The Book Thief

Bibliography:

Zusak, Markus. 2006. The Book Thief. New York: Alfred Knopf. ISBN: 0375931007.

Summary:
Just before the outbreak of World War II, Liesel goes to live with foster parents Hans and Rosa in a German town. Her brother and parents are gone, and Liesel is distraught. Hans patiently calms her fears and teaches her how to read using The Gravedigger’s Handbook, a book she stole by the gravesite of her brother. Reading opens up magical new worlds for Liesel, but books are scarce. She steals from Nazi book burnings and from the library of the mayor’s wife (who knows about and secretly aids Liesel’s thefts). Liesel also finds a best friend and love interest in Rudy, who sometimes helps her steal books. As the war comes closer to their town, Liesel reads to the whole community in the basement during air raids. She and her foster family are soon in more danger by taking in Max, a Jewish man, and hiding him in the basement. When Hans is punished for sympathizing with the Jews, Max has to leave and is eventually caught by the Nazis. Tragically, a bomb later falls on their street, and Liesel is the only one who survives. Max also survives his own ordeal and finds Liesel after the war.

Analysis:

This is a book for older readers who can handle reading about the horrors of war. The author takes a very unique approach in this book by having it narrated by Death. Death appears as a character who comes into contact with Liesel often and finds the book in which she wrote her life story. He has a creative and compelling narrative style. The author uses wonderful language and imagery, which is very appropriate in a book that highlights the power of words to both save and condemn, and shows the depths of both human brutality and beauty. Zusak has created a fascinating storyline and memorable characters that the reader cares about, even when Death’s habit of foreshadowing reveals that they will not survive. In the face of great tragedy, Liesel’s courage, kindness, and hunger for knowledge are an inspiration.

Reviews/Awards:

Michael Printz Honor Book
ALA Best Books for Young Adults Winner

“Zusak not only creates a mesmerizing and original story but also writes with poetic syntax, causing readers to deliberate over phrases and lines, even as the action impels them forward. Death is not a sentimental storyteller, but he does attend to an array of satisfying details, giving Liesel’s story all the nuances of chance, folly, and fulfilled expectation that it deserves. An extraordinary narrative.”
School Library Journal, starred review

“This hefty volume is an achievement-a challenging book in both length and subject, and best suited to sophisticated older readers. The narrator is Death himself, a companionable if sarcastic fellow, who travels the globe “handing souls to the conveyor belt of eternity.” Death keeps plenty busy during the course of this WWII tale, even though Zusak (I Am the Messenger) works in miniature, focusing on the lives of ordinary Germans in a small town outside Munich.”
Publisher’s Weekly

Connections:
* Discuss World War II from different perspectives, such as one or more of the following: Germans living in Germany, Germans who fled Germany, Americans, British, Danish, and more. There are books for children and young adults from all these perspectives.

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Bibliography:

Lin, Grace. 2009. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. New York: Little, Brown, and Company. ISBN: 9780316114271.

Summary:
Minli’s family is very poor, and she knows this is especially hard on her mother. Her father’s stories tell her that the Man in the Moon is the only one who can answer all questions and change her family’s fortune. So when Minli meets a talking goldfish who tells her how to find the Man in the Moon, she decides to set out on a journey and bring good fortune back to her family. Along the way, Minli befriends a dragon who cannot fly, meets a king, tricks a group of monkeys, and has many other adventures. When she finally climbs the Never-Ending Mountain and sees the old Man in the Moon, Minli can only ask one question. But she realizes her journey has already taught her what she needs to know, and so she asks a question on behalf of her dragon friend instead. Now that he can fly, he takes Minli home and in the process he finds his true destiny and blesses Minli’s entire valley with good fortune.

Analysis:

Imagined folk stories with Chinese characters and themes are told by many of the characters, and fit perfectly with the main story. The author describes the overall setting well, and creates a mystical land for Minli’s quest – full of talking animals, a greedy and evil tiger, trees with magical flowers, strings of destiny, and much more. Beautiful and richly colored illustrations accompany some of the chapters and stories, adding further detail for the setting. Minli is a strong heroine, a good friend, and a daughter who just wants to help her parents. Children will be able to identify with her and delight in her adventures. After Minli’s journey, and before riches come her way, she learns that family is the most important good fortune and that contentment is a valuable virtue. The story also highlights the importance of courage, kindness, faith, and gratitude. This book is creatively imagined and well-written.

