Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Wolff, V. E. (1993). Make Lemonade.  New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.  ISBN 0805022287. 200 p.

SUMMARY

Fourteen year old LaVaughn has a personal goal of going to college.  It is a decision that her mother fully supports too.  If LaVaughn completes college, she will be the first one in her family to earn a degree, and she would be the only one in her apartment complex to have one.  The problem is that LaVaughn will have to earn money to pay her own way through college since her mother can barely make ends meet.  LaVaughn finds a job babysitting for a seventeen year old single mother of two very young children who live in worse conditions than LaVaughn does.  As the days go by, LaVaughn learns some hard truths as she becomes attached to this young family and tries to maintain her good grades.  Life’s lessons and realities hit LaVaughn head-on in this touching story.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Making Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff is the story of a young girl who wants to escape the troubled inner city life.  Virginia Euwer Wolff creates a rather compelling protagonist by the name of LaVaughn who proves to be stronger and wiser than most fourteen year olds.  Written in the first person, readers will listen to LaVaughn describe her various predicaments and feel her struggle to make the best decisions as she attempts to prepare herself for a higher education.  Her problems are realistic and described in a manner that others unfamiliar with the inner city life will better understand. Jolly, Jilly, and Jeremy, the other main characters in this story, are developed enough for readers to understand. Using free-verse poetry to tell this story, Virginia Wolff’s Making Lemonade is quick and easy to read which may appeal to reluctant readers as well as female teenagers. 

Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates by Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rubalcaba, J. & Robertshaw, P. (2010). Every bone tells a story: Hominin discoveries, deductions, and debates.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.  ISBN 9781580891646. 185p.

SUMMARY

Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw share four fascinating stories of the past in their book entitled Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates.  Readers will meet four hominin skeletons that have been named Turkana Boy, Lapedo Child, Kennewick Man, and Iceman.  Rubalcaba and Robertshaw describe how and where each skeleton was discovered, and they reveal techniques that scientists use to uncover precious information from the remains.  They also inform the readers about the various obstacles that scientists often encounter as they strive to study the past.  Sometimes big delays are forced upon their research attempts as debates take place.  From the information the archaeologists do uncover, Rubalcaba and Robertshaw demonstrate how they can create interesting stories of what life may have been like for these four individuals and others that lived during those time periods.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw craft a very informative book about the past in Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates.  Their work is presented in a nicely organized book with four distinct studies of the four hominin skeletal remains.  In chronological order, they describe the discovery of each hominin in an easy to read story form much like a fictional novel.  They even recreate what the last days of the deceased’s’ life might have been like.  The book itself is beautifully made with thick, glossy pages, colorful photos, and numerous images.  Following the conclusion, there is a time line, detailed glossary, and extensive list of references. Although the time line could have been placed in front of the book for the readers to follow as they read along, the overall book is a fascinating piece of work that’s hard to put down. 

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Macy, S. (2011). Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way).  Washington, DC: National Geographic.  ISBN 9781426307614. 96 p.

SUMMARY

Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy is far more than a story describing the evolution of the bicycle.  It is also a look at the impact the bicycle made on the lives of women.  The bicycle became a new, affordable, nonliving form of transportation, and that was a positive invention for both men and women.  Women, however, reaped a host of new welcomed changes that were triggered by the bicycle.  An American woman’s nineteenth century wardrobe was not conducive to riding a bike, so several impressive modifications took place.  The bicycle also prompted unprecedented freedom for women in terms of mobility, exercise, challenges, voices, and more.  This two wheeled invention also brought about other changes in society.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Sue Macy, author of Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way), successfully crafted an informative book that encompasses the introduction of the bicycle and the surprising gains made for women and the advertising industry.  Her narrative style is easy to understand and is accompanied by well documented dates, locations, and names.  Her use of different styles, colors, and sizes of fonts results in an attractive display of words.  Macy incorporates wonderful images including actual photos, cards, posters, diagrams, labels, advertisements, and medals from the corresponding time period.  The illustrations are accompanied by written captions that are interesting and sometimes humorous.  Splashes of color can be found on almost every page creating a rather beautiful nonfiction book.  Macy concludes her book with an historical timeline relating to the events discussed in the book which will be beneficial to the reader since the events within the book are not entirely in chronological order.  Wheels of Change is a wonderful read particularly to women of all ages. 

Trapped by Michael Northrop

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Northrop, M. (2011). Trapped.  New York, NY: Scholastic Press.  ISBN 9780545210126. 232 p.

