Module 9: Cam Jansen and the Ghostly Mystery

Book Summary:

Jennifer “Cam” Jansen is excited to see the Triceratops Pops concert, but before she can buy her ticket, a person in a ghost costume runs through the building, scaring people as they go. The ghost runs up to an old man, yells “Boo!” and runs away. The old man grabs his chest and falls to the floor, and the crowd is left to help with the medical emergency. While the people in line are distracted by the scene, the ghost runs by the ticket office, grabbing the money box as they go, stealing all of the ticket money. 

A crime has been committed, but no one knows who did it because they were covered up in the ghost costume. Now Cam and her friend Eric are on the case. She will need her photographic memory to save the day, and she thinks back over all the details she could remember about the scene of the crime. Little flashes of memory come back to her, and learning that the old man who fell at the ticket booth was actually an accomplice to the crime provides more clues. Will Cam and Eric solve the mystery?

APA Reference of Book:

Adler, D. A. (1996). Cam Jansen and the ghostly mystery. New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc.

Impressions:

Cam is a great sleuth. She thinks logically about things she knows and utilizes her photographic memory to remember important details of the mystery at hand. She’s realistic and fun, and readers can relate to her and her friend. Her Aunt Molly is incredibly quirky, which provides more for readers to think about when they are trying to follow what she is trying to say.

One important thing to note about Cam and her mystery solving adventures is that she is extremely conscientious about staying safe. She does what she can, following her clues and finding evidence, but when it is time to let the authorities do their job, Cam and Eric are responsible and call for the police. The adults in this story are great in the way that they treat Cam and Eric as a valuable asset rather than deeming them not worth the time it would take to listen to their suggestions. I think this an important thing to teach young readers. Other mystery books have the amateur detectives rushing into dangerous situations with no thought for the possible consequences, and it is good for readers to see a positive role model for how to deal with something that may become a danger to the young investigators.

Professional Review:

Gr. 2-4. Cam Jansen, the girl with the photographic memory, returns in her sixteenth mystery. Here, she and her pal Eric are waiting in line to buy tickets for a rock concert. The ticket booth gets robbed by someone dressed as a ghost, but it doesn't take Cam long to figure out the connection between the ghostly robber and the distraction of a man who has a "heart attack" in line. A very quick read, this should give new readers a push into beginning chapter books and offer reluctant readers a mystery that isn't babyish.

Cooper, I. (1997, January). Books for middle readers: Fiction [Review of the book Cam Jansen and the ghostly mystery]. Booklist, 93(9/10), 855. Retrieved from http://www.buffalolib.org/vufind/Record/890154/Reviews

Library Uses:

This would be a great group read for second and third graders. There is a lot to discuss about the way Cam uses clues to solve the mystery. This could also be used as part of an additional materials list for those learning about different types of memory.

Module 8: Savvy

Book Summary:

Everyone in Mibs’ family has a special talent, known as their savvy, that they receive on their thirteenth birthday. Her mother does everything perfectly, even when it’s a mistake. Her grandmother could catch music in a jar. Her grandfather causes the ground to move.

Now it's finally her turn! Mibs is celebrating her thirteenth birthday, and she will finally find out what her savvy is. Will it be talking to animals? Seeing sounds? Only time will tell. Then tragedy strikes - her father is a car accident and is now in a coma. Will Mibs get a savvy that could save him?

Full of quirky characters and wild adventures, Savvy is the story of Mibs and her quest to save her father’s life. She is joined by her brother and a few new friends along the way, and somewhere between pink buses, flying pies, and police cars they must make their way to the hospital to find Mibs’ father.

APA Reference of Book:

Law, I. (2008). Savvy. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

This is a fun book about abilities and talents and family relationships. The growing friendship between Mibs and Will and Mibs and Bobbi are great examples of how people aren't always who they seem to be, and sometimes a person just want someone to see them and like them for who they really are. I'm really interested to see what Sampson's savvy is, although it seems as though he already has inklings of it showing through in his behavior, even at his younger age.

