Module 8: Insurgent

Title: Insurgent

Author: Veronica Roth

Summary:
This is an extra ordinary story line that elaborates on characters seeking for revenge in order to eliminate enemies that have been trying to break their factions and to completely destroy what is left. Tris Prior must never let her guard down or she will lose everything that she has worked hard for. Working and disguising herself under the Abnegation factor, Tris must make the right choice in choosing who to trust so she can find out the real reason why her father died. Mocked as a Dauntless traitor she maintains a close relationship with her boyfriend Tobias. Although she can't really rely on anyone for information, she rally's on her strength and power to seek out those who want to take over the entire world. With many obstacles along the way, Tris decides to confront those whom she feels are waiting to destroy their faction by starting a war. Jeanine, the leader of the Erudite faction has planned to destroy other factions by starting a war so she could gain the power and rule the world. While entering one of the rooms, Tris is confronted by a replica of herself and decides that the only thing do to was to get rid of it in order to survive. She aims, she shoots and it drops dead. In the meantime an altercation breaks out between Tori and Jeanie, and Tori ends up stabbing Jeanine with a knife that was tucked in her boots. It is believed that a video was located and everyone who were listening now knows the truth. Tris and her friends continue to fight for what is right. Tris understands that she must help those who are trying to survive, to bring peace, comfort, and freedom.

Biography:
Roth, Veronica. (2012). Insurgent. New York, NY: Katherine Tegen Books.

My Impressions:
I am very impressed with this book because not only the author is young but her story line is great. Her imagination that she puts in her work is tremendously expressed throughout the characters that she uses. Ms. Roth has released another captivating story tantalizing her audiences with a unique writing style of suspense and thrilling actions in surviving the torments of war. The readers will enjoy reading this story especially as the main character is a girl. I would recommend this book for the young adults as they would truly have a better understanding of how the author has written utilizing teens and young adults as the main characters in her book. It was quite a long story, but I enjoyed reading it.

Professional Review:
Booklist
( March 15, 2012; 9780062024046 )

While the hugely popular Divergent (2011) welcomed dystopian fans of every stripe with its irresistable concept and hybridization of genres, this sequel is more for hard-core fans a good thing if you're a devotee but a bit overwhelming for fence-riders. Rocked by the recent simulation war, the five factions engage in increasingly dangerous power plays to pick up the pieces. Tris and her love, Tobias, both daredevils of the Dauntless faction, are key players in these skirmishes, most of which focus upon the fiendishly logical Erudites and almost all of which are complicated by backstabbers and turncoats. It remains a great deal of fun to watch these cliques-taken-to-extremes duke it out with their various strengths and weaknesses, and Roth delivers the goods when it comes to intense, personal violence (no superpowers to be found here) and compelling set pieces (as when Tris undergoes a public truth serum interrogation). Newcomers, and even some old hands, might get buried under all the transposable characters and faction minutia, but those who stick it out will be rewarded with quite the cliff-hanger HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Divergent was the kind of best-seller juggernaut debut authors dream of. With high-profile movie rights already sold, you can bet you'll see this sequel on everyone's must-read list.--Kraus, Daniel Copyright 2010 Booklist

Retrieve from: Bowker Books in Print

Use In Library Setting:
Being that this is a very long book, I will divide the class into groups of two. I will give them a chapter to read and present to the class. That way they will have a better understanding of the story and than have a class discussion every time a group is done presenting their chapter. Students will be able to ask questions about the characters in each chapter presented.

Image from:
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Module 7: There's a boy in the girls' bathroom

