Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York, NY: Random House, 2009.
ISBN: 99780385737425

Plot Summary:
Miranda, a sixth-grader in the late 1970s, lives with her mother in a run-down New York apartment. Mom's boyfriend, Richard, spends much of his time with them. A latch-key kid, Miranda always walks home from school particularly trying to avoid an insane old vagrant who hangs out near her building. Because of his crazy cackling, she and Mom refer to him as the laughing man.When Miranda's best buddy, Sal, gets punched by another boy for no apparent reason, Sal abruptly ends his friendship with Miranda. Then Miranda starts getting strange notes. The anonymous writer says he's coming to save her friend's life and his own, and he needs Miranda to write a letter for him. Miranda notices that the crazy homeless man always utters the words "book bag pocket shoe". The phrase refers to the order in which Miranda receives her notes—her library book, a bread bag, her coat pocket and a shoe. The first note arrives and the mystery begins....

I am coming to save your friends life and my own.  
I ask two favors. First you must write me a letter.

The next notes instruct Miranda to write a letter describing the future events. The notes, whose writer claims to be coming to Miranda's time to save a life, offer three signs of the truth of the messages. As the plot develops, the proofs come true, and Miranda is intrigued. The notes frighten Miranda, partly because they correctly predict future events, such as the date her mom appears as a contestant on "$20,000 Pyramid."

Critical Analysis:

When You Reach Me is classified as fantasy but besides the sci-fi traits, it has mystery and historical fiction attributes. The main characters are Miranda and the laughing man. Miranda is the narrator of this story.  Miranda is a great main character because she is smart, inquisitive, watchful, loyal. She’s fearful of the crazy man (laughing man) on the corner, the one who seems to spend most of his time sleeping beneath a mailbox. The characters are very believable and the reader can relate to each one except the laughing man.  The laughing man is suppose to be a bit more unknown to add to the suspense. The basic plot is a mystery in a fantasy.  It revolves around the mysterious notes, if Miranda will write the letter and of course who is writing the notes.  The setting is New York City in 1970 and Miranda with her friends walk the streets in day to day life. The book approaches friendship, growing up, social justice, racism and stereotyping and is a great book for all children, boys and girls. A Wrinkle in Time is the center for the book because it is Miranda's favorite book which she reads and re-reads till the book is worn.  This shows Miranda's fascination with time travel which gives some insight that maybe our mysterious note writer is from the future.  Rebecca Stead writes in a way that pulls in the reader into the story.  Every word she writes has a purpose for the story. Stead fills the pages with clues to help the reader piece the puzzle together which all is revealed a the end of the book.  

This is a great book and a very good read for any age. Kids 12 up with love this book but adults will enjoy it also.  When You Reach Me is not the typical silly time travel book.  It has a great plot, strong characters, life lessons and it is just plain entertaining.  

Connections:

Other books by Rebecca Stead:

     Liar and Spy

     First Light

Read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

https://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780375850868.pdf

http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/books.html

Reviews/Awards:

• Winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal
• Nominated for the Andre Norton Award, 2009
• The New York Times Notable Book, 2009
• Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books, 2009
• Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the Year, 2009
• School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, 2009
• Booklist Editors' Choice, 2009
• Horn Book Fanfare, 2009
• Parents' Choice Gold Award Winner, 2009
• ALA Notable Children's Book, 2010
• Nominated for the Indian Paintbrush Book Award, 2011
• Winner of the Massachusetts Children's Book Award, 2012
• A Book Sense Children's Summer Pick
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• A Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year - Outstanding Merit

★“Stead’s novel is as much about character as story. . . . [An] unusual, 

thought-provoking mystery.”—School Library Journal 

★“Closing revelations are startling and satisfying but quietly made, their 

reverberations giving plenty of impetus for the reader to go back to the 

beginning and catch what was missed.”—The Horn Book

★“Quite wonderful . . . invigorating . . . the characters, children and adults, 

are honest bits of humanity.”—Booklist

★“Teens will circle back to the beginning and say, ‘Wow . . . cool.’”

