new business venture is a bee-themed diner, renames everyone in the family (their surname is now Heinz), including the dogs. Joey (now called Freddy) struggles with his dad’s return and wonders if he can forgive him for the past. As creator of the hyperactive Joey character, Gantos brings empathy and understanding to his reading, fleshing out Joey rather than making him seem like a caricature. Joey’s antics could easily lend themselves to an overly dramatic portrayal—after all, he jumps off a roof, gets into paintball wars with his dad, and dodges a truant officer—but Gantos tells the story more subtly, in a manner that illuminates and respects Joey’s viewpoint. These episodes don’t spring
forth from left field; they make sense in Joey’s mind. Similarly, Joey’s internal struggles, such as trying to forgive his father, understanding the importance of taking his medication, or accepting his mother’s pregnancy and wondering what kind of brother he will be, seem all the more poignant through Gantos’ compassionate and sometimes humorous reading. Pigza fans will love this outstanding audio. --Heather Booth

Library Usage
This is a good book to read as a chapter book for older elementary students, or to recommend to a student that needs to get into fiction books for curriculum.  There is lots of humor and because the hero is a boy it appeals to some boys to check out.  I think it is a great circulation fiction for those needing or wanting to read something new in fiction.

Module 4 - Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl

THE ASTONISHING ADVENTURES OF FANBOY AND GOTH GIRL

Bibliographic Information

•           Lyga, B. (2006). The astonishing adventures of Fanboy & Goth Girl. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Summary
Fanboy is the school geek who reads lots of comics (perhaps a substitute for Lyga himself?) who is trying to find where he fits in as his few friends abandon him, his family is broken and angry, and he begins to lose himself in the world of comics.  He believes he is alone when he realizes the dream of every teenage comics fan - he meets a girl who loves comics too, is just as lonely and broken as him but is far rougher around the edges.  There is a lot of language used by Goth Girl, so this book is totally inappropriate for anyone below strong middle school readers and up.  Fanboy has lots of choices to make, for better or worse.

My Impressions
The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl got my attention with the cute title.  Sounded like a takeoff on an Indiana Jones movie or something.  The book is by Barry Lyga, whom I have not read anything before.  Lyga read and wrote comics most of his life, and it shows in this book. Like the main character in The Dreamer, Fanboy is another character who lives in a state of altered reality where comics are more appealing to him than real life.  Goth Girl seems to be almost like a comic, since she is so defined that she offends the readers belief that she might actually exist.  She is like a dream/nightmare for him, in that she is his first crush that is real, but is so rough and dark.  Neither one is a good role model for kids, but the story is engaging and enjoyable.

Reviews
Korson, S. (2007). The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl. [Review of The astonishing adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl, by B. Lyga]. Library Media Connection, 25(7), 81.

This novel will strike a timely chord with any student who feels bullied or ostracized. 15-year-old Fanboy is a comic book infatuated genius who lives with his divorced and pregnant mother and the “step-fascist.” The
only good thing going for him is the graphic novel he is creating. When classmates pick on him for no apparent reason, he creates “The List,” and daydreams of a school shooting. It is not until he meets Kyra, a.k.a. Goth Girl, that he starts to learn how to act around others. The loneliness and pain are captured so vividly that his daydreams become understandable, which contrasts well to his discovery that he isn’t so
hated and that other people have needs, too. Kyra’s intense issues added to the novel, and the lack of bloodshed was a pleasant surprise. It was disappointing to this reviewer when Kyra and Fanboy blackmailed the assistant principal, and “The List” was never addressed. However, the believability of the characters and the topic will be a sure hit with readers and definitely provide food for thought. Librarians should be aware of strong language. Recommended. --Spencer Korson, Media Specialist, Bullock Creek High School &
Middle School, Midland, Michigan

Library Usage

Finding a usage outside of regular circulation for this book would be a challenge.  The language is so graphic and offensive that reading it aloud is out of the question.  Perhaps it could be selectively used to discuss losing one's self in a story, or even to create a comic that represents a student using an online tool like ComicMaster.org.uk where students can create an appropriate graphic novel with action, text, special effects and music.

