A Step From Heaven by An Na

1. Bibliography
Na, An. 2001. A Step from Heaven. Asheville, N. C.: Front Street. ISBN 978188690584

2. Plot Summary
The story of Young Ju and her family begins when she is four and her family is preparing to move to “Mi Gook”, America, from Korea. Young Ju believes that she is going to heaven where she will see her grandfather but is disappointed to learn that America is not heaven. Her American uncle tells her “Mi Gook is almost as good as heaven. Let us say it is a step from heaven.” Young Ju adjusts to school and a little brother as well as the rules, the words and the accents of a new country. Her parents work multiple jobs in order to fulfill their dreams of owning their own home and living the American dream. The pressure on her father pushes him to drinking and physical abuse of Young Ju and her mother. The abuse escalates to the point where Young Ju must call the police to save her mother’s life. After being released from jail, her father returns to Korea leaving the rest of the family to go on as best they can without him. The story end with Young Ju preparing to leave for college while her mother and brother move into a small house all their own.

3. Critical Analysis
An Na’s tale of poverty, acculturation and abuse is told in first-person present-tense narration. Na uses brief sections that are more like titled anecdotes than chapters. Her inclusion of Korean terms requires the reader to employ the use context clues and possibly some rereading at the beginning but they then become almost unnoticed as the story continues. She also allows the reader to experience what it is like to be in a new situation and not being able to understand what is being said, like when Young Ju first arrived at school (“Tees es Yung,” the witch teacher says. “Wah ko um, Yung,” they say.) Through Young Ju’s narratives the reader discovers each character. Her father Apa grows increasingly violent and defensive as he drinks more. Her mother Uhmma tries to make the best of their situation and works hard to keep the family together. Her brother Joon is the long awaited boy who is allowed to do things that would be considered unacceptable for a girl to do (“Young Ju, Apa says, shaking his head. Joon Ho is a boy. It is natural for him to pee outside.”) The ongoing coming-of-age theme is intertwined with Young Ju’s struggle of not becoming too American as her parents fear and being ashamed of her family’s situation. But Young Ju is portrayed as an intelligent girl who continues to thrive despite her situation. She receives moral support to succeed from her mother (“I am proud of you, Young Ju, Uhmma says, looking down into my eyes. You are a smart girl and someday you will be a smart woman.”) And as the story ends, the reader sees her connect with her mother and fully understand where they have come from.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Starred review in Booklist: “As in the best writing, the particulars make the story universal.”
Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Equally bright are the prospects of this author; readers will eagerly await her next step.”
Starred review in School Library Journal: “A beautifully written, affecting work.”
Review in Horn Book: “Each of these vignettes displays an astonishing and memorable force.”
Review in VOYA: “This beautifully written book, a tale of both tragedy and eventual triumph, is likely to bring tears to the eyes of any reader.”
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
ALA Notable Children’s Books
Michael L. Printz Award

5. Connections
· Discuss questions raised by immigration. What would make a family or an individual leave their homeland and seek a new life in another country? What kinds of problems could an immigrant face building a new life? What are some of the problems faced by the Park family?
· Read the interview with An Na by Cynthia Leitich Smith at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/lit_resources/authors/interviews/AnNa.html.
· Other Korean American fiction titles:
Czech, Jan M. An American Face. ISBN 9780878678183
Lee, Marie G. Finding My Voice. ISBN 9780395621349
Recorvits, Helen. My Name is Yoon. ISBN 9780374351144
Shin, Sun Yung. Cooper’s Lesson. ISBN 9780892391936
Son, John. Finding My Hat. ISBN 9780439435383

The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

1. Bibliography
Patron, Susan. 2006. The Higher Power of Lucky. Ill. by Matt Phelan. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 97814169091945

