Module 10: My Mom’s having a Baby

Module 10: My Mom’s having a Baby

Summary:

The story follows Elizabeth through the nine months prior to her new sibling being born. For each month, Elizabeth tells the reader about how the baby has grown so far which are the changes she cannot see and the changes in her mother which are the changes that she can see. Elizabeth and her mother talk about how her baby sibling got to be inside her mother. With simple diagrams, explanations, and pictures, the basics of sex and egg fertilization are introduced to children so that they can understand how babies are created and born. Elizabeth continues describing the growth of the baby through the time leading up to her mother going to labor. The water breaking, contractions, and labor are explained as well. The story ends up with the birth of her new baby brother.

APA Reference of Book:

Butler, D. H. (2005). My mom’s having a baby! Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company.

Impressions:

It is not obvious at first why this book is frequently censored and or challenged. It seems to be just a picture book about Elizabeth awaiting the birth of a new sibling and documenting the month to month changes in the baby and her mother. However, when Elizabeth asks her mother how the baby got to be in her belly, her mother doesn’t mention anything about a stork and instead tells her daughter the truth. Complete with simple pictures and diagrams, Elizabeth learns about sex and how an egg is fertilized. I can see why this would make many parents uncomfortable as many people attempt to delay talking with their children about sex until adolescence, if they even have such a talk at all. I think this book is a great addition to a collection and would be a great resource for parents with a child who has questions about the process. While it may be uncomfortable and some children seem “too young”, if they are old enough to ask thoughtful questions, they should be able to receive a reasonable answer. It’s only when people make a big deal about a subject that it becomes a big deal for a child. If explained in a simple, factual manner, it’s something that will satisfy their curiosity about the changes that will be occurring with their mother and their family. It is something that a child wants to and should be able to understand if they are old enough to ask questions about it.

Aside from the controversial parts, the book is a great chronicle of the month to month changes in the baby and the mother. Each month, Elizabeth explains how the baby has grown and relates the size of the baby to something like her finger or foot. This really helps children understand just how big the baby is and how much it is growing. Parents could use the book just for the great explanations and drawings of the nine months and skip the explanation of sex and fertilization if they wanted. The illustrator does a great job with pictures that provide enough details yet are simple enough that children can understand the basics of what is being shown and explained. I hope that parents will use this book to give a child that can understand an explanation of what is happening. They may not understand or remember every detail, but introducing the process simply and without trying to cover up, the child won’t worry that some part of the process is scary or going to bring about unhappy changes.

Professional Review:

With unwavering exuberance, young Elizabeth takes readers month-by-month through her mom’s pregnancy, tracking her prospective sibling’s size from September’s “only as big as my bottom front tooth,” through February’s “as big as my stuffed rabbit,” and on to May’s delivery. Unusually for treatments of this topic, Elizabeth is very specific—about not only the baby’s physical development and Mom’s anatomy, but also about just how Dad’s sperm came to meet Mom’s egg. Thompson follows suit in cartoon-style watercolors, placing Mom and Dad under covers but interspersing views of the smiling family with lots of labeled inside views and enlargements. Confusingly, Elizabeth refers to the fetus as “he” throughout, even while relating how her parents are opting to wait to find out the baby’s sex—but for children seeking hard facts on the whole business, this makes a good alternative to the likes of Kes Gray’s Baby On Board! (2004), illustrated by Sarah Nayler, or Laurel Molk’s lyrical but oblique When You Were Just a Heartbeat (2004). (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)

My Mom’s having a Baby! (2010). [Review of the book My mom’s having a baby! by D. H. Butler]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from: http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses:

Include in a display of books introducing children to the idea that there will be a new baby in the family or that they are getting a sibling.

