REVIEW: Lulu Walks the Dogs

Viorst, J., & Smith, L.  (2012).  Lulu Walks the Dogs.  New York:  Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

144 pages.


Appetizer:  Lulu is back after her adventures with a dinosaur.  This time she wants money for something that not even her eager-to-please parents can provide.  So, she'll have to earn and save the money herself.

As the title reveals--a point the narrator also points out--she decides on dog walking; walking three dogs to be precise.  Things do not exactly run smoothly for strong-willed Lulu, and whether she wants his help or not, the perfect Fleischman is going to insist on helping her.

Lulu Walks the Dogs is an amusing early chapter book with a lot of humorous moments and illustrations (I'm seriously thinking about making a collage of some of Lane Smith's pictures from this series).  There is good use of repetition, varying font sizes, narrator interruptions, and emotions that young readers will relate to.  Having typed that though, I didn't find that this book tickled me as much as Lulu and the Brontosaurus did.  Perhaps it was because the first book was a little more fantastic or because I approached this one knowing what to expect.

There are still a lot of great take-aways from Lulu Walks the Dogs though.  I like how Lulu's goal (the one she's saving all her money for) is so lofty and that she struggles to save her money (a brief mini-lesson on the importance of saving money from a young age, anyone?).  I won't reveal what it is, since this is a secret throughout most of the book.

I also like the way Lulu gradually learns to care for the dogs.  After seeing how Fleischman handles the three "savage" beasts, Lulu's approach to do the same is to buy the cheapest toys/treats possible.  This struck me as being something very true to what an actual new dog walker with Lulu's disposition would do.

The heart of this story is the developing friendship between Lulu and Fleischman.  From what I remember of second and third (and fourth, and fifth, and sixth...) grades, dealing with the frustrations and quirks of a potential friend was a central part of my daily drama.  Reading about Fleischman and Lulu's disagreements and steps to slowly become friends was giving me flashbacks.  Eventually, while both characters try to make compromises and help each other, I like that neither one attempts to change who they are.  After all, Lulu would never want to be boring.


Dinner Conversation:

"Lulu--remember Lulu?--used to always be a big pain, till she met Mr. B, a lovely brontosaurus.  Now she is just a sometimes pain, and not nearly as rude as before.  But unless what she wants is utterly, totally, absolutely, and no-way-Jose impossible, she's still a girl who wants what she wants when she wants it.
So, what is it, exactly, that our Lulu wants?  Right now I'm just saying it costs a lot of money.  Furthermore, he mom and her dad, who give her almost everything she asks for, said to her--with many sighs and sorries--that they couldn't afford to buy it for her and that she would HAVE TO EARN THE MONEY TO GET IT." (p. 3)

"Lulu went home and thought and thought, and then she thought some more, trying to figure out what her jobs should be.  But since the name of this story I'm telling is Lulu Walks the Dogs, you already know, of course, what she decided." (p. 15)

"On Sunday, Lulu met three different dogs at three different houses, all in Lulu's neighborhood.  Her mom went with her to every house, waiting outside on the sidewalk00just as she always did on Halloween--in case the people inside were witches or ogres.  None of them were." (p. 23)

"Jimmy, Johnny, Joseph, Jake.  How much money will I make?  Laurie, Lucy, Lynne, LaVerne.  How much money will I earn?  Money!  Money!  Money!  Money!  Money!" (pp. 32-33)


Tasty Rating:  !!!

REVIEW: Lulu and the Brontosaurus (Read this one aloud to anyone who will listen)

Viorst, J.  (2010).  Lulu and the Brontosaurus.  New York:  Atheneum.

115 pages.

One of my co-workers came a couple of weeks ago and had praised this book.   She'd read it aloud to second graders and had been impressed by Lulu's ability to hold the students' attention with its unlikely birthday wish, spunky protagonist, funny illustrations, short chapters with partial numbers (chapter eight and one half, anyone?), awesome multiple ends (in the style of the movie Clue, one of my childhood favorites).

I've since bought the second book, Lulu Walks the Dog.

