Shipbreaker

Shipbreaker, by Paolo Bacigalupi. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010.

Nailer lives in a world we only dream of – in our nightmares. The 17 year old boy is a shipbreaker, living on the storm ravaged Gulf Coast of a dystopian future and searching wrecked ships for salvageable items. Nailer’s extreme poverty, cruel father, and the cut throat competition to make his quota at work are just the surface problems he must deal with to survive. When Nailer and his friend discover a wrecked luxury cruiser, they know that they have finally found the ship that will get them out of the terrible circumstances they struggle with every day. However, their find is put in jeopardy when they locate a survivor, clinging to life in the remains of the ship. Nailer and Pima are faced with an impossible decision – let the girl die and get rich off the remains of the boat, or save her?

This novel, set in the ever popular dystopian future, will be appealing to YA readers who love this sub-genre of science fiction. The action packed and fast paced story telling keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Especially notable is the character development within this story. Often in dystopian novels the setting becomes of equal importance to the characters, yet here the action and setting are perfectly intertwined with character development that makes the impossible choices made by Nailer easy to imagine. It is important to note that this novel does not shy away from the violence appropriate to the story, which may need to be taken into consideration when using this in a classroom setting.

Moon over Manifest

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. Delacorte Press, 2010.

Twelve year old Abilene has been sent by her father to the town of Manifest for the summer of 1936. Abilene is unsure why her father does not want her to accompany him as he rides the rails to search for work, but she is determined to find out why Manifest, a place she has never been, is where her father wishes her to go. While in Manifest Abilene works for Miss Sadie, a fortune teller, to pay of a debt, but finds that she is learning as much as she is working. Miss Sadie, rather than tell the future has chosen to tell Abilene of the events of Manifest in 1918, in particular the exploits of two teenage boys, Jinx and Ned. Soon Abilene becomes enveloped in the Miss Sadie’s story, and is determined to solve the mysteries intertwined in both the past and present. Over the course of this novel Abilene learns of her father’s past and come to better understand that lives that they have lead both together and apart.
The story within a story format of this novel can lead the reader to some confusion regarding the characters of the story, but a “cast list” of sorts is included at the beginning of the novel. Vanderpool does a beautiful job of intertwining the dual story lines, with seamless connections between the events of 1918 and 1936. The revelation of the story teller as a key player in the history of the town and story of the Jinx and Ned also reinforces the metafiction label that can be applied to this historical fiction novel.

Countdown

Countdown, by Deborah Wiles. Scholastic, 2010.


This documentary style novel follows the life of Franny, an eleven year old girl during the weeks of the Cuban missile crisis in October of 1962. Throughout the novel Franny deals with many issues common among preteen girls, but all of these events, so important in her life, are overshadowed by the nationwide panic that is brought about by the political conflict of the time. In addition to having a father in the air force, and a mother that is overly concerned with appearances, an older sister that is mysteriously absent, Franny and her family must also cope with her Uncle, a war veteran who is often thrown into flashbacks as the events of Cuban Missile crisis unfold.
The unusual layout of this novel immerses the reader in the emotional turmoil of these two weeks in October of 1962. Images of political leaders engaged in discussion, transcripts of national addresses as well as propaganda designed to help citizens stay safe in the event of a nuclear attack allow the reader to see the widespread panic of these times. The unique format invites the reader to see beyond the fictional story that is presented here and see the reality of the Cuban missile crisis calling attention to the fictional nature of the story. In addition, brief biographies of important figures such as Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy are written in such a style as to lead the reader to assume that these pieces are written by Franny herself, leading again to the metafction classification of this novel.

The Dreamer

The Dreamer, by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis. Scholastic Press, 2010.


