Day of Tears: A Novel in Dialogue

Module 6

Lester, Julius. 2005. Day of tears: A novel in dialogue. New York: Hyperion Books.

A pre-civil war plantation owner, Pierce Butler, has decided to sell all of his slaves to pay his gambling debts. In his mind, it's simply a business decision. To the slaves and even to some of his own family, it is is destroying their way of life. The story revolves around the emotional impact his decision has on these individuals, many of them who are ripped apart from their families. The story, told in dialogue, switches back and forth between several different characters. In the beginning, it's a little bit confusing to keep everyone straight, but eventually we begin to see how the characters relate to each other. It uses the literary technique of of jumping ahead and back in time. We see the characters as both young and old and we see their thought processes. Each uses their own speech patterns, which are authentic for the time period. Hearing about their struggles in their own words makes them seem real. In a sense, they are real because this book is based on true historical facts about a large group of slaves who were sold by the Butler family in 1859. The story is well researched using primary source documents from the time period. The setting is authentic and gives a cleaer picture of what life on a southern plantation was like. Author notes at the end provided more information about the actual events on which the story is based. The theme of the story is clearly about the wrongs committed when human beings can buy and sell other human beings. Yet, another theme comes through, a surprising one considering the first. In the last chapter of the book, Emma, a former slave who was now an old woman says this: "all white folks back in that time wasn't evil . . . If your heart hurts when you see somebody suffering, you have a good heart." Children who may feel the pain and perhaps anger at the way the slaves were treated, will also see that there were white people who cared about their plight. To remain authentic to the times, the author makes occasional use of the "n" word, so this book may not be appropriate for some younger children. It is recommended for grades 6-9.

The Midwife's Apprentice

Module 6

Cushman, Karen. 1995. The midwife's apprentice. New York: Clarion Books

In this hitorical novel, a young girl with no home, no family and no name other than Brat finds work with the local midwife. While her hunger drives her to work for the sometimes unkind midwife named Jane Sharp, she begins to discover more about herself and her own abilities. Renamed Beetle, they young girl begins to learn more about the midwife profession and eventually discovers that she has a gift. Even though she has suffered mostly neglect and abuse in her young life, she learns that it is possible to love and care for others. Set in fourteenth century medieval England, readers get a lesson in how much more difficult life was, especially for homeless children. Cushman has done her research to give an authentic picture of life in a medieval village. During this dark period, midwives relied on magic, spells, and old wive's tales to ply their trade. The dialogue used captures very well the speech patterns used during medieval times. While some children may find the speech humorous, they can still identify with Beetle, who later changes her name to Alyce. The main theme of the book is Alyce's survival and maturity. Cushman doesn't sugarcoat her struggles: life was hard for such children during those times. Alyce, while imperfect, is shown as a character who grows and begins to build her own identity. The story definitely reflects the morals and attitudes of the time, and for this reason may not be suited for younger children. Readers will learn interesting lessons about this period of time where superstition was equally, if not more important than science in midwifery. The Author's Note at the end of the book gives more facts about the profession. This Newbery Award winner is recommended for ages 12 and up.

Willow Run

Module 6

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 2005. Willow run. New York: Random House.

During World War II Meggie Dillon and her family move to Michigan so that her father can work in an airplane factory to help win the war. Her brother Eddie is fighting in Europe and her grandfather must stay behind in New York. As she adapts to her new surroundings, and misses her grandfather, she also must face fears about losing her brother in the war. When they receive the news that her brother is missing in action, she realizes that she must be strong. Her relationships with her friends and family are a source of that strength. The story is told from Meggie's point of view, yet through the dialogue we capture the feelings of the other characters. They are well developed, believable, and show the struggles many families had waiting for their young soldiers to return home from the war. When Meggie imagines that a young ice cream man is a spy, she is simply reflecting the common fears of that time. The World War II setting of the story is accurately portrayed. Descriptions of food rationing and of families living in hastily built apartment buildings near defense factories are authentic and well-researched. While the mood of the story is sometimes sad, the overriding theme seems to be hope. Meggie, like many during this difficult time in American history, had to hang on to hope to survive. This heartwarming novel is recommended for children in grades 4-7.

