Genre 6: Fiction, Fantasy and Young Adult

Book # 1




Bibliography:
DiCamillo, Kate. Flora and Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures, illustrated by K.G. Campbell. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-7363-6040-6

Characters and Plot:
Flora and her squirrel friend meet under very unique circumstances. Their relationship is even more remarkable as they go through many adventures. Both Flora, a cynical eleven year old avid reader of comic books, and Ulysses, a young squirrel, have suffered through rough times. Flora is going through the pains of being a child of divorced parents, while Ulysses has had to repeatedly dodge some very dangerous situations. In fact on the day of their acquaintance Flora tried to rescue Ulysses from a very powerful vacuum cleaner. She does help to get him dislodged from the machine and upon his release they find out that he has super squirrel strength. Strength enough to lift the cleaner right up over his head and thrust it away.

Flora recognizes from her comic book reading that this can only mean one thing. Ulysses is a superhero with special powers. Subsequently, Flora intends to be his sidekick and help him fulfill his destiny to save the helpless.  Their journey will take them on an illuminated adventure.  Along the way they will encounter new neighbor William Spiver and his great aunt Tootie, Flora's mother and father, as well as a very special friend found in Dr. Meescham. Finally, Ulysses has an arch nemesis which becomes the antagonist for all of the characters. Read to find out who the nemesis is and how antagonist is handled by the group.

Setting and Theme:
Many of the adventures take place in and around the home and city of Flora Buckman. Since Ulysses is a squirrel Flora's mother is worried that he might have disease and that people will think that she is weird for befriending a squirrel. Mrs. Buckman manages to separate the dynamic duo in the middle of the night and this adventure takes them through the forest and through the city streets in search of each other.  This final adventure will unite all of the characters in meaningful ways. The illustrations by K.G. Campbell enhance the story and the action filled scenes are presented in comic book style.

Style:
Readers will find out about shoe boxes and giant donuts, as well as, dumb lamps who pass judgement, and poetry. Luckily, Flora has read so many comic series and has all the tools to lead each adventure. She recalls many tips that were given in her comic books to avoid pitfalls and ultimate doom.

"Do not hope; instead, observe" was a piece of advice that appeared often in TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU! According to TERRIBLE THINGS!, hope sometimes got in the way of action. For instance, if you looked at your elderly aunt Edith choking... and you told yourself, Man I sure hope she is not choking, you would waste several valuable life saving, Heimlich maneuver-performing seconds. 

 Flora's father, George Buckman, is also well versed in the world of comic book superheros and provides great help along the way. He is quickly convinced of Ulysses' superhero status and is ready to assist.

Awards and Recognitons:
Kate DiCamillo was awarded the Newbery Medal for most distinguished contribution to American Literature for Children.  DiCamillo is the author of many books and has received another Newbery Medal for The Tale of Despereaux; the Boston Globe-Honor Book Award for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane; and the best-selling Mercy Watson series.

This book would well serve students in grades 4-6 for analyzing cause and effect. It would make for a good summer read for the 6th grade student as well.

Reviews for Flora and Ulysess: The Illuminated Adventures:

Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl.-Kirkus Review

Campbell's rounded and gentle soft-penciled illustrations, at times in the form of panel art furthering the action, wonderfully match and add to the sweetness of this oddball story.              -School Library Journal 

Book # 2

Bibliography:
Green, John.  Looking For Alaska. New York: Dutton Books, 2005.
ISBN: 0-525-47506-0

Characters and Plot:
Miles Halter is a new student who will attend his fathers Alma Mater at the Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama.  Miles was kind of an oddball type in his public school in Florida and takes on this academic adventure in search of the "Great Perhaps." He becomes quickly entangled in the teen drama of his room mate (the Colonel) and his cohort of regular boarders. The regulars have a common enemy in the rich, cool kids who go home every weekend and are called the Weekday Warriors.  An ongoing war of pranks has developed between these two groups and Miles quickly gets pulled into the mix. The adventure is made much better when he discovers Alaska Young, the most beautiful girl he has every seen, is the ring leader on his team.

The story begins when Miles (nicknamed Pudge) is taken by the Weekend Warriors and is punished with a twisted version of a common prank.  The plot to seek revenge quickly ensues as the gang of regulars bond through the semester by engaging in drinking, smoking, and plans of revenge. This all takes place in between the rigorous course work that the school requires of this group of intelligent teens. Another obstacle is to pull off their revenge without getting caught by the Dean of Students, aka The Eagle. Just when the group seems to have bonded in a real and meaningful way tragedy strikes.  Leaving the characters looking for a way "to get out of this labyrinth of suffering."

