Ricki – Page 96 – Unleashing Readers

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books We’d Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Historical Fiction

July 27, 2015August 5, 2014 by Ricki

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. The feature was created because The Broke and Bookish are particularly fond of lists (as are we!). Each week a new Top Ten list topic is given and bloggers can participate.

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Books I’d Give To Readers Who Have Never Read Historical Fiction

Ricki

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

There is a reason this book is in both Kellee’s and my top five. It is absolutely brilliant. Lina is a 15-year-old girl living in Lithuania during WWII. Unlike the majority of the books about WWII, this one is not about the Holocaust. The Soviets, under the leadership of Stalin, barge into her house and drag her family onto a truck. They are headed for Siberia. I knew a bit about Stalin’s dictatorship, but this book added much more knowledge to my understanding. I am surprised that I have not read more books about this tragedy of history. This book will surely engage readers.

2. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt

This is an incredible novel that can be appreciated by people of all ages. What I like most about the novel is that it is centered around the characters and relationships. Doug’s brother is fighting in Vietnam, and his family moves into a small house in a small town. Doug isn’t the most well-behaved boy, so he has no problem talking back to the people in the town who bother him. While I want to summarize all of the interesting literary elements of the book, I think it would be better to just tell you to experience it for yourself. Truly, you won’t be disappointed in this one. It is worthy of the praise it has received.

3. The Berlin Boxing Club by Robert Sharenow

Although Karl Stern’s family is not religious, they are considered Jewish based on the fact that three out of four grandparents were Jewish. Karl develops his skills as a boxer and struggles to maneuver through a world that is becoming increasingly anti-semitic. I liked this book because it taught me a lot about the build-up of the Holocaust, so it was different from many other books from that time period. Sharenow does an excellent job weaving history and comics into the story, and it was very engaging. Whenever I put the book down, I couldn’t stop thinking about Karl and his family.

4. Tree Girl by Ben Mikaelsen

This was my favorite book to read aloud when I was teaching high school. Based on a true story, it details the journey of Gabriella, a 15-year-old, carefree girl in Guatemala. When her home is attacked, she climbs a tree and witnesses the horrible massacre of the people in her village. The violence in this book is unsettling, but my students felt very connected to Gabriella’s story. It teaches phenomenal lessons of courage.

5. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

Mattie Gokey is a 16-year-old girl who works at a hotel. A guest, Grace, asks her to burn a bundle of letters, and then Grace’s body is discovered in the lake. This mystery, set in 1906, is beautifully written and will teach readers many lessons. I used A Northern Light in literature circles, and it always got positive reviews.

Kellee

I totally agree about the books, Okay for Now and Berlin Boxing Club, that Ricki shared. Both are amazing books and ones that “trick” readers who may not like historical fiction. Here are the books I think could turn these readers:

1. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

This is just a brilliant book who will suck in any reading. I almost included Ruta Sepetys’s newest, Out of the Easy, as well because Ruta is so good at taking her readers and transporting us into the setting of her book.

2. The Watch That Ends the Night by Allan Wolf

This is one of my favorite historical fiction books, and I think it’d be a good book for a first-time historical fiction reader because the Titanic is a setting/topic that many people know about.

3. I Survived… (series) by Lauren Tarshis

4. Resistance (series) by Carla Jablonski

5. Wonderstruck and Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

With these three (#3, #4, and #5), I am thinking of my struggling readers (and many other middle school students) who are intimidated by historical fiction. All three of these can help students see the joy of historical fiction.

Which historical fiction books would you use to introduce someone to the genre?

and

Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis

July 31, 2014 by Ricki

Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival
Authors: Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis
Published: March 25, 2014 by Arthur A. Levine Books

Summary: Fourteen unforgettable true stories of children hidden away during World War II

Jaap Sitters was only eight years old when his mother cut the yellow stars off his clothes and sent him, alone, on a fifteen-mile walk to hide with relatives. It was a terrifying night, one he would never forget. Before the end of the war, Jaap would hide in secret rooms and behind walls. He would suffer from hunger, sickness, and the looming threat of Nazi raids. But he would live.