Appetizer:  Lulu is spoiled.  She gets everything she wants.  But as her birthday approaches and she demands receiving a real Brontosaurus, it seems her parents will no longer be able to provide Lulu's every desire.

So, Lulu leaves.  She journeys deep into the forest in search of a Brontosaurus.  There she finds dangerous beasts and perhaps even what she desires most.  For better or for worse.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is how present the author/narrator is, discussing the writing process:  "I'm the person writing this story, I get to choose what I write, and I'm writing about a girl and a BRONTOSAURUS" (p. 1).  As with many meta-narrative (or stories that are aware of themselves as being stories), this book could spur young writers to put pen/marker/pencil/crayon to paper.

Lane Smith's illustrations are, as usual, wonderful.  As you can see along the left margin, they add a lot of humor to the story.

Although an early chapter book to read aloud solely for fun with first or second graders, I'd actually consider using Lulu and the Brontosaurus with third or fourth graders and pairing it with some mini-lessons on characterization.

No spoilers here, but Lulu faces a conflict that causes her to grow and change as a character.  She then faces situations similar to before she changes and the reader can see the impact of how she has grown.


Dinner Conversation:


"There once was a girl named Lulu, and she was a pain.  She wasn't a pain in the knee.  She was a pain--a very big pain--in the b u t t." (p. 3)

"Two weeks before Lulu's birthday, she announced to her mom and her dad that she wanted a brontosaurus for her b-day present.  What did she say?  What?  A brontosaurus?  Yes, she wanted a brontosaurus for a pet  At first Lulu's mom and her dad just thought she was making a little joke.  And then they saw--oh, horrors!--that she was serious.  (p. 7)

"On...the day before Lulu's birthday, right after lunch, Lulu said to her mom and her dad, "Okay then, foo on you."  (She had terrible manners.)  "If you aren't going to get me a brontosaurus, I'm going out and getting one for myself." (p. 15)

"I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, gonna get a bronto-bronto-bronto Brontosaurus for a pet.  I'm gonna, gonna get a bronto-bronto-bronto Brontosaurus for a pet." (p. 44)

"She also woke to the sight of something so huge, so enormous, so utterly gigantic that she thought--no, she was sure--that she was still dreaming.  It looked like a mountain, except this mountain had legs, a very long neck, and a very small head.  It was (as I'm sure you've already figured out) the brontosaurus that Lulu had been searched for." (p. 47)


Tasty Rating:  !!!!

REVIEW: Have I Got a Book for You!

Watt, M.  (2009).  Have I Got a Book for You!  Tonawanda, NY:  Kids Can Press.

9781554532896


Appetizer:  Mr. Al Foxword is quite the salesman.  He's sold a refrigerator to a penguin and an umbrella to a fish.  And now, he's written the perfect book for you.  And he's more than willing to tell you why.

As with Melanie Watt's other picturebooks, Have I Got a Book for You! is exceptionally creative and meta-fictive.

But I have to say, I did not enjoy it as much as her other books.  Not nearly as much.  I think Al's characterization captured "slimy salesman" a little too well for my tastes.  While I do realize that this is a large part of the humor here.  But you have to know, I hate TV commercials and salespeople that get in my face.  It's well ingrained that when I see a pushy salesperson, I'm more likely to run in the other direction than listen.  So, Al gave me the run-away-run-away-NOW vibe.

So, for me, this story was a bit frustrating to read.

How about you, few but dear readers, have any picked up Have I Got a Book for You!


Dinner Conversation:

"Now that I have your attention, let me introduce myself."

"But I know what you're thinking:  "Al, I don't need all this incredible stuff.  I just need a GREAT BOOK!"  Well, this is your lucky day, my friend!!!"

"If you buy my book in the next 10 seconds, I will throw in your very own, top-of-the-line...BOOK MARK!"


To Go with the Meal:

Since Al is such a wonderful salesman, children could follow his example and design a product for them to sell in a presentation before the class (with poster boards, of course!).  A teacher could encourage the students to pretend they're Al in the hopes that it will ease nerves about being in front of the rest of the class.

Another option would be to critique the type of commercials that Al is parody of.

