The Spider and the Fly (Book Talk 10)

The Spider and the Fly is a delightful mix of poetry and beautifully intricate illustrations. The rhyming scheme helped give the book an easy pace. It was adapted from a poem by Mary Howitt and the illustrations are courtesy of Tony DiTerlizzi. It won a Caldecott honor in 2003.

It is about a cunning spider who is trying to trick a beautiful fly into becoming his dinner. He uses very flattering compliments to try to play on her vanity. All the while, he is being a very gracious host while plotting her demise.





" 'Sweet creature!' said the Spider, 'you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I have a little looking-glass upon my parlor shelf,
 If you'd step in one moment, you shall behold yourself.' "

In the classroom, I would enjoy using this book. The illustrations have some beautiful asides like the ghosts of other bugs who have been killed holding up signs to warn the fly. Most students would be able to understand the moral of the story.

Rot and Ruin by Jonathan Maberry (Book Talk #9)

For Halloween, I curled up with Rot and Ruin by Jonathon Maberry. After all, what's a holiday without a post apocalyptic zombie novel? 

Benny Imura and his half brother, Tom, live within a guarded town in a zombie infested world. No one beside the zombie hunters venture outside of the town and the kids collect Zombie cards with famous people who have turned into zombies and bounty hunters. There is no electricity due to religious sects and no plans to expand the town and retake the land that was lost to zombies.  Benny has recently turned 15 and must find a job to become a productive member of society. Reluctantly, he becomes his brother's apprentice.

Benny idolizes the bounty hunters who act tough and brag about their kills. Even though his brother does the same work, Benny thinks that Tom is uncool and boring. In the beginning, it boggles Benny's mind that so many people respect Tom for his work. This all changes once Tom takes Benny on a kill. Tom is a closure specialist, who finds the loved ones of people and town and puts their zombie loved ones to rest. He ties them to a chair in their home and reads a letter written by the loved ones. Then he "quiets them" by inserting a dagger in the base of their neck. Tom kills zombies but he treats them as people instead of rabid animals.

Benny comes to realize that humans are far worse of a threat than the zombies. The bounty hunters he once idolized turn zombie killing into a sick passion. In the Ruin (outside the town defenses), there are no laws and the hunters convince kids to play a part in survival games for money. Many of them die for the entertainment of the bounty hunters. 

The Lost Girl

One day, Benny gets a very rare Zombie card of The Lost Girl. Her image intrigues him and he tries to track down who she is. In the process, the people who know about the Lost Girl either get kidnapped or turned into zombies by the meanest bounty hunters. Benny and Tom must venture into the Ruin to save the lost girl and a friend. 

The character development was extremely important to make this novel believable. I loved how this was told from Benny's point of view. Since he was very little when civilization fell, his outlook on the world is vastly different than those who knew about cell phones and electricity.

Did I mention it was a Cybilis, Bram Stoker, and YALSA award winner?

Sold by Patricia McCormick (Book Talk #7-2)

In India, Lakshmi and her mother struggle to make ends meet while her stepfather gambles and drinks their money away. Eventually his debts grow enough to cause him to send Lakshmi away to work as a maid in the city. She is sold and passed from person to person numerous times. Lakshmi willingly goes because she wants to give her mother the opportunity to have a tin roof to keep the rain out. A tin roof is a luxury in India.
At the age of 13, she is eventually sold into a brothel owned by a woman, named Mumtaz. When she refuses to submit to sleeping with the customers, Mumtaz is starves her for weeks. Finally, Mumtaz agrees to allow Lakshmi to live and gives her a mango lassi drink. Shortly after, Lakshmi realizes that the lassi was laced with drugs. She becomes victim to countless rape acts as countless customers are allowed to use her any way they wish. Her horrible reality becomes a sick dream in which she has no control over herself. 




The other girls in the brothel are given the illusion that once they pay off their debt, they are free to go. However, with Mumtaz charging for everything including television that is virtually impossible. The only way girls ever leave the brothel is if they catch a disease that cannot be cured. In the brothel, protection such as condoms are forbidden. Also the girls heads are shaven, which is a sign of disgrace in their culture. If they try to run away, no one will help them on the outside.
This book definitely has explicit material, but I think it would be wonderful to tie into human trafficking that also happens in the United States. I recently watched a documentary titled Very Young Girls (Trailer->). This doesn't just happen in other countries but our own. Knowledge is key in prevention of this happening to anyone.


One day an American customer visits Lakshmi and asks her about her life in the brothel. All the girls have been previously warned that Americans will say that they will rescue them but turn around and parade them through the streets naked. Still Lakshmi takes his card although she cannot read the print on it. The American tells her that he will bring soldiers to rescue her. Once he comes back, the other girls hide in fear. However, Lakshmi makes herself known and gets rescued. 


The book stops abruptly there after. We don't know if Lakshmi is truly rescued or just submitted to more abuse. However, in the acknowledgements the author mentions that every year over 12,000 girls are submitted to this life. Extensive research was needed to help develop the characters but also explain the setting. There were many constraints keeping Lakshmi in this toxic environment. It helped me as a reader understand why she just couldn't escape.

