Code Name Verity

Summary:  Code Name Verity is a historical fiction novel based around a platonic female friendship during World War II. It follows the stories of Maddie, a pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary, and her best friend, Julie aka Queenie, a radio operator turned spy for the British.  As the war in France escalates, Maddie is given an opportunity to do much more than just transport. Her assignments are marked with an “S,” indicating classified Royal Air Force special duties. It could be passengers, locations, or schedules and they all must remain top secret. After overcoming dozens of obstacles like broken planes, bad weather, and bombings, Maddie is chosen for her most dangerous mission yet, transporting her best friend, Queenie. 

Their plane is struk by anticraft fire and Queenie parachutes out.  She is captured and becomes a prisoner of the Germans and is being tortured by the Gestapo unless she gives them information.  In her confessional letters she buries code on how to destroy the buildings and take down the enemy. Maddie turns to the French resistance to try to save her friend.  I don't want to spoil it but this is a book about friendship and bravery in extraordinary circumstances. The twists and turns will leave you guessing and even bring you to tears because you will be so invested in these characters who have so much love for each other.

Wein, E. (2012). Code name Verity. New York: Hyperion.

Commentary:  This book starts out slow simply because of the plane lingo and detail.  Then the tale picks up after Queenie is captured and begins her confession.  I think that students will especially enjoy this book because it speaks to them about true friendship, faith and loyalty, a kind they may never have experienced plus it's all wrapped up in a war story.  Some teenagers may think that this book is just for girls because of the main characters but that is very far from the truth.  I think male or female that they would enjoy the characters, the history and story behind this book.

Connections:  I would consider this book a Historial Fiction novel that is written in a narrative format, journal entries and letters along with factual recall from the perspective of 2 different characters, Julie and Maddie. Teenagers will lie the espionage, war and friendship aspects of this book.

Elizabeth Wein's webpage

Author reading of a bit of Code Name Verity

Video interview with the author from Books(dot)con

Video interview with the author about Code Name Verity and her love of libraries.

Book Trailer

Discussion Guide for Code Name Verity

LSSL 5385 03 Textbook Reflection - Chapters 11+

Chapter 11+

Poetry

• Evaluating poetry for Children and YA Readers - What do kids want in poetry
• Prefer narrative poems that tell a story
• They dislike free verse and haiku
• Rhyme and rhythm and sound devices are strongly preferred
• Funny poems are popular
• Poems about familiar experiences and animals
• Preference for contemporary poems
• Poetry can be interactive
• Needs to be read for enjoyment from a young age - start with a poem everyday
• There are poems about everything under the sun and beyond - science, parts of speech, math, animals, etc.
• Poems should be read for enjoyment
• Repeated readings are helpful
• Poems that allow for choral reading and repeating are favorites
• NCTE Excellence in Poetry Award for poets who have made a great contribution to poetry with a number of works like:  Marilyn Singer, Joyce Sidman, J Patrick Lewis, Lee Bennet Hopkins, Nikki Grimes, among others
• Things poetry should be: lively, employ sound, visual images, tell simple stories, something you can interact with, good enough to repeat and a subject that would touch a child.
• Poetry does not need to be brought down to a child's understanding level

I enjoy poetry when it is presented in this way.  You brought up a good point about how we were taught poetry...picking it apart.  They was definitely something that conjured up bad memories.  I love the idea of starting each day with a poem.  I do the morning announcements each day and it might be nice to have a daily or at least a weekly poem to share with the entire campus.  What a great impact that would make, especially if they are short, sweet and the funnier the better.

Historical Fiction

• Set in the past but the past can mean different things for different aged people.
• Helps readers to experience events that happened in the past and live vicariously through those events.
• Evaluation Criteria
• Are the facts from the period accurate?
• Does it tell a good story?
• Are the values of the time period true to that period in history?
• Does the setting, speech, clothing, etc. reflect the time period?
• Is the theme universal despite the time period?

I know from my student's vantage point that this is a highly neglected category of books in my library.  I need to do a better job of presenting important, interesting and impactful Historical Fiction books to them.  I love historical fiction and I need to share that love with my students.  I am elementary so they aren't ready for books like The Notorious Benedict Arnold but I can definitely introduce them to books like Number the Stars and Bud, Not Buddy. 

Realistic Fiction

• Also known as Contemporary Realistic Fiction (CRF) or Modern Realistic Fiction (MRF)
• Set in the real world in today's time with realistic setting, characters and events
• Evaluation Criteria
• Is everything consistent with today's world: speech, behavior, issues?
• A good Realistic Fiction book will have many themes that emerge slowly from the story.
• Readers can relate to the subject matter: sometimes taboo or sensitive issues. 