2. Plot Summary
Ten-year-old Lucky Trimble lives with her guardian and her beloved dog in Hard Pan, California (population 43) and dreams of becoming a world famous scientist one day. Lucky’s mother was electrocuted by stepping on a downed power line; her father sent for his first wife who lives in France to take care of Lucky until she can be placed in a foster home two years ago. Lucky eavesdrops on the twelve-step meetings that she cleans up after and hears the members talk about finding their higher power. She hopes that someday she can find her higher power and have some control over her life. Lucky is concerned that Brigitte wants to return to France and she will have to go to an orphanage and become a ward of the state. Lucky’s concern leads her to run away hoping to cause worry, sadness, and a change in Brigitte’s heart (“Lucky liked the idea that by running away she could make people do things they wouldn’t do otherwise.”). She runs away during a desert dust storm and when the air finally clears, so does the haze of Lucky’s uncertainty.

3. Critical Analysis
Patron’s novel is bases on a memorable cast of characters and a distinctive sense of place. Lucky is a multidimensional character exhibiting moments of meanness and big-heartedness. Her predicament is gripping. Many readers will identify with her feeling that some times she “wanted to change everything, all the bad things that had happened, and some times she wanted everything to stay the same forever.” Patron reveals Brigitte through interactions with Lucky and her flashbacks. Brigitte left France with “her own French life going along, full of plans, and her old French mother” when Lucky’s father called. She has stayed for two years and has made plans to legally adopt Lucky and open her own restaurant in Hard Pan. Two minor characters that appear frequently throughout the story are Lucky’s best friend, Lincoln, who has an obsession with tying knots and challenges her to see things in a new light and five-year-old Miles who is a tiresome pest to Lucky. The plot is revealed as Lucky goes through a typical day in her small town. Details of the past are provided in Lucky’s thoughts and memories. Patron’s style of revealing the story in parts maintains the interest of the reader. The small, subtle illustrations compliment the plot well.

4. Review Excerpts and Award
Starred review in Kirkus: “Readers will gladly give themselves over to Patron, a master of light but sure characterization and closely observed detail. A small gem.”
Review in Booklist: “Lucky is a true heroine, especially because she’s not perfect: she does some cowardly things, but she takes pains to put them to rights.”
Review in Horn Book: “Patron’s episodic tale of a grieving insecure little girl is never heavy-handed or maudlin, due in part to quiet bursts of humor.”
Review in School Library Journal
John Newberry Medal Winner

5. Connections
· Discuss what things students would include in their survival-kit backpacks and why.
· Research different types of knots. Which ones would be easy for a beginner? How many can you successfully make?
· Other titles by Susan Patron:
Five Bad Boys, Billy Que, and the Dustdobbin. ISBN 9780531059890
Bobbin Dustbobbin. ISBN 9780531054680
Maybe Yes, Maybe No, Maybe Maybe. ISBN 9780531054826
Burgoo Stew. ISBN 9780531059166
Dark Cloud Strong Breeze. ISBN 9780531068151

The Field Guide by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

1. Bibliography
Black, Holly and Tony DiTerlizzi. 2003. The Field Guide. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 9780689859366

2. Plot Summary
Nine-year-old twins, Jared and Simon, their thirteen-year-old sister Mallory and their mom move into great-aunt Lucinda’s rundown Victorian house after their father leaves them. The children begin hearing strange noises in the walls immediately and find and destroy a nest in the wall. The children find a secret room, an old book, Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You, which turns out to be a guide to faeries and eventually, a little brownie named Thimbletack who is about the size of a pencil and talks in rhyme. Strange things happen to Mallory and Simon at night after they destroy Thimbletack’s nest. Jared is blamed for tying Mallory’s hair to the headboard and freezing Simon’s tadpoles. The children appease the brownie by building him a new home. As the book ends, he warns the children that keeping the field guide will result in harm.

