1. Green, John. 2006. LOOKING FOR ALASKA. New York, NY: Puffin. ISBN-20: 014241221X
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Up until the summer before Junior year, Miles life has been as exciting as vanilla pudding. Looking for a change in his life, he decides to attend his father’s alma mater, a boarding prep school for children of wealthy parents. Miles is not disappointed when he meets his roommate, The Colonel, a poor genius on scholarship and Alaska, a brilliant, wild and unpredictable beauty with whom he instantly falls in love. The first half of the book entails Miles trying to find himself amidst bigger-than-life characters. The second half of the book involves Miles’ quest to find meaning in the aftermath of a tragedy.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Looking for Alaska is a complex book that explores many issues young adults struggle with including identity, friendship, sexuality, peer pressure, and the meaning of life. Green weaves the heavy themes around Miles’ odd penchant for famous people’s last words. Miles explains his desire to go to boarding school to his parents by explaining, "Francois Rabelais. He was a poet. And his last words were "I go to seek a Great Perhaps." That's why I'm going. So I don't have to wait until I die to start seeking a Great Perhaps." Green has an understanding of the common adolescent desire to do something bigger than life.
Alaska is an enigma. She is beautiful, charismatic, self-destructive, impulsive, and moody. Her behavior is difficult to understand until Alaska opens up to her friends about the wound of her mother’s death. This tragic event has both tormented Alaska and has played a defining role in her life. Ultimately, Alaska’s own death is directly linked to her mother’s death, her inability to forgive herself, and her self-punishment for something that was out of her control. Miles transformation and maturity is evident when he has the realization, “…He was gone, and I did not have time to tell him what I had just now realized: that I forgave him, and that she forgave us, and that we had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth. There were so many of us who would have to live with things done and things left undone that day.”
Looking for Alaska is appropriate for older, mature adolescents and provides an abundance of material for discussion.
4. BOOK AWARDS AND EXCEPT(S)
Michael L. Printz Award Winner
School Library Journal: “Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace(S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends.”
5. CONNECTIONS
Henke, Kevin. 2005. OLIVE’S OCEAN. ISBN-10: 0060535458
Perkins, Lynne Rae. 2007. CRISS CROSS. ISBN-10: 0060092742
Kadohata, Cynthia. 2006. KIRA-KIRA. ISBN-10: 0689856407
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Rules by Cynthia Lord
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. RULES. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN-13-978-0-545-03640-5
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this insightful and valuable book, Lord creates a likeable and very real character in Catherine, a twelve-year-old girl with an eight-year-old autistic brother. Catherine is torn between love for her brother and fear of the impact his behavior has on how friends perceive her. When a new friend moves in next door, Catherine’s fear of rejection intensifies until a young, severely physically disabled young man helps her to understand that tolerance and acceptance must begin with her.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Rules, Lord tells a powerful story that is useful for helping young adolescents to develop sensitivity toward those who are different. Readers will find it easy to relate to twelve-year-old Catherine, who struggles with her mixed feeling toward her autistic eight-year-old brother. Through Catherine, older children get a glimpse of the difficulty of having a sibling whose disability is the center of a family’s life.
Through this book, readers have an opportunity to become better acquainted with autism. Eight-year-old David needs rules to make sense of the world he lives in. Since he perceives things differently than others around him, David relies on rules in order to help him to function in everyday life. Catherine writes down rules for David because he “needs to be taught everything. Everything from the fact that a peach is not a funny-looking apple to how having long hair doesn’t make someone a girl.” However, as someone who defends and must take care of someone with autism, Catherine has her own ongoing survival list or rules.
