ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN by Karen Cushman

ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN by Karen Cushman

Bibliography: Cushman, Karen. 2010 ALCHEMY AND MEGGY SWANN.  Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/ Sandpiper.  ISBN: 978-0-547-57712-8

Plot Summary: Set in 1573 London, the story follows a young girl named Meggy Swann as she is sent off to live with her father after her grandmother passes away. Meggy’s legs are crippled and she must walk with two walking sticks.  She is bad tempered and expects to be treated the way she always has, as an outcast.  Meggy is forced to live with her father who isn’t expecting a daughter let alone a crippled daughter.  He sent for his child so he might have help in his laboratory working to find the “elixir of life.”  When Meggy looks to be very little help he abandons her to a pallet downstairs.  Through strange events Meggy overhears a plot most dastardly and fears for her father’s soul.  Meggy is smart and strong and finds a way to save an unknowing baron.    Through the story Meggy makes friends, learns a lot about herself, and learns what family truly is.

Critical Analysis: I loved this story! It was a little slow to get going and the language, old English, made it very difficult to understand some times, but the bones of the story are fantastic.  Readers really become attached to Meggy and her problems.  She is angry and untrusting from too many years of being picked on, called a witch, and having things thrown at her.  The way Karen Cushman writes the character makes the reader want to defend Meggy and to understand why.  My favorite part of the book had to be the players.  Master and Mistress Grimm, their flamboyant children, and Master Merryman are the light point in this story.  They are fun and loving making them a joy to read about.  Roger, Meggy’s one friend, is a lot like a golden retriever.  He is loyal to Meggy and makes her feel good about herself.  His constant grin and carefree attitude make him a loveable knight in shining armor for the story.  Overall, this story is very interesting and you will get engulfed in it just as I have. 

            NOTE: I had to look up some words I didn’t know so this might be frustrating for younger readers.

Review Excerpts:

·      Kirkus Reveiws: “Cushman has the uncanny ability to take a time and place so remote and make it live. Readers can hear and see and smell it al as if they are right beside Meggy.”

·      Publisher’s Weekly: “Cushman’s newest novel has all the elements that have made her earlier books so beloved.”

Connections:

·      This story would be a great short chapter book for children introducing them to London in the 1500’s.

·      The language is very interesting and there may be some words children (or adults) don’t know.  This can open doors for a teachable moment!  It’s a great way to have them be in charge of their learning and to find the answer for themselves.

·      Other books by this author:

o   Cushman, Karen. 2006. THE LOUD SILENCE OF FRANCINE GREEN.  New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0618504558.

o   Cushman, Karen. 2000.  MATILDA BONE. New York, NY: Clarion Books. ISBN: 978-0440418221. 

HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson

HATTIE BIG SKY by Kirby Larson

Bibliography: Larson, Kirby. 2007.  HATTIE BIG SKY. New York, NY: Random House. ISBN: 978-0739350515.

Plot Summary: The story follows a 16-year-old girl named Hattie.  Hattie’s parents passed away when she was very young and since then she has been handed off from relative to relative. One day her uncle sends her a letter saying he has left all of his belongings in Montana, including his home, to her.  The only catch is she has till November to “prove up” or she will lose the land.  So Hattie tries her hand at farming and learns from her neighbors as best she can.  She meets wonderful people and comes to love them dearly.  However, many events threaten to take all of that away. A conceited cowboy who wants to expand his land, a hailstorm, blistering heat, little rain, and the Spanish Influenza to name a few.  These events push Hattie to the edge and she worries if she has her, “mother’s backbone” enough to make it work. 

Critical Analysis: This book was a wonderful portrait of the 1900’s Montana.  Kirby Larson created a very loving, strong protagonist that the reader can’t help but admire.  The way the author writes Hattie, the reader really identifies with every obstacle she had to overcome.  My favorite part of the story is when Hattie is first trying to learn to live in Montana.  The writer makes all of her issues with the house and her cow extremely comical.  When Hattie has to run off a heard of wild horses with her petticoat I sat in my room alone and laughed.  My only negative comment I have about this book lies in the last chapter of the book.  SPOILER ALERT: The author has spent the entire book building up Hattie’s life on the prairie only to take everything she wanted away.  Her friends leave, she loses her homestead and she has to start over new.  I loved this book but I felt very let down by the ending.

Review Excerpts:

·      Booklist: “Writing in figurative language that draws on nature and domestic detail to infuse her story with the sounds, smells, and sights of the prairie, she creates a richly textured novel full of memorable characters.”

·      School Library Journal: “Larson creates a masterful picture of the homesteading experience and the people who persevered.”

Connections:

·      This book is a great way to introduce a different aspect of the World War I.