Realistic Fiction is a category of books that most kids can relate to whether they are questioning themselves, having family issues, dealing with loss of a parent through death or divorce, etc.  For my students at my school it's books like Bridge to Terabithia and Holes.  Most tear-jerker books but they are books that almost always stay checked out.

Nonfiction

• Defined by what it is not - it is NOT Fiction
• Can be any form or category of book out there
• Evaluation Criteria
• Qualifications of the author? Look at acknowledgements and where they got their information
• Are the facts accurate? We may not always know but this is where the reputation and qualifications of the author can come into play.
• What's the purpose and scope of the book?
• what age group does it target
• broad topic
• narrow topic
• What's the organization of the book?  We want kids to be able to find the information that they are looking for.  Does it have:
• Table of Contents?
• Index?
• Glossary?
• Reference Material? Notes?
• What role do visuals play? They should elaborate on the text and help break it up
• As with fiction, books should be mirrors (where you can see yourself), windows (where you can look at other worlds) and doors (where you can step into other worlds).

Nonfiction books seem to be my student's favorites.   Coming into my library I already had a well developed nonfiction section.  I intend to keep it that way.  I have been purchasing more Seymour Simon books, etc. but will be using the Orbis Pictus and Notable award list to help me when making future purchases.

Fantasy and Science Fiction

• Science fiction is a subgenre of Fantasy
• Evaluation Criteria
• Characters and aspects of the story must be consistent and believable
• Rules still need to be in place for the fantasy world
• Authors must assist the readers in the "willing suspension of disbelief"
• Themes should explore universal truths
• Sub-categories of Science Fiction - Soft Sci Fi (more about story and plot) and Hard Sci Fi (more about science itself).  A lot of the overflow into to others
• Apocalyptic/post apocalyptic
• Steampunk/Cyberpunk/Biopunk
• Dystopia
• Extra-sensory perception - telepathy, clairvoyance/precognition
• Robots/androids/cyborgs/Artificial Intelligence
• Space/Aliens/Extra-terrestrial
• Time Travel/Parallel universes
• Virtual Reality/Gaming
• Miscellaneous

Science Fiction is a great "door" for people to step into another world.  My students love these types of books.  Even though they are elementary they enjoy Artemis Fowl and Margaret Peterson Haddix books.  I have a feeling A Wrinkle in Time will be a big hit this year with the movie coming out too.

Graphic Novels

• Not a subgenre but a form or format of a book
• Evaluation Criteria
• Color or shading
• How is line used? Shading, bolding, etc.
• Composition - size matters
• Frames or panels - how are they arranged
• Text and dialogue through speech bubbles
• White space is important
• What media is used? 
• Graphic Novel lend themselves to a lot of inferencing to "read between the lines" or in the gutters.

Many of my teachers won't allow their students to check out graphic novels.  This year, it is my mission to show the teachers how wonderful graphic novels are considering they can cover just about any subgenre and category imaginable.  The reluctant readers can be mesmerized and drawn in and develop into avid readers because of their love of graphic novels.  We always tell our students not to lose their love of picture books.  What makes graphic novels any different?

10 Questions to ask about a Novel

Richard Peck's questions will help you to ask your students the how, why and what if questions of a novel.  What if the story were told by the opposite sex? Why is the story in THIS setting? How would this story play out as a movie or tv show?  Does the title tell you what you need to know?

These are great questions to get my students to think from a different perspective to not only help them improve their reading but also their writing.

Crowdsourced List of Middle School Authors

I will keep this list in mind when choosing books for my more advanced readers.  It is sometimes hard to find great books for my 5th graders who are ready for the next step but not quite ready for YA books.

Feed

Summary:  Feed is a futuristic book about Titus and his friends who go on Spring Break to the moon during the 25th century.  During this time, 3/4ths of the population have a device implanted into their brains connecting them to a continuous "feed" of advertising promoting consumerism and information that corporations want you to hear, see and feel.  During a dance party, Titus and his friends are hacked and lose their "feed."  The teens are bothered by the silence.  The "feed" gave them constant access to anything and everything but it is driven by corporations who are taking over the thinking for everyone, without even realizing. Eventually the teen's feeds are restored but everything has changed for Titus because of his new friend, Violet. Violet didn't get her feed until she was about 7 and there are complications which are causing the feed to kill her slowly.  Titus begins to see the "feed" differently after this "silent" period. He and Violet begin to fight to save their individuality and resist the consumerism. They start developing crazy consumer profiles by asking for information on items and then not buying them to "trick" the feednet.  When Violet's body starts to shut down FeedTech won't help her because of the inconsistent profile. They fight and break up.

