A Wrinkle in Time- Rodgers

How do you illustrate something that has never been perceived? Time travel, dimensions beyond, and Love are three intangibles presented in this graphic novel representation of a well known classic.

Leave it to author Hope Larson as she visually represents the story of Meg and Charles Wallace in A Wrinkle in Time.

Poor awkward Meg Wallace can't sleep on a "dark and stormy night," partially because of the weather, partially because her brother, Charles, seems to be able to read her mind, and partially because Mrs. Whatsit barges in rambling on about nonsense (that strangely Meg's mother seems distraught over). Confusion continues as the pair join up with Calvin and meet Mrs. Who, who, seems to have a plan for them to travel through space and time via tesseract, but even the genius young Charles doesn't understand the situation.

Although saving their father from this fifth dimension, but now unable to recieve support from Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, Meg has to find a way to save her brother from the confusion that is being overpowered by the IT! Can love truly conquer time and space?

Throw this book in the hands of any middle school aged child and watch them dissect the graphics as much as the text. Whether this book leaves you wanting more or simply leaves you confused, picking up the original text seems like the only logical next step.

Crenshaw - review by Diana Foster (and friends)

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw is a cat, a large, talking, purple cat. He exists in the imagination of a young boy who needs Crenshaw’s companionship during hard times. Jackson and his family are struggling to pay bills and the rent on their home while his father battles a debilitating illness. Jackson overhears his parents worrying about whether or not they will end up homeless. Jackson doesn’t want to trouble his parents any further with his concerns, so he has developed an imaginary friend to help him through hard times.

Crenshaw is a heartwarming story that pulls young readers in as they root for Jackson and his family to overcome life’s challenges. It teaches empathy to children who develop compassion for Jackson and hope that he can find a stable home for his family. My class has been passing Crenshaw around after numerous student recommendations.

“Crenshaw is an interesting story that touches your heart”  - Kai

“Crenshaw is an AMAZING story it is a total tear jerker. When I read Crenshaw, I could not put the book back down. I would suggest this book if you are  not going through a tough time because this book would make you think of the worst, but if you would like to read it and would finish it, you have no need to worry. I LOVE this book. I would suggest this book for adults or children who love reading realistic fiction.” - Jolie

“Crenshaw is a must read book. It is a story about a boy who relies on an imaginary friend named Crenshaw.” - Gavin

“Crenshaw is a heart filled book that touches your heart and a cliffhanger book. A cat who helps a boy come over rough times when he is losing his house. I suggest this book for people who love an exciting book and love a sad and awesome story” -Ryan

“Crenshaw is an interesting book for students and teachers that you must read. It is a heartwarming book about Jackson, his family and Jackson’s imaginary friend Crenshaw. Crenshaw is a cat that helped Jackson and his family while they were moving. This is such an amazing book that you must read.” -Karina

This book is very well put together. I love this book because it is a very funny book and a really sensitive one. Crenshaw is a big cat that is an imaginary friend. He helps Jackson gets his spirit up when he is in a bad or sad situation.” - Laci

Meryl Blomseth: Harry potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling, Jim Kay

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

by J. K. Rowling, Jim Kay (Illustrator)

This is the first time I had revisted the HP series, since spending middle school days locked in my bedroom devouring every word Rowling wrote. 

This is a story about a young boy who loses both of his parents as an infant. He is then sent to live with his aunt and uncle who keep him locked up in a closet. They severely mistreat him and Harry grows to resent them. He notices and is mystified by strange happenings in his aunt and uncle's home. Owls start to deliver mail which summons Harry to a wizarding school called Hogwarts.

Harry meets Dumbledore and realizes that there are others like him. Hogwarts is home to Harry. He makes friends for the first time in his life. Hermoine, Ron, and Harry are a dynamic triad. Hogwarts is where Harry explores his ability, while learning more about his past. He is in close contact with Dumbledore, who seems to be a mentor and confidant. Dumbledore shares with him that there is an object that is within the school that can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. 