—Kirkus Reviews

★“It’s easy to imagine readers studying Miranda’s story as many times 

as she’s read A Wrinkle in Time, and spending hours pondering the 

provocative questions it raises.”—Publishers Weekly

Krosoczka, Jarrett J. Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Scuffle. New York: Random House, 2014.
ISBN: 978038575279

Plot Summary:
Lunch Lady and Betty have been fired because of budget cuts and the timing couldn't be worse. The past villains from all nine of her previous adventures are worming their way back into Thompson Brook with a masterfully devious plan.The superintendent of the school has instituted new rules and put a new principal and vice principal in place to enforce the drastic measures. No creative writing allowed. No criticism of school officials. No fun allowed. And the punishment is severe. Will the Breakfast Bunch still be able to count on Lunch Lady's superhero gadgets and abilities to save the school, or are they on their own? Don't miss Lunch Lady's swashbuckling finale!

Critical Analysis:
This graphic novel is a great fast read with funny characters which are a continuation of the previous books. Jarrett J. Krosoczka's signature black, white and yellow images fill the panels with animated movement and emotion. These illustrations vary in size to emphasize the current moment in the text. Sometimes several pictures are on a single page; others occupy the entire page edge to edge. Speech bubbles reveal the emphasis and volume of the speakers while arrows point to various tools used in the story which adds clarity and a bit of humor. The writing references good eating habits and healthy food but also brings in some books that are used to help fight the bad guys. The characters are people that work at school or students in school which make them easy to understand and readers can relate to them.  The story line is of course fantasy since the plot is to stop the superintendent and administrators from making a laser while the other gadgets have extreme capabilities to help the fight. The setting to all of this action is, of course, the school with a modern feel. The theme is of course good against evil with a little spin of eating habits and school.  This book is a great final story to the nine previous Lunch Lady books.  

This is my first Lunch Lady book to read but I enjoyed it immensely and will read more.  This book is funny, witty, and very entertaining.  Children will enjoy this graphic novel and it is a great series to introduce students to graphic novels.    

Connections:
Read other Lunch Lady books by Jarrett J. Krosoczka-

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute
Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians
Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta
Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown
Lunch Lady and the Bake Sale Bandit
Lunch Lady and the Field Trip Fiasco
Lunch Lady and the Mutant Mathletes
Lunch Lady and the Picture Day Peril
Lunch Lady and the Video Game Villain

Lunch Lady website: http://www.lunchladycomics.com/

Author website:  http://www.studiojjk.com/graphicnovels.html

Awards/ Reviews: 

LUNCH LADY AND THE SCHOOLWIDE SCUFFLE is a wonderful conclusion to the series, rightfully bringing things to a close in a manner befitting our old pal the Lunch Lady.- Kids Read

“Filled with goofy puns and grayscale art with cheery yellow accents, this is a delightfully fun escapist read. Be sure to recommend this to fans of Captain Underpants.” – Kirkus

"Lunch Lady and the Schoolwide Scuffle written and illustrated by Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a riveting romp of a ride right down to the final panel." —LibrariansQuest.blogspot.com

Green, John. The Fault in Our Stars. New York: Penguin, 2012. Print.

ISBN: 9780525478812

Plot Summary: 

Sixteen year old Hazel Grace Lancaster is a girl who has cancer. She is reluctant to go to cancer support group, but while there meets a boy names Augustus Waters.  Augustus is immediately drawn to her and they become great friends.  The two teens embark on a roller coaster ride of emotions, including love, sadness and romance, while searching for the author of their favorite book.  Hazel shares her favorite book with Augustus which sets in motion a search for the author who has not finished the book.  They travel to Amsterdam in search of Peter Van Houten the author of An Imperial Affliction. While on their trip, Augustus breaks some heartbreaking news to Hazel and both of their worlds fall apart around them. Augustus tells Hazel that at his recent scan, the doctors discovered that his entire body is filled with cancer. Hazel spends the last months of Augustus's life caring for him and loving him.