3. Critical Analysis
The first book in this series is written in short paragraphs in a smooth, approachable style with each chapter ending with suspense. Though this book does not contain much of the story’s plot, it introduces the characters and the story to follow and ends leaving the reader wanting to read the sequel. The characters are well established in this volume and so is their family dynamic. Jared has been labeled as a troublemaker (“She thinks you’ve been acting weird ever since Dad left. Like getting into all those fights at school.”) while Simon is an animal lover who brought with him fish, mice, and lizards among other animals. Mallory’s main focus is fencing and is very competitive, and their mother Helen is appreciative to have somewhere to live (“If your great-aunt Lucinda hadn’t let us stay, I don’t know where we would have gone. We should be grateful.”). Black uses detailed descriptions to help the reader visualize the happenings in the story (“Taking a breath, Jared pushed up the lid. It was full of very old, moth-eaten clothes. Underneath, there was a pocket watch on a long chain, a tattered cap, and a leather satchel full of old, odd-looking pencils and cracked bits of charcoal.”) The black-and-white in depth illustrations that appear on almost every two page spread compliment the text while bringing the strange world the Spiderwick Estate alive. A table of contents, a list of “full-page” illustrations, a map of the Spiderwick Estate, and an introductory letter from the authors as well as a copy of the original letter to Mrs. Black and Mr. DiTerlizzi from the Grace children can be found at the beginning of the text.

4. Review Excerpts and Award
Starred review in Kirkus: “Readers who are too young to read Harry Potter independently will find these have just the right amount of menace laced with appealing humor and are blessed with crisp pacing and, of course, DiTerlizzi’s enticingly Gothic illustrations.”
Starred review in Publishers Weekly: “Appealing characters, well-measured suspense and an inviting package will lure readers on to The Seeing Stone...Youngsters may well find themselves glancing over their shoulders as they eagerly follow the events.”
Review in VOYA: “Nearly every second page is embellished with the ink drawings of DiTerlizzi, evoking a delicious classical sense in this modern fantasy. Black...keeps the dialogue snappy and the children’s personalities distinct.”
Review in Horn Book: “The individual books do not stand alone and the first mostly sets the stage, but the writing is fast paced and action-packed. Retro black-and-white spot art adds atmosphere.”
Review in School Library Journal
International Reading Association’s Children’s Choices

5. Connections
· Create your own brownie. Write a description of his/her personality including likes and dislikes. Be sure to include an illustration.
· Take the trivia quiz over the Spiderwick Chronicles at www.kidsreads.com/funstuff/trivia/spiderwick-triv.asp.
· Subsequent titles in this series:
The Seeing Stone. ISBN 9780689859373
Lucinda’s Secret. ISBN 9780689859380
The Ironwood Tree. ISBN 9780689859397
The Wrath of Mulgarath. ISBN 9780689859403

The River Between Us by Richard Peck

1. Bibliography
Peck, Richard. 2003. The River Between Us. New York: Dial Books. ISBN 9780803727359

2. Plot Summary
This tale begins in 1916 when fifteen-year-old Howard travels by car with his father and twin brothers from Saint Louis to Grand Tower, Illinois, to visit his grandparents and great aunt and uncle for the first time. Grandma Tilly spends several afternoons telling Howard about two events that changed the lives of Tilly and her twin brother Noah - the arrival of two mysterious strangers from New Orleans and the Civil War. “She handed over the past like a parcel, seizing these days to do it,” thought Howard. The tale shifts from Howard’s point of view to Tilly’s when she was a fifteen-year-old in 1861. Howard learns about the two strangers that stay with Tilly’s family and alter their lives. Tilly tells that Noah ran off to join the Union Army and how she and Delphine, one of the mysterious strangers, nursed him back to health with the help of a young doctor so that he could return home as Tilly’s mother wanted. The tale takes a tragic turn and more secrets are revealed. Before Howard and his family return home, he learns from his father a surprise about his ancestry.

