2011 Pura Belpré Honor Book & 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year

Engle, Margarita. The Firefly Letters. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, 2010. 
ISBN: 978005090826

Author:
Margarita Engle is a Cuban American poet, novelist, and journalist whose work has been published in many countries. She is the author of young adult nonfiction books and novels in verse including The Surrender Tree, a Newbery Honor Book, The Poet Slave of Cuba, Hurricane Dancers, The Firefly Letters, and Tropical Secrets. She lives in northern California.

Plot Summary:

The freedom to roam is something that women and girls in Cuba do not have.  Fredrika Bremer visits from Sweden in 1851 to learn about the people of this magical island.  She discovers things in Cuba are not as beautiful as it seems to the outside world.  Based on actual events, the story follows three women, two of whom were real, one imagined as they explore the freedom of the Cuban nights.  Fredricka comes to live with a wealthy family and is confronted by the ugliness of the slave trade and the restrictions that are put on women.  The story switches point of views from Fredricka, Cecila (who is the pregnant slave) and Elena (the daughter of the landowner) and even occasionally Beni(Cecila's husband).  Fredricka is not just upset by the slavery (Cecila) and the cover up by the government but also because women in Cuba have no freedom(Elena).  Engle states this simply in this example: Isn't life sorrowful enough / in places without slavery, / where so many men / treat the women /of their own families / like possessions of wood or stone, / useful objects /without souls?" 

Critical Analysis:
This is a great, fast read for a historical fiction novel.  It is written in free verse with each character having short poetic chapters which reveal each person's story.  As each person speaks, it also reveals more about the other people.  The words,even though in verse, flow very easy for any type of reader. Engle uses each character to show a different point of view with the issues of slavery, discrimination, loneliness, love, and hopelessness . The reader quickly feels the pain and longing of these women even though it might be revealed in more depth if it were written in prose. The "fireflies trapped in the jar" are symbolic of the women and the slaves trapped in their life while waiting for someone to set them "free". This symbol is repeated many times throughout the story to remind the reader of being trapped and held captive.  This novel does not have any illustrations except the cover art which shows a woman with fireflies in her hair against the darkness of the night sky.  Engle writes beautifully while making connections with each character and revealing the issues each are subjected to through their current situation.  

Connections: 
The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle
The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano by Margarita Engle
90 MILES TO HAVANA by Flores-Galbis, Enrique.

Discussion- Lesson might discuss slavery and suffrage.  Science lesson might research fireflies and how they live. 

Awards and Reviews:

ALSC Notable Children's Book
Bank Street Best Children's Book of the Year
Capitol Choices Noteworthy Titles for Children and Teens
IRA Notable Books for a Global Society
Jane Addams AwardPura Belpré Author Honor
Texas TAYSHAS High School Reading List

“Starred Review. Like the firefly light, Engle’s poetry is a gossamer thread of subtle beauty weaving together three memorable characters who together find hope and courage. Another fine volume by a master of the novel in verse.” - Kirkus Reviews

“Through this moving combination of historical viewpoints, Engle creates dramatic tension among the characters, especially in the story of Elena, who makes a surprising sacrifice.” - Booklist

"The easily digestible, poetic narrative makes this a perfect choice for reluctant readers, students of the women's movement, those interested in Cuba, and teens with biography assignments. Grades 8+." - School Library Journal

Grimes, Nikki; Colon, Raul [illus.]. What is Goodbye? New York, NY: Hyperion Books for Children, 2004.
ISBN: 0786807784

Author:
Nikki Grimes is an American author and illustrator of books written for children and young adults, as well as a poet and journalist. Grimes was born in Harlem, New York. Grimes currently resides in Corona, California and continues to write poetry and books. She is on the board of directors for the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance. Her work has earned her honors and recognition from a number of prestigious organizations.

Plot Summary:

This book of poetry tells Jerilyn and Jesse's story when they lost their beloved older brother. The book begins with this poem.

What is goodbye?

Where is the good in it?

One leaves

and many hearts

are broken.

There must be

a better arithmetic

somewhere.

 In this book, each child deals with Jaron's death differently. Jerilyn tries to keep it in and hold it together; Jesse acts out.

            His Name- Jesse                                                  His name- Jerilyn

           Mommy won't say Jaron's name                           Once I asked my mother                      

           so I write it everywhere,                                      where she found

           on the walls, my book, his chair,                        Jaron's name. 