Catherine learns that one can make the most unusual friends when one is willing to look beneath the surface. When she first “talks” to Jason, a severely disabled, non-verbal wheelchair-bound young man, she never expects to find a funny, sarcastic and intelligent human being. As she begins to see him as a “real” person, she volunteers to write/draw words that will help him to express himself. In the process of giving him words, Catherine learns how to tell her parents that she needs their attention also while acknowledging that David, her brother, does have significant needs. Also, Jason helps her to move beyond herself in order to see that others around her have needs and feelings also. He becomes a catalyst that changes Catherine’s relationships with all the important people in her life.
4. AWARDS AND BOOK EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor Medal
Schneider Family Book Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
Booklist: “A heartwarming first novel.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Catherine is an appealing and believable character, acutely self-conscious and torn between her love for her brother and her resentment of his special needs. Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences.”
Publisher’s Weekly: "The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life.”
School Library Journal: "Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. . . this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."
Library Media Connection: "The first-person narrative is very engaging, and readers will identify with Catherine's struggles and cheer for her at the end. This is a great book to help students gain some understanding about autism, while also providing a good read. The author is the mother of an autistic child.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Lowry, Lois. 2005. THE SILENT BOY. ISBN-10: 0440419808
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. FEATHERS. ISBN -10: 0399239898
Picoult, Jodi. 2010. HOUSE RULES: A NOVEL. ISBN-10: 0743296435
Lord, Cynthia. 2006. RULES. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. ISBN-13-978-0-545-03640-5
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this insightful and valuable book, Lord creates a likeable and very real character in Catherine, a twelve-year-old girl with an eight-year-old autistic brother. Catherine is torn between love for her brother and fear of the impact his behavior has on how friends perceive her. When a new friend moves in next door, Catherine’s fear of rejection intensifies until a young, severely physically disabled young man helps her to understand that tolerance and acceptance must begin with her.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In Rules, Lord tells a powerful story that is useful for helping young adolescents to develop sensitivity toward those who are different. Readers will find it easy to relate to twelve-year-old Catherine, who struggles with her mixed feeling toward her autistic eight-year-old brother. Through Catherine, older children get a glimpse of the difficulty of having a sibling whose disability is the center of a family’s life.
Through this book, readers have an opportunity to become better acquainted with autism. Eight-year-old David needs rules to make sense of the world he lives in. Since he perceives things differently than others around him, David relies on rules in order to help him to function in everyday life. Catherine writes down rules for David because he “needs to be taught everything. Everything from the fact that a peach is not a funny-looking apple to how having long hair doesn’t make someone a girl.” However, as someone who defends and must take care of someone with autism, Catherine has her own ongoing survival list or rules.
Catherine learns that one can make the most unusual friends when one is willing to look beneath the surface. When she first “talks” to Jason, a severely disabled, non-verbal wheelchair-bound young man, she never expects to find a funny, sarcastic and intelligent human being. As she begins to see him as a “real” person, she volunteers to write/draw words that will help him to express himself. In the process of giving him words, Catherine learns how to tell her parents that she needs their attention also while acknowledging that David, her brother, does have significant needs. Also, Jason helps her to move beyond herself in order to see that others around her have needs and feelings also. He becomes a catalyst that changes Catherine’s relationships with all the important people in her life.
4. AWARDS AND BOOK EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Honor Medal
Schneider Family Book Award
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
Booklist: “A heartwarming first novel.”
Kirkus Reviews: “Catherine is an appealing and believable character, acutely self-conscious and torn between her love for her brother and her resentment of his special needs. Middle-grade readers will recognize her longing for acceptance and be intrigued by this exploration of dealing with differences.”
Publisher’s Weekly: "The appealing, credible narrator at the heart of Lord's debut novel will draw in readers, as she struggles to find order and balance in her life.”
School Library Journal: "Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. . . this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."
Library Media Connection: "The first-person narrative is very engaging, and readers will identify with Catherine's struggles and cheer for her at the end. This is a great book to help students gain some understanding about autism, while also providing a good read. The author is the mother of an autistic child.”