3. Critical Analysis
Peck’s captivating mystery is set in two different time periods - 1916 and 1861. He utilizes two different narrators to present the each part. Howard begins and ends the tale and provides the foundation and closure of the family’s trip to Grand Tower. Grandma Tilly explains the historical aspect of the family in 1861. Both narrators give the reader background to the time period and a look at the events that were occurring then. The characters grow and become lifelike through their experiences and the background events. He provides an emotional side to the characters that allows the readers care about them. The way in which the story is set up allows the reader to get to know the characters as teenagers and elders. Peck’s inclusion of a strong female in Delphine causes controversy in Grand Tower but inspires growth in Tilly and her mother. The backdrop of the Civil War and Peck’s descriptions make the events of the story very believable. He includes “A Note on the Story” at the end of the book where he gives information about the research and where his ideas came from. Peck also gives further information on the “gens de couleur.” The themes of war, politics, morality and race are delicately examined throughout this novel. This novel will appeal to middle school age students and up.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: “Peck writes beautifully, bringing history alive through Tilly’s marvelous voice and deftly handling themes of family, race, war and history. A rich tale ful of magic, mystery, and surprise.”
Review in School Library Journal: “In this thoroughly researched novel, Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families.”
Review in Library Media Connection: “Peck is at this best in this richly layered family drama full of intrigue and mystery that reveals the harsh, complex realities of war.”
Starred eview in Booklist: “Peck’s spare writing has never been more eloquent than in this powerful mystery in which personal secrets drive the plot and reveal the history.”
Review in VOYA: “Peck’s expert use of colloquial English again transforms this fascinating story into a rare literary treat...”
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
ALA Books for Young Adults
ALA Notable Children's Books

5. Connections
· Locate the towns from the novel using a map of the Mississippi River. Include Cairo, Grand Tower, Carbondale, St. Louis, and New Orleans.
· Create a timeline of historical dates from the novel, such as Lincoln’s Inauguration, the Battle of Bull Run, the Battle of Belmont and the attack on Fort Sumter.
· Other historical fiction novels about the Civil War:
Hunt, Irene. Across Five Aprils. ISBN 9780425102411
Melman, Charles. Landsman: A Novel. ISBN 9781582433677
Olmstead, Robert. Coal Black Horse. ISBN 9781565125216
Reeder, Carolyn. Shades of Gray. ISBN 9780689826962
Wells, Rosemary. Red Moon at Sharpsburg. ISBN 9780670036387

Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

1. Bibliography
Cushman, Karen. 1994. Catherine, Called Birdy. New York: Clarion Books. ISBN 9780395681862

2. Plot Summary
Fourteen-year-old Catherine strikes a deal with her brother Edward the monk so she can forego the much despised task of spinning in favor of keeping a diary of her daily life. Edward believes that keeping the diary will help her become more learned and less childish. Catherine is known as Birdy because of her love and keeping of various kinds of birds. She records aspects of her daily life and includes her hatred for her household duties (“14th day of September - Tangled my spinning again. Corpus bones, what a torture.”), her wonderings about her future, her dislike for her brothers and frustration with her parents, and her attempts to avoid any possible marriage arranged by her father. Her father is a minor lord of Lincolnshire who is using Catherine’s marriage to suit his financial needs. She finally resigns herself to wed an older, unattractive man that she refers to as Shaggy Beard only to receive word that she will not have to marry him after all. The Author’s Note discusses further discusses life and culture of Medieval England and includes a list of additional resources for further reading.

