LS 5623.20 Fall 2008

Poems From Homeroom by Kathi Appelt

Appelt, Kathi.  2002.  Poems From Homeroom.  New York, NY:  Henry Holt and Co, LLC.  ISBN:  0-8050-6978-X.

A very nice preface follows the table of contents as sort of a warm-up for poetry readers, priming them to think of poetry as one of the most available and flexible forms of expression - written about inconsequential things like a pair of shoes or major things like terrorism.  Appelt also explains the purpose of her book, which is separated into two sections - this first being poetry ("Homeroom:  The Poems") and the second being the inspiration behind each of the poems (Study Hall:  "Writing What We Long For").  She intends for it to serve as enjoyment for the reader but has also created a stepping stone for aspiring poetry writers.  She discusses characters, motivations, contradictions, and ideas for reader's own work.  What stands out the most about this unusual combination of poetry and inspirations is the personal element that is first exposed in the preface and then again in the section.  This is so encouraging and beneficial for writers who struggle with "where do I begin?"

Appelt neatly presents diversity in style by interspersing free verse, acrostics, sestina, and haiku.  She has fashioned the perfect writer's manuel - with plenty of meaningful content and relevant material for teen readers (tattoos, science fairs, note passing, and driver's licenses, for starters).   

"Appelt, best known for her books for younger readers (Bubba and Beau, Best Friends, p. 328, etc.), has also taught poetry to children and adults. Her own poems here describe the lives and longings of high-school students. From the boy who secretly washes the name of the girl he has a crush on from the boy's bathroom room stall to the girl who can't get over getting her driver's license, Appelt focuses on the large and minute dramas of teenage life, giving readers a springboard for their own writing. The 26 poems in the first section are followed by a page about each poem - describing Appelt's inspiration and techniques, and suggesting starting points for poems about a similar longing.  Though most of the poems are free verse, there are a few in standard forms, or which employ some device. There is a villanelle, a sestina, and haiku, as well as a series of acrostics, and a "poem in five acts," with a voice and imagery evocative of Shakespeare, about the two teenagers who are playing Romeo and Juliet in the school play. Occasionally, Appelt's adult sensibility comes through too strongly (in a poem about what a boy takes with him when he leaves home, in which the nostalgia feels like the mother's, or in a series of elegies for "those we lost too soon": Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain . . . , but most of her poems will speak directly to her readers, who will also appreciate her suggestions, and her excellent bibliography of adult books on writing."

Kirkus Reviews; August 15, 2002 Vol 70 Issue 16.

"In the title entry of this collection, Appelt writes, "Poetry is a home for all my yearnings / each poem a separate room."  She demonstrates what she means in her combination of original poetry and a prose section that explains her motivation for writing each poem and offers exercises to help young poets get started. The poems range in style from villanelles to acrostics to free verse, and almost every one features a character who yearns for something: Jimmy, lost in the blues of his air guitar; a clerk at a late-night food mart pining for a customer; the "twirling queen of Dogwood, Texas" who quietly leaves town because "it's hard to be a twirling queen and a person too." The poems frequently shine with humor and tender, memorable images: "the cream colored cat, wild in her loneliness," that's left behind when a boy leaves his childhood home. But it will be Appelt's prose encouragements to young writers that will draw readers most.  Clear, thoughtful ideas for creating original work mix with a contagious, what-is-there-to-lose approach: "At the very least you'll write a really, really bad poem.  I write lots of those."  A warm, instructive resource for teens and teachers alike."

 --Gillian Engberg 

Booklist; November 15, 2002.

LS 5623.20 Fall 2008

It's Not About the Bike:  My Journey Back to Life by Lance Armstrong with Sally Jenkins

Armstrong, Lance, and Sally Jenkins.  2001.  It's Not About the Bike:  My Journey Back to Life.  New York, NY:  Penguin Group (USA).  ISBN-13:  9780425179611.  

For a story that is solid, brutally honest, and tough, Lance Armstrong partnered with Sally Jenkins to write an autobiography of his youth, battle with advanced testicular cancer as a 25-year-old athlete, and the innumberable changes he endured physically and mentally.  Beginning in chapter one, Lance's refreshingly blunt voice sets the tone for the book, "My illness was humbling and starkly revealing, and if forced me to survey my life with an unforgiving eye...I had to ask myself, 'If I live, who is it that I intend to be?'"  Plan to come away from this incredible journey of strength, weakness, fear, and insight with a deep appreciation for the roles cycling and cancer played in focusing Lance's often misplaced energies.  A strong team of family and associates stand behind him every step of the way, providing support and the tough love that a determined young man often requires.  The tenacious Lance Armstrong of the Tour de France reveals the human element that we rarely see in television glimpses.  His depth of character and the will to press on are the meat of this unmatched story of perseverance.  You will find yourself questioning your own values and determination in light of what Lance proves is humanly possible.  Follow the five time Tour de France winner through professional and personal triumphs and failures in Every Second Counts - as Lance again pairs with Sally Jenkins to recount the next phase of his life and career (Bantam Books, 2004).