The Dreamer is a beautiful marriage of narrative and illustrations. This novel follows young Neftali’s life as he struggles to thrive in his home in Chile. Is father expects Neftali to be physically strong like himself and to work hard to be a doctor or businessman. He ridicules the young boy for day dreaming, reading too much and his fanciful listening to a mysterious voice. Neftali’s older brighter experiences the same treatment form their father, as he wishes to be a singer. The oasis in this sea of criticism is Neftali’s step mother, Mamadre. She recognizes the talent of her step sons, but is unable to stand up to their authoritarian husband as he attempts to mold the boys to meet his expectations. Throughout the novel Neftali is called by a voice that questions the world around him, encouraging him to explore the poetry that he sees and feels. As Neftali grows older he begs his uncle to allow him to work at the newspaper as a writer, but Neftali is once again exposed to the cruelty of the world when the paper is burned down for writing opinions that differ from those of the town’s leaders. Though his father has attempted to stamp out all trace of artistry and imagination, Neftali eventually is accepted to a forward thinking university where he is finally able to express himself freely.

Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis create a beautiful story in which the imaginings and emotions of Neftali are artfully expressed through the poetic writing and beautiful illustrations. Many readers will begin this novel not knowing that is an imagined account of the life of Pablo Neruda. The poetry written in the style of Neruda that is interspersed throughout the text allows the reader a glimpse into the potential inspiration for Neruda’s famous poetry. The metafiction components of this story are featured most prominently as the readers sees Neftali becoming a writer of civil rights pieces, arguing for the freedoms of the native people of Chile, as well as developing the poetry for which he will someday become famous.

The Freak Observer

The Freak Observer, by Blythe Woolston. Carolrhonda Books, 2010.

Loa is falling apart. After her sister Asta’s death the orderly life that revolved around the severely handicapped child was left without a center, as is the rest of her family. Though we never meet Asta in the novel, (her death occurs prior to the start of the book), her missing presence becomes a presence itself in Loa’s life. She finds herself tormented by nightmares, and escapes her fear by attempting to keep herself busy at all times. These difficulties are compounded by Loa’s family’s poverty and her parent’s own difficulties dealing with the death of their daughter. Every time Loa seems to be making progress she is once again knocked down by circumstances beyond her control, including witnessing the death of a school friend.

One of the most intriguing parts of this novel was the use of physics problems at the preface of each chapter. The content of the questions gives the reader a clue as to the emotional conflict in the upcoming chapter and ties into the secondary topic of the novel, Loa’s research about the freak observer, an extra credit project for her physics class. Though this novel leaves the reader with many questions, the lack of closure leaves the reader able to imagine Loa’s future as she continues to emerge from the desperate situation in which she finds herself.

It's a Book

It's a Book, by Lane Smith. Roaring Brook Press, 2010.

This humorous picture book is just as appropriate for adults as for children and the three characters, monkey, mouse and donkey are appealing to readers of all ages. Monkey is reading a book, an activity that confounds the donkey, a true child of the digital age. The donkey is curious about this new contraption, asking if it tweets, can be used for blogging or needs to be plugged in. Throughout this conversation the monkey patiently answers each question, though the donkey never quite seems to get it.

Readers of all ages will be able to identify with this story as we enter an ever more technologically advanced world. The attention that is placed on the actual book itself, and therefore the physical book that is being read by the reader, firmly places this book in the metafiction category. Adults sharing this book with children should note that the donkey is referred to as “jackass” throughout the story, though “donkey” can easily be substituted for younger readers during read aloud.

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann. GP Putnam Sons, 1995.


Officer Buckle loves teaching students about safety, but the students aren’t so interested. When Gloria, the new police dog starts to accompany Officer Buckle on his school presentations, the students start to pay attention. Officer buckle thinks that the students are finally getting serious about safety, hut in fact Gloria is acting out each of the safety tips that Officer Buckle gives. When Officer Buckle finally sees Gloria’s antics during his presentations, he realizes that the kids don’t care about safety the way he thought. Officer Buckle stops going to the schools, and sends Gloria to do the presentations by herself, but everyone discovers that Gloria and Officer Buckle make a good team, and their message is getting across after all!

This book is perfect for young elementary students, as they will enjoy Gloria’s antics as much as the students in the story. The safety tips included are both humorous applicable to daily life, and just like the kids in the book, readers will remember many of these tips as well.