Violet's father lets Titus know that Violet is fading. Titus goes to see her at the end and begins telling her the broken stories he remembers, even after he deleted all the memories that she sent to him. When she has just 4.6% of life left, Titus starts telling her the story of them.  He believes that as long as someone remembers you then you live forever. But in the end, "Everything Must Go." 

Anderson, M. (2002). Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Commentary:  The strengths of this book are that these young characters draws you in what seems to be good teenage fun and access to everything that teenagers can and are distracted by. The "feed" is multi-tasking at it's greatest, receiving multiple feeds all at once. This book remembers me a lot of The Knife of Never Letting Go and the "noise" that all the men hear all the time, it's never quiet. Just like the feed is never quiet.  They are even being fed information in their dreams.

Connections:  I would consider this book a Modern (soft) Science Fiction novel based on a teenager's life in the 25th century.  The time seems really far off and may have seemed pretty far off when the author wrote the book 15 years ago but now in 2017, a lot of this is real. Google, facebook and instagram all learn your preferences by what you are searching for.  Our "feeds" are inundated with advertisements of what our previous searches have been.  Our cars can parallel park themselves.  We don't have "upcars" but we have Uber, pretty close.  We can skype and facetime with relatives on another continent, maybe not the moon.  It's kind of scary how close to home this hits, especially the references how it is implanted into their brains.  My 5 year old could use my iphone before she even learned to read but my 20 year old didn't get a "smartphone" til she was in high school.  She had a flip flop with a sliding keyboard, so old-fashioned.  So you might consider her one of those who received her "feed" later.

Link to the M.T. Anderson's page.

Link to the author's review of Feed.

Book Trailers

Interview with M. T. Anderson.

From the 2010 National Book Festival.

Scowler

Summary:  Ry Burke is a 19 year old who suffered severe abuse at the hands of his father. His father is imprisoned with a 20 year sentence because of crimes committed against his mother, sewing her to the bed and hunting and chasing Ry through the forest for 2 days. Ry, his little sister Sarah (who doesn't remember their father), and his mother are barely making a living on an old run down family farm. A meteorite hits the prison 10 years into his sentence.  Another meteorite lands in the field of the farm.  Ry’s father manages to escape and makes his way home to take his revenge on his family.  He decides to use Ry to gather the meteorite so they can sell it for a fortune. Ry fights to survive and save his mother and sister with the help of three imaginary friends who have returned from his troubled childhood to help. His three childhood toys–his teddy bear Mr. Furrington, a bendy figure of Jesus Christ, and a monster with metal teeth Scowler give him the courage to fight his father's cruelty.  Ry struggles between reality and madness, unsure of whether or not he is a monster himself.  

Kraus, D. (2013). Scowler. New York: Delacorte.

Commentary:  The strengths of this horror book is the suspense that keeps your interest. The development of Ry in the course of the book has you rooting for him, his sister and mother because all the cruelty they have suffered at the hands of their father.  No one deserves this.  The teenager struggles with his reality, between good and evil.  Sometimes good people have to do bad things to protect themselves or those they love.  

Connections:  This book would be a Fiction novel - low fantasy in the horror category.  This book reminds me a lot of I Hunt Killers with the abusive fathers, escape from prison and sons who question whether they are monsters themselves because of their fathers.  I admire the way the author  represented the imaginary friends as encouragement (Mr. Furrington), wisdom (Jesus) and violence (Scowler-sometimes a necessary evil) like war.


Link to the author's page Daniel Kraus.

Book Trailer

Audio Excerpt from Scowler

Interview with Daniel Kraus about his book Rotters.

Daniel Kraus reads from Scowler.

I Hunt Killers Discussion Questions

It's Perfectly Normal

Summary:  If you have questions about any topic about growing up that might be considered taboo in your family or your mind, this is informational book is for you. It answers questions with accuracy, a bit of humor and cartoon narrators Bird and Bee.  The Table of Contents shows 6 parts and 28 chapters presenting what topic is covered in each so you can look up only the information you are interested in at the moment. It also has an extensive Index adding to the organization and the ability to get information on a single topic. There is a long list of contributors to this book which lends to the accuracy of the material. The design of the book with cartoon illustrations and a Bird and a Bee as commentators on each page speaking through speech bubbles with a moderately sarcastic tone, helps present topics that all teenagers will experience during their adolescence in a less antiseptic manner.