5. CONNECTIONS:
Lowry, Lois. 2005. THE SILENT BOY. ISBN-10: 0440419808
Woodson, Jacqueline. 2007. FEATHERS. ISBN -10: 0399239898
Picoult, Jodi. 2010. HOUSE RULES: A NOVEL. ISBN-10: 0743296435
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Number of the Stars by Lois Lowry
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMBER THE STARS. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN 0-395-51060-0
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a well-written, well-researched historical fiction based on the factual, but little-known response of the people of Denmark to the Nazi’s Final Solution. The main character, Annemarie, is a ten-year-old child who lives in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. Although her best friend, Ellen, is Jewish, Annemarie has no understanding of the underlying evil that threatens her friend’s life. Number the Stars is the story of how Denmark’s people responded the one of the greatest evils to face the world, the Nazi’s determination to exterminate a race.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Many books have been written about the Holocaust. However, Lois Lowry’s choice of setting and her choice of a ten-year-old main character are absolutely brilliant. Denmark made a decision to protect its Jewish citizens from the horrors of the Nazi’s death camps. They did so even though it meant that some Danes paid the ultimate price for their stance, torture and execution. In this way, children can be introduced to a very dark time in modern history on a positive note. Denmark did what was right because the Danes rightly viewed their Jewish neighbors as friends and fellow citizens.
Young readers experience the occupation of Denmark through ten-year-old Annemarie’s eyes. Initially, the readers’ first contact with “the soldiers” occurs when Annemarie is racing home at the very beginning of the book. She calls the tall one “the Giraffe” and he shows his human side by responding to Annemarie’s feisty little sister with laughter and amusement. He says, “She is pretty, like my own little girl.” In this way, young readers witness that Nazi soldiers are humans with families that they love. When other soldiers come looking for Ellen’s family, they are not so human. However, Annemarie has allowed young readers to witness that not all soldiers are the same.
Annemarie’s emerging awareness of the gravity of the situation comes to a head on the night that the soldiers burst into her family’s apartment looking for Ellen’s family. Even though she is afraid, Annemarie learns that one can be afraid and still find the strength and courage to do the right thing. When soldiers invade their home, Annemarie pulls the Star of David necklace from Ellen’s neck. Her understanding continues to deepen when she witnesses her parents’ unflinching bravery in the face of brutal Nazi soldiers in search of Jews. Finally, Annemarie makes a choice to selflessly do the right thing when, fully understanding the danger of being “found out,” she risks her safety to protect her Uncle, her friends, and those he is transporting to safety. Annemarie grows up before our eyes as she takes her place beside her family, and her nation, in acting as the Jewish people’s “bodyguard.”
When she learns of how her sister died, she understands that her family has already paid the ultimate price. Her beautiful eighteen-year-old sister Lise had been part of the Resistance and had been killed by the Nazi’s while trying to escape capture. Even though her parents were devastated by the loss of their daughter, they did not hesitate to risk their lives to help their friends.
Ultimately, Number the Stars, is an excellent historical fiction for young readers. It provides a wealth of material for discussion about the power of choice. The underlying message is that although we may not be able to control factors in our environment, we can make a choice about our response to it.
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
1990 Newbery Prize Winner
Publisher’s Weekly: “Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, this 1990 Newbery winner tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend.”