Mockingbird by Katheryn Erskine (Book Talk 7)

Caitlin's brother Devon was killed during a school shooting similar to Columbine. Her father cries everyday and Caitlin struggles to understand his emotion. She is a ten year old girl with Asperger's syndrome. To her emotions are represented by the Facial Expression chart in her counselors office. Also she needs concrete answers for everything and looks to her dictionary often. Since she doesn't feel any real emotion she has a tough time Getting It when someone is sad. Caitlin is extremely smart and a very talented artist. Since she shows no true emotions she has difficulty in social situations. She has to remember to Look at The Person and tries to practice empathy.

On TV, a reporter interviews the kid responsible for the shooting who is not remorseful for what he did. The reporter mentions that the town is still looking for Closure from the traumatic event. After Caitlin looks it up in the dictionary, she tries to find Closure for her dad. Since closure isn't a concrete object, she has a tough time figuring out how to give it to her dad. Their journey to find closure is the main concept of the book.

I loved the style of the language used. It enhances the point of view and creates an odd but likeable main character. There are no quotation marks used for the dialogue. Instead, they are simply italicized. She also capitalizes letters of words that would normally be grammatically incorrect to do so. It's mainly because these words mean more than what they imply. For instance, her teacher marks her off on an assignment for capitalizing the word "Heart". Caitlin does this because her brother's heart came out and that's how he died. It's not just any heart but his, which has more meaning attached to it.

I don't think this book would be a good one to have an entire class read. Some students may struggle with identifying with Caitlin, especially since she has Aspergers.  However, I would recommend this book to a student if I was confident that they would be able to fully understand and appreciate it.  It would be a wonderful way to understand what it would be like to have it. I think it would help students become more welcoming and open minded to others. It won many awards, including being a National Book Award Finalist. 

Here is a LINK... to author's website. There is a wealth of information including the sources used for Mockingbird.

Inside Out & Back Again (Book Talk 6)

"MiSSS SScott
points to the numbers 
along the wall.

I count up to twenty.

 The class claps
on its own.

 I'm furious,
unable to explain
 I already learned 
fractions 
and how to purify
river water.

So this is 
what dumb feels like."
(p. 156)


Inside Out & Back Again is the story of Hà, a ten year old girl and her family living in Saigon during the Vietnam war. The novel begins and ends with the celebration of Tết (Vietnamese New Year). This is a bad omen since a man must be the first one to touch the ground on New Year’s day. A woman's foot will bring bad luck for the coming year. This marks a series of changes for her entire family. As the war worsens they are pushed to abandon their home in Saigon and board a ship. Eventually, they are sponsored by an American family and they move to Georgia. 

American culture is a great shock for Hà's family. They don't like the food and the neighborhood does not welcome their arrival. With English being their second language, they are viewed as being uneducated and inferior in school. I would use this novel in the classroom to instill that being "different" does not make anyone "less".

I loved that this book was written in free form poetry. For the author to portray her story, she would have to use minimal words. I think this gave the story more impact for the reader. Very beautiful symbolism is used, especially pertaining to the setting. In Saigon, Hà is captivated by its beauty. Whereas in  America, everything is described in disgust.

Hope Was Here (Book Talk 5)

After Hope and her Aunt Addie get swindled by a restaurant owner, they leave Brooklyn in search of greener pastures in Mulhouney, Wisconsin. Mulhouney is a small town centered around the dairy industry. The first thing Hope notices when she gets to town is the  huge advertisements and numerous milk trucks in the streets. The local diner, Stairway to Heaven, hires Hope as a waitress and Addie as a cook/manager.

The owner, G.T. Stoop, has leaukemia and hastily decides to run for mayor. His opponent, Eli Millstone, has been mayor for two consecutive terms and is hungry for a third. Eli attacks G.T. openly that his sickness makes him a poor choice for mayor. G.T. points out that the dairy company is behind on their taxes and is funding Eli's campaign to further their own political agenda. Eli's campaign pulls dirty tricks to win but eventually loses.


My personal favorite part of the story was when G.T. proposed to Addie. Hope's mom left Hope with Addy because she felt she was an unfit parent. When G.T. marries Addie, he asks Hope if he can become the father she never had. It was a beautiful ending.   

The setting very much determines the speed of the story. When Hope is working at the restaurant, it is very fast paced and exciting. Two rings of a bell signal her that food is at the window. She is constantly dolling out coffee and working hard to keep the customers happy.

"You know what I like most about waitressing?  When I'm doing it, I'm not thinking that much about myself.  I'm thinking about other people.  I'm learning again and again what it takes to make a difference in other people's lives."(Page 144)

I am also very fond of the jargon used. By reading the story you start to understand the language that waitresses and cooks share. It adds a whole new level of analogies and ways to express emotions. In the classroom, I would use this book to show young teens the value of good and honest work. Every character is striving to be better: Hope wants to be the best waitress, Addie is always perfecting a recipe, and G.T. will stop at nothing to stop the corruption in his town.