In efforts to protect this special object, Harry and his friends go on a wild adventure. This book is what got me back into reading at a time when I was a dormant reader. It is mystical and enthralling. When I too felt different and confined by my own family, this series was an outlet. I got lost in this magical world J.K. Rowling dreamed up. 

This is a must read. I think students in middle school and up could handle the amount of reading. However, I know younger students who have read this book and absolutely love it. I can see it being used in literature circles in younger grades. So that multiple readers can share interpretations and reactions, while also being a group to ask questions of the story. 

Flipped Review By: Ayisha Hernandez

Flipped (Middle Grade)

Van Draanen, Wendelin. (2001). Flipped. New York, New York: Random House, Inc.

Juli Baker is absolutely in love with Bryce Loski but Bryce just thinks of her as his annoying neighbor. Juli tries to save a Sycamore Tree from being cut down and even begs Bryce to join her, but Bryce just thinks she is being weird Juli Baker again.  Juli incubates eggs for their school science fair and ends up with chickens. She has so many eggs she decides to sell them and give some to Bryce’s family. Unfortunately, because of the look of Juli’s house, Bryce assumes that the eggs are dirty and covered in chicken poop so he throws them in the garbage. One day he gets caught by Juli and she is mortified. It isn’t until Bryce’s Grandfather begins to talk to Juli and helps her fix up her house , does Bryce begin to understand Juli for who she really is. The problem is that it might be too late.

Wendelin Van Draanen really has a knack for writing for the preteen to early teen readers. I decided to read this book after reading Van Draanen’s story, Runaway. The title of the book confused me because I wasn’t sure what it meant or what it had to do with the story. After reading the first chapter from Bryce’s perspective, I began to develop the same opinion towards Juli Baker as Bryce. It wasn’t until I reached chapter 2 that I realized the story was going to be told from both Bryce and Juli’s perspectives. Van Draanen will introduce one situation and tell it through Bryce’s perspective and then tell the exact same story through the perspective of Juli. This is why the story is called Flipped. The story is told from one perspective and then flipped around and told from another character’s perspective. I found the story to be very appealing. As I read I was eager to see what the other character had missed or misinterpreted from their perspective. The story seems to be very relatable for preteens and early teens.  I think this story would be well received by students in grades Fifth all the way up to Middle and maybe early High School. This story would also be a great text to pull samples to teach about perspective in literature.

I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. Review By: Ayisha Hernandez

I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. (Historical Fiction)

Tarshis, Lauren. (2010). I Survived: The Sinking of the Titanic, 1912. New York, New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

George and Phoebe were onboard the great, unsinkable, ship, the Titanic. They were heading from London where they had spent two months with their Aunt Daisy, back to New York. George was very curious and had a reputation for getting into mischief. While on the ship, George would sneak out of their cabin to explore the Titanic. He meets a father and son named Marco and Enzo. While exploring the boat one evening looking for a mummy, a great big bang happens and the ship shakes. George races back to his cabin to find Aunt Daisy and Phoebe. Unfortunately, Phoebe has left to go looking for George. They end up finding Phoebe down in the 3rd class area which is locked. After arguing with the guard, Aunt Daisy and George are allowed into the area, only to have the gate locked behind them. George sees Marco and Enzo and they help George and Aunt Daisy find Phoebe. Now the ship is starting to fill up with water. George helps them find a way to the top deck where only women and children are being loaded into the boats. George is not allowed onto the boat and has to stay behind with Marco. After Aunt Daisy, Phoebe, and Enzo’s boat floats away, the Titanic begins to turn vertical and George and Marco are hanging from a bar. George loses his grip, falls, and hits his head. He ends up in the freezing water with Marco waiting for someone to help them.