SUMMARY

At first, it seems like a dream come true.  School is dismissed early since the wintry weather is gaining momentum.  Scotty Weems and six other students decide not to get on the bus, and they stay a little later at their high school with one teacher in attendance.  As time passes, the students and teacher gradually come together and realize that the snow is falling unusually heavy with no end in sight.  Cell phones are not working.  Roads and lawns disappear under layers of snow, and rides never come.  The electricity goes out which means no lights, no heat, and no cooking.  Pipes freeze, and that’s not all that goes wrong.   The dream becomes a nightmare. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Michael Northrop, author of Trapped, tells the story of a group of high school students who become stranded at school when an unprecedented snowstorm hits the town.  Northrop speaks through the protagonist, Scotty Weems, a sophomore in high school.  He uses Scotty’s voice to actually speak to the reader using a friendly and familiar conversational tone.  The dialog is quick and easy to read.  Readers will meet a core group of teenaged characters with different believable personalities, and they will walk the halls of a high school that most readers understand.  Northrop successfully describes the mounting problems the group encounters and holds the reader’s attention.  Although some foreshadowing gives away potential surprises, that same foreshadowing may also encourage some readers to continue reading the story to discover how the pieces fit together and how it will all end.  Trapped is a unique high school survival story.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Aguirre, A. (2011). Enclave.  New York, NY: Feiwel and Friends.  ISBN 9780312650087. 259 p.

SUMMARY

On her fifteenth birthday, Deuce finally receives her name.  In a community with an extremely high mortality rate, people are not given a name until that age and rarely live to see their twenty-fifth birthday.  Deuce lives underground in the tunnels of New York City sometime in the future.  As a newly named Huntress, she and the other Hunters must provide meat for their enclave which means that they must hunt among the human-eating Freaks that also inhabit the tunnels.  Deuce is paired with quiet and mysterious Fade, a boy who once lived in an even more hostile environment above ground, Topside.  As they work together, Deuce and Fade learn how truly threatened their way of life is and how little their elders know.  Trouble is brewing, and things are suddenly out of Deuce’s and Fade’s control.                

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Enclave by Ann Aguirre is a fascinating dystopian novel that will pull readers through a unique and entertaining journey into the future.  The story features a fifteen year old female protagonist, Deuce, who proves to be an exceptionally strong character and also features a slightly older male, Fade, who is an equally strong character.  Told as a first person narrative, Aguirre describes Deuce’s experiences with well developed chapters that are easy to read.  Mutant-like Freaks and many action-filled scenes will appeal especially to male readers, and Ann Aguirre manages to add a touch of romance amidst all of the deadly action that may appeal to females as well.   Aguirre develops a cast of believable characters and is not afraid to injure them or end their lives.  The ending, although satisfying, hints at the possibility of a sequel.  Enclave’s nice metallic book cover is attractive but a little misleading.  The Freak’s fingers on the back cover are supposed to be claws but actually look like normal human fingers with long nails.  Fans of Divergent by Veronica Roth and The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins will not want to miss this book.      

If you come softly by Jacqueline Woodson

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Woodson, J. (1998). If you come softly.  New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.  ISBN 0399231129. 181 p.

SUMMARY

Miah (Jeremiah) and Ellie (Elisha) have certain things in common.  They are both attending Percy Academy for the first time.  They’re both in their sophomore year of high school and are in the same history class.  Miah is an only child, and Ellie is the only child left at home since she’s the youngest.  Their differences, however, outnumber their similarities.  Ellie is Jewish, and Miah is not.  Ellie’s parents are still married, but Miah’s parents are divorced.  Miah’s parents are famous, but Ellie’s are not.  They live in different neighborhoods.  Ellie is white, and Miah is black.  Despite their differences, they are inexplicably drawn to each other and form a beautiful relationship that so many people would love to have, but can they really enjoy a future together?     

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Jacqueline Woodson, author of if you come softly, employs two protagonists in this story.  Readers will get to know both fifteen year olds Ellie and Jeremiah quite well since the chapters are narrated by both individuals and alternate between the two characters.  Readers will feel the protagonists’ problems, concerns, pains, and joyful moments.  Woodson touches upon sensitive subjects that include homosexuality, discrimination, and racial stereotyping, but she does so with honesty and finesse.  With touches of poetry interwoven, Jacqueline Woodson leads her readers through a brief story of an interracial relationship that may leave her audience wanting more.

how i live now by Meg Rosoff

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Rosoff, M. (2004). How i live now.  New York: Wendy Lamb Books.  ISBN 0385746776. 194 p.

