A Single Shard

A Single Shard

Linda Sue Park

Clarion Books, 2001

Pages: 160

Reading Level: 9-12

Genre: Historical Fiction

Tree-ear is a boy who has grown up living with a man named Crane-man. Crane-Man raised him, and they enjoyed their life together very much. Most of their day is taken up with hunting for food, but one day Tree-ear discovers that if he hides in the trees, he can watch the potter min work. One day when Min doesn't come out to work when Tree-ear expects, Tree-Ear decides to get a closer look. He accidentally breaks one of the pieces of pottery, and Min catches him. In order to repay him, Tree-Ear offers to work for Min. Min accepts, much to Tree-Ears delight, and puts Tree-Ear to work. Tree-Ear, who thinks he is going to learn to make wonderful pottery, is actually put to work chopping wood and performing other menial tasks. After a while of this, he gets upset and asks Min when he is going to learn to make pottery. Min says never, for Tree-Ear is not his son. Tree-Ear is devastated. Around this same time, the emperors assistant comes to town to find a potter to give a commission to. He chooses a different potter, who has discovered a new way to inlay designs in his pottery. The commissioner asks Min to make a piece of pottery with the new kind of inlay and bring it to the capital, but Min says he is too old. Then Tree-Ear volunteers. They make a special basket for the pottery, and Tree-Ear starts on his way. He is almost there when he is attacked by bandits. They are upset when he has no money, so they throw his pottery off a cliff. Tree-Ear gets to the bottom and find only a single shard that is intact. He decides to take the shard to the capital, even though it is probably hopeless. When he gets there, the emperors assistant is so impressed with the beauty of the shard, that he gives him the commission anyway, but to the surprise of everyone.

I think everyone would benefit from reading this book. I would recommend it to all, young and old, male and female.

This book makes living under a bridge look like fun. It might convince some children to run away and try to live on their own.

My reaction: I really really liked this book. I think it is wonderfully written.

My rating: *****

Love That Dog

Love That Dog

Sharon Creech

Harper Collins, 2001

Pages: 112

Reading Level: 9-12

Genre: Peotry

This story is from the perspective of a boy named Jack. It's as if you are reading a notebook that he has to write for a class. At the beginning, his teacher has asked everyone to write poems. He replies that he doesn't want to, and that poems are for girls. He also says that to him it seems as if poems are just normal words written in very short lines. His teacher gives him some inspiration, and he discovers that he likes poems and is actually kind of good at them. He really likes the poems of a man name Mr. Walter Dean Myers. Mr. Deans poems help Jack get his feelings out about his dog, Sky, who was hit by a car. He is so happy about his poem, that Jack invites Walter Dean Myers to his class... and guess what?! He comes!

I would recommend this book to children in Jr High. I think it would be a good way to get them re-interested in poetry.

I can't think of any problems or conflicts this poem could cause.

My reaction: I don't really like poems, but this one was still pretty good. I liked reading a poem that I didn't have to analyse after. But for some reason I have a hard time retaining what I erad when I read poems, even this one.

My rating: ***

A Year Down Yonder

A Year Down Yonder
Richard Peck
Dial, 2000
Pages: 130
Reading level: 9-12
Genre: Historical Fiction