Module 3 - The Dreamer

THE DREAMER

Bibliographic Information

•           Munoz Ryan, P., & Sis, P. (2010). The Dreamer. New York: Scholastic Books.

Summary
A young boy named Neftali daydreams about seemingly random items akin to Walter Mitty or J. Alfred Prufrock.  He sees beauty in the details of nature, and sketches and writes of his discoveries in detail.  He is teased by children at school and bullied by his father, who compares Neftali's dreams and drawings to his mother's influence.  Neftali's father wants him to become a doctor and let go of all the dreams he treasures.  Neftali endures the indifference and torments to become celebrated poet Pablo Neruda.

My Impressions
The Dreamer is a book that many starry-eyed children will appreciate regardless of the setting in South America or the Latin heritage of the characters.  It is a beautifully illustrated story that allows us to see the world in the beauty and detail that Neftali sees in the simple things.  Dreamer won the Pura Belpre medal winner in 2011 for a narrative book, which is awarded in both a narrative category and an illustration category for outstanding usage of Latin characters, events or influences.

Reviews
Long, J. (2010). The Dreamer. [Review of the book The Dreamer, by P. Munoz Ryan & P.Sis]. Horn Book Magazine, 86(2), 70-71.

As Neftalí Reyes enters university, his wrathful father forbids wasting time on his useless “hobby”: writing. So he fashions a pseudonym: “Pablo” from Paolo, in an Italian poem; “Neruda” after a Czech writer. The name fits like a suit: “Th e lapels were the width that he liked. Th e color was soft enough not to off end,
but bright enough to be remembered. Th e name was not only a perfect solution, it was a perfect fit.” Perfect indeed, like the union that resulted in this novel: the subject, poet Pablo Neruda (1904–73), the Chilean Nobel Prize winner; Ryan, the author who re-creates Neruda’s spirit and sensibility; and Sís, the Czech-born
illustrator whose escape from oppression (see Th e Wall, rev. 9/07) so hauntingly resembles Neruda’s struggle for creative freedom.In Ryan’s perceptive reconstruction of the poet’s early years, Neftalí, at eight, is already at loggerheads with an autocratic father who prohibits all creative activities, even reading. Fortunately the boy is unquenchable—a lover of words, books, and ideas; a collector of the small, lovely objects that will always figure in his imagination. The forest yields natural treasures—a pinecone he trades for a toy sheep, a lifelong talisman. At the beach (where Father forces him into the terrifying waves) are shells and a sympathetic librarian who offers him a hideaway for reading. There he feeds a pair of swans who are later shot by a hunter—a tragedy that symbolizes his own frustrations and sorrows while also bonding him more closely with his loving stepmother and sister. The passing years nourish mind and heart with telling incidents: a girl Neftalí admires recognizes his hand in the love letters a bully forces him to write; with a beloved uncle, he defends indigenous Chileans. Poetic interludes, inspired by Neruda’s Book of Questions,
heighten each event’s significance: at the swans’ death (“Which is sharper? Th e hatchet that cuts down dreams? / Or the scythe that clears a path for another?”); after Father burns Neftalí’s papers (“Where is the heaven of lost stories?”); on becoming Pablo Neruda (“Does a metamorphosis / begin from the outside
in? / Or from the inside out?”).  Sís’s introspective, emotion-charged drawings spring naturally from this lyrical account of a difficult childhood. Many of his quiet compositions are surreal visions: tiny, frightened children peer up from the ocean waves that dapple their implacable father’s outlined form; a child, vulnerably naked, rides a winged pen that resembles a swan in flight. Such imagery adds a dimension of magical realism to a text in which Neftalí’s imaginative inner world is so often confronted with a harsher external reality, even while it is nurtured by kindness and natural beauty. Conflicts, injustice, and a promised future make the story compelling; Sís deepens it with dozens of provocative images. Neatly crafted vignettes presage each chapter’s events; visual imagery extends Ryan’s poems on open spreads of sea and sky; paths beckon and exquisite details reflect the dreamer’s maturing imagination, clothing this masterful tribute in art that fits it as ineluctably as Neruda’s new name suited his purpose. An author’s note and several of Neruda’s The Dreamer poems are appended. --Joanna Rudge Long