Reviews/Awards:

Newbery Honor Book
2010 Massachusetts Book Award for Children’s/Young Adult Literature

“Interwoven with Minli's quest are tales told by her father and by those she meets on the way. While these tales are original to Lin, many characters, settings, and themes are taken from traditional Chinese folklore. The author's writing is elegant, and her full-color illustrations are stunning. Minli's determination to help her family, as well as the grief her parents feel at her absence, is compelling and thoroughly human.”
School Library Journal, starred review

“In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means “quick thinking,” lives with her desperately poor parents at the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with storytelling. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her family.”
Booklist, starred review

Connections:
* Read Chinese folktales such as Chinese Children’s Favorite Stories and discuss how they are like the stories told in Lin’s book.

Rapunzel's Revenge

Bibliography:

Hale, Shannon and Dean Hale. 2008. Rapunzel’s Revenge. Ill. by Nathan Hale. New York: Bloomsbury. ISBN: 159990070.

Summary:

This is the story of Rapunzel like you’ve never heard it before. Set in the Wild West, this graphic novel is also a fractured fairy tale. As a little girl, Rapunzel was stolen from her real mother and raised by Gothel, an evil witch. Gothel, through her magic, has imprisoned the land and the people around her. When Rapunzel finds out the truth, Gothel locks her up in a tree tower. Due to growth magic in the forest, Rapunzel’s hair gradually grows long enough that she can let herself down from the tower and escape. She soon meets up with Jack (yes, from the Jack and the Beanstalk story) and together they make their way to Gothel’s dwelling. It is the Wild West, and with Rapunzel’s long hair as a weapon, the two find themselves fighting outlaw gangs, breaking out of prison, stealing horses, and seeing their faces on “Most Wanted” posters. Rapunzel rescues her mother, and then destroys the source of Gothel’s magic, and thus Gothel herself. The land returns to its normal condition and the people are free. Rapunzel and Jack share in the happy ending, but that’s another story.

Analysis:

The authors have created a unique retelling of the classic story, and will reach a wide audience with the graphic novel format. Rapunzel is a strong female heroine, and Jack is a loyal and humorous sidekick. As with any graphic novel, much of the book is illustrations, and they are colorful, engaging, and show action well. The illustrations especially serve to show the setting of the story and make it possible to envision Rapunzel as a cowgirl in the Wild West. The text is well-written, and though more emphasis is placed on action than character development, Rapunzel and Jack are still fleshed out characters with whom readers can identify. The ending is satisfying, and the story’s themes include loyalty, honesty, family ties, courage, and persistence.

Reviews/Awards:

“While the witch's castle is straight out of a fairy tale, the nearby mining camps and rugged surrounding countryside are a throwback to the Wild West and make sense in the world that the authors and illustrator have crafted. The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive.”
School Library Journal, starred review

“This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine.”
Booklist

Connections:
* Read other versions of Rapunzel and discuss similarities and differences.

Lily's Crossing

Bibliography:

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN: 0385321422.

Summary:

Every summer, Lily goes with her father and grandmother to Rockaway Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean. She’s full of excitement and plans for this summer, but then everything changes. It’s 1944, and though she doesn’t fully comprehend what she hears on the radio, she knows her father is leaving for Europe and that there’s a war going on. Lily’s sure her grandmother doesn’t understand her, and she feels alone. Then she meets Albert – a boy her age who happens to be a Hungarian refugee. He lost his parents, and his younger sister is sick somewhere in France. During that summer, Lily and Albert grieve and mature together, becoming close friends. They have fun too, swimming in the bay, sneaking into the movies, and rescuing a cat. At the end, both Lily’s father and Albert’s sister return, which is perhaps a bit contrived, but happy nonetheless.

Analysis:

Lily is a well-developed character with whom young kids can identify. She hates practicing the piano, she tells lies sometimes, she misses her mother, and she can’t wait for school to get out so she can escape her teacher. The historical details develop naturally: at the beginning, war is something distant, but it moves closer as people Lily knows become involved. From clues in her father’s letters, she figures out he is in France, and she studies a map of France while listening to the news. She listens to Albert’s story of the Nazis taking his parents and feels empathy for him. Though her father survives, her best friend’s brother does not, so Lily does experience the loss associated with war. Except for the refugee, the author loosely based the story on the experience of her own childhood at Rockaway Beach during the war, and the setting feels authentic.

Reviews/Awards:

Newbery Honor Book

“To Lily, World War II has been little more than an annoyance (the scarcity of candy) or an excuse for elaborate lies (claiming her aunt is a spy). Then Lily receives the first of many blows the war will deliver. Her only friend, Margaret, announces her family is moving to Detroit so her father can work in a war plant. Lily's father enlists in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Left alone with her bossy grandmother, Lily begins to realize the depth of tragedy the war can cause.”
School Library Journal

“When Lily's father has to leave to fight in France, she is so hurt and furious that she refuses even to say good-bye to him. As she gets to know Albert, an orphaned Hungarian refugee, she learns about his secret anguish: he is guilt-stricken about the younger sister he left behind (he, also, didn't say good-bye), and he is determined, somehow, to cross the ocean and find her.”
Booklist

“Closely observed, quickly paced and warmly told, this has all the ingredients that best reward readers.”
Publisher’s Weekly

Connections:
* Read The Little Ships by Louise Borden. Both books involve a young girl, her father, ships, and World War II. Discuss the differences, including the settings on opposite sides of the ocean.