Title: There's A Boy In The Girls' Bathroom
Author: Louis Sachar

Summary:
Bradley is the biggest boy in his class, he sits way in the back of the class, no one wants to sit by him, as he doesn't have any friends. No one in his school and his class wants to be friends with him, and he doesn't want to make friends with anyone. He goes to school everyday but doesn't do his homework, and his teacher seem to not say much to him because he always has an excuse or make up stories about why his parents never show up for teacher/parent meetings. His father doesn't tolerate Bradley's behavior but his mother tends to do what ever he wants. His sister is a smarty pants that always wants to know what is Bradley up to. Until one day a new boy name Jeff enters the classroom and is pointed to sit by Bradley, which he doesn't mind. They become friends after a while but end up fighting because of bad stories circulating in school. But when the word gets out that a boy was in the girls bathroom, and Bradley finds out it's Jeff, he thinks it's cool and they become friends again. Finally the new school has a new counselor name Carla, and she accepts and becomes a friend of Bradley even though he didn't want to in the beginning. Because Bradley has a lot of problems he is told that he must go and see his counselor and get help by telling her what he needs and why he doesn't do any homework. Things take a turn for the good and slowly Bradley changes his ways, he starts greeting people, and even become friends with some boys that use to beat him up, he tries to do his homework but ends up ripping the paper and trashing it because he couldn't see himself turning it in. Only Carla sees that he's trying really hard at first, and she's the only one that tells him what he wants to hear. So now Bradley is a bit confuse because he's beginning to fall in love, well at least he thought he was. As other students were seeing Carla, parents started to complain and a meeting was held as parents wanted to remove the counselor saying that she was feeding their children with wild ideas. Bradley's meetings with Carla always turned out positive even if Bradley was angry, but he always enjoyed talking to her. Finally, Carla told him that she was moving to a new school that needed her assistance. Bradley was angry and walked out, but before he left she asked him for help in packing and moving her things. Bradley never showed up on that day, but soon as he remembered he ran all the way to her office but she was already gone. He was surprise the next day when he went to school, he saw next to his name were stars that the teacher had placed there. He wondered what were the stickers for and came to find out that Carla had turned in his book report to the teacher. Now all he wanted to do was thank her for it, and that he did by writing her a letter.

Biography:
Sachar, L. (1987). There's a boy in the girls' bathroom. United States: Random House Children's Books.

My Impression:
I was very familiar with this type of situation, so my impression was "okay! I know the type of student this boy is because there are so many students just like him in our own classrooms. Bradley's case is very popular even today as we find students go to school but don't like doing homework only because they don't understand. There are students out there that can't ask questions because they're shy. Sometimes kids think that if they ask question other students think they're stupid, so they sit and don't do anything. Using myself an example when I first started taking courses at the college. I haven't been to school since I graduated so everything seemed new again. I sat in my math class, I couldn't understand what the teacher was saying, even when he was working out the problems. I went home not knowing what to do, so I ended up not doing anything. It went on for days until I finally decided that if I don't do anything I will fail, and I won't be able to graduate. I started asking my children for help and slowly I started to understand, but my son always told me "mom, just ask it's the only way you can understand, because sometimes there are different ways of solving them". I had no choice but to ask, so I waited until everyone left and then I went to see the teacher. Everyday after that things started to get better, I never got an A but I was able to pass which is all I needed was a passing grade. Bradley just needed to find the right person to talk to and I think that's where Carla came in. She always said the things that he needed to hear, making him feel comfortable and just listening was all Bradley needed. It's a good story line and a very familiar problem that can help others in true life.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal ( April 01, 1987; 9780394985701 ) Gr 4-7 An unlikely protagonist, Bradley Chalkers is a friendless, lying, insecure bully who is the oldest boy in his fifth-grade class. In this humorous novel that tells of Bradley's learning to like himself and to make friends, Sachar ably captures both middle-grade angst and joy. Bradley's triumph comes through the friendship of a new boy at school and the help of the new school counselor. Readers, like the astute counselor, can see the strengths that Bradley has, and will cheer at his minor victories and cringe at his setbacks along the way. The story is unusual, witty, and satisfying, if not always believable: a few incidents just do not work. For instance, even though Bradley has not been doing his homework, his complete ignorance of it is unlikely (``He hadn't realized. . .he would need to bring his book home''), and his total unfamiliarity with birthday parties is too extreme for a ten year old, even one who hadn't been to a party in three years. Yet Bradley's need for acceptance even as he holds back from classmates who might mock or hurt him is genuine, and his eventual success will gratify readers. David Gale, ``School Library Journal'' (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution
Retrieve from:
http://libproxy.library.unt.edu:4874/DetailedView.aspx?hreciid=|5561956|6706850&mc=USA
Bowkers Books in Print Use in Library Setting: I would love to utilize this book in a short skit where students can witness how bullying and not doing homework is not a good thing. Students learn faster when they actually get up and play a character. Students can take turns playing the part of Bradley and Jeff, then the class can have a discussion to decide if the teacher can pass you without turning in any homework. Image from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com