Tarshis’ research really paid off for this historical fiction piece of literature. From the start of the story I was hooked. Tarshis does a good job of connecting the reader to the character. She provides good information and description about the Titanic ship. A reader who has even very little knowledge about the Titanic can definitely learn quite a bit of information from this story. The author did well with building up to the climax of the story and really makes the reader want to know what happens to the characters in the end. The only downside to this book is that as an adult reading this book, I noticed quite a few similarities to the Titanic movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Although this may not be a problem for young students who have not seen the movie. They might actually see it the opposite, as the Titanic movie being too much like the story. This book seems appropriate for grades Third through Sixth Grades. Struggling and reluctant readers in Middle School may also enjoy this series of books.

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark Review By: Ayisha Hernandez

Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark (Action/Adventure)

Osborne, Mary Pope. (1992). Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark. New York, New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

Jack and Annie are two children from Frog Creek, Pennsylvania. Jack’s seven-year-old sister Annie was shouting there was a monster. Jack, who did not believe his sister, was trying to coax her into going back home because it was starting to get late. While looking for the “monster,” Jack and Annie saw a rope ladder which led to a tree house in a tree. The tree house is full of books. While in the treehouse they found a book with a picture of Frog Creek and a book about dinosaurs. Jack opened the dinosaur book and wished he could see a real like Pteranodon. The tree house began to spin and shake. When the tree house stopped spinning, Jack and Annie discovered they were in the time of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. They met a real Pteranodon, which Annie named Henry. Jack finds a gold medallion with the letter “M” on it. This makes him think someone else has been to this land before. When looking for Annie, he came across nests full of dinosaur eggs and baby dinosaurs. He sees Annie crouching in the tall grass and then notices she is hiding from a Tyrannosaurus Rex. They both start running as fast as they can back to the tree house to get away from the T-Rex!

Pope Osborne's character’s Jack and Annie’s adventures in a time-traveling tree house are both engaging and enticing. Pope Osborne does a wonderful job with getting readers engaged with the text. From the very beginning she starts the story with action. The reader is thrown into a story that seems to already be happening. The descriptive language in the story helps the reader get a good image of what is happening in the story, even with the illustrations provided. The language of the text is easy to follow but does provide great vocabulary and information for the reader to learn. In this particular book, the reader is able to learn about different types of dinosaurs, characteristics of certain dinosaurs, and vegetation in the prehistoric times. Overall, the story is a great adventure read and provides many clues to a mystery that must be solved by reading more of the Magic Tree House books. I would recommend this book for students as young as Kindergarten if the story is being read. Independent readers up to Third Grade will enjoy this book and struggling or reluctant readers up to Fifth Grade will benefit from being exposed to this series.

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute Review By: Ayisha Hernandez

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute (Graphic Novel)

Kroscoczka, Jarrett. (2009). Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York, New York:  Scholastic, Inc.

Math teacher, Mr. O’Connell, is out sick and the Lunch Lady is suspicious of his substitute, Mr. Pasteur. They mention that Mr. O’Connell has not been sick in twenty years. She and her sidekick Betty, immediately set out to spy on this substitute teacher. The students already do not like the substitute teacher because he is giving them loads of work. The Lunch Lady has Betty distract Mr. Pasteur in the Teacher’s Lounge while she searches the classroom. The Lunch Lady finds a CD that had blueprints for robots. After school the Lunch Lady follows Mr. Pasteur, only to find out he is a robot! The real twist is who was behind the evil plan all along!

Reluctant readers? This may be the solution to your problems! This book is written in graphic novel form. It is similar to a comic book, with illustrations and less words. These types of books may be less intimidating to students who are unsure about his/her reading abilities. Kroscoczka does a great job with bringing in action, adventure, mystery, and heroism into the story. The students in the story are relatable and with a Lunch Lady with weapons such as rubber glove suction cups, a spork microphone and chicken nugget bombs, children are definitely going to be engaged in this story. The story has a good mystery aspect to it and provides many clues in the illustrations to help students make inferences about what is happening or what may happen in the story. I would recommend this story for students in late First Grade up to about Fourth Grade, This graphic novel may also be beneficial for struggling and reluctant readers up to Sixth Grade since the content and situations are still relevant to them.