Critical Analysis:

The Fault in Our Stars is set in a modern setting where Hazel is the main character and the narrator of the story.  She lives in Indianapolis, Indiana and has cancer which means she  may not live a full life. Her outlook on life is a bit different than the regular sixteen year old girl.  Hazel speaks in a way that makes it very real to the reader and easy to understand.  It’s simple, deep and humorous all at the same time. The first half is generally funny and light even though the characters have cancer and might die. Even when things get more serious and sad, the humor is still in the story. The conversations between  Hazel and Augustus are what make this book so wonderful. They go beyond simply discussing their disease and instead engage in conversations about their fears of oblivion, their favorite books and many other day to day occurrences. After meeting and continuing to see each other, the two slowly fall in love.  This is how the plot builds. There is not a highly excited climax in this book but it draws the reader in with the easy flowing dialog between the characters.  The only "ah ha" moment (which is extremely sad) is when Augustus tells Hazel he has cancer and is going to die.  Up to that point in the book, the reader anticipates that Hazel will die and leave Augustus.  

“My name is Hazel. Augustus Waters was the great sat-crossed love of my life.

 Ours was an epic love story, and I won’t be able to get more than a sentence

 into it without disappearing into a puddle of tears. 

Gus knew. Gus knows. I will not tell you our love story,

 because-like all real love stories-it will die with us, as it should.”

There are many themes to this story: love, family, suffering, religion, mortality, coming of age, courage.  Each is hit upon at different times in the book with one or sometimes both characters. John Green writes in a style that allows the reader to experience the same things Hazel is experiencing by knowing her thoughts and feelings.  Green gives us an intimate relationship with Hazel which pulls you into the story.  He  writes with an ease that is easy to understand but also with a vocabulary that would not bore the upper more advanced reader.  This book fits right into the the teen/young adult culture because even though the two main characters have to deal with cancer, there are many other normal teen situations that are dealt with by both characters daily. 

Connections:

Finding Alaska by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

http://johngreenbooks.com/the-fault-in-our-stars/ 

Reviews/Awards:

• Winner of the 2013 Children's Choice Teen Book of the Year Award
• #1 New York Times bestseller
• #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller
• #9 The Bookseller (UK) bestseller
• #1 Indiebound bestseller
• New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice

TIME Magazine's #1 Fiction Book of 2012! " The Fault in Our Stars is a love story, one of the most genuine and moving ones in recent American fiction, but it's also an existential tragedy of tremendous intelligence and courage and sadness." -Lev Grossman

Green's promotional genius is a force of nature. After announcing he would sign all 150,000 copies of this title's first print run, it shot to the top of Amazon and Barnes & Noble's best-seller lists six months before publication.--Cart, Michael Copyright 2010 Booklist

“A smartly crafted intellectual explosion of a romance.” -Kirkus, starred review

Williams-Garcia, Rita. One Crazy Summer. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 2010
ISBN: 9780060760892

Plot Summary:

It’s the summer of 1968. Eleven-year-old Delphine and her sisters, Vonetta and Fern, are flying on a plane to Oakland to meet their mother. The girls have been sent by their father to meet Cecile, the mother who walked out of their lives when Delphine was only five. The girls have been raised by their father and grandmother. Their father insists that it's time for the girls to get to know Cecile but Grandmother does not agree. Their mother is absorbed in her poetry and other things but not at all interested in her children. She barely shows them any attention and even forgets to feed them while strange visitors come and go. Eventually Delphine and her sisters come to terms with the life that their mother has chosen. Delphine soon realizes that they are on their own, in a completely unfamiliar world for one crazy summer; a summer that will change them in ways they didn't expect.