This book could also be used as a fun read, especially since it presents reading as fun.  In response to reading, students could make their own picturebooks that feature them as the main character, making an argument about who their story is worth reading.


Tasty Rating:  !!!

REVIEW: A Book

Gerstein, M.  (2009).  A Book.  New York:  Roaring Brook Press.

1596432519

30-Second Summary:  When A Book is opened, the characters awaken and go about their day, committed to their own stories.  But, for the little girl in the family, she has yet to determine what her story is.

I LOVE the concept for this book.  It answers the question of what happens to characters when a book isn't being read.  (As a child I had similar questions about movies that weren't being played.  I thought miniature versions of characters flew and wandered around the inside of a VCR.  Err, Blue Ray player.  Laserdisc.  Did I just date myself?)

The book is a good example of literature that draws attention to how a story is composed and takes into consideration the reader as well.  At one point the protagonist has a discussion with a large goose who says, "Readers like a good story, else they close the book, you know."  The girl asks, "What are...readers?"  "Look up." says the goose.  Heeheehee.  I love meta-narratives!  A Book also includes a bit of information about genre rules and includes intertextuality to a number of fairy tales and classic works of literature as well.  This is kinda like a new approach to David Wiesner's The Three Pigs.

I have to admit though, I wasn't as fond of the illustrations.  They're...fine.  Cute.  Blah-ish.  They are all positioned from the perspective of the reader looking down upon the characters.  Now, this is initially awesome, reinforcing the idea that the reader is looking in, peeking down upon the book.  But it got kinda old as the story went on.

But don't let that fool you, after finishing reading the library copy, I've ordered my own copy of the book from Amazon.  Oh, Amazon.  You have all of my monies.


Activities:

A Book is an awesome story to discuss how to create a book or story with students.  It explores the way each character needs their own story.  A teacher could also go into the fact how each student in the class also has their own unique perspective and story to tell.  We can all be our own protagonists or heroes.

Since so much of picturebook is written in dialogue, it would be difficult to use A Book as a straight-up teacher read aloud.  A teacher could, however, assign different roles to each student and they could act out the book very easily.  But since there's also narration, a teacher could discuss the presence of the narrator as well, assigning a student that role too.

A teacher could also use A Book to focus on the need for writers to create interest in the story for readers, to have a hook.


Quotes of Note:

"Once, in a book by Mordical Gerstein, published by Roaring Brook Press, New York, there lived a family of characters."

"When the book was closed it was night in the book, and the family slept."

"I know we live in a book, but what is our story?"

"Everyone has a story but me.  What's my story!"  And off went the girl to the next page."


Tasty Rating:  !!!!

REVIEW: Ivan the Terrier

Catalanotto, P. (2007). Ivan the Terrier. New York: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

1416912479

Readers, I'm bouncing with joy over here. I randomly came across yet another metanarrative. And you know how much I love metafiction! Mmmmmm. Delicious reading.

Ivan the Terrier begins intertextually with the story of the three billy goats gruff, which a teacher or parent will probably want student to be familiar with before or after sharing this story (along with Goldie Locks and the Three Bears, The Three Little Pigs, The Gingerbread Man). Ivan, the troublesome terrier, interrupts the story in similar fashion to what occurs in Chester and Chester's Back!, interrupting the narrative and forcing the narrator to change stories. If a teacher were to share all three books, I would recommend using Ivan the Terrier first, since the Chester books include many words crossed out with a marker, Ivan the Terrier would be easier to take in initially.

If I were to share this book as a read aloud, I would have two people share the reading duties. One student or teacher could read the moments the narrator is introducing a new story and someone else could read the narration when Ivan has interrupted the story. The parts are in different fonts, so the book lends itself to being read in more than one voice.

Activities:

The title of Ivan the Terrier is referencing Ivan the Terrible. Since the youngest of readers won't get this, Ivan the Terrier is a wonderful book to bring in and share with middle grade readers who are actually learning about the historic figure.

Aside from sharing the other stories referenced throughout Ivan the Terrier, this book could inspire a teacher or parent to discuss why it may be important to give a dog obedience training. Or a teacher could discuss how people or animals often act out when they want attention.

