LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, c. (2018). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. S.l.: Greenwillow books.

Eric Calhoun and Sarah Byrnes are longtime friends. They understand each other and have a strong connection. Eric is overweight, and referred to as "Moby" by his peers, and Sarah is disfigured after a childhood accident which left face and hands burned. They are outcasts and are glad to have each other.

Throughout the story, Eric reminisces about their underground newspaper, "Crispy Pork Rinds,” and the subject of a lot of their stories, a bully Dale Thornton, who unknown to Eric shares a secret with Sarah about her childhood. As they transition into their high school years, Eric begins to shed his weight while competing on the swim team and making lots of friends.  He struggles to maintain his heavyset body, as a type of loyalty to his friend Sarah so she doesn’t feel alone. One day, Sarah becomes catatonic and ends up in a mental ward, leaving Eric feeling sad and a deep desire to help his dearest friend. Dale finally shares Sarah’s secret of her abusive father, Virgil Byrnes, and the source of her scars. He realizes that Sarah’s catatonia may not be genuine, but more of a ruse to keep her in a hospital and safe from harm at the hands of her father.

Soon, with the help and advice of his swim coach Ms. Lemry, they devise a plan to help Sarah escape the ward and hide from her father in Ms. Lemry's apartment attic. While Sarah and Ms. Lemry try searching for her mother for help, Eric is confronted and stabbed by Sarah's father in his search for her. The story comes to an intense climax as Dale once again steps in to help his friend, "Moby,” and Sarah's father gets what’s coming to him. He eventually is found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Sarah gets a second chance at a happy life.

Crutcher does a good job keeping the story suspenseful as the events play out, especially the scene where Virgil is chasing Eric. The reader can tell that Virgil mistreats Sarah, but the depth of his depravity is slowly revealed throughout the story. The characters are well-developed and are relateable to a lot of young adult readers. Most teenagers have felt unhappy with themselves to some degree.  Both Eric and Sarah are funny, smart, and caring. Their friendship is unbreakable, and their loyalty to each other is inspiring.The ending did leave a bit to be desired because it felt rushed. There were some loose ends left unanswered and Sarah’s adoption seemed like an afterthought.

I also felt like Crutcher’s voice was evident in the book through some of the content. It came across as a bit opinionated. It’s ironic to me when someone is pushy for tolerance, but meanwhile is not tolerant of other’s beliefs. The themes present in this book are both strong and somewhat controversial. It includes child abuse, abortion, and religious intolerance. It wasn’t my favorite book, but I think the contemporary issues are suitable for readers in the high school range of YA Lit. Readers will be able to relate to the characters and some of their experiences.


**Required YA author


Other books by Chris Crutcher:

Deadline   ISBN 978-0060850913
The Sledding Hill   ISBN 978-0060850913


                              Interview with Chris Crutcher about inspiration for Sarah Byrnes

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Gabi, a Girl in Pieces

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces (First ed.). El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces, is a coming-of-age story, written in a diary form, about the trials and tribulations of our main character, as she stumbles her way through her senior year of high school.
Our protagonist Gabi Hernandez, is a Mexican-American teenager, living in Southern California. Like most teenagers these days, Gabi's life is not perfect. Her life consists of her father, who is a meth addict, her mom, and her best friends, Cindy and Sebastian. Early on, Cindy finds herself pregnant and Sebastian wrestles with coming out to his family about being homosexual, only to end up getting kicked out. Gabi reflects in her diary about helping her friend, Cindy, through her pregnancy and her thoughts on her own sexuality.

She struggles with her weight issues, its effect on her love life, and dealing with the ups and downs of her own home life. Her mom is always very critical and tells her to be a “good girl,” yet she ends of pregnant herself. Her tia gives her relationship advice, meanwhile having an affair with a married man. All the while, her family is struggling with her father’s addiction. Gabi knows she has to get out and hopes to get into Berkley.

From delivery rooms to abortion clinics, the right decisions about staying with your family or going away to college, to a love affair with food and poetry, Gabi learns what life is about. Being a teenager is awkward, but knowing who you are and what you are about is everything.

