Books, Reading, Libraries, and Learning Blog

Book Review of A Thousand Beginnings and Endings   BIBLIOGRAPHY Oh, Ellen. 2018. A THOUSAND BEGINNINGS AND ENDINGS. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062671165.   PLOT SUMMARY This is a collection of short stories by a variety of authors. The stories range in plot and setting from the legendary/mythological to the supernatural to the futuristic/science fiction.        CRITICAL ANALYSIS A short story anthology is a great way to appeal to young adult readers. As Dr. Rosemary Brock points out in her book, Young Adult Literature in Action , there are three benefits of anthologies and story collections. First of all, we hope the reader is entertained and satisfied after reading. Second, the reader can pick and choose which stories might interest them. They don’t have to read every story in the anthology. If they start one and don’t like it, they can stop reading it and move on to the next one in the book. Third, the reader may find an author t

Book Review of Loving VS. Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case   BIBLIOGRAPHY Powell, Patricia. LOVING VS. VIRGINIA: A DOCUMENTARY NOVEL OF THE LANDMARK CIVIL RIGHTS CASE. Illustrated by Shadra Strickland. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books. ISBN 9781452125909.   PLOT SUMMARY Mildred “Millie” Jeter and Richard Loving meet, fall in love, and get married. Unfortunately, their relationship and love is looked down upon by white racists of their era, and their marriage is found to be illegal in the state within which they reside. Their ACLU lawyers appeal the original decision to a higher court. Their appeal finally reaches the Supreme Court, which rules in the favor of Mr. and Mrs. Loving.              CRITICAL ANALYSIS This book is an excellent introduction to life in the southern United States of the 1950’s and 1960’s, particularly regarding the race relationships between African-Americans and whites. The illustrations and visual additions to the text reinforc

Book Review of Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (Volumes I and II)   BIBLIOGRAPHY Spiegelman, Art. 1993. MAUS: A SURVIVOR’S TALE. (Volumes I and II.) Artwork by Art Spiegelman. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, a Division of Random House, Inc. ISBN 0679406417.             PLOT SUMMARY Artie Spiegelman is writing and illustrating a graphic novel about his parents, their family, and friends during the Jewish Holocaust. He listens to his father talk about this tragic time in his life. During the course of his father’s narrative, Artie grows to realize how his father’s experiences shaped the man that his father became.                     CRITICAL ANALYSIS The writing draws you into the storyline. The man who the story is about speaks broken English due to his learning English as a second language. Yet, this broken English adds a pathos to the story that normal English would not have. The artwork is tight and without unnecessary images. Everything in the words and pictures is simple,

Book Review of The Monstrumologist   BIBLIOGRAPHY Yancey, Rick. 2009. THE MONSTRUMOLOGIST. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN 9781416984481.   PLOT SUMMARY Twelve-year-old Will Henry finds himself living with his late father’s employer, Dr. Pellinore Warthrop. Dr. Warthrop is a scientist who studies creatures that other people deem monsters. The story begins with the discovery of a dead monster in a cemetery. Together they work to determine how it got there. Along the way, they must protect themselves and their community from a coven of these monsters. Eventually, they figure out where the monsters came from, and make some other startling finds along the way.       CRITICAL ANALYSIS As soon as I started reading this story, I was reminded of the classics, FRANKENSTEIN and THE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU. It has the same eerie, creepy feel as these classic novels. Furthermore, it presented itself as a story about the intersection between science and

Book Review of Looking for Alaska BIBLIOGRAPHY Green, John. LOOKING FOR ALASKA. New York, NY: Penguin Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. ISBN 0525475060. PLOT SUMMARY Miles Halter goes to a boarding school to finish high school and prepare for college. Once there he meets his roommate, Chip Martin, who explains that his nickname is The Colonel, and that Miles new nickname will henceforth be Pudge (due to his slim frame.) Afterward Pudge is introduced to the third part of what will become their triumvirate, Alaska Young. Their friendship and adventures at the school make up the first half of the novel. The second half of the novel involves the struggle of making meaning of death and dealing with not knowing or even understanding the answers to life’s big questions.    CRITICAL ANALYSIS I spent much of the first half of this book chuckling and smiling. I spent much of the second half trying not to cry, and not succeeding. Sometimes we talk about how an author can mak

Book Review of Concrete Rose BIBLIOGRAPHY Thomas, Angie. 2021. CONCRETE ROSE. New York, NY: BALZER + BRAY, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 9780062846716.       PLOT SUMMARY Maverick is an African-American teenager who finds out that he is a father from a one-time encounter with a girl in his neighborhood. Then his cousin, who is like a beloved older brother, is killed in gang violence. Next, his girlfriend tells him that she is pregnant with his baby. Ultimately, Maverick has to decide whether to break free from his gang affiliations, or not.         CRITICAL ANALYSIS As you read this novel, you’re immediately struck by the patois of the characters in the story. It’s written in the vernacular of the urban African-Americans living in the fictional neighborhood of Garden Heights. Once you get used to the dialogue, it draws you into the storyline of the protagonist, Maverick, and his family and friends. The “voice” of the protagonist, Maverick, reinforces the settin