School Library Journal: “Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
5. CONNECTIONS – If you enjoyed Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, you may also enjoy:
Ippisch, Hanneke. SKY: A TRUE STORY OF RESISTANCE DURING WORLD WAR II. ISBN-10: 068980508X
Lowry, Lois. THE GIVER. ISBN-10: 0385732554
Hoose, Phillip. CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE. ISBN-10: 0374313229
Bartoletti, Susan. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW. ISBN-10: 0439353793
Lowry, Lois. 1989. NUMBER THE STARS. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
ISBN 0-395-51060-0
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry is a well-written, well-researched historical fiction based on the factual, but little-known response of the people of Denmark to the Nazi’s Final Solution. The main character, Annemarie, is a ten-year-old child who lives in Denmark during the Nazi occupation. Although her best friend, Ellen, is Jewish, Annemarie has no understanding of the underlying evil that threatens her friend’s life. Number the Stars is the story of how Denmark’s people responded the one of the greatest evils to face the world, the Nazi’s determination to exterminate a race.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Many books have been written about the Holocaust. However, Lois Lowry’s choice of setting and her choice of a ten-year-old main character are absolutely brilliant. Denmark made a decision to protect its Jewish citizens from the horrors of the Nazi’s death camps. They did so even though it meant that some Danes paid the ultimate price for their stance, torture and execution. In this way, children can be introduced to a very dark time in modern history on a positive note. Denmark did what was right because the Danes rightly viewed their Jewish neighbors as friends and fellow citizens.
Young readers experience the occupation of Denmark through ten-year-old Annemarie’s eyes. Initially, the readers’ first contact with “the soldiers” occurs when Annemarie is racing home at the very beginning of the book. She calls the tall one “the Giraffe” and he shows his human side by responding to Annemarie’s feisty little sister with laughter and amusement. He says, “She is pretty, like my own little girl.” In this way, young readers witness that Nazi soldiers are humans with families that they love. When other soldiers come looking for Ellen’s family, they are not so human. However, Annemarie has allowed young readers to witness that not all soldiers are the same.
Annemarie’s emerging awareness of the gravity of the situation comes to a head on the night that the soldiers burst into her family’s apartment looking for Ellen’s family. Even though she is afraid, Annemarie learns that one can be afraid and still find the strength and courage to do the right thing. When soldiers invade their home, Annemarie pulls the Star of David necklace from Ellen’s neck. Her understanding continues to deepen when she witnesses her parents’ unflinching bravery in the face of brutal Nazi soldiers in search of Jews. Finally, Annemarie makes a choice to selflessly do the right thing when, fully understanding the danger of being “found out,” she risks her safety to protect her Uncle, her friends, and those he is transporting to safety. Annemarie grows up before our eyes as she takes her place beside her family, and her nation, in acting as the Jewish people’s “bodyguard.”
When she learns of how her sister died, she understands that her family has already paid the ultimate price. Her beautiful eighteen-year-old sister Lise had been part of the Resistance and had been killed by the Nazi’s while trying to escape capture. Even though her parents were devastated by the loss of their daughter, they did not hesitate to risk their lives to help their friends.
Ultimately, Number the Stars, is an excellent historical fiction for young readers. It provides a wealth of material for discussion about the power of choice. The underlying message is that although we may not be able to control factors in our environment, we can make a choice about our response to it.
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
1990 Newbery Prize Winner
Publisher’s Weekly: “Set in Nazi-occupied Denmark in 1943, this 1990 Newbery winner tells of a 10-year-old girl who undertakes a dangerous mission to save her best friend.”
School Library Journal: “Readers are taken to the very heart of Annemarie's experience, and, through her eyes, come to understand the true meaning of bravery.”
5. CONNECTIONS – If you enjoyed Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, you may also enjoy:
Ippisch, Hanneke. SKY: A TRUE STORY OF RESISTANCE DURING WORLD WAR II. ISBN-10: 068980508X
Lowry, Lois. THE GIVER. ISBN-10: 0385732554
Hoose, Phillip. CLAUDETTE COLVIN: TWICE TOWARD JUSTICE. ISBN-10: 0374313229
Bartoletti, Susan. HITLER YOUTH: GROWING UP IN HITLER’S SHADOW. ISBN-10: 0439353793
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Harpercollins Children’s Books. ISBN-0-06440630
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Midwife’s Apprentice is a historical fiction that transports readers to the Middle Ages and introduces us to an unloved, but very lovable young waif. Through her eyes, young (and old) readers catch a glimpse of a radically different time and place. Cushman tells the tale of a remarkable young waif who blossoms into a remarkable young woman.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cushman does a remarkable job in this rich book for young adult readers. Cushman introduces us to a heroine that has much to teach through her reactions to the harsh realities of her life as an abandoned or orphaned child in Medieval England. In the beginning of the story, the waif does not even have a name. The midwife names her “Beetle” because she had learned to survive in the cold of winter by sleeping in “warm, rotting muck” composed of animal droppings, garbage, and spoiled straw. Through her eyes and her thoughts, we are allowed to experience the life of an “ill-used” child in a time and place that had little to spare for such children. The midwife is harsh, but provides her with minimal care for Beetle’s hard work. Like a wildflower, Beetle thrives on just the little she is given. As observers who are emotionally connected to the main character, we are delighted when she becomes strong enough to claim a name for herself, Alyce.