Module 7: Olive's Ocean

Title: Olive's Ocean

Author: Kevin Henkes

Summary:
 Olive's Ocean is a book about a girl name Martha who receives a letter from the mother of a dead girl name Olive who was in her class but have never met or talked to her. Martha is surprised by the early morning visit, and after getting the letter she finds a quiet place and read the note. After reading the letter, shes feeling awkward and wishes that if only Olive was alive they could be really become good friends. Martha and her family plan a vacation that they normally do every year to visit her grand mother. This is the trip that will also give her the chance to see the boy that she likes, and to find the opportunity to tell her family especially her father that she wants to be a writer. She is also aware as she finds out that Olive also wanted to be a writer as well as an individual that loved the ocean. Martha and her grandma decide that they would tell each other things that are important matters to one another, but grandma sees that Martha is holding back so much and wished that her grand-daughter is up-front with her feelings. The beach is beautiful as always and she gets excited as she knows soon she will be seeing Jimmy Manning, the boy she likes. Although she kept herself busy, she couldn't help but think about Olive, so she decide to take something back for her, and because the loved the ocean she decided that she was going to take a bottle of water (ocean). She finally runs into Jimmy and they go for a walk, even taking pictures. She allows Jimmy to take a picture of them kissing, and he tells her that he will be using it to show his friends. Martha tries hard to get the film but Jimmy jokingly laughs it off which leaves Martha all pissed off. As the vacation comes to an end, she finds out that Jimmy isn't the one she likes, it's his brother Tate, and he tells her that he had always liked her since the first time they met. Martha and her family start packing to go back home, she makes sure she has everything packed, especially the jar of water for Olive's mom. Martha feels good about herself, especially after finally telling her father that she wanted to be a writer. She starts to miss her grandmother wishes that they could stay longer, but she realizes that they all needed to go home. It's time to leave and she doesn't hear anything from Tate, but when the car pulls out they see someone running towards their car, they come to find out it's Tate. The car stops and he gives her a letter, she is so happy. Soon as they arrive home, she takes the jar of water out and runs to find Olive's house. She gets there and finds out from the landlord that she had moved. So she gets the bottle of water and writes Olive's name on the cement stairs pausing to say her good-bye. She walks away and starts to run all the way home.

Bibliography:
Henkes, K. (2003). Olive's Ocean. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

My Impression:
I had a very different impression on this story book aside from the other books that I had read, maybe because I was a bit thrown off because the characters weren't even friends. I mean it's pretty hard thinking about someone that you don't even know, yet you get a letter saying that you were the nicest person and wished you were friends. I find that the author had to really think deep for a good writing story line, as her main character Martha felt really sorry and wished that somehow if Ocean was alive, they could really have gotten to be good friends. After meeting Olive's mother and getting that letter, Martha took the news really hard. Sometimes we don't pay too much attention to the people around us, we don't take the time to say hello because there's so much things in our mind, yet we forget that there are others who need more help than we do. Olive was a loner, having only her mother and moving to a new school with no friends to talk to or play with. I think she Olive had her own connection with Martha, being that she loved the ocean, and also wanted to be a writer. So seeing Martha in class, maybe the way she smiled gave Olive hope that she would be a good friend. Thinking about Martha, I would have been really surprised to get a letter from someone that I don't even know, then to find out that they died, I would have felt really awful too. I think what Martha did was great, getting something for Olive and putting a closure so she wouldn't feel as bad as she did. It was a really nice gesture, the bottle of water (ocean).