Critical Analysis:
One Crazy Summer is set in the 1960's during a time of revolutionary movements concerning the civil rights of African Americans which is one of the most volatile periods in recent U.S. history. The author does a wonderful job capturing a unique voice for Delphine, who tells it like it is, while she narrates a story that takes place at an important time and place in our country's history. Each one of the girls have a unique personality and each one is shown in the dialog and writing in this book. The girls mother is also a strong character and her personality comes through with her words and actions. She is involved in the civil rights movement and associated with the Black Panthers. The Black Panthers, a revolutionary civil rights group, were a dominant force in the civil rights movement and often used violence to fight for racial equality. This books gives the reader insight into the civil rights movement as well information about the Black Panthers. Important names and information about this time period are dribbled throughout the book in the thoughts of Delphine.  The book focuses on the themes of motherhood and sisterhood as well as social and political ideas of the time. Through the narrator, we examine the historical changes around her and the ever-growing desire to find out the truth about Cecile. One Crazy Summer provides a child’s perspective of social change and the Black Panther movement, making this historical time period accessible to young readers. The children's strong voices in this story are wonderful and very engaging for the reader while learning about history. The reader gets to see how the girls handle this strange visit with a mom that do not really know and also deal with the civil right issues they are thrown into.  For example in this scene the girls come home after a day trip and see this,  

"Red, white and blue lights everywhere.  We inch up, the happiness knocked out of us. Cecile and two Black Panthers. Hands behind their backs. Handcuffed. Being led out of the  house and down the walkway.  I could hardly breathe."  

At the end of the book, the climax happens at the rally, when the girls' recite their mother's poem and Fern shocks the crowd by reciting her own poem.  The mom gets out of jail and ends up being at the rally.  She actually seems proud of the girls.  The is the one of the bonding moments the girls and mom have which helps them understand each other.  The author style of easy flowing dialect help the reader feel this without much confusion.  This book is a great book to introduce 9-12 year olds to Civil right issues. The historical information in this story is a huge part of this story but the family drama theme is strongly represented with the absent mom and kids being raised by a single parent and grandma. The accuracy of the information is easy to confirm since so much is written about this time period. In the acknowledgments at the back of the book, the author writes about researching the material and where she got her information which helps validate the historical facts. Rita Williams-Garcia is also a well known, award winning author and has written many books.

Connections:
Like Sisters on the Homefront by Rita Williams- Garcia
Blue Tights by Rita Williams-Garcia
The Wednesday Wars by Gary Schmidt
Discuss civil rights and equality.
Write about a crazy summer.

Awards and Reviews:

• Coretta Scott King Book Award Winner 
• Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award Winner 
• School Library Journal Best Books of the Year 
• Newbery Medal Honor Book 
• Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children’s Literature Honor Book 
• National Book Award Finalist 
• Parents’ Choice Award Gold Fiction 
• Audie Award Finalist

“Sisi Aisha Johnson infuses each character with a distinct personality and the tone is upbeat and even humorous. She perfectly captures each character's voice, and her delivery is silky smooth and perfectly paced. Seeing the historic summer of '68 through the eyes of sensitive, intuitive Delphine is a treat. Featuring flawless writing and narration, this is storytelling at its finest.”
        School Library Journal

“Delphine's growing awareness of injustice on a personal and universal level is smoothly woven into the story in poetic language that will stimulate and move readers.”
       Publishers Weekly

“Set during a pivotal moment in African American history, this vibrant novel shows the subtle ways that political movements affect personal lives; but just as memorable is the finely drawn, universal story of children reclaiming a reluctant parent's love.”

        Book List

“The historical details sprinkled throughout the book do not seem forced; rather, they lend authenticity to the setting, and the portrayal of the Black Panthers breaks with the harsher stereotypes.”

      Voice of Youth Advocates

Cushman, Karen. MATILDA BONE. New York, NY; Clarion Books.2000.