Library Usage
A wonderful combination of biography study, picture book and Latin authorship can be used in several ways in the library.  The colorful artwork will mesmerize during a storytime reading with young children.  Older students will find interest in the dreamy descriptions and tough parenting story line, but also in the focus on Latino-created and Latino-subject biography.  This book fits many great lesson categories for use in the library.

Module 3 - The Dark-Thirty

THE DARK-THIRTY: SOUTHERN TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL
Bibliographic Information

•           McKissack, P., & Pinkney, J. B. (1992). The dark-thirty: Southern tales of the supernatural. New York: Knopf.

Summary
McKissack provides the reader with ten ghost stories set in different time periods in American history that focus on the legends and tales of African-Americans.  One may read between the lines of some of the tales to see the effects of slavery and oppression on the lives of the characters, but the stories are still chilling to readers.  The stories have different influences, from slave meetings to African legends to the mysterious time mentioned in the title.

My Impressions
The Dark-Thirty reads like a group of stories being told around a campfire.  There are stories of ghosts and creatures that haunt the woods of the Southeastern U.S. that are meant to terrify and create a sense of shared experiences. One blog mentioned that the book is less about the ghost stories than it is about the fear inside the author during times of Segregation and the stories she heard about the evils of slavery.  I did not choose to see slave owners as the goblins as some might, but the stories were spooky and I very much enjoyed reading this book.  This book won both a Newbery Medal and a Coretta Scott King Medal for Outstanding African American contributions to childrens' books as authors or illustrators in 1993.

Reviews
McPherson, K. (1993). The Dark-Thirty (Book). [Review of The Dark-Thirty: Southern Tales of the Supernatural, by P. McKissack and J.B. Pinkney]. School Library Journal, 39(1), 21.

Ten original stories, all with a foundation in African-American history or culture. Some are straight ghost stories, many of which are wonderfully spooky and all of which have well-woven narratives. There is a tale from slavery times; a story set among the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; and one from the 1940s segregated South, in which a black man's ghost brings revenge upon the white klansman who murdered him. Strong characterizations are superbly drawn in a few words. The atmosphere of each selection is skillfully developed and sustained to the very end. Pinkney's stark scratch-board illustrations evoke an eerie mood, which heightens the suspense of each tale. This is a stellar collection for both public and school libraries looking for absorbing books to hook young readers. Storytellers also will find it a goldmine. --Kay McPherson, Central Atlanta-Fulton Public Library, GA

Library Usage
Students in middle and upper elementary grades love scary stories, and this collection is a perfect series to tell during Black History Month in February, or around Halloween.  There are a few colloquialisms in the speech of some of the characters, so the smart librarian must handle that with care but the stories are very enjoyable.  It might also be good to use this collection as a jumping off point to help students compose their own ghost stories.

Module 2 - Golem

GOLEM
Bibliographic Information

•           Wisniewski, D., Salsbery, L., & Clarion Books (New York). (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.

Summary
In Medieval Prague, a rabbi creates a creature from clay to defend and attack oppressors of the Jewish citizens.  The creature is immense in size, extremely powerful, and invincible but gains self-awareness over time and questions its own existence.  The rabbi calls the golem into action by writing a word in Hebrew on its forehead, and makes it rest by erasing a portion of the word.  After righting the wrongs done to many Jewish citizens, the creature is returned to clay against its will by the rabbi.