This is just one of the incredible stories told in HIDDEN LIKE ANNE FRANK, a collection of eye-opening first-person accounts that share what it was like to go into hiding during World War II. Some children were only three or four years old when they were hidden; some were teenagers. Some hid with neighbors or family, while many were with complete strangers. But all know the pain of losing their homes, their families, even their own names. They describe the secret network of brave people who kept them safe. And they share the coincidences and close escapes that made all the difference.

Review: This collection showed me the misconceptions I had about those who hid during the Holocaust. These fourteen brave, young people showed me the diversity of experiences that existed among the hidden. For example, I didn’t know that it was common that they were beaten. Many people agreed to hide Jews because they were paid money by the Resistance. They didn’t always do it because they were being morally good people, so they did not have favorable feelings toward the people they hid. Also, I wasn’t aware that many of those who hid during the Holocaust moved from house to house and were frequently uprooted. These are just some of the many lessons I learned from this text, and I think readers will truly appreciate the insight it provides.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I don’t know many school systems that don’t teach a book that is set during the Holocaust. If teachers are unable to use this whole text, I would highly recommend they select a few stories to show students how different the experiences were.

Discussion Questions: How did the Holocaust impact those who hid? After the war was over, how did it affect them emotionally?; What dangers did the Jews face when they hid? Would you accept the danger and work with the Resistance?

We Flagged: “My feelings from back then are very distant. I can still see myself as a boy of six, seven, roaming around Amsterdam, ringing doorbells, getting into mischief. I can think about that boy, about his relationship with his father, with his mother, and with his grandfather. But I can’t feel the emotions I had back then—it doesn’t work. I just can’t reach them anymore. Maybe I’ve automatically kept the past at a distance because I had to hide away for years and deny my background. Or maybe it’s just that impossible to relive those feelings from the past, and so I have to make do with memories.” (Chapter: “Older than my Father”)

Please Note: This quotation is from an advanced reader copy. It may be different in the published text.

Read This If You Loved: The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank; The Nazi Hunters by Neal Bascomb; Hidden: A Child’s Story of the Holocaust by Loïc Dauvillier; Night by Elie Wiesel

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Top Ten Tuesday: Authors Who Are Highly Represented in Our Libraries

July 29, 2014July 29, 2014 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Authors Who Are Highly Represented in Our Libraries (In other words, we have a LOT of their books!)

Ricki

1. John Green

I own everything he has written. In fact, I have multiple copies of most of his books.

2. Kristin Cashore

I love this woman, and I could never give up the several copies I have of each of her books.

3. Jodi Picoult

I’ve only read three of her books, but I must own ten of them.

4. Matt de la Peña

I also own every book by this awesome guy. He is an incredible author.

5. Chris Crutcher

Who doesn’t love Chris Crutcher? I have quite the Crutcher collection.

Honorable Mention: John Steinbeck. But I thought it was boring to put him on my list.

Kellee

#1-2 are from my home library, #3-5 are from my classroom library. This, like most of the TTT lists, was really hard for me because there are many other authors I could have included.. And I have to preface with the fact that these are the authors who I own the most books by, not the authors I’ve read the most.

1. Ernest Hemingway

During my literature degree, I was introduced first to Hemingway’s short stories then Sun Also Rises, and I fell in love with how he wrote. Since then I have only read Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms, but I own most of his books so I can, in my lifetime, read them all.

2. Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen is one of my dad’s favorite authors, and he introduced him to me while I was in college with Stormy Weather. Since then Hiaasen has also started writing MG and YA books, so I am happy to be able to promote him at school as well. And even though I haven’t read as many as I want to, I own MANY of Hiaasen’s books, and plan on reading all of them.

3. Anthony Horowitz

I LOVE his Alex Rider series as well as his Gatekeeper series (though I haven’t read it yet!), and my students love his books as well. I own all but 2 of his books, and even multiple copies of many of his books.

4. Roald Dahl

Dahl and Horowitz are the ones on the list who I have read the most of. Dahl was one of my favorite childhood authors, so I made sure to have his books in my classroom library for my students.