3. Critical Analysis
Cushman’s medieval tale is a revealing and humorous look into a very difficult period in time. Death is commonplace, Catherine shares a bed with her old nurse, and her mother has miscarriage after miscarriage. Since the story is presented in a diary format, the reader is able to get to know Catherine well. She is a complex young narrator who possesses a wild imagination, a wealth of hope and a bunch of tenacity. In her hopes to escape an arranged marriage, she dreams of becoming a scribe, a Crusader, a minstrel until she finally resigns herself to her destiny realizing “I am who I am wherever I am.” Many other characters are introduced through Catherine’s diary though none are as deeply developed as Catherine. The reader is able to get to know her family and her friends Aelis from Belleford and Perkin the goat boy more so than some of the minor characters since she interacts with them on a more consistent basis. Much of the novel centers on Catherine’s attempts to scare off any possible suitors (she pretends to be mad, sets fire to the privy one is using, disguising herself as an ugly serving girl, etc.) The reader learns about her life, family, trials and joys. The diary begins almost as a dreaded homework assignment (“12th day of September - I am commanded to write an account of my days: I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say.”) but Catherine’s attitude changes and she begins to describe her adventures and gives confessions. The novel is a coming-of-age of sorts for Catherine as she finally accepts her place in her world and discovers that she can still be true to herself.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: “The period has rarely been presented for young people with such authenticity; the exotic details will intrigue readers while they relate more closely to Birdy’s yen for independence and her sensibilities toward the downtrodden.”
Review in School Library Journal: “A feminist far ahead of her time, she is both believable and lovable...Superb historical fiction.”
Review in Publisher’s Weekly
Review in Booklist
Review in Horn Book
Newbery Honor Book
ALA Best Books for Young Adults
ALA Notable Books for Children

5. Connections
· Read Cushman’s The Midwife’s Apprentice. Compare and contrast the lead characters and their situations.
· Read in conjunction with social studies Medieval European societies unit.
· Catherine’s mother housed a Jewish family for the night. Research why the Jews were being expelled from England at this time.
· Catherine’s uncle George is part of the Crusades. Research the Crusades and their importance at this time.
· Nonfiction books about Medieval life:
Gies, Joseph and Frances Gies. Life in a Medieval City. ISBN 9780060908805
Gies, Joseph and Frances Gies. Life in a Medieval Village. ISBN 9780060920463
Gies, Joseph and Frances Gies. Life in a Medieval Castle. ISBN 9780060906740
Cosman, Madeleine Pelner. Fabulous Feasts: Medieval Cookery and Ceremony. ISBN 9780807608982
Duggan, Alfred. Growing up in Thirteenth Century England. ISBN 9780394912080

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

1. Bibliography
MacLachlan, Patricia. 1985. Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: Harper & Row. ISBN 9780066241025

2. Plot Summary
This tale is set in the Midwest during the late 19th century. It is about a widowed farmer, Jacob, who advertises for a wife, and his two children, Anna and Caleb. When Sarah arrives from Maine for a trial period, she is homesick. The children fear she will not stay, and when she goes off to town alone, the family is concerned that she is gone for good. When she returns, she explains that “I will always miss my old home, but the truth of it is I would miss you more.”

3. Critical Analysis
MacLachlan’s short tale of abandonment, loss and love is about a family’s hope for a new beginning. The story is told through the point of view of Anna, the elder child. The characters are developed through dialogue (“Sarah said ‘later,’” Caleb whispered to me as we spread his hair about. “Sarah will stay.”) and the exchange of their letters. The plot is well-developed as well. The reader gets caught up in the “will she stay” or “will she go” excitement created through the characters. MacLachlan provides many details of farm life and of a time before electricity and motorized vehicles, such as “Papa taught Sarah how to plow the fields, guiding the plow behind Jack and Old Bess, the reins around her neck.” Through descriptions in the story the reader is able to determine the setting. MacLachlan is not forthcoming with exact details of the setting although she informs the reader that the family lives in the Midwest and Sarah is from Maine. Anna and Sarah’s descriptions allow the reader to picture the family’s home and farmland. MacLachlan carefully chooses her words so that the reader is not overwhelmed with descriptions and events. This in addition to the rhythmic flow makes this tale easy to read.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Starred review in School Library Journal: “A short but moving book that is anything but plain - for those who prefer quality to quantity.”
Review in Book Links: “This Newbery Medal-winning book is a perfect example of a masterfully crafted story for transitional readers.”
Review in Kirkus Reviews: “A warming, delicately tuned story”
Review in Booklist
Newbery Award winner
Scott O’Dell Award Winner for Historical Fiction
ALA Best Books