Quotes of Note:

"Once upon a time there were three billy goats named Gruff."

"Ivan! You naughty dog! You're ruining the story!"

"Oh well. I guess we'll have to read a different story."

REVIEW: The Reformed Vampire Support Group

Jinks, C.  (2009).  The Reformed Vampire Support Group.  New York:  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

 

9780152066093

 

To put a twist on the opening of this book:  I am not stuck.  I know just what to write next.  And that is...

 

I heart The Reformed Vampire Support Group.  I want to join it.  Nevermind the fact that it'll involve a fair amount of work since I am neither a vampire nor a reformed vampire.  (Unless of course, I'm lying right now.  You'll never know)

 

Nina, the author of the Youngblood series, enjoys writing her character Zadia as a powerful and beautiful vampire, but knows the reality of vampire life is far from being as cool.  Infected when she was fifteen, Nina is a woman in her fifties doomed to look and behave like a teenager.  She can't drive.  She doesn't have superpowers.  She must battle the urge to take blood from people for fear of revealing her secret.  And she must work to prevent her body from decomposing.  To help with all these problems, Nina attends a reformed vampire support group each Tuesday.  The various vampires deal with different aspects of the dead lifestyles and occupy different spaces on the Kubler-Ross grief cycle.  All this gets more complicated when the vampire, Casimer, who is responsible for 'infecting' all of the vampires in Australia, is found staked in his apartment.  Nina and the other members of her support group go on the defensive, fearing Casimer's deranged slayer will target them next.

 

While there is quite a bit of a danger and suspense in the narrative, there's also a lot of talking as the vampire support group decide what they're going to do to solve their problems.  While this is a nice change from a lot of narrative that go ACTIONdododoNOWnowNOWnowDON'TthinkACTfastpaceEND!!!!!!  At times, I found myself thinking, "Crud, are these weakling vampies, still chatting?  Hellz, I'll take care of the bad guys.  They may be fictional characters, but I'll find a way to eliminate them faster than these characters can come to a decision.  

Plus, this is, to a small degree, a meta-narrative about Nina's own writing process.  Which is pretty much the easiest way to gain my love at first chapter.

 

P.S.  I'll see all-ya-alls vamp buddies Tuesday night at 9:30 PM in St. Agatha's!

 

 

Activities to Do with the Book:

 

Since Nina strugles with writing a story, it'd be only natural to have readers share in her experience by writing their own creative stories.  A teacher could emphasize issues of characterization and the idea that most characters have flaws and can't always be happy-perfect idealized versions of the author. 

 

Since this book is clearly a counter-narrative to SOME other perceptions of vampires in the media, the text lends itself to comparison with the Twilight series, The Blue Bloods series, The Vampire Diaries and all the other books out there that romanticize vampirism.  The Reformed Vampire Support Group works to deconstruct many of the romanticized stereotypes in similar fashion to Charlaine Harris's (very adult) Southern Vampire Series.

 

An interesting discussion to proke would be a consideration of vampires as "victims" (p. 12).  This could lend itself to a safe and metaphorical discussion of not having control in a situation and overcoming that feeling. 

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“Nina was stuck.  She didn't know what to write next.

So far, her teenage love interest had been dragged into a refrigerated meat locker by two thugs armed with a gun and a boning knife" (p. 1)

 

"You know what?  This isn't going to work.  I can't write aboutmyself the way I write about Zadia [my character].  It's too weird.  It's confusing.  Next thing I'll get mixed up and start making me do things that I can't actually do.  Like turn into a bat, for instance.  Zadia can do that, but I can't.  No one can.

The plain fact is, I can't do anything much.  That's part of the problem.  Vampires are meant to be so glamorous and powerful, but I'm here to inform you that being a vampire is nothing like that.  Not one bit.  On the contrary, it's like being stuck indoors with the flu watching daytime televistion, forever and ever" (pp. 4-5).