My Impressions
Golem is a legend of Jewish heritage and this story of the creature is told and illustrated by David Wisniewski.  The golem is a creature made of clay brought to life by a mystical religious power, in this case to protect defenseless Jews in Prague in the 16th century.  The legend had a reported influence on Mary Shelley in writing Frankenstein, and the stories share similarities.  The golem is created from the ground, brought to life by lightning, speaks and reasons, has childlike qualities, is immensely strong and makes those who see it fearful.  I loved this story because is has a few chilling moments, and some heartwarming moments.  Golem won the Caldecott award in 1997.

Reviews
Field, A. (2004) Golem. [Review of the book Golem by D. Wisniewski]. Book Links, 13(5), 27.
Though often viewed as a Frankenstein-like character rather than a true superhero, the immense clay giant Golem, who is brought to life through a rabbi's spell, uses super strength and righteous vengeance to destroy a mob attacking Jews in the ghetto.  The fiery images in Wisniewski's cut-paper illustrations vividly reflect the terror of violent persecution and the rage of Golem.  A lengthy endnote [sic] offers detailed information on the origin of the Golem in Jewish history and theology. --Ann Field, Saint Patrick's School, Washington D.C.

Library Usage
This book would be a great choice for easy genre study representing horror or fantasy, as well as serve for a great resource on multicultural legends.  It would also be a great read near Halloween, and students could take modeling clay or computer drafting programs to create their own golem!

Module 2 - Saint George and the Dragon

SAINT GEORGE AND THE DRAGON
Bibliographic Information

•           Hodges, M., Hyman, T. S., & Spenser, E. (1984). Saint George and the dragon: A golden legend. Boston: Little, Brown.

Summary
George and Princess Una are hunting a ferocious dragon that terrorizes the kingdom.  The dragon surprises them on the journey, and a battle ensues that lasts for three days.  Swords flash and fire is breathed in a dramatic description, and George is victorious.  The King and Queen are delighted to see the Princess again, and declare George a hero for his victory to save the kingdom.  He and Una are married and live happily ever after.

My Impressions
The reason I like to (and should) include the illustrator in these discussions is because picture books are as much art as they are reading.  The Caldecott awards are given to excellent examples of illustrated picture books, so the author and the illustrator deserve equal credit for the award.  Saint George  is a legend from England with which I have limited familiarity.  I knew it was a story about a knight that killed a dragon, but that was the end of my understanding.  The story in this retelling seems to begin in the middle of the plot, kind of how Star Wars thrusts you into the story from the very beginning.  The characters are archetypal Medieval royalty and knights who are either aloof or fearless.  The illustrations are lovely and paint the mood of each page very well.  Even the English mist on the moors during the hunt were illustrated.  It was a great read, and would be appropriate for 2nd or 3rd grade and up.  Saint George and the Dragon won the Caldecott award in 1985.

Reviews
Del Negro, J. M. (1985). Saint George and the Dragon (Book). [Review of Saint George and the Dragon by M. Hodges, T.S. Hyman & E. Spenser]. School Library Journal, 31(5), 76.
Hodges capably retells the legend of St. George and the Dragon, a popular and well-known fragment from Spenser's Fairie Queen.  She has made it a coherent, palatable story suitable for a wide range of ages.  The action is fast-paced and immediate--George, the Red Cross Knight, sent questing by the Queen of Fairies, accompanies the princess Una back to her father';s kingdom to slay the dragon that besets it or to die in the attempt.  After the traditional three attempts he succeeds, and everyone lives happily ever after.  This retelling is more than adequate, and Hyman's illustrations are uniquely suited to the outrageously romantic and appealing legend.  Fairies and unicorns interwine [sic] with cross-emblazoned shields and red-winged angels in the borders.  The paintings are richly colored, lush, detailed and dramatic.  Hyman's dragon is appropriately ferocious; her hero is appropriately brave; and her princess--bless her--is a redhead, not a blond.  This is a beautifully crafted book, a fine combination of author and illustrator. -- Janice M. Del Negro, Chicago Public Library

Library Usage
Since it is a picture book, it could be used for a story time with a finger puppet show of the action, or it would make a great book trailer to show images of dragons and knights and British myths and folklore.  I could also be included in a genre study of folklore with Robin Hood, King Arthur, and William Tell.

