Set #5

Appelt, K. (2008). The underneath.  NY:  Simon and Schuster.

     Underneath features a pregnant cat that has been abandoned alongside the side of the road. The story is set in the East Texas/Louisiana swamp region where the lonely cat wanders through the forest in a thunderstorm. The storm has unlocked a mysterious jar containing Grandmother Moccasin who also thinks, has feelings, and talks like the other animals. Grandmother also has her own subplot of love, revenge, and loneliness which adds to the ironic twist at the end of the tale. The calico cat befriends Ranger, a dog who has been chained to the porch by his cruel master Gar-Face. Using the advice of Ranger, the cat and her kittens hide underneath the porch, so that they won't become alligator bait. However, Puck, the male kitten, wanders out and is caught by Gar-Face which leads to Puck's narrow escape and the death of his mother. Before the mother dies, she makes Puck promise to go back and free Ranger and care for his sister. The reader can easily identify with the characters struggle to survive and the characters need to form family bonds especially as the reader watches the young kittens mature. The style of the story is appealing with its use of onomatopoeia, similes, repetition, rhetorical questions, telegraphic sentences, and anthropomorphism which create a lighthearted, suspenseful tone. Students could research swamp animals, or perhaps explore what family means after reading this book.

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book. NY:  HarperCollins.

    Neil Gaiman’s Graveyard Book begins with action and suspense as a knife wielding murderer named Jack wanders through a household killing all the family members except an eighteen month old infant. The infant wanders off into a graveyard where the graveyard people vote to protect and raise the boy. They name the boy Nobody (Bod) Owens. The boy experiences all types of encounters as he grows into a man which include being educated by a werewolf, captured by ghouls, locked up by treasure seekers, and captured by five murderers. After surviving all of these encounters, he comes of age where he can no longer live in the graveyard, and his guardian sends him off into the world. Gaiman creates a suspense filled plot by including elements that help to set the Gothic tone by creating shady characters such as ghouls, a witch, a werewolf, and ghosts.  The setting of the graveyard permeates throughout the story establishing a suspenseful, eerie tone and advancing the plot.  The story is told in third person omniscient where the narrator has the ability to tell all or slowly reveal secrets.  Students could write or tell their own ghost story using some of the elements found in this tale.

Hale, S. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. NY: Bloomsbury.

      Rapunzel’s Revenge  is a fantasy, graphic novel that is loosely based on the old, familiar fairy tale. Rapunzel is raised by a witch and locked up. In this retelling, Rapunzel lets down her hair and escapes with a boy named Jack. Jack’s only possessions are his bean and goose. The two of them take revenge on Rapunzel’s witch mother Gothel and set out to free her real mother and right wrongs.  Along the way they meet some intriguing characters and battle a sea serpent, a boar, a coyote, and kidnappers. They end up in jail, but escape.  The tale includes a number of references to traditional fairy tales, but adds its own twist such as its Western setting and dialogue filled with sarcasm.  The book includes simple, yet tasteful illustrations. The theme of right prevails. Students could use this opportunity as a chance to tell their own version of a fairy tale.

Holm, J & M.  A very Babymouse Christmas.  NY:  Random House.

         A Very BABYMOUSE Christmas incorporates several familiar Christmas stories and traditions into a new tale where the main character is obsessed with getting a Whiz Bang as a Christmas gift. The familiar stories include: "'Twas the night before Christmas..., "Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, the Nutcracker, and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The author includes traditions such as leaving cookies out for Santa and Christmas decorating contests. All of this is presented in a comic format. Babymouse eventually learns the lesson that sometimes the best gifts are the ones that you did not even know that you wanted. At the end of the story, Babymouse not only learns a lesson, but grows as a character when he gives the narrator a present. The Christmas setting is believable because of all the familiar traditions, and the universal theme learned indicates that good does win over evil thoughts of selfishness and greed. This tale could be paired up with some of the familiar stories such as A Christmas Carol or How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

 

   Landry, D. (2007). SkulduggeryPleasant  NY:  HarperCollins.