I read this as part of a mother-daughter book group, and the girls had plenty to talk about in wondering what their own savvies could be and how this is somewhat reflected in real life in the various talents individuals have. A great group read, and one that readers of all ages who enjoy a little light fantasy in their books will really enjoy.

Professional Reviews:

Grades 5-7. Upon turning 13, each member of the Beaumont family develops a supernatural ability, or savvy, which must then be tamed. Well aware of the problems savvys can bring (the family had to relocate when one child had difficulty controlling his storm-producing savvy), 12-year-old Mississippi (Mibs) awaits her birthday eagerly but with a bit of trepidation. Then Poppa is seriously injured in an accident far away, and Momma goes to his side, leaving Mibs and the rest of the family to cope with Mibs’ 13th birthday on their own. Initially believing that her savvy is the ability to restore life, Mibs sets her course for Poppa. Joined by her brothers and the local preacher’s kids, she sweet talks her way onto a traveling Bible salesman’s bus. On the journey, however, Mibs realizes her savvy isn’t what she thought, which opens the way for a number of lively adventures both geographic and emotional. Law’s storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire cast of whacky, yet believable characters delightful. Readers will want more from Law; her first book is both wholly engaging and lots of fun.

Savvy. (2008, May 15). [Review of the book Savvy by Ingrid Law]. Booklist Magazine, 104(18). Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/104616/searches/104616

Library Uses:

While great for a book club read, as mentioned above, this would also make an interesting display for different talents and abilities. This book could be the main focus of the display, with suggestions for savvies put on display, such as cooking utensils for great chefs, sewing needles and thread for those who are good at sewing, and sports equipment for those who are athletic. The possibilities are endless. It could also be an interactive display, one where patrons could add to it will savvies of their own, such as a whiteboard or post-it note display.

Module 7: Flush

Book Summary:

The Coral Queen is dumping its raw sewage directly into the ocean, and Noah's dad is determined to do something about it. When he ends up in jail, he enlists Noah to help him get evidence of the wrongdoing, but it could prove dangerous when a former employee of the casino boat ends up missing.

Throughout the fight for justice, Noah and his sister Abby must deal with nosy reporters, neighborhood bullies, and gun-toting bad guys to catch the crooks and put the evidence out there for all to see. They are determined to put a stop to the polluting of their beloved ocean, even when they may be putting themselves in harm’s way.

APA Reference of Book:

Hiaasen, C. (2005). Flush. New York, NY: Knopf Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

Full of manatees, sea turtles, and mangroves, this book has great description of the environment of the Florida Keys. I’ve never been to this area, but I could easily picture the scenery and had a great feel for the setting.

I especially enjoyed Hiaasen’s sense of humor in this book. There were plenty of snarky comments and quirky characters, giving the story a personality of its own. Noah and his sister are good kids who love their parents, and though they may fight as siblings tend to do, they look out for each other and work together to accomplish their goals, whether that be buying stuff at the grocery store or preventing their mother from seeing their father’s latest exploits on the news.

This is a great fast-paced adventure novel for those who love for the underdog to find a way to win in the end. It has plenty of intrigue and backstabbing while still having a well written storyline. I know Hiaasen has plenty of fans, but I would also recommend this for fans of Sachar's Holes as it has a similar feel to the mystery and a similar type of danger.

Professional Reviews:

Booklist: Gr. 5-8. Hiaasen's second novel exhibits some of the same elements found in his 2003 Newbery Honor Book: Florida local color, oddball adults (buxom and brawny), and a delightful quirkiness. But the sparkle that catapulted Hoot into the limelight isn't quite as brilliant here. Even so, there's plenty to like in this yarn, which, once again, drops an environmental issue into the lap of a kid. Righteous indignation, usually resulting from some sabotage of Florida's natural resources, has gotten Noah Underwood's dad in trouble before. This time, however, Dad's gone too far: he sunk a floating casino. Why? Its owner is dumping human waste in the water. Unfortunately, Dad can't prove it, and that's where Noah and his younger sister, Abbey, come in. The amateur sleuthing puts the sibs into some mildly suspenseful, occasionally amusing, situations, which, as in the previous book, share space with run-ins with a local bully (Noah takes some lumps but gets sweet revenge). An old-fashioned deus ex machina interrupts an otherwise believable setup, but Hiaasen still succeeds at relating an entertaining story while getting across a serious message about conservation and the results of just plain greed.