"Armstrong is a champion American cyclist who was stricken with cancer in his twenties and given little chance to live.  However, he not only survived but won the rigorous Tour de France two years later.  As the title indicates, this book is much less about Armstrong's triumphs on two wheels than about his successful struggle with cancer and its aftermath.  Armstrong sees cancer as part of life that is meant to improve us by making us focus on our difficulties with courage and indominability of spirit.  His writing style is vibrant and immediate whether he is detailing events from childhood, racing challenges, the demands of cancer treatment, the in vitro fertilization process, or the joy of becoming a father.  This should appeal to more than just cycling fans.  Highly recommended."

Library Journal; June 15, 2000, Vol. 125 Issue 11.

"It is such an all-American story. A lanky kid from Plano, Texas, is raised by a feisty, single parent who sacrifices for her son, who becomes one of our country's greatest athletes. Given that background, it is understandable why Armstrong was able to channel his boundless energy toward athletic endeavors. By his senior year in high school, he was already a professional triathlete and was training with the U.S. Olympic cycling developmental team. In 1993, Armstrong secured a position in the ranks of world-class cyclists by winning the World Championship and a Tour de France stage, but in 1996, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Armstrong entered an unknown battlefield and challenged it as if climbing through the Alps: aggressive yet tactical. He beat the cancer and proceeded to stun all the pundits by winning the 1999 Tour de France. In this memoir, Armstrong covers his early years swiftly with a blunt matter-of-factness, but the main focus is on his battle with cancer. Readers will respond to the inspirational recovery story, and they will appreciate the behind-the-scenes cycling information. After he won the Tour, his mother was quoted as saying that her son's whole life has been a fight against the odds; we see here that she was not exaggerating."

 --Brenda Barrera

Booklist; May 15, 2000.

LS 5623.20 Fall 2008

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff

Rosoff, Meg.  2004.  How I Live Now.  New York, NY:  Random House Children's Books.  ISBN-13:  9780641960147.  

Expect to be drawn in so quickly by Daisy's unassuming personality and frank storytelling style that you will have finished the book before you get up from your chair.  With little punctuation hindering 15-year-old Daisy's voice, images and impressions move fluidly from words to ideas.  Rosoff's quick and succinct characterizations have you feeling as Daisy, that you have known each of the cousins your whole life and shared their ambling farm home from day one.  Quite the contrary.  Escaping from an unhappy home life, Daisy leaves the confines of New York behind for the peaceful English countryside and welcoming strangers - Aunt Penn, cousins Osbert, Isaac, Edmond, Piper, two dogs, a goat, sheep, cats, and chickens.  Daisy is pleasantly surprised by the freedoms enjoyed by the cousins.  Aunt Penn is rarely home, the only homeschooling that takes places is reading for pleasure, 14-year-olds can drive jeeps without seatbelts, and fishing is an all-day affair.  In the few weeks before the war starts, life is bliss.  Page by page, though, the war comes closer and closer to the cousins.  With Aunt Penn stranded in Oslo after a bombing, changes start taking place.  The cousins move into the lambing barn, so as to be less visible to The Enemy, and start collecting provisions - including a Boy Scout Survival Guide.  Officially-dressed people begin to knock on the door and ask questions, food lines open, quarantines are issued, and 16-year-old Osbert joins the War Effort.  In the unique position of understanding, and yet not understanding, Daisy is often perceptive and at times very naive.  Through candid narration, we experience a love affair, a powerfully symbiotic friendship with 9-year-old Piper, the atrocities of war, and human survival.  'We couldn't go on.  We went on.'  The last section of the book is startling and somber.  In a voice changed by age and circumstance, Daisy's 21-year-old words are no longer melodious.  Instead they are weighed down with grief, unknowing, sadness, and punctuation.  Closure comes painfully for Daisy and her readers as she reunites with the most important people in her life after six years of anguishing post-war separation.  Rosoff is remarkable in her ability to fashion stylistically moving narration and capture the essence of so many human sensibilities.  A modern classic...

"Manhattanite Daisy, 15, moves to London to stay with an aunt and cousins she's never met.  Without preamble or fanfare, an unidentified enemy attacks and war ensues.  Her aunt is abroad on a peace mission, meaning that Daisy and her three cousins, with whom she forges a remarkable relationship, must survive almost entirely on their own.  This is a very relatable contemporary story, told in honest, raw first-person and filled with humor, love, pathos, and carnage.  War, as it will, changes these young people irrevocably, not necessarily for the worse.  They and readers know that no one will ever be the same.  The story of Daisy and her three exceptional cousins, one of whom becomes her first lover, offers a keen perspective on human courage and resilience.  An epilogue, set six years after the conclusion, while war still lingers, ends Daisy's story on a bittersweet, hopeful note."

Kirkus Reviews; July 15, 2004, Vol. 72 Issue 14.