The Midwife’s Apprentice allows readers to vicariously experience the smells, sight, and beliefs of village life in the Middle Ages. Through Alyce, we experience the mixture of superstition, dubious medicines such as “dragon dung,” and unsanitary practices that comprised medieval medicine.
This educational historical is well-written, well-researched, and provides a wonderful story for young and old readers.
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
1996 Notable Children’s Book
1996 Best Book for Young Adults
New York Public Library 1995 List of Recommended Books
Booklist: *Books for Youth Editors Choice* “Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone.”
School Library Journal *Best Books of the Year, 1995* ”Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart.
Publisher’s Weekly: “Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent."
5. CONNECTIONS – If you liked historical fiction from Medieval Ages, then you will also enjoy:
Cushman, Karen. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. ISBN-10: 0064405842
Cushman, Karen. MATILDA BONE. ISBN-10: 0440418224
Avi. THE CRISPIN: CROSS OF LEAD. ISBN-10: 0786816589
Cushman, Karen. 1995. THE MIDWIFE’S APPRENTICE. New York, NY: Harpercollins Children’s Books. ISBN-0-06440630
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The Midwife’s Apprentice is a historical fiction that transports readers to the Middle Ages and introduces us to an unloved, but very lovable young waif. Through her eyes, young (and old) readers catch a glimpse of a radically different time and place. Cushman tells the tale of a remarkable young waif who blossoms into a remarkable young woman.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Cushman does a remarkable job in this rich book for young adult readers. Cushman introduces us to a heroine that has much to teach through her reactions to the harsh realities of her life as an abandoned or orphaned child in Medieval England. In the beginning of the story, the waif does not even have a name. The midwife names her “Beetle” because she had learned to survive in the cold of winter by sleeping in “warm, rotting muck” composed of animal droppings, garbage, and spoiled straw. Through her eyes and her thoughts, we are allowed to experience the life of an “ill-used” child in a time and place that had little to spare for such children. The midwife is harsh, but provides her with minimal care for Beetle’s hard work. Like a wildflower, Beetle thrives on just the little she is given. As observers who are emotionally connected to the main character, we are delighted when she becomes strong enough to claim a name for herself, Alyce.
The Midwife’s Apprentice allows readers to vicariously experience the smells, sight, and beliefs of village life in the Middle Ages. Through Alyce, we experience the mixture of superstition, dubious medicines such as “dragon dung,” and unsanitary practices that comprised medieval medicine.
This educational historical is well-written, well-researched, and provides a wonderful story for young and old readers.
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
1996 Notable Children’s Book
1996 Best Book for Young Adults
New York Public Library 1995 List of Recommended Books
Booklist: *Books for Youth Editors Choice* “Kids will like this short, fast-paced narrative about a hero who discovers that she's not ugly or stupid or alone.”
School Library Journal *Best Books of the Year, 1995* ”Characters are sketched briefly but with telling, witty detail, and the very scents and sounds of the land and people's occupations fill each page as Alyce comes of age and heart.
Publisher’s Weekly: “Cushman has an almost unrivaled ability to build atmosphere, and her evocation of a medieval village, if not scholarly in its authenticity, is supremely colorful and pungent."