Setting and Theme:
There is a strong feel in the present, as the book was published in 2005, though it would seem more modern if the teens were more actively engaged in technology. The only phones that this boarding school had were the 5 pay phones located throughout the outdated campus. The school is located near the city of Birmingham. The teens are as connected to their families as most teenagers are, minimally, and Alaska has a very strained relationship with her only living parent (her father). There is a strong emphasis on education, since all the main characters are exceptionally intelligent, and the students seem happy when they are learning.  Any issues that the students have with their teachers and supervisors are typical among teens.

Style:
Plenty of colorful language is used throughout the book, as is typical of modern teenagers.
This excerpt is followed by a request from Pudge's favorite teacher to explain what is distracting him from instruction:

The Old Man, who obviously did not tolerate vocalized rambling, cut me off. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave class, Mr. Halter, so that you can go out there and discover um-trees and uh-forest. And tomorrow, when you are ready to take this class seriously, I will welcome you back."

To which Alaska responds, by allying with Pudge and stating to the teacher:

I'm sorry but that's bullshit. You can't just throw him out of class. You drone on and on for an hour every day, and we're not allowed to glance out the window? 

Being that they are highly intelligent the teens tend to have much deeper levels of contemplation and reflection.  The teens are highly philosophical, which is common among all teens, however these teens know the origins of popular philosophy. John Green gives equal play to his male and female characters as they both play crucial roles throughout the book.  What is particularly refreshing about this fact is that this is how realities play out in life. That is to say that all people play crucial roles in any situation not just male leads.

Gender and Culture:
The culture is uniquely centered teenagers who have very real struggles. The teenage girls in the book have very strong and confident characteristics.  The book deals with dangerous levels of experimentation with smoking and alcohol use. It also deals with the subject of suicide and recognizing behaviors associated with it. It does not condone these issues, instead it indicates that these are realities of life among teenagers today.

Awards and Recognitons:
Looking for Alaska is a 2005 Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book. The book is currently being adapted for a feature length film.
Green has written many books for Young Adults including:
An Abundance of Katherines, 2006
Paper Towns, 2008
The Fault in Our Stars, 2012

This book would be an excellent read for high school students in ELA classes for a book report and would be a great subject for philosophical chairs.
Reviews for Looking for Alaska:

John Green has written a powerful novel-one that plunges headlong into the labyrinth of life, love, and the mysteries of being human. This is a book that will touch your life,..Stand up, and take a step into the Great Perhaps.

-K.L. Going, author of Fat Kid Rules the World, a Michael L. Printz Award Honor Book

What sings and soars in this gloriously told tale is John Green's mastery of language and the sweet, rough edges of Pudge's voice.  -Kirkus Review

Book #3

Bibliography:
Hinds, Gareth. Beowulf, Illustrated by Gareth Hinds. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press, 1999.
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3023-2

Characters and Plot:
Beowulf had grown tired of watching his countrymen, located in the Hall of Herot, experience terror at the hands of the demonic monster Grendel.  So he vows to battle, unarmed, the great beast and kill or be killed in the struggle to end the ruthless terror. He successfully disarms (literally) the beast, only to then be challenged by Grendel's mother. He meets the mothers challenge for revenge and again prevails. Beowulf later went on to govern the Geats for 50 years in rule and protection.  Until he meets his next great opposition, a mighty dragon. This time Beowulf will need the finest armor and a sword to combat the mammoth threat. Only this victory will be bitter sweet because he has already lost everything that mattered to him.

Setting and Theme:
This medieval tale has no known author however, the existence of the Danes and the Geats are well documented in history. Once Beowulf dies no other record of this lordship exists.  Gareth Hinds has adapted this famous story into a graphic novel which brilliantly alternates between text and graphic image. Some of the illustrated pages have text and others do not. The most graphic images tell the parts of the story with battle and conflict. In the original story, written in Old English, the theme reflects the time period of the Middle Ages in Europe which is carried out in Hinds' adaptation.

I am Beowulf, kinsman to the king Hygelac. Many deeds of note have I done in my life, and now the reports of the monster Grendel have brought me to your land.

Style:
Hinds, in the style of the graphic novel, tells much of the physical aspects of the story through illustrations which appeal to the beginning reader. This type of book appeals to both avid readers and those who enjoy reading only minimally because it is balanced in both image and word. The action scenes are sketched across two pages at a time and include dark coloring, which befits the dark theme of the time period.

Awards and Recognitons:
Gareth Hinds has created the artwork for Picture It @ your library, created by the American Library Association's YALSA  (Young Adult Library Services Association) in 2011. He also has a blog of his work and work that he admires.

This type of graphic novel is ideal for a lesson that combines ELA and art class together.

Reviews:

A first-rate horror yam...Hinds stages great fight scenes, choreographing them like a kung-fu master... Visceral.   -The New York Times Book Review

Gives young readers the Geatish warrior as the hypermuscular, hard-hitting proto-comic-book superhero he's always been... With treatments like this available, honors English may never be the same.  -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 

Retells the old tale as a series of dark, bloody, chaotic clashes... A strongly atmospheric alternative. -Kirkus Reviews