The reader can’t help but feel a connection with Gabi. She is hilariously funny and you can’t help but be in awe of her resilience. We get to see two sides to her as she tries to support her friends, but shares her honest thoughts and feelings with the reader. Quintero masterfully created a strong voice within Gabi that hooks the reader.

The content in this book is suited to a more mature audience, like upper high school. Pregnancy, abortion, almost suicide, and drug use is throughout the book, so I think a younger reader would struggle with the content. While the themes present in this book are contemporary issues, it was a little overwhelming in a sense. There was so much going on, considering it takes place all in one school year. Regardless, I think girls will absolutely love Gabi’s character and this book!

**Required YA novel

Book Trailer

Teaching Guide

http://www.cincopuntos.com/files/gabi_a-girl-in-pieces_teachers_guide.pdf

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Looking for Alaska

Green, J. (2005). Looking for Alaska. New York, NY: Speak.

Looking for Alaska is a book that builds suspense from the very beginning by being split into a before and after storytelling point of view. The “before” is the story of Miles "Pudge" Halter. He is a kid, who decides in his junior year of high school to go to a boarding school in Culver Creek, Alabama.

There he meets his roommate known as “The Colonel” who becomes his closest friend, along with a troubled girl named Alaska Young, who he falls head over heels in love with, not so much from a superficial attraction, but a much deeper and meaningful one. Unfortunately, she is already taken. Despite this, they seem to gravitate toward each other because of the loss of Alaska's mother and Miles’ low self-esteem, from hazing he receives from the others.

“Pudge” Halters’ days are filled with a lot of cruel pranking from the “Weekday Warriors,” who are the rich kids at the academy. As he and Alaska team up for a little revenge, they develop a bond and closeness which forms a special type of friendship.

The “after” part of the story comes during a stormy night, when in drunken desperation, a tragic accident occurs. Pudge and The Colonel can’t help but feel responsible and desperately seek answers. In the end he is faced with writing an essay for his World’s Religions class based on a story written by Alaska, regarding the “Labyrinth of Suffering.” He ultimately comes to terms with his own suffering and finds forgiveness for himself.

Although you feel a connection and sympathy for Miles, the protagonist, you can’t help but be drawn to Alaska’s story. There is a dark suffering inside her that draws you to her. While the themes in the story are more appropriate towards the upper end of the YA Lit spectrum, this novel could also be read by some older middle school students. The strong, likable characters in this story will undoubtedly make connections with readers of varying ages. Ultimately though, with the strong theme of death and strong subject matter (alcohol and her mother's death,) throughout the story, high school would be the most appropriate. I think this would be a great addition to any high school collection.

**Required YA author

John Green's Webpage:

http://www.johngreenbooks.com/


Other books by John Green:

The Fault in our Stars     ISBN 978-0525478812
Paper Towns                   ISBN 978-0525478188


                                        Author John Green talks about Looking for Alaska

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- The Knife of Never Letting Go

Ness, P. (2014). The knife of never letting go (#1). London: Walker.


This story, set on an alien planet recently colonized by humans, fourteen year old Todd Hewitt is the only boy left in Prentisstown, a small colony in the New World.   A war with the natives known as the Spackle, left all the women dead due to the release of a germ called the Noise, which also gives all the men the ability to read each other’s thoughts.

One day, while picking apples, he and his dog, Manchee, happen upon a swamp in which there isn’t any “noise” from the thoughts of others. He discovers a lone girl named Viola, which is the source of the quiet.  She is the only survivor of a crash, from another planet.

Fearing punishment, Todd’s guardians force him to try and escape as fighting breaks out. After a harrowing journey of death and despair, and being chased by the Prentisstown army, Todd finally reaches his destination, Haven, only to find it inhabited by the dreaded mayor, Prentiss.

Realizing everything he has ever known is a lie, he is forced to make an unforeseen and climactic decision. In a desperate act, Todd will surrender to save the girl he loves.

This adventure filled, science-fiction novel will capture the attention of any reader. This book is the first in this new dystopian series by Patrick Ness. Although the protagonist is young, the violence and death might be a bit more appropriate for a more mature audience. The background Ness gives about Prentisstown is also very dark which also seems more appropriate for an older reader. As in keeping with stories about dystopian societies, this novel features a strong character that stands up against the majority, no matter the consequences. The reader watches his rapid journey into manhood as he is forced to live through the consequences of his decisions.