 

"I still look fifteen, you see.  I still am fifteen, when all's said and done, since I stopped aging back in 1973, when I was infected.  So I'd attract far too much attention behind a steering wheel" (p. 5). 

 

"I didn't want to complain too much, because that's what vampires do.  They complain too much" (p. 7).

REVIEW: Chester's Back

Watt, M.  (2008).  Chester’s Back!  Toronto:  Kids Can Press.

 

9781554532872

 

As the title so aptly states, Chester’s Back!  This is a sequel to Watt’s successful Chester, published in 2007.  In both these books the cat named Chester takes over as author, encouraging youngsters to consider taking on the role of co-creator of books.  This series demonstrates that sometimes stories really do take on lives of their own.

 

This time around, the implied (and real) author, Melanie, gets tired of Chester’s many alterations to the story and decides to search for a replacement Chester to help her share the story.  Chester continues to interrupt the creation process, until Melanie must give in to Chester’s finicky demands for the story, but not without causing some trouble of her own.

 

This is a wonderful example of a book in which the illustrations are essential for a student to make meaning from a text.  And on top of that, they're very fun illustrations that will make kids itch to pick up a marker of their own.

 

 

Activities to do with the book:

 

Students can take Chester on as an example to co-create stories together or with already published books.  (Of course, some teachers and parents may take offense to the idea of writing in books)

 

Also, since Chester spends some time pretending to be a cave cat, a teacher could use this book to help with the concept of time and history.

 

Plus, Chester begins the story over again several times.  A teacher could emphasize this as a lesson that sometimes people have to keep trying, or that editing is an important part of the writing process.

 

Since the book also includes an open invitation for a replacement to Chester, a teacher could conduct auditions in a classroom—this could turn into a student talent show, or short letters to Melanie Watt explaining why students could take Chester’s place, etc.

 

Students could also choose old throw-away copies of books to recreate that text in their own way by adding or removing various pictures and words.  If a teacher is nervous about the idea of kids altering the books, children’s magazines or school newsletters could also be used.

 

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“A long time ago, in a faraway land, lived a cat named Chester.”

 

“Now, Chester, let’s try this again. 

A long time ago, in a faraway land, lived a…”

 

“Chester, step away from the new Chester!”

REVIEW: Five Children and It

Nesbit, E.  (2004).  Five Children and It.  New York:  Puffin Books.

 

9780140367355

 

Five children (thus the first part of the title of this book—although one of the five kids is a baby and is not involved in all of the events) leave their London home with their mother visit the countryside for a week.  Within hours of their arrival they discover an ancient sand fairy living in a gravel-pit.  The grumpy fairy grants the children one wish each day.  The catch?  The wishes only last one day and the kids never quite get what they expect.

 

While I liked the premise of the book, the actual execution was a little too preachy or didactic for me.  I like my lessons to be subtle and reached gradually, instead of shark-shaped and biting me.  Don’t get me wrong, I too believe the wee children of the Earth should enjoy being ugly, being aware that an abundance of coins are heavy, loving their whiney little baby brothers, planning ahead when they’re gifted with magical wings for the inevitable moment when those wings disappear, etc.  I just like to feel I’m realizing these important lessons myself.

 

I still liked the narrator, who occasionally interrupted the narrative to speak in the first person and refer to aspects of the story (mmmm, metafiction).

 

I struggled with the way this book defined class.  In similar fashion to Peter Pan, “poverty” means only having a few servants instead of many.  Poor nineteenth century British kids.  Life is pain.

 

 

Activities to do with the book:

 

If I were to use this book, it would probably be as a read aloud or individual recommendation.  It would be especially good for a child who is addicted to fantasy, along with this book they could also explore the works of Lewis Carroll, J.R.R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum and C.S. Lewis.

If a student needed to do a presentation or short paper based off of this book, they could research fairy lore.

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

“The house was three miles from the station, but before the dusty hired fly had rattled along for five minutes the children began to put their heads out of the carriage window and to say, ‘Aren’t we nearly there?’” (p. 1).

 

“For London is like prison for children, especially if their relations are not rich” (p. 2).