Hattie Big Sky

Bibliography:

Larson, Kirby. 2006. Hattie Big Sky. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN: 0385733135.

Summary:

Hattie has been an orphan nearly as long as she can remember, shuffled around from relative to relative. Her life with Aunt Ivy isn’t easy, so when she gets a mysterious letter from a long-lost uncle, she jumps at the chance to escape. Her uncle died and left Hattie his claim in Montana. The year is 1917, and she has 10 months to “prove up” on the claim, meaning build a fence, plant crops, and pay the fees. Life is hard on the Montana prairie, especially for a girl of 16 living by herself. But Hattie is strong and determined, and she takes everything life throws at her. She writes of her adventures to her school chum, Charlie, who is fighting in the war. She also makes friends with her good-hearted neighbors, who need support against the anti-German sentiment around them. Though tragedy occurs and Hattie is unable to keep the claim, in those 10 months she discovers the family she always wanted and she finds herself as well.

Analysis:

The first-person narrative is lively and well-written. Hattie’s spunk and her many adventures will keep both girls and boys interested. The author’s description of life on the claim is realistic and at times humorous. Hattie deals with extreme cold, fights off a wolf and wild horses, milks a bad-tempered cow, and even delivers a neighbor’s baby. In a note, the author explains that Hattie is based on a real-life relative of hers, but though her relative did keep the Montana claim, she felt it was unrealistic to allow Hattie to do so. The ending is at the same time sad and hopeful. The book deals with many themes, including friendship, courage, integrity, and working hard.

Reviews/Awards:

Newbery Honor Book
Montana Book Award

“Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”
School Library Journal, starred review

“The authentic first-person narrative, full of hope and anxiety, effectively portrays Hattie's struggles as a young woman with limited options, a homesteader facing terrible odds, and a loyal citizen confused about the war and the local anti-German bias that endangers her new friends.”
Booklist, starred review

Connections:
* Discuss the recipes printed in the back of the book and what it would have been like to live on a homestead.
* Look at the pictures in Photographing Montana 1894-1928: The Life and Work of Evelyn Cameron.

The Game of Silence

Bibliography:

Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0060297891.

Summary:

Omakayas, or Little Frog, lives with her parents, her lovestruck older sister, and her annoying little brother. She is a member of the Ojibwe tribe and they live on an island in Lake Superior. She plays with her cousins, helps plant a garden, goes on adventures with her pet crow and dog, and listens to her grandmother's stories around the fire. Life is full of ups and downs for Omakayas, but when her father goes missing, she discovers she has a special gift - the ability to see things through dreams. Her father is found, but another difficult time is on the way for the tribe. The white people are kicking them out of the land, breaking their peace treaty and sending them further west. Omakayas worries about losing “something so important that they never even knew that they had it in the first place” - her home. Still, the book ends with the hope of adventure and a new life as they sail away in canoes.

Analysis:

The author creates memorable characters: the feisty, independent Old Tallow who lives with her perfectly trained dogs; the Angry One, a boy with a tragic past who discovers kindness and healing; and Two Strike, a girl who wants to be a boy and proves herself by hunting and attacking. Words, phrases, customs, and stories of the tribe are woven seamlessly into the text. The author provides an endnote and a glossery about the Ojibwe language. The book has a good balance of historical detail, adventure, and humor. Stereotyping is avoided by showing kind white people as well as those forcing the tribe out of their home. The author's pencil illustrations are a wonderful accompaniment to the text and provide a look at the characters and setting described.

Reviews/Awards:

“Although the story is set on an island in Lake Superior in 1850, readers will identify with the everyday activities of the Ojibwa, from snowball fights to fishing excursions, providing a parallel to their own lives while encouraging an appreciation for one that is very different. The action is somewhat slow, but Erdrich's captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers.”
School Library Journal

“In addition to an abundance of details about life through the seasons, Erdrich deals with the wider meaning of family and Omakayas' coming-of-age on a vision quest. Just on the edge of the child's daily life and coming ever closer are the whites--among them, a Catholic "soul-stealer" priest and a friendly teacher who helps the children learn to read and write both Ojibwe and English.”
Booklist, starred review

Connections:
* This book is a sequel to The Birchbark House. Read both together and discuss.
* Compare to Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, set in the same time period.