School Library Journal: "Noah and his sister, Abbey, are more understanding of their volatile dad's latest arrest than their mother, who begins talking of divorce. Dad sank the Coral Queen, a casino boat on a Florida Key because, he alleges, its owner, Dusty Muleman, has been illegally dumping raw sewage into the local waters. Soon enough the kids begin trying to gather proof that will vindicate their father and put the casino out of business. The colorful cast includes a drunken lout named Lice who disappears before he can be persuaded to testify against Dusty, his former boss. His rough-around-the-edges girlfriend, Shelly, comes through, though, helping the siblings dump dye in the boat's holding tanks, which finally brings the matter to court. Dusty's son, Jasper, is a chip off the old block, threatening and beating Noah on several occasions until he and, later, Abbey are rescued by a mysterious stranger who turns out to be their grandfather, long ago thought to have died in South America, probably while involved in drug smuggling. As the tale ends, he's back to Colombia to settle old scores. The plot would practically disappear if any one of the major characters had a cell phone, but the environmental story is front and center and readers will be hooked as the good guys try to do the right thing. This quick-reading, fun, family adventure harkens back to the Hardy Boys in its simplicity and quirky characters."

Svirin, S. (2005, August). Flush [Review of the book Flush by Carl Hiaasen]. Booklist Magazine, 101(22), 2028. Retrieved from https://brooklyn.bibliocommons.com/item/show/11240257062906_flush

Shoemaker, J. (2005, September 1). Flush [Review of the book Flush by Carl Hiaasen]. School Library Journal, 59(9), 204. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/66850/searches/66850

Library Uses:

This would be a great book club read for older middle school to younger high school students. There is plenty to discuss about the environment and global pollution, and can give students thoughts about what they can do to make the world a better place.

Assignment A: Booktrailers

Booktrailer for The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

Booktrailer for Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Booktrailer for Dark Life by Kat Falls

References:

Falls, K. (2010). Dark life. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

Pfeffer, S. B. (2006). Life as we knew it. New York, NY: HMH Books for Young Readers.

Ryan, C. (2009). The forest of hands and teeth. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Module 6: Zero the Hero

Book Summary:

Zero always thought he was a hero – he just needed a chance to prove it to the other numbers. Unfortunately, they thought he was a little strange and would never account for anything. Because he was not a counting number (it’s hard to count zero of anything) he was always being left out of the number games. In order to be a part of anything, he always had to be paired with another number. Sometimes he was not even recognized as a number, but was instead mistaken for a small letter “O” or even a doughnut.

He tried everything to fit it: addition (any number added to Zero was still that number), subtraction (subtracting Zero from any number was still the same number), and division (a number cannot be divided by nothing). Finally, he tried multiplication. It was a disaster! Any number multiplied by Zero became nothing!  All of the other numbers ran away screaming.  Zero felt horrible – a real hero would never make his friends feel like nothing. He decided to leave them alone.

Shortly after Zero left, the other numbers were attacked by the Romans. Can Zero be the hero he believes he is and rescue numbers one through nine?

APA Reference of Book:

Holub, J. (2012). Zero the hero. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Company.

Impressions:

This book was so much better than I anticipated. I thought it would be a cute book where Zero becomes a hero to the other numbers through an unusual set of circumstances, but I never expected the story to be about numbers themselves and how they are used together in mathematics. The use of math concepts in the story was a brilliant technique.