"Rosoff's debut novel, set in a war-torn, alternate modern-day England, is an incredible tale of two teens and the intensity of their forbidden bond. When fifteen-year-old Daisy arrives in England, her fourteen-year-old cousin Edmond picks her up from the airport. A connection immediately forms, with Edmond seeming to hear Daisy's very thoughts. Daisy's other cousins include Isaac, who speaks only to animals; nine-year-old Piper, who views the world through solemn adult eyes; and Osbert, the older son often in charge of the family. When world war erupts, England is invaded and the British Army commandeers the family farm, placing the boys on another farm and Daisy and Piper with a military family. The emotional bond between Daisy and Edmond is so strong that Daisy can sense him lying beside her at night although they are apart. Tragedy ensues, but eventually Daisy and Piper find their way to the boys' farm where they discover a field of decaying bodies. Not knowing the boys' fate, Daisy and Piper return to the deserted family farm. Startled by the telephone ringing, Daisy answers and hears her father's voice. Against her will, Daisy is taken back to New York. Six years later Daisy returns to an angry Edmond, both physically and emotionally scarred by her desertion. The depth and starkness of Rosoff's writing is beautiful yet painful to read. This book about the emotional devastation of war raises the hair on a reader's arms and brings tears to one's eyes. Suggest this one to readers who loved Alice Hoffmann's Green Angel (Scholastic, 2003/VOYA April 2003)."

-Ruth E. Cox. 

Voice of Youth Advocates; December 01, 2004.

Module 8 Book Reviews: Informational

Boys' Life Magazine

Boys' Life Magazine.  March 2008.  Irving, TX:  Boy Scouts of America.  ISSN:  0006-8608.

Specifically geared for boys, particularly the outdoor enthusiast, this magazine is packed with information in a variety of formats - from half and quarter page tidbits to full-blown medium print quality articles, a comics style portrayal of real-life heroes, and regular old comics and jokes.  Flush with plenty of graphics, photographs, and drawings to break up the text and catch the eye, topics are broad and in tune with the interest of today's kids - this particular issue features articles on rock climbing, snow-skiing, a TV newsman reporting on war, shuttles and collections.  The accomplishments and input of readers are highlighted throughout the magazine in recurring sections.  Boys' Life is a contemporary magazine that encourages participation, personal growth and strength of character in an appealing and well-planned presentation.        

Module 8 Book Reviews: Informational

Mis Fiestas - My Celebrations by George Ancona

Ancona, George.  2005.  Mis Fiestas - My Celebrations.  New York, NY:  Children's Press.  ISBN:  0-516-25290-9.  

This brightly bordered book explores Latin American holidays as celebrated by four children in the United States - Jose, Valeria, Cr istobal, and Zofia.  With families originating in Puerto Rico, Bolivia, Ecuador, and southwestern Spain, the celebrations are diverse and flamboyant, merging heritage with modern day excitement.  Candid photographs capture decor and colorful cultures on each page.  First-person accounts, in English and spanish, personalize the explanations of the festivals.  Accompanying the simple and direct look at four holidays - Three Kings Day, Bolivian Independence Day, Day of the Dead, and Christmas Festival, are the families' stories, a map, a short list of English/spanish words from the story, and index.  

Module 8 Book Reviews: Informational

Satchel Paige by David Adler

Adler, David.  2007.  Satchel Paige.  Ill. by Terry Widener.  Orlando, FL:  Harcourt, INC.  ISBN:  0-15-205585-1.

A fresh look at the life of African-American pitcher Satchel Paige, Adler's biography is clever - sharing both the hardworking and humorous sides to Paige's personality while sensitively addressing the racial inequalities that Paige countered nearly his entire life, both on the field and off.  Paige's own words, 'Only one person can pitch like me.  I could nip frosting off a cake with my fast ball,' among other quotes, are quite memorable and contribute to the pizazz of this hall of famer.  Bold, stylized illustrations are reminiscent of the olden days of baseball - when the ladies wore hats and the men wore baggy trousers.  With highlights of Paige's life and a list of sources, this sound work is a credit to perseverance and the belief in change.  

Module 8 Book Reviews: Informational

Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by Sy Montgomery

Montgomery, Sy.  2006.  Quest for the Tree Kangaroo.  Boston, MA:  Houghton Mifflin Company.  ISBN:  0-618-49641-6.

Superior in photo content, organization, storyline, and accessories, it is no wonder this book was selected as the 2007 Orbis Pictus Award winner.  The photography by Nic Bishop is striking and flawless.  An array of New Guinea's spectacular creatures, including an eclectus parrot and green tree python, as well as colorful plant-life, the people of New Guinea, and the island's wild mountains and forests pop off of the page with clarity and personality.  More than just recounting a quest for the mysterious tree kangaroo, this informational, first-person story provides a framework of knowledge for the reader by exposing the  geography, culture and history of the island, it's relation to the tree kangaroo and the visiting researchers (lead by scientist Lisa Dabek), and the many preparations for the journey to the island.  The book concludes with information on conservation, zoo locations, the Tok Pisin language, acknowledgements, notes from the author and photographer, and an index.  Concise headings every 5-8 pages and large photographs break the text into very manageable sections.  The language is straight-forward and never overwhelming.  Readers will leave this book feeling that they, themselves, have taken the trip to New Guinea, hiked the rugged mountains, captured the illusive Matchie's tree kangaroo, rubbed it's soft tummy, taken it's measurements, and aided in protection of this endangered species.