ISBN 978-0440418221

Plot Summary:

Thirteen year old Matilda Bone is brought up in a life of ease within a manor on the hilltop. One day she is abandoned by Father Leufredus to live in Blood and Bone Alley with a bone setter named Peg. Red Peg becomes her guardian, so to speak, and Matilda becomes her assistant. Matilda is forced to do manual labor in exchange for shelter and food. Matilda finds this work horrible and prays for life back at the manor. Matilda is surrounded by people who laugh, joke, and eat sausage while she wants only the higher things like prayer and education. Lonely and misunderstood, she seems destined to live with Peg. Through the strange characters in this town and their relationships with each other, Matilda discovers that not everything is how she thought and she can not always ask a "higher power" for the answers. As Matilda's character evolves, she begins to understand more about the world and starts to enjoy it.

Critical Analysis:

Matilda Bone is a great historical fiction book set in the medieval England and exposes the reader to medical treatment of that time while revealing the life of the people.  Matilda Bone is the main character and is depicted as a innocent young girl thrown into a poor society with colorful characters surrounding her throughout the book. She is very sarcastic and feels she is above living in such conditions. For example, Matilda says, " She (Peg) treats me like a kitchen maid, thought Matilda.  As if I am fit for nothing but measuring and brewing. Why I know Latin and French and some Greek".   Cushman gives us a wide variety of other interesting characters that live in the village . These characters represents the common people from this time in a unique manner, describing their never-ending trouble with sickness and disease. Cushman also makes many of the character's names match the occupation in which they work for example Matilda's name ends up being Matilda Bone.  The plot of this book moves a bit slow but this does allow for the reader to be exposed to many concepts of the time period.  While Matilda meets new characters,she grows with the acceptance of the people and the place but she still struggles with her purpose.  Not till the end of the book does Matilda finally realize that Blood and Bone Alley and the friends she has made might be where she should be. In the author's notes at the back of the book, Cushman explains her research techniques and more information on medical practices of medieval times.  These notes adds to the validity of the information in the book and the accuracy of the information.  The overall theme of this book is the life lesson of  "never judge people" from the outside.  The growth of Matilda through the story from a narrow-minded, sarcastic girl to a kind, considerate girl happens slowly while the reader learns about history of that time period. The author reveals many things through the characters speech, manners, names, and thoughts while exposing the reader to the shocking medical methods of the time period. In parts of the book it is nearly a bit grotesque when Cushman writes about certain medical practices. (Ex: leeching)  The historical details are strongly represented in the book but seem to over shadow the characters at times. I tended to be drawn to the details of the village and medical services but sometimes not as pulled toward the main character Matilda. The book is very enjoyable and has great information for any reader wanting knowledge of medical practices in medieval times. 

Connections:
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman
A Short History of Medicine by Erwin H. Ackerknecht
The Story of Medicine in the Middle Ages by David Riesman

Awards and Reviews:

• American Bookseller "Pick of the Lists" New York Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing
• School Library Journal, Best Books of the Year
• Parents' Choice Silver Award
• Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies
• Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year
• Arizona Young Readers’ Master List
• Maine Student Book Award Master List

“Fiery Peg, her witty husband and her circle of friends will be the characters readers remember.” Publishers Weekly

The "fascinating information [in the afterword] is just as interesting as Matilda's tale." Horn Book

“Cushman's character descriptions are spare, with each word carefully chosen to paint wonderful pictures. This humorous, frank look at life in the medical quarters in medieval times shows readers that love and compassion, laughter and companionship, are indeed the best medicine.” School Library Journal

“It's the illness and the healing (and the death) that's the focal point here, not pious, whiny Matilda, who takes an inordinately long time to learn that the dependable, hardworking people she comes in contact with are worth more than the fools and cheaters whose learning she admires. Readers will find much of interest here, but it probably won't be the evolution of Matilda.” Booklist