Module 1 - The Little Engine That Could

THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD

Bibliographic Information

•           Piper, W., Sanderson, R., & Bragg, M. C. (1976). The little engine that could. New York: Platt & Munk.

Summary
A train of toys and supplies must make a daily trek over hills and mountains to a small city so the boys and girls that live there will have food and toys.  Unfortunately, the engine breaks down just before climbing the final hill for the station.  Other engines travel by, but give excuses on why they cannot or will not help the train climb the hill.  Finally a little engine used only in the switchyard comes to the rescue of the train with the phrase "I think I can, I think I can."

My Impressions
Very cute and sweet book.  The reading level and story development is much more involved than I remember from the Little Golden Book version of this story I read as a child.  It reads very much like the Parable of the Good Samaritan, and has a similar theme.  Children love trains, and love to read the signature phrases of this book in a train-like rhythm for class participation.

Reviews
Lewis, M. (1976). The Little Engine That Could (Book Review). [Review of The little engine that could, by W. Piper, R. Sanderson, & M. C. Bragg]. School Library Journal, 23(1), 104.

This Golden Anniversary edition of an old favorite has been enlarged to 10 1/4" x 12 1/4" size, end-papered in an overall pattern of little blue engines, and re-illustrated with pallid, cluttered neo-twenties illustrations framed in geometric borders.  They've also hoked it up with a duck in a bonnet who appears somewhere on each page, the shiny new engine, and done a token integration of the children"on the other side of the mountain."  The fussy coyness of this update has unnecessarily tampered with the bright directness of the original: the new panoramic top-of-the-mountain scene, for example, con't compare with the breathless drama of the picture of the kind little blue engine backed by the gorgeous sunrise.  Although the text has remained the same, the original perfection of sturdy shape and simplicity has been lost.  Too bad.  --Marjorie Lewis, Scarsdale Public Library, N.Y.

Library Usage
I like to introduce classics to young readers at story time, so this is an early in the year story time read for me to my classes.  I also like to point out to them and other readers the use of rhythm in the text so that the onomatopoeic effect is more easily identified.

Module 1 - Freight Train

FREGHT TRAIN

Bibliographic Information

•           Crews, D., & Greenwillow Books. (1978). Freight train. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Summary
A freight train gets loaded with cars of different sizes, colors, and functions.  We travel with the train through tunnels, trestles and stations on its way to the depot.  Lots of rhythm words and color descriptions.  A classic.

My Impressions
I plan to use this book in my Story Time lesson later in the semester.  Kids from Pre-K to early 1st grade love this book because they can see the colors well, and it is a good reinforcement of their knowledge of colors and how trains are put together.  I don't let a year go by without reading this to the library classes at least once.

Reviews
DeVinney, G. N. (1978). Freight Train/Rain (Book Review). [Review of Freight train, by D. Crews]. School Library Journal, 25(2), 131.

Two simple concept books for very young children.  One is notable; the other disappointing.  True to their respective subjects, Train passes by almost too quickly.  We want to see more.  Study each car.  Rain tarries and we are not sorry to see it end.  The difference is not in the writing; both texts are basic and unelaborate.  The dissimilarity is in the choice of subject and in the style of illustration.  Freight trains happen to have more pizazz than rein unaccompanied by thunder, lightning, and wind.  Also, Crews regrettably chose to illustrate Rain by depicting the falling rain a la 1970s Bloomingdale's chic in slanting lines of RainRainRainRain across each pages.  The effect is alienating.  Happily, Crews did a fine job with Freight Train's illustrations which aptly convey the excitement of a train rushing by in a blur of color. --Gemma DeVinney, Undergraduate Library, State University of New York, Buffalo

Library Usage
Perfect story time book for early in the year, or anytime you have young students that need to see color and action in a book.  Classic read aloud.