SUMMARY

Fifteen year old Daisy is sent away to live with her aunt and four cousins whom she has never met before.  Her father, widowered since Daisy’s birth, has remarried, and he and his wife are expecting a baby.  Daisy is conveniently swept away to live in a small rural town in England where life is so different from fast paced New York City that she knows so well.  Surprisingly, Daisy finds contentment in this new world.  She grows increasingly fond of her cousins, the animals, the land, and the calm rural life.  An unexpected love captures her heart, and just when things seemed so very good, rumors of a war prove to be true.  The war invades their lives, scatters their family members, and tests their endurance.  Daisy finds herself responsible for her young cousin Piper’s life and will need to dig deep within herself to face the devastation of war.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Meg Rosoff, author of how i live now, writes a believable story about a teenager’s plight as she is uprooted from her city life in America to a rural life in England.  The main character, Daisy, faces many new and troubling situations.  Written as a narrative in the first person, Meg Rosoff writes in a manner that is typical of a teenager.  Her choice of words and modern references sound as though Daisy is talking to the reader right at that moment.  Rosoff uses uppercase letters that clearly demonstrate a need to emphasize certain words or phrases.  Her utilization of very long sentences and her lack of punctuation can be a little confusing at times.  However, the overall result does effectively remind the reader that Daisy is a teenager from New York City.  Meg Rosoff touches on such serious topics that include love, pain, anger, sex, death, and sadness, and her delivery is beautiful.  Worthy of the Printz Award that it received, how i live now is a must read.  

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Anderson, L. (1999). Speak. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux. ISBN 0374371520. 

197 p.

SUMMARY

Melinda Sordino is entering her first year of high school, and at one time, she looked forward to the prospect of making new friends and embracing the whole high school experience with her longtime best friend Rachel.  However, Melinda suddenly has a different view of things, and as she begins her freshman year, she is shunned by her best friend and disliked by many students.  She is subjected to cruel comments, angry looks, and social exclusion.  She befriends Heather, but even that friendship fizzles.  Something happened to Melinda during the summer.  Something awful caused her to unintentionally bust a party.  Now, she’s an outcast.   Her falling grades, social problems, and abnormal silence are causing her to sink into a dismal place.  If only she would speak about it, maybe she could resume a somewhat normal life.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

In Speak, Laurie Halse Anderson tells the story of a thirteen year old girl’s struggle to deal with a serious problem.  Told from the protagonist’s point of view, Anderson succeeds in delivering a story that is personal, tragic, and heartfelt.  She writes in a quick-to-read format that is sometimes told in a conversational dialog form.  Readers will feel the protagonist’s range of emotions as they read about her daily struggles.  Anderson uses words that are realistic and recognizable to today’s teens.  Although the story drags a bit as the protagonist’s skirts around the issue bothering her, Anderson does eventually reveal exactly what happened to Melinda. 

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

Taylor, M. (1976). Roll of thunder hear my cry. New York: Dial Books.  ISBN 0803726473. 276 p.

SUMMARY

The year is 1933, and the story begins in a small rural town in Mississippi.  Young Cassie Logan and her three brothers are walking to school in their best clothing since it is the first day of the school year, but they cannot keep themselves clean for various reasons. As Cassie tells the story of her daily life, she becomes suddenly and sometimes painfully aware that the community she lives in does not treat everybody equally.  In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Cassie begins to notice that African-Americans tend to have a different lifestyle in comparison to the white families.  This unfair treatment takes place not only in her town but in neighboring towns as well.  Even though slavery was abolished seventy years ago, Cassie learns that a declaration in words does not always change other people’s thoughts and actions.  

ANALYSIS

In Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Mildred D. Taylor shares an historical fiction story set during the Depression.  Written through the eyes of the young main character, Cassie, Mildred Taylor uses language true to the time period and describes the hardships and good times that the Logan family experiences.  Basing some of the scenes from stories told by her own ancestors, Taylor succeeds in creating a novel filled with believable characters, conditions, and problems.  Readers will experience various emotions as Cassie relates some humorous, serious, and painful events.  They will learn about problems that African-Americans faced within this country even many years after the abolition of slavery.  Winner of the 1977 John Newbery Medal, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, is a wonderful, quick–to-read story suitable for middle school and high school students.