I also didn’t expect this book to be humorous, yet I found myself laughing out loud several times. The interactions with the Roman numerals and the play with words and numbers was quite entertaining. The little comments made by the numbers in the sidebars were an important part of the story, and it really drew me in as a reader to make a closer inspection of the writing and illustrations.

Professional Reviews:

Horn Book Magazine: "Poor Zero. He's having a hard time proving himself as a superhero, what with the fact that he is not a counting number and can only live in the shadow of other numbers. He is such a nonentity that folks mistake him for a donut, the letter O, and even a Froot Loop. The rules of addition and subtraction render him useless, and no one wants to divide, let alone multiply, with him. Multiplying means obliteration of the other number and that means that Zero is a lonely fellow indeed. But when our hero disappears, things get rough in the number world. How can they make 10? Or 1,000? When the Roman numerals capture the counting numbers, Zero comes to the rescue, terrifying the captors with his multiplicative power. Tiny visual jokes and graphic elements keep this mathematically accurate book humming with humor, nudging the funny bone of the confident and mathphobic alike. Read this aloud to whet the new reader's appetite, but there is just so much to see that only a slow reading, with a magnifying glass in hand, will do. The endpapers tell more of Zero's story (he enters a phone booth a zero and leaves it a caped superhero). Readers will make visual connections to Laurie Keller's works (Open Wide, rev. 5/00; The Scrambled States of America), and wise teachers will encourage their students to think just as imaginatively as they study other math concepts."

Kirkus Reviews: "The counting numbers get their comeuppance in the havoc that breaks out after they fail to believe in Zero's heroic powers. Brimming with self-confidence, Zero sports a red cape and black mask. But looking and feeling like a hero do not help him when it comes to fitting in with one through nine. Left out and teased, he still stays positive, even though he is virtually useless at adding and subtracting, and goodness knows, division by zero is pointless. But the heretofore-unflappable Zero meets his match in multiplication. Questioning the qualities of a hero who multiplies "his friends into nothingness," Zero rolls away. It isn't long before the other numbers value (and miss) the important place he holds...even more so when they are captured by a cadre of Roman numerals. Luckily, Zero hears their cries and flies to the rescue, which finally earns him hero status with his friends. While the story would hold all on its own, the tongue-in-cheek humor combined with Lichtenheld's wonderfully personified cast of characters (complete with sassy speech bubbles and expressive faces) makes this a book kids will reach for again. A hero and some villains and good winning over evil (oh, and all that educational stuff, too), all wrapped in humor and tied with a comic bow--what could be better?"

Smith, R. L. (2012, January/February). Zero the hero [Review of the book Zero the hero by Joan Holub]. Horn Book Magazine, 88(1), 71. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/51519/searches/51519

Zero the hero [Review of the book Zero the hero by Joan Holub]. (2011, December 1). Kirkus Reviews, 79(23), 2232. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/51519/searches/51519

Library Uses:

This would be a great book to use for a math lesson in a classroom visit, and would be a good example of how books can teach us things even when they are funny stories. It would also be a great book to read for a hero program to show that not all heroes are of the superhero variety. For displays, this could be included in a humorous fiction display, an importance of math display, or a hero display.

Module 5: Midwinterblood

Image via Goodreads.com

Book Summary:

Told through seven different tales in reverse chronological order, Midwinterblood is a tale as old as time.

The first story, Midsummer Sun, is set in 2073. Eric travels to a mysterious island that is said to be a magical place where people are living far beyond a normal lifespan. Once there, he meets Tor and Merle, and is soon settled in. He explores the island, and as he does so, he begins to forget why he had come there to begin with.

The second tale, The Archaeologist, is set in 2011. Edward, an archaeologist, has traveled with his small digging team to hopefully unearth the remains of a Viking village. During his stay on the island, he meets a young boy named Eric, and his mother Merle. He feels as though he has known them all of his life.