**Required YA novel

                                                                   Book Trailer

Other YA Lit books about dystopian societies:

http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2216.YA_Dystopia_Novels

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- Speak

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak. Farrar, straus & giroux.

The beginning of freshman year for Melinda Sordino did not start out as a journey of new beginnings. For her, it was a journey into dark emptiness and depression. After suffering a traumatic rape that she keeps to herself and an event that leads to her being alienated by her peers over a misunderstanding, Melinda becomes non-communicative and completely isolated.

As Melinda struggles to come to terms with what happened to her, and attempting to help a friend who could become the next victim, she begins to find a voice through her gardening and an art project at school. Little does she know, eventually she’ll be confronted again by her offender, and will get the chance to face her fears and be a savior to other girls. Deciding to no longer be a victim, she stands up for herself and is vindicated.

It is a story of trauma, and an uncomfortable coming of age, but also a story of redemption and empowerment. With the mature content, I think this book is more suited for the upper level of the YA range. I think high school students could relate to this character and book vs. a younger reader on the spectrum. The issues presented in this book are easily real issues teens may face either personally or through friends.

This book allows the reader to watch how such a trauma could play out through someone else’s eyes or it could allow someone to find their own voice that has experienced a similar situation. While I ultimately think high school is more appropriate, I would be naïve to think that an older middle school reader might also relate. I can’t help but think of a former seventh grade student I had eight years ago. She had confided in me that she had been raped at a party by a classmate. As much as we wish these events were just fictional, they can happen to people of all ages. The courage to speak out and/or ask for help is a valuable message for readers of all ages. 


**Required YA novel

                                                               (Book Trailer)

http://madwomanintheforest.com/  (Author’s Webpage)

Other books by Laurie Halse Anderson:

Twisted. ISBN 9780670061013

Wintergirls. ISBN 9780670011100

LSSL 5385 Book Blog- When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. Wendy Lamb Books.

Miranda is twelve years old and lives in New York, during the late seventies. She lives with her mother, and while they do not have a lot, she has her best friend Sal, and gets by. Everything is normal until a new kid, Marcus punches Sal while they are walking home from school.

After the punch, Sal becomes distant and stops talking to her. Miranda starts making new friends and meets Anne Marie, who just lost a friend too. One day she decides to confront the boy named Marcus, and finds that they have a lot in common, like their interest in time travel.

Miranda also begins to receive mysterious notes from a stranger who somehow seems to know the future and appears to be leaving a warning, with instructions for her. As things progress and come to a head, the people and circumstances become intertwined into a powerful crescendo that could mean life or death for someone close to her.

When you reach me is a book of many things. It is a book of coming of age, of Science Fiction, fantasy, and also a sort of period piece. This book easily fits into the Science Fiction genre with the inclusion of time travel, along with some fantasy elements. The author, Stead, cleverly builds suspense in mystery by showing small snippets of the future as it plays out in the story.

I can also see how this book fits into YA Lit because it tells the story from Miranda’s eyes. This allowed me to feel connected with Miranda, which is the point of YA lit. The subject matter of friendship and how quickly things can change, reflects common issues that are appropriate for this age range. I would recommend this book to middle grades because I think they will relate to the theme of friendship in this book. Since A Wrinkle in Time plays a big role in this book, I think it would be a great text-to-text connection if it was read too.

**Required YA author


http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/  (author’s webpage)

                                                         
                                                                  (Book Trailer)

LSSL 5385- Chapter 15 Textbook Reflection and Summary

With this list of questions, Peck offers us a tool to use when guiding students. These questions will help the students understand the text in a more critical way. They can be used for a discussion group or as a reflection. Rather than just identifying the usual elements found in text, I think these guiding questions will allow the reader to interact more with the text. This would be a great resource to include in student's reading response journal to use regularly.

As librarians/educators, it is our job to increase literacy and foster a love of reading. I think the way to achieve this is not only encouraging reading for pleasure, but also teaching students how to navigate through text, no matter what the genre. Creating critical thinking questions such as these for all genres would be beneficial. I have always considered that my job was to not only prepare my students for the right now, but for the future. Helping them understand text connections and complex thinking while reading, will be beneficial throughout their education and beyond.