5. Margaret Paterson Haddix

Kids love Haddix! I own everything she has written, because I know it will get reader. Also, I really adored her Shadow Children series (I’ve read all but the last one. What is wrong with me?!), so I love sharing it with my kids.

Which authors make statements in your library?

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I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

October 12, 2015July 24, 2014 by Ricki

I Kill the Mockingbird
Author: Paul Acampora
Published: May 20, 2014 by Roaring Brook Press

Summary: When Lucy, Elena, and Michael receive their summer reading list, they are excited to see To Kill A Mockingbird included. But not everyone in their class shares the same enthusiasm. So they hatch a plot to get the entire town talking about the well-known Harper Lee classic. They plan controversial ways to get people to read the book, including re-shelving copies of the book in bookstores so that people think they are missing and starting a website committed to “destroying the mockingbird.” Their efforts are successful when all of the hullabaloo starts to direct more people to the book. But soon, their exploits start to spin out of control and they unwittingly start a mini revolution in the name of books.

Review: Who doesn’t love a book about kids making mischief? The very premise of this book is exciting and clever: three intelligent students are frustrated that their peers don’t do the summer reading, so they decide to concoct a censorship conspiracy. The idea is brilliant, and it shows young readers that they have the power to make big changes in the world. English teachers will love this book because it inspires students to want to be more well-read. (And there are a plethora of allusions that were simply fantastic.) I enjoyed this book because it reminded me how much I love reading.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great literature circle text, or it would bridge nicely with To Kill a Mockingbird. If I taught this text in my class, I would have my students devise a conspiracy, employ it in our school, and write responses about its results. I imagine this would be great fun. Also, it would be neat for students to create a chart of all of the books that are referenced. This might inspire them to try to tackle some of the great texts that are mentioned.

Discussion Questions: How are each of the three students characterized? What do each of them add to the friendship? To the conspiracy?; What is Lucy’s relationship with her mom? How does this add to the story?; Do you think the three students broke any rules? Do you think what they did was wrong?

We Flagged:

“‘We’re going to be like terrorists,’ he says.

‘We are not terrorists,’ I tell him. ‘We’re more like literary saboteurs'” (Chapter 8).

Read This If You Loved: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; Rachel Spinelli Punched Me in the Face by Paul Acampora; Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

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Top Ten Tuesday: Characters We Would Want with us on a Deserted Island

July 27, 2014July 22, 2014 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Characters We Would Want with us on a Deserted Island

Ricki

1. Katniss from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

I know she is an obvious choice, but I really need her survival skills. I am a weakling.

2. Hannah and Becky from Into that Forest by Louis Nowra

Katniss will do all of the killing, but Hannah and Becky will help me become one with the animals. I would love to join a tiger clan.

3. Any main character from a John Green novel

I would like some intellectual, witty conversation on my island.

4. The Snatchabook from The Snatchabook by Helen Docherty

I would like this little creature to snatch a few books for me, thank you very much.

5. Lucy Knisley from Relish by Lucy Knisley

And Lucy will cook for me.

Kellee

1. Sam and Camille from Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Like Ricki, I just want some awesome people to chat and hang out with. These are my people.

2. Kitten from Kitten’s First Moon by Kevin Henkes

I have to have a pet kitty! (Though I’d prefer one of my kitties, Kitten is quite adorable.)

3. Katsa and Po from Graceling by Kristin Cashore

They will take care of hunting and protecting us.

4. Luc from Threatened by Eliot Schrefer

Luc knows how to survive in the wilderness. I do not. I’ll need him.

5. Hermione from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

With her wand. Tada! A/C, books, food, etc. Anything we need! And she’d be fun to hang out with too.

Which characters would you want with you? Did we miss any great ones?

and

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Movies (For Their Great Stories)

July 15, 2014 by Ricki

Today’s Topic: Top Ten Favorite Movies (For their Great Stories)

Ricki

Confession: I hate movies. I never start a movie with my husband without a book by my side (in case I get bored). I rarely go to the movie theater because I feel trapped.

1. The Thing Called Love

This is the one movie I could watch over and over again. The story is beautiful. It stars River Phoenix and Sandra Bullock, to name a few greats. 🙂

2. Crazy Stupid Love

With a great cast, this movie really shines. I couldn’t stop talking about it after I saw it!