Module 10: Rapunzel's Revenge

Module 10: Rapunzel's Revenge

Book Summary:

A re-imagining of the tale of Rapunzel set in the old West, this story turns almost everything from the traditional fairy tale upside down. Rapunzel is raised by her stepmother Gothel in a beautiful villa full of everything a person could want, except Rapunzel wants to know what's behind the wall surrounding the villa that her stepmother has forbidden her to climb. When she finds out that her stepmother has been enslaving the population including her birth mother and building an empire, Rapunzel rebels and is locked in a tower for her impudence. She spends the time growing her hair and learning to use it as a: whip, lasso, and ladder among other things. When she escapes four years later, rescuing her mother and revenge against Gothel are her goals. She finds an unlikely ally in Jack, who happens to have some magic beans, a mysterious goose, and a penchant for stealing. Together, they set out to bring down Gothel, her magic, and her empire. They travel a Wild West style landscape, escaping shoot-outs, lassoing wild creatures and meeting some other crazy characters on their way back to the very villa where everything began and where it all will end.

APA Reference of Book:

Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury U. S. A. Children's Books.

Impressions:

I was captured by the title of this book and seeing the image of a Wild West Rapunzel wielding lassos made of hair on the front cover sealed the deal. The title Rapunzel’s Revenge had me thinking about all the princesses in fairy tales that wait for princes to come rescue them and I was excited at the prospect of a princess figure who was (hopefully) going to take matters into her own hands. I was not disappointed! This Rapunzel is a spunky, spirited girl who is curious and courageous and is a lot more fun to read about than a girl who waits contentedly in a tower for years. This Rapunzel does not wait for a rescue, but as soon as she is able, escapes the tower on her own. Using her lengthy locks, this Rapunzel is able to lasso wild animals, take on villains, coyotes and sea monsters alike, and even in traditional style, use it to climb up tall buildings. This empowered protagonist is one I would love to share with readers everywhere.

I think the graphic novel format really makes this story into something spectacular. While the authors could have created this story as a novel with no illustrations, the idea of a hair whip wielding Rapunzel is so much more fun to see than just imagine. The reader can literally see the story progressing as they read from panel to panel. Thoughts and dialogue are differentiated by boxes versus speech bubbles. It is not at all difficult to understand what is happening even if there are fewer words and more pictures. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. With graphic novels, you are often able to reach audiences that may not usually pick up a full length novel but a graphic novel is just the right solution and this combination of Wild West adventure, strong female protagonist, and rewritten fairy tale will appeal to almost any reader.

Professional Review:

In this oversized full-color graphic novel, Mother Gothel is using her growth magic to build an empire by limiting the areas where crops will grow, exacting excessive taxes, and consigning peasants to back-breaking labor in her mines. Her adopted daughter is oblivious to her mother’s cruelty until the day when she finally climbs the wall that surrounds her home and sees the wasteland that exists beyond and meets her real mother. Outraged at her disobedience, Mother Gothel locks her up in a special tree she has grown for the purpose. After five years, Rapunzel uses her growth-accelerated red hair to escape, and, determined to rescue her real mother, she eventually teams up with a colorful, harmless thief. Adventure after adventure reveals to her the extent of Mother Gothel’s cruel reach, and she decides she must set her to rights as well. Using her whippy, ropelike braids and a few athletic fighting tricks she has picked up along the way, she battles sea monsters, wild coyotes, bandits, and henchmen on her way to her righteous revenge. Shannon Hale’s comic wit and romantic sensibilities translate well to this new format, which blends fairy-tale revision, journey quest, Wild West shoot-’em-up, and action adventure into one wild ride. The easy-to-follow panel arrangements with their multicultural cast [End Page 18] of characters guide even reluctant graphic-novel readers seamlessly through the fast-paced narrative. Readers with a high degree of empathy will appreciate the attention given to the small details of the way she manages her hair so as to never to pull it straight from her head when she’s using it to wrangle outlaws and varmints. The surprising character revelation at the end provides a perfect climactic pivot and slides elegantly into the light-hearted comedic structure of a romantic happily ever after for Rapunzel, her mother, and her man.

Coats, K. (2008). [Review of the book Rapunzel's revenge, by S. Hale & D. Hale]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 62(1), 18. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:

Include on a suggested young adult reading list of fairy tale spin-offs.