Mary-Alice's family has been hit hard by the Great Depression, and her family can't afford to have Mary-Alice around for a while, so they send her off to Grandma Dowel's house. Mary-Alice is very afraid, because grandma is a very scary person. She is big and tall, and wears mens clothing. When Mary-Alice first gets their, she gets on the bad side of a bully, who demands a dollar from her. Mary-Alice doesn't have a dollar, so she takes the bully home to have grandma give her a dollar. When they get their, grandma is very nice and gives the bully food and talks to her really nice. Then while she is eating, grandma goes and unties the horse. It turns out that the horse was stolen, and grandma knew it would go back to it original home. Another time, grandma poured glue all over a boy who was trying to tip over her outhouse. Yet another time, she plowed into a neighbor's tree to knock the walnuts out so she could gather them for her pie. Although Grandma Dowel might see rough on the exterior, she had a gold heart. She is the only friend of a grumpy old man, she makes pies for community events, raises money for a poor family, and she saves money for Mary-Alice to go home for Christmas to see her family. Although at first Mary-Alice is afraid of Grandma, she soon sees this heart of gold, and starts to warm up to her. She realizes that Grandma Dowel doesn't do things without a reason. Mary-Alice starts to gain confidence around her grandmother and others. One day, she asks a boy whom she likes to help her with math, but when he comes over, a naked lady runs out from upstairs. Grandma had an artist renting a room from her, and he had asked a local lady to come pose nude for him. She did, but soon saw the snake grandma kept there to eat the mice, and fled. While the woman was running around screaming, grandma opened the door. The woman ran out, and grandma got her gun and let out a shot. This alerted the neighbors immediately. When asked why she did that, grandma said, "That's too good a show to keep to ourselves." Mary-Alice was devastated that this happened when the boy was over, but he was amused. He liked her grandma. When it was time for Mary-Alice to leave, she didn't want too. She liked living with Grandma. But grandma told her she needed to be with her family, and the boy told her he would write her while he was at college. Mary-Alice left, but many years later came back to be married to the boy in her Grandma's house.

I would recommend this book to everyone, because I feel it is an all-around good-read.

Problems: This book might allow people to believe that the sometimes rash and rude things that grandma does are okay for everyone to do.

My reaction: I liked this book. It was very creative and funny.

My rating: ****

Beauty

Beauty

Robin McKinley

Harper Collins, 1978

Pages:256

Reading Level: 9-12

Genre: Fantasy

This book is a retelling of the classic story The Beauty and the Beast. In this story, Beauty is not beautiful at all. In fact her real name is Honour, but she doesn't like it. She tells her father one day that she would rather be called Beauty, so from then on she was. She grew up to be a rather plain girl. She was small with big hands and feet, and a splotchy face and dull hair. One day, her father's ships came upon a terrible accident, and Beauty and her family were forced to leave their beautiful mansion and live in the country. The adjusted well. One day they got word that one of Father's ships may have returned. Father went to find out, and on the way back he got lost in the "enchanted" forest. He came upon the Beast's castle. He was well fed, his horse groomed, and sent on his way by invisible servants. On his way out, he decided to pick a rose for Beauty. It is then that the Beast showed himself. He was furious that Father stole a rose. He told him that in one months time, if either Father or one of his daughters didn't come to live with the Beast, that the Beast would come find him. Father told his daughters this, and Beauty volunteered. She went to live with the Beast. At first she thought he was terrible, and was disturbed by his continuous asking of her to marry him. But eventually she comes to enjoy his company, and starts to think of him as a good friend. One day she discovers that her sister's lost fiance, presumed to be dead, is alive. She begs the Beast to let her go tell her sister. The beast allows it, but tells her that if she isn't back in one week, that he will die. She goes, and is almost too late in coming back. The Beast appears to be dead. He starts to come back to life, and Beauty tells him that she will marry him. Then the beast transforms into a handsome prince. Beauty now thinks that he is to handsome for her, a plain girl. But the beast shows her that she too has changed over time, and that she is now beautiful. The get married and live happily ever after.

I would recommend this book to young girls. It teaches them to not worry if they aren't beautiful.

This book could cause children to believe that there is always going to be a happy ending in life. But this isn't always true.

My reaction: This has been my favorite required book so far. I think it was beautifully written, and tells a wonderful story.

My rating: *****

The Story of Ruby Bridges

The Story of Ruby Bridges

Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford

Scholastic Press, 1995

Pages: 32

Reading level: 4-8

Genre: Biography

This book is the true story about a girl named Ruby Bridges. Ruby Bridges was 6 years old when the court ordered desegregation in schools. Ruby was one of four children chosen to go to the previously all-white school. The other three went to the other nearby elementary school, while Ruby went by herself to another elementary school. Everyday she would walk with federal marshals to school. They protected her from all the mobs that gathered outside of the school everyday. Ruby was threatened many times, but managed to keep a brave face. Ruby went to school by herself. All the other boys and girl's parents took them out of school as a protest against Ruby being there. All the teachers except one left too. That one remaining teacher, who was from the North, agreed to teach Ruby Bridges. One day on her way to class, Ruby stopped on the fronts steps of the building. She was saying a prayer that God would forgive all the people. This made the people very mad. When her teacher asked her why she stopped, Ruby replied that she prayed every day, but had forgotten this morning until she got to the steps of the building. The next year, parents were tired of keeping their children home without an education. They realized that their children were the only ones being hurt by them not going to school. Eventually, the students and teachers came back, and the mobs dissipated.