5. Connections
· Compare the coastal region to the plains region include geographical features, weather and resources in Social Studies.
· In Art, draw Sarah’s home in Maine using Sarah’s descriptions and the Witting’s home on the prairie using Anna’s descriptions.
· Provide information about each of the five types of shells Sarah brought from Maine using print and web resources.
· Create a flower chart about each of the flowers mentioned in the book. Include pictures as well as growing conditions.
· Other books in this Patricia MacLachlan trilogy:
Skylark. ISBN 9780064406222
Caleb’s Story. ISBN 9780060236052

The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss by Katherine Krull

1. Bibliography
Krull, Kathleen. 2004. The Boy on Fairfield Street: How Ted Geisel Grew Up to Become Dr. Seuss. Ill. by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780375922985

2. Plot Summary
The childhood and youth of Ted Geisel, also known as Dr. Seuss, are told in this picture book biography. The story begins, “Once upon a time, there lived a boy who feasted on books and was wild about animals.” It goes on to tell of his love of drawing and making others laugh as well as the troubles that he faced being a German in the United States during the first World War. The story continues with Ted surprising many by attending Dartmouth College and writing for the college humor magazine and with Ted going to Oxford and meeting his future wife. It ends when he is twenty-two and “his future looked bright.” Additional pages complete Ted’s life “On Beyond Fairfield Street” and provide a bibliography of works written and illustrated by Dr. Seuss.

3. Critical Analysis
Krull’s informative biography about the childhood and youth of Dr. Seuss gives readers a glimpse into the author and illustrator’s formative years where many of his ideas came from. The information is presented in the style of a story. It begins with when and where he was born along with information about his family and community. It continues with his school years and college until he moves to New York to make it on his own. Krull includes his successes (winning first prize in the Springfield Union’s drawing contest) and disappointments (not receiving a medal from ex-President Theodore Roosevelt for selling the Liberty Bonds because the Boy Scouts did not make sure there were enough). The supplementary pages of information about Geisel’s life help complete the story of Dr. Seuss while the addition of “For Further Reading” and the websites encourage readers to learn more.

The full page paintings by Johnson and Fancher further create the setting and a feeling of nostalgia begun by Krull’s well-written text. The soft, muted illustrations complement the visual created by Krull. The inclusion of Geisel’s own drawings adds a little Seuss-flavor to the tale of his life.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards
Starred review in Kirkus Reviews: “The magic of his name will make this a huge hit, but it’s the lively writing that puts the hat on the cat.”

Starred review in School Library Journal: “This picture-book biography is a winner...Krull’s work is a terrific look at the boyhood of one of the most beloved author/illustrators of the 20th century.”
Review in BookList: “A delightful picture-book biography about Geisel that chronicles how he became an innovative writer and illustrator beloved by readers young and old.”
Review in Library Media Connection: “Kathleen Krull presents a touching view of the life of Ted Geisel from early childhood visiting the zoo to his young adult years at Dartmouth College, as well as the poignant events that shaped his life.”
Review in Horn Book
Review in Publisher’s Weekly

5. Connections
· Use this title in connection with Read Across America day in March. Can be used as promotion or to provide history behind the day.
· Collective biographies by Kathleen Krull:
Lives of Writers: Comedies, Tragedies (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152480097
Lives of Artists: Masterpieces, Messes (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152001032
Lives of Extraordinary Women: Rulers, Rebels (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152008079
Lives of Presidents: Fame, Shame (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152008086
Lives of Musicians: Good Times, Bad Times (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152480103
Lives of Athletes: Thrills, Spills (And What the Neighbors Thought). ISBN 9780152008062
· Other biographies by Kathleen Krull:
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. ISBN 9780152014377
Presenting Paula Danzinger. ISBN 9780805741537
Wilma Unlimited: How Wilma Rudolf Became the World’s Fastest Woman. ISBN 9780152012670
Marie Curie. ISBN 9780670058945
Leonardo da Vinci. ISBN 9780670059201