 

“I feel that I could go on and make this into a most interesting story about all the ordinary things you do yourself, you know—and you would believe every word of it; and when I told about the children’s being tiresome, as you are sometimes, your aunts would perhaps write in the margin of the story with a pencil, ‘How true!’ or ‘How like life!’ and you would see it and very likely be annoyed.  So I will only tell you the really astonishing things that happened, and you may leave the book about quite safely, for no aunts and uncles either are likely to write ‘How true!’ on the edge of the story.  Grown-up people find it very difficult to believe really wonderful things, unless they have what they call proof.  But children will believe almost anything, and grown-ups know this.  That is why they tell you that the earth is round like an orange, when you can see perfectly well that it is flat and lumpy; and why they say that the earth goes round the sun, when you can see for yourself any day that the sun gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night like a good sun as it is, and the earth knows its places, and lies as still as a mouse” (pp. 4-5).

 

“Almost everyone had Pterodactyl for breakfast in my time!  Pterodactyls were something like crocodiles and something like birds—I believe they were very good grilled” (p. 14).

REVIEW: Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek

Hopkinson, D. (2008). Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A tall, thin tale. New York: Schwarts & Wade Books.

9780375837685

Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek is about just that, Abe Lincoln crossing a dangerous creek with his first friend, Austin. This fun telling shows how one individual can influence history. And how you should always listen to your mother. Truth.

This is a meta-narrative, which in case you haven’t realized yet, such self-aware stories always makes me feel happy and fuzzy. But this book as the added benefit of also being aware of the illustrations and the illustrator’s influence on how the story is shared. Double fuzzy happiness!

What’s especially fun about his book (beyond my happy fuz) is that it acknowledges that the stories of history are constructed and allows for multiple versions. The illustrations do a great job in supporting this too.


Activities to do with the book:

Students can construct their own meta-narratives or tall tales in response to the story. Or because of the questions and insights made throughout the books, students could co-construct their own versions, with some focusing on the narrative and others on the illustrations.

This would also be a good book to create dramatizations in small groups, trying to figure out how to cross the river and save young Abe.

Also, students could do research on the pre-civil war era or on Lincoln’s biography. While this book could be shared as a class, other biographies could be used as homework.


Favorite Quotes:


“Now here’s an old tale of two boys who got themselves into more trouble than bear cubs in a candy store.”

“It happened on the other side of yesterday.”

“We could end our tale here, two happy friends in the sunshine long ago. But I expect you want to know what happens next.”

“What we do matters, even if we don’t end up in history books.”

REVIEW: Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones

Sanderson, B. (2008). Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener’s Bones. New York: Scholastic
Press.

0439925533


So I know I reviewed the first Alcatraz book a few weeks ago, but what can I say, I enjoyed it. So here’s the second book. This time around, Alcatraz must search for his father and grandfather in the great Library of Alexandria (turns out it wasn’t destroyed, just moved. It’s a conspiracy).

While I will admit to loving this fantasy/science fiction series, I have a very small bone to pick with the titles. While the ‘versus’ technique is cute on one hand, it always places Alcatraz in opposition. But on the other hand, opposition creates tension and tension helps make for a good read. But on the other hand, in a binary infested world do we really need more binaries. Hmmm. That’s enough rambling and too many hands.

Now lets move on to the opening sentence. The “So, there I was,” phrasing is used in both books multiple times. This could turn into a fun writing exercise to do with students—Have them create their own stories beginning with “So, there I was….”

Once again, Sanderson includes the use of guns and violence in the book with no serious consequences. (however there is a repeated promise of death to the character, Bastille) On the plus side though, Sanderson maintains the strength of his enjoyable and humorous meta-narrative that explores the conditions of leadership and heroism. I made be forced to add him to the short list of authors that I would marry no questions asked. (This is a big deal, guys! This is a very short list and Sanderson just might get his name put on it).


Activities to do with the book:

Along with considering discussions of how to construct a tense and drama –filled narrative, students can also discuss if Alcatraz is a trustworthy narrator.

Another discussion would be to consider the way Western culture is viewed in the Alcatraz books. A reader can feel like an anthropologist, examining their own culture.