The Whipping Boy

Module 6

Fleischman, Sid. 1986. The whipping boy. Ill. by Peter Sis. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Jemmy, an orphan boy, was taken from his life on the streets and made to serve as the royal whipping boy. He must take the punishment for a young spoiled prince, appropriately nick-named Prince Brat by his subjects. The two boys leave the palace and wind up having the adventure of their young lives. The are chased by two villains named Cutwater and Hold-Your-Nose Billy and are saved by a bear named Petunia and a horde of sewer rats. The humorous style of Fleischman's writing comes across in the first few paragraphs. We immediately know that the book is going to make us laugh. The characters are almost too comical to be believed. Jemmy is the only one who seems to have any common sense. Peter Sis's black and white illustrations add more fun to the story. The fast paced exciting plot will keep readers interested until the end. While the idea of a whipping boy is based on historical fact, Fleischman's story is definately a flight of imagination. In spite of the humor, a heartwarming theme emerges as Prince Brat begins to mature and the two boys become friends. The story provides all the elements for a good children's book: adventure, humor and a satisfying ending. This Newbery Medal Winner is recommended for ages 9-12.

Replay

Module 5

Creech, Sharon. 2005. Replay. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.

In this book, Creech uses a style of writing which switches back and forth between reality and imagination. The reality is that Leo, a 12 year old boy, is growing up in a large Italian family and sometimes feels very unimportant in the family scheme of things. Like many children in this age group, he is struggling to find something to make him feel significant. His love of acting is where the imagination of the story kicks in. He is constantly acting out scenes in his head. Leo spends a lot of time imagining scenes where he is a hero - a far cry from his reality. Some of the chapters are written like scripts, where family members have lines. The drama/play theme is carried out even further in Creech's use of scenes and a cast list at the beginning of the book instead of chapter titles. Leo's need to understand his quiet, moody father adds an interesting psychological element to the story. We watch as Leo begins to discover his strengths as he takes part in the school play. He continues to mature as he begins to figure out the mystery of his father's life and to understand him better. While Leo imagines his life like a play, the characters in his family are realistic and believable; large families often have many different personalities. Creech includes the full text of the play in which Leo has a part: Rumpopo's Porch. The book is recommended for grades 6-8.

Becoming Naomi Leon

Module 5

Ryan, Pam Munoz. 2004. Becoming Naomi Leon. New York: Scholastic.

This book speaks to the reality of many children today who are being raised by grandparents. It is written from the perspective of Naomi, who along with her brother Owen, is being raised by her "Gram" in a trailer park. We see the character of Naomi grow from a girl who likes to read, write, and make lists, to someone who has to help fight to keep the life that has become her stability. The emphasis of the strong protective love that a grandmother can have for her grandchildren is a main theme of the story. When a selfish mother with less than sterling intentions returns after several years, we see what lengths that love will travel. The story will hit home for many children who already know what it feels like to experience the fear of being caught in the middle of a custody battle. The characters in this book are well developed. Ryan captures the emotional and sometimes physical issues that scar children in these situation. The story, which is told in first person by Naomi, lets us see clearly how she feels about her dilemma. It also shows how she uses simple things like making lists of special words and things she wants to remember to help her cope. While the book qualifies as multicultural, we first see Naomi as a girl who has a real problem. The adventure of traveling to Mexico in an Airstream trailer is coupled with the joy of a young girls' discovery of her father and her cultural roots. Ryan has also interwoven some very interesting information about the art of soap carving and the Mexican festival of the Night of the Radishes. Recommended for grades 4-7,this book has won several awards including ALA Notable Books for Children (2005) and the Pura Belpre Honor (2006).

The Quigleys

Module 5

Mason, Simon. 2002. The Quigleys. New York: David Fickling Books.

This short chapter book introduces us to an obviously British family who are zany and unique -- like so many families everywhere. Most families will relate and see themselves in some of the Quigley family situations because as they say "truth is stranger than fiction." The hilarious, ridiculous adventures of this ordinary family will really tickle the funny bone. Focusing on one family member in each of the four chapters is a good way to thoroughly introduce the characters: Dad, Lucy, Mum an Will. The simple black and white drawings help to bring out the humor. A drawing of Lucy wearing a bee outfit at a wedding is a good example. This short book is a good transitional read for children not quite ready for longer chapter books. The characters are believable mainly because they are far from perfect. Will and Lucy get into trouble. Dad is distracted by football and likes to swear a lot. Mum likes to drink. Some conservative families may find the swearing, drinking and permissive child rearing style of the Quigley parents offensive; others will find it realistic and hilarious. In this sense, the book may be more British than American, but otherwise just about any family can relate to at least some of the Quigley adventures. This book is recommended for children in grades 2-4.