Check out this LINK more about the author. It also includes lesson plans for discussion groups.

By the way, it was the Newberry Honor for 2001.

Rapunzel Book (Book Talk 4)

Rapunzel, by Paul O. Zelinsky, gave me the feeling that I was looking at a beautiful painting every time I turned the page. There is no wonder that this is a Caldecott winner for 1997. The story is a typical take on the popular fairy tale but with more depth. I think the character development for the book was lacking. By the end, we don't know if Rapunzel had dreams or even a brain. She could just be a pretty face.

The story starts with a couple who has trouble conceiving. When the wife finally becomes pregnant, she craves the herb Rapunzel from the evil sorceress's garden. She craves it so much, in fact, that she fears she may die without it. Her dutiful husband sneaks into the garden but gets caught. The sorceress bargains that she will let him take the Rapunzel if he gives her their first born. Afraid for his wife's life, the husband agrees.


They name the daughter, Rapunzel. The sorceress takes Rapunzel and locks her away in a tower. The only way to get in through a window at the very top. Rapunzel throws down her hair and the sorceress climbs up. One day a prince walking through the forest hears Rapunzel's’ singing and instantly falls in love with her. He climbs up her hair and asks her to marry him then and there. They have a private wedding and he visits every time the sorceress leaves. Rapunzel becomes pregnant and when the sorcerer finds out, she banishes her and cuts off her hair. That evening the sorceress tricks the prince and he falls to the ground and becomes blind. He searches for Rapunzel for over a year and finally hears her singing voice. Rapunzel's tears of joy give the prince back his sight and she introduces him to his sons. They all go back to the kingdom and live happily ever after. 

I have to admit that this book made me giggle inappropriately. The way that the Sorceress finds out Rapunzel has been seeing a man is because Rapunzel becomes miraculously pregnant. Which makes me think, "What was going on in that tower?" Also, the prince marries Rapunzel in secret shortly after meeting her. He doesn't try to take her out of the tower. It's like he wants her to be stuck in one place so he can visit her but maintain his own freedom. This is my personal opinion though. 

 This would be useful in the classroom as a comparative tool. Students could choose a fairytale and compare different versions of it. They could even write their own version of Rapunzel.

American Born Chinese (Book Talk 2)

                                                                    This graphic novel STOMPS on stereotypes about Asian culture!

Three stories start and ultimately converge in this award winning, Young adult Graphic Novel. First is the story of the Monkey King and his struggle to become an accepted deity. Next, Jin Wang must deal with stereotypes and pressures of being a Chinese American. He starts trying to become more and more white to fit in with his peers. Lastly is the story of Danny, a average white american whose Chinese cousin comes to visit every year. His cousin, Chim Kee, embodies all the stereotypes of being a F.O.B. (Fresh off the Boat) proudly. He is super smart, has a thick accent, and eats "clispy flied cat gizzards wiff noodle" for lunch. At the end of the story, we find that Jin Wang was transformed into Danny because of his yearning to become white. His cousin, Chim Kee, is the Monkey King sent back to show Jin Wang the error of his ways. Both, Danny and the Monkey King must learn to accept themselves for who they are. This is the ultimate theme within the story and it is an hilarious journey. No wonder this novel is the Winner of the Printz award and finalist for the National Book Association.

Original Sketch for Chim Kee

This novel would be an interesting starting point for high school students to discuss negative stereotypes of any race. Knowledge is key. It is important for students to call out these stereotypes for the inaccurate portraits of culture that they portray. I believe that each culture should be valued for its wonderful contribution to society.

Included are two of my favorite pages from the novel. Enjoy! (I know I did)

Hard Love (Book Talk 1)

I couldn't/wouldn't put this novel down!

Hard Love is definitely a valuable addition to teen contemporary realistic fiction. It's main character, John "Gio" Guzman is an average 16 year old struggling to find his own identity. His parents were divorced over 5 years ago and he's still adjusting to cope with their shattered marriage. Even though the divorce happened years ago, his mother refuses to touch him. His father leads a posh lifestyle in the city and shows no interest in his life.

Gio creates his own Zine, which is a homemade magazine of literature. He then meets Marisol, a fiery, Puerto Rican, and lesbian fellow zine writer. He falls in love but just like his relationship with his parents, it's hard love.

I won't ruin the ending for you. There is definitely more than one reason you should pick up this award winning young adult novel. Read it and let me know what you think.

This book made me look into the distant relationship I have with my own mother. We don't talk often and when we do it's painfully difficult. Because of this novel, I've started to communicate through email to stay in touch. In the novel, Marisol brought this idea up to Gio and it helped him. I find it easier since I can think critically about what I want to say. In person, I think we say too many things we don't mean. Writing means I can edit to get my point across.

Interested? Then check out this cool video I found.