Yelchin, Eugene. Breaking Stalin’s Nose. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.2011.
ISBN 978-0-8050-9216-5

Plot Summary:
This historical fiction book tells the story a of young boy growing up in the Soviet Union when it is under the reign of Joseph Stalin. Ten year old Sasha Zaichik is excited to join the Stalin’s youth organization, the Young Pioneers. It is an event he has been dreaming of as long as he can remember but when his father is arrested at their home, Sasha begins to question the political ideals that he has always believed. His father’s arrest sets off a chain of events that alters the young boy’s entire belief system about the Communist Party in the Soviet Union. In just 2 days, Sasha's live changes dramatically and all his believes are altered.

Critical Analysis:

Born and educated in Russia, Eugene Yelchin creates a wonderfully believable character in young, naive Sasha. Young Sasha narrates the story while telling the reader about Communistic Society and the living conditions people had to endure in this society. Sasha grew up in this society where people were thankful for even the poorest conditions while not even realizing how bad the conditions in Russia were under Stalin. Sasha lets the reader feel the type of control the Communistic party had over the all of the people. When Sasha is eating a carrot given to him by a neighbor, he states,

"I take small bites of carrot to make it last; the carrot is delicious. I wonder what it's like in a capitalist country. I wouldn't be surprised if children there had never even tasted a carrot".

This shows that Sasha has no idea how other countries live or how bad his living conditions actually are. The plot of this story is fast paced and keeps the reader wondering what has become of Sasha's dad or what is to become of him. The plot begins with Sasha waiting for his dad to come home while he describes all the people that live in the house with him. Then the plot moves quickly in two days from his dad being arrested to a snowball fight at school and the breaking of Stalin's nose. This plot is appropriate for children around the age 9-14 which would consist of upper elementary and middle school age. The details are easily stated and understood. There are only a few historical parts that might be confusing for children if they have no background knowledge about Stalin or Russia. The story would still be enjoyable for the reader even if every detail is not completely understood and might ignite some research or more reading on the subject. The setting is Russia 1950's  where Yelchin describes the scene to the reader with statues of Stalin are all over the area, crowded streets, and lining up for food rations. The black and white illustrations by Yelchin are extremely helpful to the reader to visualize and understand the setting. 

The theme of this story is independence and of course, the struggle of right and wrong. Sasha learns in several days that all he has known is a lie and he will do anything for his father. At the end of the book, the author's note  provides some background on Stalin's reign of terror, and how few people of Yelchin's generation were not aware of the scale of Stalin's crimes, which were carried out in secrecy.  There is a website for the book and it goes in much detail of events and characters in the story.  In his author's note, Yelchin states "Like my main character, I wanted be a Young Pioneer. My family shared a communal apartment, My father was a devoted Communist" which gave Yelchin the ablility to write honestly about Russia because he lived there and had experienced many similar hardships like Sasha. There are quite a few books about Communist Russia which focus on the Holocaust and Hitler but few about Russia during Stalin's reign. This  book is a needed subject in literature to expose reader to an important time period in Russia.


Connections:
Read:
A Bag of Marbles by Joseph Joffo
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepety
*Other books illustrated by Eugene Yelchin:
The Next Door Bear.
Heart of a Snowman.

Ghost Files: The Haunting Truth.

Website: http://www.eugeneyelchinbooks.com/breakingstalinsnose/

Awards/Reviews:

• 2012 Newbery Honor Book
• 2012 Junior Library Guild Selection
• 2012 Distinguished Work of Historical Fiction Award - Children’s Literature Council of Southern California
• 2012 Women’s National Book Association’s Judy Lopez Memorial Award
• 2013 KS William Allen White Award 
• The Best Children’s Books of 2011 by Hornbook
• The Best Children’s Books of 2011 by Washington Post
• 2012 Capitol Choices Book, Noteworthy Books for Children

Starred Review in Hornbook: ““…this brief novel gets at the heart of a society that asks its citizens, even its children, to report on relatives and friends. Appropriately menacing illustrations by first-time novelist Yelchin add a sinister tone.”