I think that EVERYONE should read this book, not just children. This book would be good for adults too. It teaches tolerance and acceptance, which everyone needs to know.

This book could make children angry about how Ruby Bridges was treated by the white people.

My reaction: This book is wonderful. It teaches a great lesson, and the pictures are beautiful!

My Rating: *****

Children Just Like Me

Children Just Like Me

Kindersley, Anabel and Barnabas

DK Chilren, 1995

Pages: 80

Reading Level: 9-12

Genre: Non-Fiction

This book teaches us about the lives of children all around the world. There are children from France, America, Africa, Canada, Poland, Hungary, Greece, and many many more. It talks about each child's home, their family, what they like to do for fun, school, and other aspects of their lives. It shows us that even though we come from different places, we all have likes and dislikes, homes and families. The pictures are very interesting. One child in the book is Omar, from Mexico. Omar is 8 years old. He lives with his Mami and Papi, grandma, and brother. When he grows up he wants to play football and work with computers. His favorite food is a fruit called tuna. He likes to eat it with ice on hot days. He thinks it is very refreshing.

I would recommend this book to all children. It helps to understand differences in culture, which i think is important for children to gain at early ages.

I can't think of any problems this book could cause.

My reaction: I was surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would because it is non-fiction, and I generally don't like non-fiction. This book was very well written.

My rating: ****

The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Katherine Patterson

Harper Collins, 1987

Pages: 160

Reading level: 9-12

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Gilly Hopkins is an eleven-year-old foster car child, who wants dearly for her mother to come and get her. She has been to a few different homes already, and it has taught her that to survive she needs to be tough. Then she gets sent to Trotters home. Trotter is unlike any foster mother Gilly has ever had. Trotter is fat, religious, and weird. At first Gilly hates her and the boy who live there. Gilly tries to manipulate Trotter, but Trotter isn't someone who can be manipulated, so Gilly bullies the little boy, William Earnest. She writes a letter to her mother, telling her how terrible things are, and to please come save her. In the meantime, Gilly devises a plan to get out on her own. She has her mothers address from a former letter, and decides to steal money and buy a train ticket to her mother. She steals from Trotter and the nice blind neighbor, Mr. Randolf. She is successful at stealing to money, but the man at the ticket office at the train station calls the police, and Gilly goes back with Trotter. Over time, Gilly starts warming up to Trotter and William Earnest. She even starts teaching the boy hoe to defend himself so he won't get teased anymore. When everyone in the house gets sick except Gilly, she becomes nursemaid. She realizes that she loves these people and wants them to get better. While Gilly is nursing everyone back to health, the house gets trashed. With all her taking care of the sick, she doesn't have time to clean, and Trotter is so sick she can't either. It is then that Gilly maternal grandmother shows up. Gilly's mother sent the letter about Gilly to her grandmother. Grandma sees the house in shambles, and is gets Gilly out. Gilly is devastated. It wasn't her grandmother she wanted, it was her mother! And besides, she doesn't want to leave anymore, because Trotter and William Earnest have become her family. But she has no choice, and has to go with Grandma. One day her grandma tells her her mother is coming, and Gilly is very excited. But when she arrives, it is not what Gilly expects. It turns out her mother really doesn't want her. Gilly thinks about running away, but her time with Trotter taught her that she can't just run away from her problems, so she stays with her grandmother.

I would recommend this book to children in the foster care system.

This book could cause children to think that it is "cool" to not try hard in school, and to be disrespectful.

My reaction: I LOVED this book. It is a wonderful book

My rating: *****