·       A great picture of what life in the 1900’s on the prairie.  This would be a great way to allow students to compare and contrast then and now. 

·      Other books by this author:

o   Larson, Kirby. 2011. THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL. New York, NY: Delacorte Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 978-0385737456.

o   Larson, Kirby.  2010. THE FENCES BETWEEN US. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN: 978-0545224185. 

THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages

THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Klages

Bibliography:  Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. New York, NY. Puffin Books/Penguin Books. ISBN: 978-0-14-241149-0.

Plot Summary: The Green Glass Sea follows the story of two girls, Suze and Dewey, in 1943 to 1945.  Both girls live on “The Hill” in Los Alamos, New Mexico on an army science base.  Suze’s parents and Dewey’s father are all scientists working on “the gadget.” The base is a secret and everything and everyone on the base is a secret. Through a series of events, Dewey goes and lives with Suze’s family for a while so her father can go work at the White House.  There is an accident and Dewey has to stay with Suze’s family for “the duration.” Dewey knows that once the scientists test the gadget they will use it and end the war, leaving her nowhere to live.

Critical Analysis:  I really enjoyed reading this book. However, there aren’t very many high points in the story.  The story is set during World War II making the atmosphere very drudging as was appropriate for that time. The problem I had with the story is that the characters are never allowed to be happy or uplifted until the very last page.  Dewey seems to be the target of every bad thing throughout her life.  The other main character, Suze, is bullied and called horrible names.  Another issue I had was the language.  There was quite a bit of profanity that many parents would find way too strong for their children to read. 

            All this aside, the story very period appropriate and extremely well written.  Take away the profanity and add some high points and I would have enjoyed it immensely.

Review Excerpts:

·      Winner of the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction.

·      Publisher’s Weekly: “The author provides much insight into controversies surrounding the making of the bomb and brings to life the tensions of war experienced by adults and children alike.”

·      Voice of Youth Advocates: “Suze and Dewey have their differences, but they become friends in the center of one of the most debated and notorious places of that era. Poetic and real, this one will keep you reading and leave you thinking.”

Connections:

·      This book depicts the World War II era just exactly how it was, making this book a great supplement to any WWII research or study.

·      The language makes the book more appropriate for older students.  This would be a great way to show students how other children reacted to the events of the 1930’s and 1940’s.

·      Other books by this author:

o   Klages, Ellen. 2008. WHITE SANDS, RED MENACE. New York, NY: Viking Juvenile/ Penguin Books. ISBN: 978-0679962359.

o   Klages, Ellen. 2007. PORTABLE CHILDHOODS. San Francisco, CA: Taychon Publishing. ISBN: 978-1892391452.

THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARION ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS by Russell Freedman

THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARION ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS by Russell Freedman

Bibliography: Freedman, Russell. 2004. THE VOICE THAT CHALLENGED A NATION: MARION ANDERSON AND THE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. ISBN: 978-0-618-15976-5.

Plot Summary: This story follows the wonderful, inspiring story of Marion Anderson, an African American contralto throughout the 1900’s. Marion faced prejudice, anger, fear and the Jim Crow laws in the South, but she never let them dampen her spirit.  The story follows her life from her poverty stricken upbringing, to her celebrated carrier in the U.S., Canada and Europe, to her astounding concert on the steps of the Lincoln Monument, to her death in 1993.   

Critical Analysis: This story is quite possibly the most touching I’ve ever read.  The author really pulls at the reader’s heartstrings throughout the entire thing.  It was an emotional roller coaster from beginning to end.  The black and white photographs throughout beautifully accent the story, allowing the reader to be transported to the 1920’s, 30’s, and beyond.  The story is inspiring and the pictures draw the reader ever further in.  Marion Anderson’s humble, proud; strong personality drove this story and made this reader extremely interested in her and her music.  After reading this book, I spent the better part of an hour listening to her music.

Review Excerpts:

·      Winner of the Sibert Medal

·      School Library Journal- “This inspiring work once again demonstrates Freedman’s talent for showing how a person’s life is molded by its historical and cultural context.”

·      Kirkus Reviews- “a fully realized portrait of a musical artist and her times…an outstanding, handsome biography. Freedman at his best.”

Connections:

·      This book would make a great study for a college class

·      Great history and civil rights lesson

·      Other books by this author:

o   Freedman, Russell. 2008. ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: A LIFE OF DISCOVERY. ISBN: 978-1435286030

o   Freedman, Russell.  2010. CHILDREN OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION. ISBN: 978-0547480350

o   Freedman, Russell.  1990. COWBOYS OF THE WILD WEST. ISBN: 978-0395548004