San Francisco Chronicle: “A miracle of brevity, this affecting novel zeroes in on two days and one boy to personalize Stalin's killing machine of the '30s. …black-and-white drawings march across the pages to juxtapose hope and fear, truth and tyranny, small moments and historical forces, innocence and evil.”

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books:  "The cat-and-mouse chase that pits Sasha’s whole world against him will rivet middle-grade readers, but this title will hold special appeal for older students whose grasp of content outstrips their reading proficiency."

Wall Street Journal:  “Mr. Yelchin has compressed into two days of events an entire epoch, giving young readers a glimpse of the precariousness of life in a capricious yet ever-watchful totalitarian state.”

Bibliography:
Simon, Seymour.Super Storms. New York: SeaStar Books. 2002.
ISBN: 1587171384

Plot Summary:

In this book Seymour Simon explores thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes.  Simon explains how they form and why they die out while giving examples of the kind of destruction wrought by each, often referring to specific storms that occurred in the past. The book starts with thunderstorms(which can produce lightening, hail, strong winds and tornadoes) and explains how the process begins while giving great facts and information.  It moves to tornadoes which can begin from a thunderstorm. Finally, the book moves on to the deadliest storm which is the hurricane.  The photos in this book add to the quality and its educational quality.

Critical Analysis:

Seymour Simon's facts and information are easily looked up to verify accuracy. Simon was a science teacher before he became an author and uses his knowledge of the subject to create scientific informational books for children. He has written over 200 hundred science books for children and won many awards. This book is written for younger children ranging from 4-10 with a reading level of 3.9. The photos in this book are amazing. Each picture is an example of the topic Simon is explaining and adds to the story and understanding. Photo credits are given on the copyright page of the book. This book does not  have a table of contents, chapters, or index and lacks any type of organizational technique common to nonfiction books. I would presume it does not have this because it is written for younger children. The information is presented in progression from the beginning of a thunderstorm to closing with information about a hurricane.  Information is presented clearly and precisely for easy understanding. A reader would enjoy reading such an informative book while learning about storms.

Connections:

Earthquakes by Seymour Simon

Volcanoes by Seymour Simon

Weather by Seymour Simon

Violent weather : thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes by Andrew Collins

http://www.seymoursimon.com/

Reviews and Awards:

• The New York State Knickerbocker Award for Juvenile Literature
• The Hope S. Dean Memorial Award from the Boston Public Library
• The Eva L. Gordon Award, presented by the American Nature Society, for his contribution to children's science literature
• The Washington Post/Children's Book Guild Award for Non-fiction for the body of his work
• Lifetime Achievement Award in Science Literature
• Kansas Reading Association 2001 Picture Book Award
• The 2002 Jeremiah Ludington Memorial Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award
• 1992 National Forum on Children's Science Books Lifetime Achievement Commendation
• New York Time's One of the Years Best Illustrated Children's Books, Certificate of Excellence

Simon uses the same handsome format that he used to introduce the planets to explain storms here on earth. In a simple and direct way he explains the mechanisms that cause thunderstorms, tornadoes, and hurricanes to form their tremendous destructive power. The amazing color photos are well chosen and range from an excellent four-panel display of a tornado's progress to full-page photos of storm clouds, lightening strikes, and so on. The type is large and clear, and the information is sufficient for basic reports. While there is no new information here, this beautiful science book from a reliable and prolific author should certainly be considered to augment existing weather collections or to begin a new collection. -School Library Journal

"A succinct, informative essay illuminated by magnificent photographs. The subject is particularly absorbing, as it highlights the natural drama of a commonly experienced phenomenon....The stunning visual portrayal of storms, accompanied by impressive factual data and clear explanations in crisp prose, is truly compelling."--Horn Book.