It would also be a great extension activity to have students create their own questions that they can use when evaluating and comprehending text.

LSSL 5385- Chapter 11 Textbook Reflections and Summary

Realistic fiction is one of the most popular genres in our library, and I feel like it’s the most easily understood. Both contemporary and modern realistic fiction are stories that could happen in real life.  The settings and plot elements could all occur in today’s world and do not include unrealistic elements. Because the text is so real, students seem to make connections easier and see themselves in the characters. These books incorporate universal themes that gradually reveal themselves throughout the text. 

One thing that might be confusing for students is the name of the sub-genre itself. When I teach this genre, we discuss the word realistic vs. fiction and take note that they almost contradict each other. The word “real” in realistic is what throws them for a loop. After we read through some picture books together, they catch on quickly. We say fiction is fake stories. So, putting it together, we call it realistic fake stories.

It’s a believable, realistic story that the author made up. The characters is this sub-genre are also realistic, meaning they don't have magical powers. With students, I use non-examples when discussing characters and plot elements within this category. For example, we discuss well known characters from a variety of genres and identify what make them believable or unbelievable characters. We do the same thing for plot elements.

When evaluating fiction, consider whether the characters are relatable. Could the events happen in real life? Are the events consistent with the real world? The theme should slowly reveal itself through the text, rather than a more abrupt one as seen in some fables. Finally, how does the theme relate to modern readers?

While realistic fiction is the most popular when reading for pleasure, it also allows for a lot of text-to-self connections. One of the most touching books I have read was, Patricia Palocco’s Junkyard Wonders. Every time I read it, it make me tear up. It is about a little girl that struggles with reading throughout school and finds herself in a class that is different from the other kids. In the story, we see her experiences as kids tease her and the emotions she goes through as she struggles to find herself. All of the events are realistic and a lot of readers could probably relate to her struggles.

LSSL 5385- Chapter 14 Textbook Reflections and Sumamry

Graphic novels have really gained significant popularity, with students and teachers. They present information in a new format that appeals to readers of all ages. This format incorporates comic-like drawings, thought-bubbles, panels, and dialogue. Graphic novels are seen in both fiction and non-fiction, so it is important to remember that is a format, rather than a genre. One thing to note is that the text might be more complex when compared to a more traditional format.

 Fictional graphic novels tell entire stories, while nonfiction conveys information through the text.  Just as with any text, students may need support when learning how to read graphic novel. The text bubbles might be confusing initially if they don’t understand how to read from box to box. They have illustrations which are attention grabbing, but can also include complex text. I saw this when reading Persepolis. I dare anyone to say that book cannot stand up to any traditionally formatted book! It had vivid imagery and amazing details that helped carry the reader right along the main character throughout the story.

Graphic novels can be used in the classroom to support literacy, just as any other text can be used. I do know that some teachers have discounted their value, considering them to be just comics. I challenge even that being an issue because I feel like the purpose is to read, no matter what it is. In addition, why limit the student’s access to high interest text. As educators, we want to encourage a love of reading. We need to take our own personal biases out of the equation. Graphic novels can have just as big an impact as any other type of text. I personally enjoy mixing up my reading. I view it as cleansing my pallet in literary form.

In our library, we have a limited selection of graphic novels, which I hope to remedy as the new librarian. We have Lunch Lady, Babymouse, and Roller Girl. I would love to find out more information in order to build a stronger collection. I heard Max Axiom is a great book and incorporates science. Through the slide share, I was surprised to find out that 67% of teachers don’t read graphic novels. Thinking about the teachers that don’t value the GN’s as a library book choice, it made sense. They haven’t given the books a chance, so they don’t know what great things lie within the pages.

I was surprised to see how many elements were included in the descriptions. I never realized that the thought bubbles and dialogue bubbles were different. It makes sense to me why they would be, now that I think about it. I think those pages in the slide share would be a great tool to use when teaching students how to read graphic novels.