Their mother becomes sad and barely speaks while their dad becomes distant and wants to be alone. The family that use to laugh and joke becomes a sullen, sad family not knowing how to move on. But after a year of anger, pain, and guilt, they come to understand that it's time and they must move on. It's time for a new family picture-with one piece missing, yet whole again. Smile!

                                                                                  

Critical Analysis: 

Grimes writes 26 paired poems to express the stages of grief that the brother and sister are going through after the death of their older brother. The poems are written in free verse and very simple but express the emotion felt by both children. The book begins with the death of the brother, to the funeral, then to the healing of the family over a year period. Jesse's, the younger brother, poems usually rhyme and are shorter than the older sister's which do not rhyme and are more developed and complex.  In the beginning of the book, the poems have a sad, blue feel to them then move to anger and frustration and toward the end more peaceful feel to them.  This book takes us through the family's pain after losing the brother/son and each stage of their grief process. Jesse and Jerilyn handle each stage differently to show that grief is handled differently depending on the person.  Grimes gives an array of emotions that anyone who has experienced a loss will identify with. The illustrations by Raul Colon are very fitting to the story to show the turmoil and sadness. Each abstract drawing represent the struggle of the children and the parents as they move through these stages of grief. The reader can feel the emotions in the eyes of the family in each illustration.  

Connections:

•           Everett Anderson’s Goodbye by Lucille Clifton
•          Jazmine's Notebook by Nikki Grimes
•          A Pocket Full of Poems by Nikki Grimes
•          Words with Wings by Nikki Grimes

*Have students create a memory book, poster, or box and fill it with things they remember from someone they've lost.
*Have students write a letter to a person that they've lost.

Awards/Reviews:

• 2006 NCTE Award for Excellence in Poetry for Children
• 2003 Coretta Scott King Author Award
• 2011 Horace Mann Upstanders Award for Almost Zero: a Dyamonde Daniel Book
• 1993 NAACP Image Award Finalist for Malcolm X: a Force for Change

Insightfully and concisely, Grimes (Bronx Masquerade ) traces the stages of grief and healing, through the 26 paired poems of two siblings mourning their older brother, Jaron. Jesse, "too young" to go to the funeral, expresses loss in raw terms; his poems always lead the pairings.- Publishers Weekly

The unimaginably painful situation of losing a sibling is the theme of this poetry collection, told in alternating viewpoints by a younger brother and sister in the year after their older brother's sudden death from an unspecified cause. The 52 poems are organized in pairs with the same title, moving in subject from the initial shock of hearing of the death, through the funeral, and then through the stages of grief and on to the gradual adjustment to the new circumstances of their changed family life. Grimes succeeds in creating distinct personalities for each member of the family and distinctly different ways of dealing with their grief as well. -Kirkus Review

  2013 Newbery Winner

Applegate, Katherine.The One and Only Ivan. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers, 2012.
ISBN: 9780062135797

Author:
Katherine Applegate's many books include the Roscoe Riley Rules chapter book series, the picture book The Buffalo Storm, and the award-winning novel Home of the Brave. She also wrote a series with her husband, titled Animorphs which sold over 35 million copies. Katherine was inspired to write The One and Only Ivan after reading about the true story of a captive gorilla known as Ivan, the Shopping Mall Gorilla.

Plot Summary:
Ivan is the narrator of our story and is an easygoing silver-back gorilla. 
      "I am Ivan.  I am a gorilla.  It's not as easy as it looks."

      "At the present, I do not have any gorilla friends."

He lives at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade. He does not miss his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.  The main reason for that is because Ivan was taken captive as a baby so he doesn't have much to remember.  He does, however, remember his parents getting shot and his sister.

       "One day a still day when the hot air hummed, the humans came."
       " Somehow I knew that in order to live, I had to let my old life die.  But my 
         sister could not let go of our home. It held her like a vine, stretching across 
         the miles, comforting, strangling."

        "We were still in our crate when she looked at me without seeing, and I knew
         the vine had finally snapped."
Ivan tries to not think about his old life.  Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog and mostly art.  He loves to draw.    
One day Ruby, a new baby elephant, arrives and this is when things start to change.  Ivan realizes that his life is not that great when Stella dies and he sees how sad Ruby is without Stella.  Before Stella dies, Ivan promises her that he will help Ruby have a better life.  Ivan comes up with a plan to get the animals moved to a zoo or habitat so everyone will have a better life. 