Professional Review:
Booklist starred (September 1, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 1))Gr. 5-8. More than anything Martha wants to be a writer. The problem is that her father does, too. Is there room for two writers in a single family? This is only one of the many questions that beg to be answered during Martha's twelfth summer. Here are others: Is Godbee, the paternal grandmother whom the family is visiting at Cape Cod, dying? Why is Martha's father so angry? Could Jimmy, the eldest of the five neighboring Manning brothers, be falling in love with her (and vice-versa)? And what does all this have to do with Olive, Martha's mysterious classmate, who died after being hit by a car weeks earlier? Olive, who also wanted to be a writer and visit the ocean, and hoped to be Martha's friend. Like Henkes'Sun and Spoon (1997), this is another lovely, character-driven novel that explores, with rare subtlety and sensitivity, the changes and perplexities that haunt every child's growing-up process. He brings to his story the same bedrock understanding of the emotional realities of childhood that he regularly displays in his paradigmatically perfect picture books. This isn't big and splashy, but its quiet art and intelligence will stick with readers, bringing them comfort and reassurance as changes inevitably visit their own growing-up years.

Retrieve from:
http://www.flr.follett.com/search?SID=c7ba9e1be57b0b4ee5073c3401c6af0d

Use in Library Setting;
I would ask the students to collect things from the beach and ocean such as sand, shells, bottle of water (ocean), anything dealing with the beach or ocean. Students will get up and talk about what they have collected.

Image from:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=568&tbm=isch&tbnid=4fXEcVf4HUduOM:&imgrefurl=http://www.carolhurst.com/titles/olivesocean.html

Module 6: Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from obedience school

Title: Dear Mrs. Larue: Letters from obedience school

Author: Mark Teague

Summary:
This is a really funny book about a dog name Ike. Mrs. Larue who owns the dog decides to send him to the Igor Brotweiler Canine Academy because she was fed up with him. Ike did a lot of things that Mrs. Larue didn't like, and what made it worse was he pulled her down and tore her coat while she was crossing the street. Ike starts writing letters to Mrs. Larue telling her about all the bad things that he was going through. He wanted Mrs. Larue to come and pick him up, but she never went. Ike writes another letter telling her that he was been treated badly and that he was going to be sick. Ike continues to write and mentions that she needed him to assist her with chores and other things that needed to be done. He finally writes and tells how bad they're treating him and he's sick and is diagnosed with a really bad disease. He gets a get well card, but is really surprised that she's not there to get him so now he's thinking of breaking out (running away). Mrs. Larue learns from reading the Gazette paper that Ike has escape the doggy detention. Soon after the escape she receives another letter stating that he was coming home. To everyone's surprise he arrive just in time to save his owner Mrs. Larue who went to town to purchase a new coat wasn't looking at both sides of the street when suddenly was knock off to the side of the road  before being run down by a delivery truck. Mrs. Larue was so happy that she threw the biggest party for her dog name Ike.

Biography:
Teague, M.(2002). Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from obedience School. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.

My Impressions:
This is a great book for children. I love the illustrations of how Ike is writing his letters telling her everything that is happening to him. He doesn't give up even when she doesn't write him in the beginning. From what he's telling her I can tell Ike is a smart dog, it's what got him in trouble in the first place. The best thing was that it was Ike who saved Mrs. LaRue, his actions really gave the old lady no choice but to take him back. Ike saved her life and she was very thankful for that. Example: We do things that we regret and later get punish for repeating the same mistake over and over, but its hard for us to apologize for what we did wrong. Ike from the beginning knew what he did wrong and started apologizing to Mrs. LaRue. He also ran away but ended up going home, naturally for us we would never go back home. This story has a good moral lesson that we could all learn from.

Professional Review:
Section: Multimedia Review

Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Disobedience School. CD. 12:26 min. with paperback book. Scholastic Audiobooks. 2011. ISBN 978-0-545-31537-1. $18.99.