Harris, R. (2009). It’s perfectly normal. Boston, MA: Candlewick Press.

Commentary:  The strengths of this book are that the information that is sometimes considered taboo is presented in a "cartoonist" way with speech bubbles and Bird and Bee doing the talking so it not so techy or preachy, just presents the facts in a fun sort of way. This book would attract teenagers that are looking for information about what "normal" is.  

Connections:  I would consider this book an Expository Non-Fiction book.  Teenagers are curious about all of this information and may not get the best information from either their parents or the internet.  This book presents those topics in small chunks, easily digested when teenagers are curious about the changes they are going through.

Link to Robie Harris's page.

Link to the Candlewick's information on It's Perfectly Normal.

Book Trailers

Interview with Robie Harris.

Grasshopper Jungle

Summary:  It's the end of the world. Austin, the main character is a sexually confused teen and historian describing it.  He is in love with both his girlfriend, Shann and his best friend, Robby, who is gay.  Robby and Austin are hanging out behind the mall, they call Grasshopper Jungle. Bullies beat them up and throw their stuff on the roof.  Robby is upset and uses his blood to write “Grant Wallace murdered me” on the pavement. Later that night theboys return to retrieve their belongings and they discover an access door to his bosses’ office. They find a glowing mass called "Contained Plague 412E," and containers with hands, a two headed baby, and a penis.  While they are discovering such strange things, the bullies return and steal the glowing mass. They accidentally drop it on the pavement where Robby wrote his bloody message. This creates a plague of man-eating pray mantises who only eat and have sex. The boys run to Shann’s house and discover a machine that types a message. The message reads, "they must seek refuge at a silo."  Once they find the silo, which is in an underground farm, they learn about a refuge named Eden and it’s history. They learn that the only way to get rid of the plague is through Robby’s blood, which had activated the plague. Their efforts to fight the praying mantises in their hometown are unsuccessful and must start a new life in the city of Eden. 

Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper jungle. New York: Dutton.

Commentary:  The strengths of this book are that it is about everything and contains almost everything imaginable: war, sex, masturbation, love, giant insects, history, soldiers, God, the devil, joy, the end of the world, history, everything.  It allows teenagers who are questioning anything to have a book that they can relate to because it has everything.  It throws in science fiction, horror, apocalyptic themes. It is different from anything else out there.

Connections:  I would consider this a soft Science Fiction Modern novel being that it is not about the science behind what all is going on but more about the relationships in the book.   Although it mainly focused on the male characters  there are a few female characters but they are not very well developed.    .  

Link to the author's page Andrew Smith.

Book Trailer

Interview with the author

Study Guide - if you want access to the entire thing, it requires payment

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Summary: This story is about Gabi, a girl finding her identity during her last year of high school. She tells her story through journal entries and her poetry. She is funny and truthful about her messy life. She tells a compelling, heartbreaking, heartwarming and honest story. She writes poetry to help her process her messy and painful situations like her friend Cindy's pregnancy, her mom's surprise pregnancy, plus her friend, Sebastian coming out and now staying with her because his parents kicked him out. Gabi struggles with wanting to go away to college and with the cultural belief that Mexican children stay home and help their families.  She figures out that she loves to write poetry because it helps her process really painful situations in her life. The poem about her father, who has passed away, is bittersweet, moving, emotional, messy and brutally honest. 

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi: A girl in pieces. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

Commentary:  This book is written as journal entries or in a diary format. It has almost everything that a teenager could being going through during this tumultuous time in their lives: teenage pregnancy, boyfriends/girlfriends and the trouble that comes with those relationships, dating, friends coming out, abortion, parent problems, addiction, her brother's arrest, rape, weight issues, religious guilt, etc. 

Connections:  I would consider this book to be a Realistic Fiction novel.  It is written in a diary format and contains lots of Spanish, without any glossary and not many translations. Gabi goes through so many changes during this one year of life. It mirrors the contemporary issues that are experienced in the Mexican culture, Catholic guilt, etc.


Link to Isabel Quintero author's page.

Book Trailer

Isabel Quintero accepts the ALA Morris Award for debut writers in young adult fiction.

Author Interview  

Teacher's Guide

Audio on why Isabel Quintero wrote Gabi, a Girl in Pieces