3. 50 First Dates

There is something beautiful about the combination of Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler.

4. In Love and War

I loved seeing this movie, which was based on Hemingway’s time during the war. I am not certain how accurate it is, but either way, I really enjoyed it.

5. Three Great Book-to-Movie Adaptions (But Read the Book Instead)
The Help
The Fault in our Stars
I am Legend

Of course, while the books were better, I was please with these three movie adaptions.

Kellee

I had a tough time with this list as there are as many wonderfully written movies out there as books, but I did the best I could!

1. Pixar Movies

I am cheating with this one, but all of their movies are brilliant. From the original, Toy Story, to their shorts that are shown at the beginning of each Pixar movie, they are all so well done.

2. Memento

This is a story about a man that has anterograde amnesia which means he cannot make any new memories after the event that caused his amnesia. He is trying to avenge for a tragedy in his past. It is so amazing how the story is told in flashbacks and snippets.

3. Usual Suspects

Um, Kevin Spacey is awesome, right?! And the end?! Wow. Still amazes me. If you haven’t seen this, do it now.

4. American History X

This movie has a story that I wish was a book so I could read it. It is about prejudice and regret and pain and family. It is a tough, tough movie.

5. Four Book-to-Movie Adaptations
Bridget Jones’s Diary
Shawshank Redemption
Clueless
10 Things I Hate About You

My favorite book-to-movie adaptation is probably Bridget Jones’s Diary. I adore this movie (and the book. Read the book.) I also loved The Shawshank Redemption based off of Stephen King’s short story Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption from his short story collection Different Seasons (a superb short story collection. Includes the short stories that were adapted into the movies Apt Pupil and Stand By Me.)
But for my other two best book-to-movie adaptations I went a different route. My two favorite adaptations are modernized adaptations of classics which I admit I have not read: Clueless (Emma) and 10 Things I Hat About You (Taming of the Shrew), but these two movies are two of my favorites ever.
(By the way: I agree with Ricki about The Fault in our Stars. It was a phenomenal adaptation, and I adored that book and read it 6 times.)

What other movies have great stories? Please share!

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Voices of the Sea by Bethany Masone Harar

July 27, 2015July 10, 2014 by Ricki

Voices of the Sea
Author: Bethany Masone Harar
Expected Publication: July 22, 2014 by WiDo Publishing

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Loralei is the future Guardian of her Siren clan. To outsiders, she appears to live the average life of a teenager, but like her ancestors, her voice has the power to entrance men. But the Sons of Orpheus are determined to destroy all Sirens, and when members from her clan are savagely murdered, Loralei feels a responsibility to protect her people. When Lora meets Ryan, a new student in her school, she can’t help but be drawn to him in a way that feels both exhilarating and unsettling. The sea’s dark whispers urge Lora to find the Sons of Orpheus, and she quickly learns that no one can be trusted.

Review: I was drawn to the mystery of this novel. I found myself turning the pages quickly, eager to uncover the mystery of Half-Moon Bay. This is a book that would be very appealing to my students as it is very engaging. The romance is passionate and fiery, and it is a text that would be easily passed amongst peers. Loralei is a strong, independent woman who works fearlessly to lead her clan. She faces danger with her eyes wide open, and teens can learn much from her strength. The book is cleverly crafted with the perfect amount of detail to leave readers guessing.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: My heart swelled at the many references to mythology. This text is unlike others that may be defined as paranormal romance in that the author includes a rich history of Sirens. Teachers can capitalize on this by asking students to explore Sirens further or research other mythological creatures.

Discussion Questions: How does the author develop the plot to keep readers engaged? Which details does she withhold? Which does she provide? Can you see any foreshadowing?; Can Loralei trust the people in her life? Which characters feel nefarious to you? Which can be trusted?

We Flagged: “She could no more ignore the ocean than she could her own soul” (Chapter Two).

Please note: This quotation was taken from an advanced reader copy. It may change in the final publication.

Read This If You Loved: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks, Nightshade by Andrea Cremer, Hush Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

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