5. CONNECTIONS – If you liked historical fiction from Medieval Ages, then you will also enjoy:
Cushman, Karen. CATHERINE, CALLED BIRDY. ISBN-10: 0064405842
Cushman, Karen. MATILDA BONE. ISBN-10: 0440418224
Avi. THE CRISPIN: CROSS OF LEAD. ISBN-10: 0786816589
The River Between Us by Richard Peck
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York, NY: Dial Books. ISBN 0-80372735-6
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The River Between Us by Richard Peck is a fascinating and well-written historical drama that spans decades. In the beginning of this book the year is 1916 and a war is raging in Europe that threatens to engulf the world. Under these circumstances, we meet a young man named Howard Leland Hutchings who is the son of a hardworking doctor. His father decides to take him and his brothers to meet his family in Grand Tower, a small town on the Mississippi. Through young Howard’s eyes, we catch a glimpse of the four colorful characters who are his father’s “folks.” Soon after, readers find themselves transported back to the first days of the Civil War. We meet the “folks” when they were young and experience the uncertainty and then the horror of the Civil War through their eyes. We also learn about a little known social class in our country’s history, the” free people of color”.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This young adult historical fiction is so intricately woven that one has difficulty remembering it is not a book written for adults. The main characters are rich and an air of mystery permeates this book. We know very quickly that things are not what they seem and the twist at the end is both expected, but ironically still surprising. In this book, the role of the main character is never firmly established. Although we experience the bulk of the book through the eyes of Tilly, a girl emerging into young womanhood, our fascination is with Delphine. Delphine is a flamboyant, mysterious, and sophisticated young woman who arrives in Grand Tower on a steam boat having fled from New Orleans. She is supposedly on her way to see an aunt and with her is a mysterious servant/slave, Calinda. However, it becomes obvious that their relationship is not all that it seems when Delphine and Calinda end up rooming with Tilly’s family. Delphine and Calinda share their unique and flavorful Creole culture with Tilly and her family, but seem to be less than forthcoming about their past. From the time we “meet” Delphine and Calinda, like Tilly, we are constantly trying to make sense of who they are. We long to catch a glimpse of those two over Tilly’s shoulder because they are so different, and so intriguing.
Tilly’s own family is unusual. She has a young sister who has the second sight. Her twin brother is a young man who is torn by his duty toward his family and to a nation that is at war. Readers are left trying to figure out the mystery of the absent father. Tilly’s mother is a careworn woman who is stretched to the breaking point by the strain of her situation as a single mother and abandoned wife in a time when society was very judgmental about such things. Peck does an impeccable job presenting a snapshot of life in the 1860’s during the Civil War in a small town.
A master storyteller, Peck has written a story that is multi-layered, complex, and historically accurate. It seems significant that this journey into the past takes place in 1916, just prior to the next horrendous war to be faced by this nation’s youth. Although we only spend but a short time with Howard Leland Hutchings, the connection between the historical periods is undeniable. The young characters motivate young readers to wonder how they would have responded to the challenges presented by some of the most difficult times in American history. Young and old readers will experience the Civil War in a new and fascinating way and will learn of a resilient people called, “the free people of color.”
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
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.”
Booklist: “It's a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war, not sure what side to be on or why.”
Kirkus Review: *Starred Review* A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise.
The Horn Book: *Starred Review* The harsh realities of war are brutally related in a complex, always surprising plot that resonates on multiple levels.