Overall, Alcatraz’s sarcastic voice could manage to entice many struggling readers. If that is the case, it’s important to maintain the sense of fun inherent in this series.


Favorite Quotes:

“You think you know me. You’ve listened to the storytellers. You’ve talked with your friends about my exploits. You’ve read history books and heard the criers tell of my heroic deeds. The trouble is, the only people who are bigger liars than myself are the people who like to talk about me” (Foreword).

For some reason, the more powerful a pair of Oculatory Lenses is, the less cool they tend to look. I’m developing a theory about it—the Law of Disproportional Lameness.)” (p. 2).

“I feel I need to break the action here to warn you that I frequently break the action to mention trivial things” (p. 7).

REVIEW: Hate That Cat

Creech, S. (2008). Hate That Cat. New York: Joanna Cotler Books.
0061430927

As a person who loves cats and would choose a little antisocial, clawing beasty over a dog any day, I paused before picking up Hate That Cat. My love for the companion book Love That Dog (2001) helped me to overcome my hesitation. Both books help teach about poetic form, demonstrate how writing and reading can help students and also show how a teacher’s thoughtful comments and guidance can assist a student through difficult situations.  

Through reading Jack’s poems written throughout a school year, Jack struggles with defining poetry—it’s rhythm and line length, and he learns and applies some techniques such as metaphor, alliteration, onomatopoeia. Jack also struggles with learning how to accommodate his deaf mother while trying to move on to love a new pet.

While Hate That Cat deals with the same themes as Love That Dog and includes charming poetry, it still falls short of its predecessor. It’s a little less funny, a little less poignant.

Activities to do with the book:

This is a good book to use while teaching poetry terms since Jack both uses the terms and applies them throughout the book. Having students create illustrations for the poems would be a good way to check comprehension. They could also write their own poems in conversation with Jack, Miss Stretchberry or their teacher.

Favorite Quotes:

“Her arms hold you in
so you won’t fall
and will feel
safe” (p. 79).

“I never knew
a writer could do that—
tell a whole story
in
poems” (p. 113).

Time until the ALA Award Winners Are Announced: 21 Days

REVIEW: Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians

Sanderson, B. (2007). Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians. New York: Scholastic Inc.

ISBN: 0439925525

After receiving a bag of sand from his long-lost family and being told he must leave his current foster family, Alcatraz goes on a wild adventure in which he must defeat the powerful evil librarians who control our culture. This novel, best for ten to thirteen-year-olds, includes enough humor and plot twists to engage and entertain its readers.

While many might think this book is best used solely to entertain, Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians makes direct addresses to the reader that address cultural differences between the “hushlands” and the “free kingdoms” that will allow many students to view their own culture in a new way. The book also questions what is a hero. It turns a person’s typically negative perceived tendencies such as being late or breaking almost anything one comes into contact with into the character’s greatest gift or power.

One of my few cautions about this book is the prevalence of guns. While considered ‘impractical’ and ‘primitive’ by several of the characters, guns are still used often and without serious consequence throughout the story.

The book is also a meta-narrative in which Alcatraz mentions the way he has chosen to structure the story. This could contribute to a lesson on creating tension in a narrative, language choices in literature, literary techniques such as foreshadowing, and could encourage readers to write their own stories.

The story includes a lot of quirks—characters named for prison, talking dinosaurs and rutabaga. It also makes references to other children’s books, including the Harry Potter series and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Overall, this is a fun and fast-paced book that makes for an amusing and engaging read. And of course, it’s being turned into a series.



Activities to do with the book:

Teach about the nature of culture, the philosophies of Plato, power, heroes, etc. Also could incorporate into a lesson of how glass is manufactured.

Favorite Quotes:

“So, there I was, tied to an altar made from outdated encyclopedias, about to get sacrificed to the dark powers by a cult of evil Librarians” (p. 1).

“Would any decent, kindhearted individual become a writer? Of course not” (p. 167).

Page 308 (I’ll say no more about that).

“That man, however, is a fantasy writer, and is therefore prone to useless bouts of delusion in literary form” (p. 309).