Critical Analysis:
I loved this book. Ivan's personality grabs the reader right from the beginning. This story is told in first-person narrative with Ivan being the main character and our narrator. Applegate writes in a type of poetic prose to express the thoughts and feeling of all the  animals while Ivan leads us through the strong friendships, love, art, courage, and even a problem that must be solved from a promise made to a dying friend.  Even though the story is written with a poetic feel, the sentences are short and simple so anyone can understand what Ivan is feeling. The bond the reader makes with Ivan is immediate and very real, not silly as one might think. This story will also open your eyes to the treatment of animals which sometimes we forget. It slowly brings the reader to realize the horrible life of the animals with little details such as later in the book changing the word "domain" to "cage".  The illustrations are black and white sketches which add to the simplicity of the story. It makes you feel as if Ivan and the animals are simple creatures who do not have control over their environment.  In the author's note, Applegate tells the story of the real Ivan and his 27 years of captivity in a cage which really fills in the story and bonds it with real life.
                                                                            
Connections: 

•            Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate
•            The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
•            An Eggplant in the Garden by Micheal Morpurgo
•            The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

Discuss:    Animal rights, Civil Rights, Friendship, Death
  

Awards/Reviews:

• Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal
• 2013 Bluebonnet Nominee
• 2012 Christopher Medal
• Gold Medal in Juvenile Literature, 2012 California Book Award
• Society of Children's Book Writers 
• Illustrators 2013 Crystal Kite Award Winner
• #1 New York Times bestseller
• School Library Journal Best of Children's Books 2012
• Kirkus Reviews Best of Children's Books 2012

"How Ivan confronts his harrowing past yet stays true to his nature exemplifies everything youngsters need to know about courage. … Utterly believable, this bittersweet story, complete with an author's note identifying the real Ivan, will inspire a new generation of advocates."

- Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"Applegate makes a powerful statement about the treatment of animals–especially those living in captivity–and reminds readers that all creatures deserve a safe place to call home. Castelao's delightful illustrations enhance this lovely story, and the characters will capture readers' hearts and never let go. A must-have."

                                                                                                      - School Library Journal (starred review

"Discover an animal hero that will take his place with other courageous and beloved animals such as Babe, Mrs. Frisby, Charlotte and Wilbur. Adults reading this aloud with children will find it just as rewarding.”
                                                                                                     --Shelf Awareness

Kimmel, Eric, A.; Huling,Phil [Illus]. Cactus Soup.Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2004.
ISBN: 0761451552

Author:
Eric A. Kimmel was born in Brooklyn, NY in 1946.  Eric had wanted to be an author since he first discovered back in kindergarten that people called authors make books. His first book came out in 1974.  Since then he has published over fifty titles, many of which have won numerous state awards, appeared on school and library recommended lists, and won prestigious awards. He is the only author to win the National Jewish Book Award for picture books twice. The first time was for The Chanukkah Guest. The second time was for The Mysterious Guests.

Plot Summary:
This is a version of the folktale Stone Soup or Nail Soup. In this version, group of hungry soldiers ride into San Miguel, the mayor and townspeople don’t want to share their food. 

The mayor was not happy about the soldiers coming and grumbled,

                        "They eat like wolves.

                         There won't be a tortilla left when they get through."  

So the townspeople hide their tortillas, tamales, beans, and flour and put on torn clothes to look poor. But the Capitán is not fooled. He asks for a cactus thorn to make some cactus soup, and before long he has tricked the townspeople into giving him salt and chilies, vegetables, and a chicken as well!  The town ends up have a huge feast and the townspeople pull out of the food that they had hidden.  

The mayor decided the town can feed any group of soldiers as long as they

                              "remember how to make Cactus Soup"!  

Critical Analysis:
Kimmel leaves the basic story line of the original tale but puts his great twist on the presentation. He adds in some Spanish words and names of food to add to the Mexican flare of this book. 

Phil Huling used deep watercolors and exaggerated drawing to emphasize the southwest style of this tale.  He draws over-sized sombreros, elongated facial features, lanky bodies, swayed back horses which works well to give the tale a Mexican look along with glossy pages. 