Module 9: Your Own, Sylvia

Module 9: Your Own, Sylvia

Book Summary:

Told through verse interpretations of the people who populated her life, the short and tumultuous life of Sylvia Plath unfolds in Stephanie Hemphill's Your Own, Sylvia. From her mother's observations of the birth of her firstborn to the boys she dated in high school, the various doctors she saw over the course of her life and her husband Ted Hughes, famous in his own right, and the observations of those around her in the twilight of her life, it is this variety of fictionalized accounts that allow the reader to meet Sylvia Plath via all the people around her throughout her life. The author also channels Plath herself, writing some poems in the style of Plath's most famous works. The author goes chronologically working from birth to death, filling in as much pertinent and relevant detail as she can create entries for, basing them on people around Plath, but fictionalizing the actual words.

APA Reference of Book:

Hemphill, S. (2007). Your own, Sylvia. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

Impressions:

I was surprised by how much the setup of this novel intrigued me. The idea of writing about the life of a poet in verse should not be revolutionary, but I was excited at the prospect of reading a book set up in this format. While much of it is fictionalized, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel. I did not know much about Sylvia Plath before reading this novel and I had assumed she had a much darker persona in general based on the few facts I did know. However the author gives a more well-rounded view of Plath than I had expected. Accounts from neighbors and high school flings rounded out those from family, friends, doctors and teachers. Told in verse, there is much more that can be open to interpretation than if the novel had been written and prose and with a subject like Plath, it only seems appropriate.

When I picked up this book from the library, I did notice it was in the 800 section, meaning it was being categorized mainly as literature rather than in the 92 section which usually denotes biography. As it is mostly fictionalized yet based on true events and real people, I know it shouldn't be used as a reference text for biographical purposes such as obtaining facts. However, it would be an interesting piece for someone researching Plath to examine, especially a young adult audience. I feel that this text is more approachable than other biographies about Plath and also is more approachable than Plath's works on their own. While Hemphill's verse sometimes feels jerky and broken, overall I think the interpretation was well-rounded and provided a good introduction to Plath's life and works.

Professional Review:

With her brilliance, marriage to a famous fellow poet, and dramatic suicide, poet Sylvia Plath quickly became a legendary literary figure. Hemphill tells the story of that legendary life in poems, many of them closely modeled on Plath's own verses, written from the viewpoint of the people in Sylvia's life or in a third-person imagining of Plath's own experience. Though there's an un-Plathian grammatical carelessness to some of the writing, the poems are generally capably executed, especially in their technical underpinnings (the explanatory notes attached to each poem are inclined to be randomly if genuinely informative); the author clearly takes Plath's side, but the poems honestly acknowledge the poet's unlikable tendencies toward entitlement and superiority. It's certainly an intriguing biographical approach, and teen fans of confessional poetry in general and Plath in particular will find it inviting; its main achievement is imitative, though, and readers ready for these verses will reach to their originals, so the book is likelier to contribute to young writers' own experimental projects than to a readerly understanding of Plath or poetry. End matter includes a note to the reader about Hemphill's own interest in Plath, a description of her sources for the biographical information in each poem, and a list of further resources; a spread of photographs of Plath is included.

Stevenson, D. (2007). [Review of the book Your own, Sylvia, by S. Hemphill]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 60 (9), 369. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:

Have a poetry contest for young adults at your library - have different categories for judging and publish the best in your library newsletter. Offer the book as an example.

Host a poetry slam for young adults at your library - they can perform someone else's work or their own original composition.