LSSL 5385 Ch 13 Textbook Summary and Reflection

Science fiction is futuristic fiction usually incorporating technology, space, and time travel. Science fiction does include some realistic elements, but they also incorporate fantasy. This is why science-fiction is a sub-genre of fantasy. Fantasy is set in a fictional universe and includes magical elements that are not possible in reality. Fantasy includes talking animals, and other magical elements like personification.

There are a lot of sub-genres of fantasy. Some include, apocalyptic/post apocalyptic, steam punk, dystopia, parallel universe, and many more. Both genres incorporate universal truths/themes in their text. In these genres, characters still behave in ways that are believable to the reader no matter what the situations presented in the text.

Post apocalyptic is one of my favorite sub-genres, whether it's books or movies. The book One Second After held me prisoner for two days. As noted in this chapter, what hooked me was the fact that everything that happened seemed possible. I could envision myself experiencing everything the character was going through.

This is one of the most popular genres amongst the boys at our school. I find that they will read a lot of the same ones over and over again, and it really seems to ignite their imagination. I personally don't gravitate toward science fiction, but I do love the broader range of fantasy. A really cute book called, Milk Goes to School is a great example of fantasy. In the story, it is Milk's first day of school. In some prior reading, I learned that personification helps students experience events more easily by using these fun characters.

As an elementary librarian, I think it is important to be familiar with all genres in order to be able to guide students to books. This is an area that I will look into further. It was helpful to hear so many titles along with their sub-genres in the video. The miscellaneous category intrigued me. I am drawn to books that don't fit into just one category. I think these types of books will be a good pick for kids that don't have a specific type in mind. This will be helpful when recommending books and choosing some new books for myself to read. Starters is next on my list!

LSSL 5385- Chapter 12 Summary and Reflection

Non-fiction is a very popular genre and covers many topics and types of books. We evaluate nonfiction differently than other genres. Non-fiction includes biographies, autobiographies, expository text, narratives, memoirs, and others. The credibility of the author is very important.  Since non-fiction contains informational text, it is key to evaluate the author's research for quality of information. Reviewing the bibliographic information and the acknowledgements will help you to evaluate the author's content. When questioning students about nonfiction text, it will look different than questions about fiction. Are their visuals to support their understanding?  What is the purpose of the book and for their reading? Fiction includes characters, a plot, and a resolution to a problem. In order to support student understanding, as educators, we need to make sure that students understand the text in a deeper way.

One of my favorite books is What if I Had Animal Teeth! I love that these books provide a mixture of non-fiction and fiction text. I always use this series when discussing the differences between the two genres. These dual formats are becoming more popular every year. Non-fiction itself is always an easy choice for most kids. I have noticed that they get caught up with the pictures and don't evaluate the text as much as they do with the fiction. This is where the questioning helps ensure that the students can truly understand what they are reading.

Checking if the information is factually accurate it also important. You can fact check by cross referencing information found in the books. It should also reflect a balanced view. I feel like these days, it is important to consider the author's purpose when writing the book. Bias can affect the credibility of the text. I think that is an extremely important skill to teach when evaluating resources.

It is also important to note that the book should be user friendly. To assess this, look at the text features that are available. A glossary, index, and table contents will help the students navigate through the text. Text features are always a huge lesson in fourth grade. We look through each one and discuss how they help the reader. When the students read non-fiction, I have them identify text features to facilitate their learning. Pictures, illustrations, and graphics add a lot to students' understanding. They add a visual component that helps the reader see the content. It is important to evaluate these for relevance and quality. Are they student friendly? All of these features can either add to the students' learning or take away from it.

Just like when you are considering your library selection, purpose is important. Do the books support your curriculum? Are you needing an overview or are you looking more topic specific? All of these questions will be the same ones you use to guide students through their research. Kids really do struggle with research. A lot of time is needed to teach them how to effectively conduct research. Evaluating the sources and their purpose will ensure better results for the student.

In our library, I have noticed more kids looking for non-fiction than fiction. On that note, it can be a struggle to help guide students to the right book. This genre allows readers to see things they might not normally have the opportunity to see. Using the guiding questions will allow you to develop a purposeful collection that will benefit all readers. The guiding questions in the textbook will help you to match the students to the right book.