5. CONNECTIONS – If you enjoyed this Civil War historical fiction, you are likely to also enjoy:
Paulsen, Gary. SOLDIER’S HEART: BEING THE STORY OF THE ENLISTMENT AND DURE SERVICE OF THE BOY CHARLEY GODDARD IN THE FIRST MINNESOTA. ISBN- 10: 0385324987
Rinaldi, Ann. IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE. ISBN-10: 0590447319
Rinaldi, Ann. THE LAST SILK DRESS. ISBN-10: 0440228611
Peck, Richard. 2003. THE RIVER BETWEEN US. New York, NY: Dial Books. ISBN 0-80372735-6
2. PLOT SUMMARY
The River Between Us by Richard Peck is a fascinating and well-written historical drama that spans decades. In the beginning of this book the year is 1916 and a war is raging in Europe that threatens to engulf the world. Under these circumstances, we meet a young man named Howard Leland Hutchings who is the son of a hardworking doctor. His father decides to take him and his brothers to meet his family in Grand Tower, a small town on the Mississippi. Through young Howard’s eyes, we catch a glimpse of the four colorful characters who are his father’s “folks.” Soon after, readers find themselves transported back to the first days of the Civil War. We meet the “folks” when they were young and experience the uncertainty and then the horror of the Civil War through their eyes. We also learn about a little known social class in our country’s history, the” free people of color”.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This young adult historical fiction is so intricately woven that one has difficulty remembering it is not a book written for adults. The main characters are rich and an air of mystery permeates this book. We know very quickly that things are not what they seem and the twist at the end is both expected, but ironically still surprising. In this book, the role of the main character is never firmly established. Although we experience the bulk of the book through the eyes of Tilly, a girl emerging into young womanhood, our fascination is with Delphine. Delphine is a flamboyant, mysterious, and sophisticated young woman who arrives in Grand Tower on a steam boat having fled from New Orleans. She is supposedly on her way to see an aunt and with her is a mysterious servant/slave, Calinda. However, it becomes obvious that their relationship is not all that it seems when Delphine and Calinda end up rooming with Tilly’s family. Delphine and Calinda share their unique and flavorful Creole culture with Tilly and her family, but seem to be less than forthcoming about their past. From the time we “meet” Delphine and Calinda, like Tilly, we are constantly trying to make sense of who they are. We long to catch a glimpse of those two over Tilly’s shoulder because they are so different, and so intriguing.
Tilly’s own family is unusual. She has a young sister who has the second sight. Her twin brother is a young man who is torn by his duty toward his family and to a nation that is at war. Readers are left trying to figure out the mystery of the absent father. Tilly’s mother is a careworn woman who is stretched to the breaking point by the strain of her situation as a single mother and abandoned wife in a time when society was very judgmental about such things. Peck does an impeccable job presenting a snapshot of life in the 1860’s during the Civil War in a small town.
A master storyteller, Peck has written a story that is multi-layered, complex, and historically accurate. It seems significant that this journey into the past takes place in 1916, just prior to the next horrendous war to be faced by this nation’s youth. Although we only spend but a short time with Howard Leland Hutchings, the connection between the historical periods is undeniable. The young characters motivate young readers to wonder how they would have responded to the challenges presented by some of the most difficult times in American history. Young and old readers will experience the Civil War in a new and fascinating way and will learn of a resilient people called, “the free people of color.”
4. AWARDS AND EXCERPT(S)
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.”
Booklist: “It's a riveting story that shows racism everywhere and young people facing war, not sure what side to be on or why.”
Kirkus Review: *Starred Review* A rich tale full of magic, mystery, and surprise.
The Horn Book: *Starred Review* The harsh realities of war are brutally related in a complex, always surprising plot that resonates on multiple levels.
5. CONNECTIONS – If you enjoyed this Civil War historical fiction, you are likely to also enjoy:
Paulsen, Gary. SOLDIER’S HEART: BEING THE STORY OF THE ENLISTMENT AND DURE SERVICE OF THE BOY CHARLEY GODDARD IN THE FIRST MINNESOTA. ISBN- 10: 0385324987
Rinaldi, Ann. IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE. ISBN-10: 0590447319
Rinaldi, Ann. THE LAST SILK DRESS. ISBN-10: 0440228611
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