Module 9: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl

Module 9: A Bad Boy Can Be Good For a Girl

Book Summary:

Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva are three very different girls with one thing in common: a high school senior with only one thing on his mind. They each get involved with him in a different way, but when each girl learns what his true nature and motive is, they decide to stand up and fight back. Josie starts a sounding board for all the girls of the school that have been involved with the particular senior boy in the school library's copy of Judy Blume's Forever. The response from all the girls who have been involved with this one boy is staggering and helps each of them to realize that they are not alone in their situation. Nicolette goes into her relationship with the boy very confident and leaves it very shaken, after the boy reduces her self-confidence. As a result she reads the copy of Forever and she forms an unlikely friendship with Josie. Aviva later joins them and is amazed at the outpouring of empathy found filling the blank pages of Forever. Each of the girls finds comfort in the fact that they are not alone and that their story might succeed in helping prevent his use of another girl who doesn't know his tricks.

APA Reference of Book:

Stone, T. L. (2006). A bad boy can be good for a girl. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books.

Impressions:

The first thing that I noticed about this book was the title. While it is hard to miss, it also is what drew me in and made me want to read the book. It seems counterintuitive because inherent in the term “bad boy” is the word bad so I became intrigued and decided I needed to know the answer to this question. After finishing the novel, I understand the message that the author was intending; that the “bad boy” is not necessarily good or bad for a girl, but the experience she gains from interacting with or being in a relationship with the “bad boy” can benefit her and help her gain worldly experience so she will perhaps understand the situation better the next time around. In this novel, the experience also leads them to new friends and a sisterhood formed from shared experiences.

After finishing the novel, I am left wondering what message that a young adult reader takes away from this. I hope that they see examples of what can happen in any relationship and that in any relationship, preserving your individuality and values is critical. I hope they do not see these relationships as the norm because while the reader does see each relationship fall apart, the “bad boy” in question attempts to continue on his conquest of other girls at the school. This is not okay! The school copy of Judy Blume’s Forever becomes a warning, but as the novel itself showed, it cannot protect or reach everyone and common stereotypes of male behaviors shouldn’t be so reinforced. It would have been nice to see the boy in question receive his karmic comeuppance, but as far as the reader knows, he will continue on, even with many girls aware of his antics.

Professional Review:

STONE, TANYA LEE A Bad Boy Can Be Good for a Girl. Lamb, 2006 228p Library ed. ISBN 0-385-90946-2 $16.99 Trade ed. ISBN 0-385-74702-0 $14.95 Ad Gr. 9-12

A studly senior, initials T. L., prowls his way mercilessly through the halls of a high school, scoping out girls vulnerable to his predatory charm, only to dump them once the relationship is sexually consummated or it becomes obvious that it won't be. His story is told through the affecting free verse of three of his conquests, Josie, Nicolette, and Aviva, each of whom initially insists that she is confident in her own attractiveness and resistant to the games of players like T. L. His first glance, however, turns them into puddles of goo, and they each willfully mistake his attention as an affirmation of their specialness in his universe, ignoring the overheard jibes of his friends and fully believing his made-for-teen-movie lines. Josie, the youngest of the three, is the most self-aware both during and after her seduction, and she decides to "out" T. L. by turning the blank pages at the back of the library copy of Forever into a bulletin board for the burned, directing both Nicolette and Aviva there when it becomes obvious that they have joined that not-very-select club. This is an appealing topic, and Stone creates credible voices for her girls. The message of strength is undercut, though, by tired clichés and stereotypes, especially as the girls, at first so assertive about their empowered sexuality, wilt into needy and deceived victims, and the boys are given no credit for any emotional depth or complexity. Moreover, there is the clear message that this kind of pain is necessary for female emotional growth and that being savvy enough to avoid it is somehow a mark of immaturity, as these girls pity their friends who haven't yet crushed and been crushed. This will nonetheless speak to a large audience of girls willing to martyr themselves on the altar of heartless high-school demigods; recommend it to girls who take grrl rockers' "pain is power" lyrics as their late-night anthems. KC

Coats, K. (2006). [Review of the book A bad boy can be good for a girl, by T.L. Stone]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, 59(8), 375. Retrieved from: http://bccb.lis.illinois.edu/

Library Uses:

Add to a display of young adult fictional books addressing topics of adolescent relationships.

Add to a suggested reading list of great books with intriguing titles.