The Airman, the third story, is set in 1944. When his plane is shot down, David manages to land his parachute on a small island, though he breaks his ankle in the process. It is the middle of World War II, and this island has so far removed itself from the fighting taking place throughout the rest of the world. David is rescued by a farmer, Erik, the farmer’s wife, Rebecka, and the farmer’s son, Benjamin. He stays with the family while his ankle heals, but the welcome is far from warm. When war comes to the island, David must try to escape the enemy soldiers.

The Painter is the fourth story in the book, and it is set in 1902. Merle is a young girl, living on a quiet island with her mother, who is known for making a special tea using the mysterious dragon flower found on the far side of the island. When Merle crosses to the other side of the island with her mother to harvest the flowers, she discovers a large house, where a very old man lives. Despite her mother’s order to stay away, she returns to visit, making wonderful discoveries.

The fifth part of the book, The Unquiet Grave, is set in 1848. The Graf twins had a nanny, Laura, who told them a wonderful ghost story full of auspense, a romance about Merle and Eric. The children loved the story, and loved Laura too. But Laura was not who they thought she was.

The sixth tale, The Vampire, is set during the 10^th century. The men were late returning from their yearly trip at sea, but return they did, and Eirik and Melle helped the rest of the villagers bring the Viking ships ashore for repair during the coming winter months. Unfortunately, their father didn’t just bring home bounty from a successful Viking expedition – he also brought home a mysterious man, one whom their father is unhappy to have home.

The seventh and final story, Midwinterblood, is set before the record of time.  It has been many years of drought and crop failure, and the people have demanded a sacrifice – one only their king can fulfill. King Eirikr has been brought forth to sacrifice his life blood. Will his death be enough to bring about the desired change?

All seven stories tie neatly together into one overlaying theme. It is a tale of love, of death, and rebirth.

Awards: Michael L. Printz Award 2014, Carnegie Medal Nominee 2013

APA Reference of Book:

Sedgwick, M. (2013). MIdwinterblood. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.

Impressions:

Midwinterblood is a fairly quick read, with short chapters within the short stories. While confusing at first, once a few of the stories are read, it is easy to get a feel for the writing and following the story backwards through time. It is not often that a book is written in reverse chronological order, so this is a fairly unique concept, and one that makes for a new and interesting reading experience.

While I liked the book, and I have several people in mind to recommend it to, I’m not completely sure why it was marketed as a YA novel. I think teens would enjoy reading it, but there isn’t anything in particular that tells me this is definitely a YA book written with teens in mind.

That being said, I think this is a book that can be enjoyed by all ages, teens and adults. There are a lot of different themes and topics in this book that can be used as discussion points, from Viking lore to reincarnation beliefs to different times throughout the history of the world. It is easy to see why it was awarded the Printz award.

Professional Review:

"*Starred Review* In the year 2073, a reporter named Eric is sent to Blessed Island to research a rare flower called the Dragon Orchid. There he finds an insular community of mysterious villagers, a delicious tea that has him losing days at a time, and a beguiling girl named Merle. In just 50 pages, we reach a shattering conclusion—and then start anew in 2011. An archaeologist is digging on Blessed Island, where he meets a quiet boy named Eric and his mother, Merle. So begins this graceful, confounding, and stirring seven-part suite about two characters whose identities shift as they are reborn throughout the ages. Sedgwick tells the story in reverse, introducing us to a stranded WWII pilot, a painter trying to resurrect his career in 1901, two children being told a ghost story in 1848, and more, all the way back to a king and queen in a Time Unknown. It is a wildly chancy gambit with little in the way of a solid throughline, but Sedgwick handles each story with such stylistic control that interest is not just renewed each time but intensified. Part love story, part mystery, part horror, this is as much about the twisting hand of fate as it is about the mutability of folktales. Its strange spell will capture you. Grades 9-12."

Kraus, D. (2012, December 1). Midwinterblood [Review of the book Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick]. Booklist, 109(7), 52. Retrieved from http://www.esebco.com/books/show/48295/searches/48295

Library Uses: 

This would be a great read for a library book club group. There is much to discuss about the different topics presented by the unique but intersecting stories. The book club group could be for teens, adults, or a mixture of both.