Skuldugger Pleasant, set in Ireland, begins with the death of Gordon Edgley, an author of horror stories and Stephanie Edgley’s uncle. Stephanie at the time of his death is only twelve, but she is to inherit all of his property and possessions when she turns eighteen. The first night that she stays alone in the house, a stranger breaks in and demands that she give him a key. Stephanie is rescued by Skulduggery Pleasant who bursts in the front door and scuffles with the man, throwing fire balls at him, and finally chases him out with a bullet in his shoulder. This is when Stephanie discovers that the skeleton man that rescued her has only a skull for a head.  Stephanie learns that her Uncle Gordon’s horror tales for the most part were true, and the uncle and Skulduggery were friends.  Stephanie becomes Skulduggery’s partner fighting against evil. The author creates multidimensional characters as Stephanie is mentored by Skulduggery. The plot is fast paced as the two search for the Sceptre of the Ancients in the maze beneath the house that Stephanie inherits trying to prevent the antagonist, Nefarian Serpine, from obtaining it first. Stephanie ends up being captured by Serpine, but is freed by Skulduggery because the theme of good wins over evil prevails.  Stephanie learns in the end that she too has magical powers, but she must choose a name to keep these powers.  This story could be easily plotted on a chart, and students could study the elements of a plot.

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret  NY:  Scholastic.

The opening setting of The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a train station in Paris in 1931. The story begins with a series of penciled drawings that establish the setting of the story, and these drawings become an integral part of the story telling process. Hugo, a twelve year old orphan boy, lives behind the walls of the train station where he works on clocks and mechanisms. He is caught stealing toys, and he is forced to empty his pockets which include his prized notebook. The old man, Papa Georges (Georges Melies) plans to burn the notebook. Hugo follows him home only to be shut out by the old man, so Hugo throws a rock at the window and a girl appears in a window reassuring Hugo that Papa Georges will not burn the notebook. Through a flashback the audience learns how Hugo’s father died. Hugo visits the old man at the toy counter, and the man puts him to work fixing broken toys. While working there, Hugo meets a young man named Etienne, and he learns that the girl in the window is Isabelle. Etienne sneaks Isabelle into the movies because Papa Georges won’t let her go. Hugo eventually learns the old man’s true identity and his secrets about movies. Hugo becomes part of the family when the train inspector threatens to send Hugo to jail. The story is a coming of age story where Hugo grows up and makes his own automation which writes this book, and Isabelle’s key unlocks it and draws a picture and signs it Georges Melies (who is actually a famous filmmaker). The setting is one of confinement. Train stations are where people go if they want to go places, but not for Hugo because he is confined to the walls of the station with few friends. Isabelle is an orphan as well who is confined. Themes of isolation and friendship move throughout the story. This story has been made into a movie. Teachers might want to compare and contrast the film and novel.

Krocoszka, J. Lunch lady. NY: Random House.

         Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians is a graphic, comic tale set in school. Dee, Hector, and Terrence are the "good guys" known as the Breakfast Bunch of students. They overhear the League of Librarians plotting to steal the fundraising money and destroy the X-Station 5000 game. The students report it to the Lunch Lady and her bunch who are actually crime busters in disguise. The Lunch Lady and her bunch investigate and apprehend the League of Librarians. The theme of good wins over evil emerges along with some other underlying minor lessons about bullying and working collaboratively in a group. The dialogue helps to create a fast paced, suspenseful plot that is consistent with a typical hero story. Of course, the dialogue also contains the typical hero style onomatopoeia words of action. This book could lead into classical hero stories, or a discussion of real life contemporary heroes.

  Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball! NY: Hyperion

     In this story, Piggie has fun playing with a ball that he found, but he becomes distraught when a big guy takes it away. Piggie tells Gerald what happened, and Gerald becomes upset to think that someone bigger took Piggie's ball away. Gerald promises to get the ball back, but he gets scared and runs back to Piggie without the ball when Gerald finds out that the big guy is much bigger than himself. Gerald musters up the courage to confront the big whale a second time, and surprisingly, the whale thanks Gerald for finding his ball. The whale tells Gerald that no one will play with him because he is big. The audience can identify with this simple scenario; the theme is universal. People should not draw conclusions or stereotype big or little guys. The setting of the story is not overtly evident, but could be the typical modern day playground. The author's style uses repetition, telegraphic sentences, simple words, all caps on some words, and simple questions to create a simple, powerful story with a light touch of humor. The characters talk and express their true feelings in a simple and easy to follow plot which helps to make the characters believable, and someone everyone can relate to. This book could be used as an opener for teaching young children about stereotyping.