Connections:

• Read Stone Soup by Ann McGovern
• Read Nail Soup by Eric Maddern
• Researching cactus:  Are cacti native to your area?  Find out what species are native to your state.
• Make cactus soup or stone soup
• Read Little Red Hot by Eric A. Kimmel (version of Red Riding Hood) 

Awards/Reviews:

• Caldecott Honor Medal-Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins 
• Sydney Taylor Picture Book Award -The Chanukkah Guest and Gershon’s Monster
• National Jewish Book Award for picture books twice -The Chanukkah Guest and The Mysterious Guests 
•  Naylor Award-The Lady In The Blue Cloak

Kimmel (The Runaway Tortilla) sets his version of "Stone Soup" during the Mexican Revolution, inspiring some marvelously atmospheric watercolors by Huling (Puss in Cowboy Boots). Hungry soldiers encounter the poverty-feigning townsfolk of San Miguel and announce that they will make enough cactus soup for the troops and the village. And they make it from an unlikely ingredient-a single cactus thorn. - Publishers Weekly

Kimmel serves up the familiar Stone Soup story with a Mexican flavor in this retelling set in northern Mexico during the time of the Mexican Revolution.- Kirkus Review

    1987 Caldecott Honor Book

Zelinsky, Paul O. Rumpelstilskin. New York, NY: Puffin Books, 1986.
ISBN: 0525442650

Author:
Paul O. Zelinsky grew up in Wilmette, Illinois, the son of a mathematics professor father and a medical illustrator mother. He drew compulsively from an early age, but did not know until college that this would be his career.  His first book appeared in 1978, since which time he has become recognized as one of the most inventive and critically successful artists in the field. Among many other awards and prizes, he received the 1998 Caldecott Medal for his illustrated retelling of Rapunzel, as well as Caldecott Honors for three of his books: Hansel and Gretel (1985),  Rumpelstiltskin (1987), and Swamp Angel (1995).

Plot Summary:

The classic tale of Rumpelstiltskin is vividly brought to life in this new edition by Paul O. Zelinsky.  Rumpelstiltskin is one of the Grimm brothers' most popular tales.  In this retelling of a classic, Zelinsky tells the story of a poor miller who had a beautiful daughter. One day on the way to town he meets the king.  The miller was trying to impress the king which leads to the tale that his beautiful daughter can spin straw into gold.  The king was a greedy man and took the daughter to a room filled with straw.  He instructs the daughter to spin all the straw into gold by morning.  Of course, she can not and she begins to cry.  Suddenly, a little man pops into the room and offers to spin the straw into gold. 

                   

                                                                           
In trade for his service, the little man first takes her necklace, then her ring, but on the third night the daughter has nothing left to give him.  The little man tells her to promise him her first born child.  She is shocked but has no other choice.  The king marries her and life goes on as normal until she has her first child and who should appear? The little man wanting the child.  She does not want to give up the baby and begs him.  He agrees if she can figure out his name in three days then he won't take the child.  The tale continues for two days and the queen is frantic and sends someone out to search for the little man's name.  By luck, the servant hears the little man singing in the forest,
                                               
                               I brew my beer, I bake my loaves, 
                                             And soon the queen's own son I'll claim,
                                             O lucky me! For no one know 
                                             That Rumpelstiltskin is my name!
                                                  
   
The servant runs and tells the queen.  When the little man comes back and the queen tells his name, he jumps on a cooking spoon and flies out the window yelling, "The Devil told you that! The Devil told you that!" and was never heard from again.
                                                                                                               
                                
Critical Analysis:
Zelinisky keeps this tale very close to the original and makes it a pleasure to read. This book has beautiful oil painted illustrations.  The colors are rich and bold while each page has a glossy look adding to the feeling of richness.  The color gold is used throughout the book to emphasize the "straw spinning into gold".  The characters emotions show on their faces and are easily interpreted by the reader.  

Connections:
Read and compare:

• Zelinsky’s other fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel and Rapunzel 
• Look at other stories of Rumpelstiltskin: Paul Galdone, Nick and Claire Page, Teodora
• The original Brother’s Grimm version

Awards/Reviews:

1987 Caldecott Honor Book, Redbook Award, Society of Illustrators and AIGA Certificates of Merit, Bratislava Biennale Selection, ALA Notable Book, SLJ Best Book, Parents' Choice Award, Book-of-the-Month Club selection, and White Raven Book selection of the International Youth Library. 

Richly hued oil paintings complement a story simply and gracefully told. "Children...love the story for its mystery, and its familiarity. Adults will find that, like most classic fairy tales, this one rewards periodic rethinking." --New York Times Book Review 

"Zelinsky's smooth retelling and glowing pictures cast the story in a new and beautiful light." -- School Library Journal

"Adult and child can delight together in the richness of color, gilt and detail...captured in such art. The story is palinly and gracefully told."--The New York Times Book Review "A lush and substantial offering." --Booklist