K-Gr 3--David de Vries presents Marc Teague's sad tale (Scholastic, 2002) of poor Ike LaRue with vim and glee. Falsely accused of being a "bad dog," Ike is sent to reform…er…obedience school. In heart-wrenching letters, he describes his ordeal, pleading his case. C'mon, those cats weren't REALLY hurt. And that whole barking thing? Completely overblown. Teague's drab illustrations show the miserable life the pooch is leading, while full-color insets imply that all is not as bad as the pooch insists. A daring escape leads to an equally amazing rescue and Ike is welcomed home. The narrator goes delightfully over the top, using the first-person narrative of the letters to project Ike's rascally personality. Background music reflects the tone of the text, and occasional sound effects add just the right touch. Children can enjoy the presentation while perusing the detailed and amusing illustrations. This will make a nice listening center, and would be a good choice while teaching "point of view."

~~~~~~~~

By Teresa Bateman, Brigadoon Elementary School, Federal Way, WA

---

Source: School Library Journal, November 2011, Vol. 57 Issue 11, p65, 2p
Item: 525911466

Use in Library Setting:

This book would be really good to use in the library setting for a skit play by the students, especially for the little children. Students can take turns to play the character of Ike, as they will learn how important is it to writing letters when you're in trouble. Students can create a list of how you can disobey and obey, and discuss it with the librarian.

Image from:

 http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1219&bih=513&tbm=isch&tbnid=PhGuWkcbOCLucM:&imgrefurl=http://www.publishersweekly.com

Module 5: Forged By Fire

Title: Forge by Fire

Author: Draper, Sharon M.

Summary:
Forge by Fire is about a little boy name Gerald. He's been brought up with a mother that can't live without drugs. Most of the time he's left at home to fend for himself unless his aunt is called by some neighbors that the little boy is at home all by himself. Although his mother loves him, he's abused but understands that what his mama says he must obey or else he will deal with the consequences. Until one day, she leaves him at home to go to the store. He looks for something to do to keep himself from getting bored while he waits for his mother to return. He finds a lighter and flicks it on, it catches on the curtain and starts spreading until its too late. Gerald wakes up in the hospital, his mother is taken in by the police for questioning and after that he learns that he will now live with his aunt Queen for a long time. He becomes a very dependable young man and is a big help to his aunt. One day he gets terrifying news that his mother is out of jail and  wants to come and visit him. At first he says no, but his aunt talks him into just seeing his mother at least once. The day finally comes when she shows up at their house with a man and a little girl whom he later learns it's his half sister. Sometime later, aunt Queen has a heart attack and dies, and now Gerald has no where to go but to his mother. Years past he learns to love his sister and accepts his mother again, but not his step-father. He doesn't want to have anything to do with him. Gerald finds out that his sister has been afraid of their step-father when she was younger, and she is even more scared now than before. He tries to protect Angel as much as he can and notices that Jordan looks at Angel in weird ways that he doesn't understand. He tries to get Angel to tell him what is going on but always she shy's away and doesn't say anything until one day he comes home and finds Angel crying. She tells him what happened and he gets angry and wants to beat Angel up but can't confront him. He pleads with his mother to leave Jordan but Monique doesn't want to believe anything he says. One day Gerald confronts Mr. Washington about what has been happening with Angel and Jordan, and the man tells Gerald to let him know if it happens again. Jordan is caught trying to do nasty things to Angel and is sent to prison. Monique starts falling apart and the children become stronger in getting their family to get back up again. Finally, as Gerald was on his way home from a basketball game he felt uneasy and decided to run home cause he knew Angel was at home with Jordan. As he was running he could smell smoke and thought back on what happened the night he was caught in the fire of their apartment. When he got closer home he saw the smoke and ran up the flight of stairs quickly. He was yelling for Angel but did not get any replies from her, he busted the door to her room and saw Jordan trying to move towards Angel. He yelled out to Jordan "don't touch her you pervert", don't you know there's a fire. When everything was cleared, the fireman found Jordan dead by the door. Gerald and Angel were taken to the hospital with Monique riding with them in the ambulance. They will all become stronger and live a better life.

Biography:
Draper, M. S. (1997). Forged  By Fire. New York, NY: Simon Pulse.

My Impression:
This is truly an inspirational story of a young man that has been through so much as a little boy, and even growing up as a young man. As a young boy Gerald was living with his mother, most of the time he spent alone, eating what ever he could find. Sometimes as he waited for his mother to come home, with a full loaded pamper, he never knew what to expect. She would be in a good mood, she would blow up when he bothered her at the wrong time, but she was still the beautiful angel, his mommy. This story is sad, at the same time full of excitement because his character at a very young age of abusive and left alone only made  him stronger. Gerald was a very determined young man, who only wanted to find happiness. His life as a young boy was not pleasant, always having a hard time in life. I like how he never gave up especially when he met his half sister and knowing how she was been treated by their step-father. I would have just left and didn't care, but he decided to do something about it. A lot of children would have turned out bad, but Gerald was able to pull himself up and still be strong for his mother and sister.

Professional Review:

Booklist ( February 15, 1997; 9780689806995 )
Gr. 7^-10. Gerald Nickelby, a minor character in Tears of a Tiger (1994), emerges full-fledged and courageous in this companion story. His stable life with a firm but loving aunt (who is caring for him while his mother serves a prison sentence for child neglect) is shattered when his mother returns to claim him on his ninth birthday. With her is a young daughter, Angel, to whom Gerald is drawn, and her husband, Jordan, whom Gerald instinctively dislikes. When Gerald learns that Jordan is sexually abusing Angel, he risks physical assault and public embarrassment to rescue her. Although written in a more conventional form than the earlier novel, the dialogue is still convincing, and the affection between Angel and Gerald rings true. With so much tragedy here (the car crash and death of Gerald's friend Rob in Tears are again recounted, though Draper, thankfully, stops before Andy Jackson's suicide), there is some danger of overloading the reader. Nevertheless, Draper faces some big issues (abuse, death, drugs) and provides concrete options and a positive African American role model in Gerald. --Candace Smith
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission. Review: Use in Library Setting: This book will be used in the library as a group discussion. Librarian will have students work in groups depending on how many students in the class. Each group will list the many ways of getting help and discuss with other groups what other assistance children are given in cases like this. Image retrieve from: http://www.walmart.com/ip/368418

Module 5: Bud, Not Buddy

Title: Bud, Not Buddy
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Summary:
Bud, Not Buddy is a story about a ten year old boy that was left behind by his mother when she passed. When he was told by a caseworker that he would be leaving to go and stay with the Amoses, he didn't budge because he was so familiar with how the system worked. While living with the Amoses he found out that he didn't like how he was being treated by their son Todd and his mother. He decides to runaway to look for his father, well at least its what he thought, his fathers picture was on the flyers that were in his small suitcase. His mother never mentioned anything about who his real father was and he never understood why. After walking for a long time, he runs into Bugs, one of his friends and they go off together until the day they tried to catch the train. The police showed up and people were running away trying to get on the train, Bugs was able to jump on the train but Bud missed it. So he was now on his own again. After a long walk a man sees him on the highway and stops to ask him questions. In realizing that this boy was on the run, he finds out that he knows the boys father after hearing the story from Bud. He takes the boy along with him and later drops him off at the place where his father plays music at. Bud learns that this man who he assumes is his father is actually his grand-father, and that his mother left home and never returned which left a big void in his grand-fathers heart. He finally hears the true story and has come to find peace in his life.

Biography:
Curtis, C. P. (1999). Bud, Not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

My Impression:
An inspiring story of a young man who sets out looking for the only person that can and should look out for him. This story has such a sad storyline that encourages you to understand how life would be without family to lean on. The character played by Bud has a strong appeal to our children that we must be strong to be able to survive life out in the street. I admire his strength for survival especially when he was placed under the care of the Amoses. He wouldn't have the determination to get out of that place if it wasn't for the personal things in his suitcase. Something as little as a flyer was all he had in finding his father, and so he lived each day protecting his suitcase. Bud was such a strong individual that knew exactly what he wanted and what needed to be done. Never feeling sorry for himself, he set out in the big world so his questions could be answered. I'm sure it was hard, tough, and scary for Bud, I don't think I would have done what Bud did.

Professional Review:

Booklist ( September 01, 1999; 9780385323062 ) Gr. 4^-6. Bud, 10, is on the run from the orphanage and from yet another mean foster family. His mother died when he was 6, and he wants to find his father. Set in Michigan during the Great Depression, this is an Oliver Twist kind of foundling story, but it's told with affectionate comedy, like the first part of Curtis' The Watsons Go to Birmingham (1995). On his journey, Bud finds danger and violence (most of it treated as farce), but more often, he finds kindness--in the food line, in the library, in the Hooverville squatter camp, on the road--until he discovers who he is and where he belongs. Told in the boy's naive, desperate voice, with lots of examples of his survival tactics ("Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar out of Yourself"), this will make a great read-aloud. Curtis says in an afterword that some of the characters are based on real people, including his own grandfathers, so it's not surprising that the rich blend of tall tale, slapstick, sorrow, and sweetness has the wry, teasing warmth of family folklore. --Hazel Rochman From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
Use in the Library Setting:
I would probably want the children to do a small skit on this book. The storyline would be a more understandable if the children actually see what happens to children who are left to fend for themselves.
Image retrieve from :
Bowker, Books for print:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1219&bih=516&tbm=isch&tbnid=Q7RXbizlrT-UAM:&imgrefurl=http://www.amazon.com

Module 4: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Title: Sarah, Plain and Tall

Author: Patricia MacLachlan

Summary:
This is a very moving story about a father and his two children Anna and Caleb. When their mother died after giving birth to Caleb, Anna and her father didn't know what hit them, although they were sad they now were responsible in taking care of the new baby. Caleb grew up not knowing his mother but was told that she always sang songs with their Papa, and he never stop asking Anna questions about their mother. Since Mamas passing, Papa never sang any more either said Anna to Caleb. Then one day Papa finally admitted to the children how he had put an ad in the paper asking for a wife. Although the children were surprised, they wondered if anyone was going to answer their fathers ad, until they started getting letters from a lady name Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton.
As busy as they were with the farm, and feeding the animals, they were excited and happy when father mentioned one day that Sarah was coming to see meet them. Anna and Caleb wondered if she would except them or would she leave after she sees how their house looks like. Would she like their Papa, or the way they act in front of her. They couldn't wait for the day when she arrives at the farm and they knew that their Papa was just as excited as they were.
Finally that day arrive when they saw the wagon that Papa drove coming up the hill to the house. They both ran to greet her, and she was just as she said she would be, plain and tall. Sarah met the children and saw the farm and everything that belonged to Papa. Although she missed home, and her brother, especially the sea, Sarah was content with what she was going to have, the children loved her and so was Papa. The day that she left for town, the children thought she would never come back because she was gone all day, but when they saw the wagon coming home they were delighted knowing that she was returning to them for good.

Bibliography:
MacLachlan, P. (1985). Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

Impressions:
I loved reading this book. Many times when I look at the collection in the library, I would come across this book but never had the time to read  because I would always look for books that are familiar and popular. But as I read through it, I read it with teary eyes because although it had a sad storyline, the author turned the story around by creating a beautiful character that accepted this man's offer for a mother to his young children, and a wife for himself. Sarah never found time to think about herself, giving up everything that she loved. Moving to a place and meeting people she never even knew. Sarah was such a strong individual, knew what she was getting her self into and especially what she wanted. If it was me, I don't think I would have answered the ad, especially knowing that this man have two young children. I wouldn't leave the home that I love, the things that I have for a farm, but Sarah but different. She gave up everything to go and meet this man and his children, what a sacrifice this young lady made. I loved how the children accepted her too, especially the man. Showing her everything and giving her respect is what I believe helped Sarah make her final choice.

Profession Review:

School Library Journal ( May 01, 2002; 9780694526024 )

Gr 3-6-Glenn Close narrates Patricia MacLachlan's beautiful novels on this fine audio collection. Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of Sarah, who came from Maine to answer Jacob's advertisement for a wife and mother, all from the point of view of young Anna. The classic story continues in Skylark, as Anna and her brother, Caleb, must travel with their new mother, Sarah, to Maine when a terrible drought threatens their home. Caleb picks up the story several years later in Caleb's Story, telling of the return of his grandfather, who had abandoned the family when Caleb's father was a young boy. Close, who played the role of Sarah in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of the first book, creates distinct voices for each character without ever resorting to theatrics. Anna and Caleb's voices mature as listeners progress through the stories, and Close's carefully unobtrusive narration showcases MacLachlan's simple yet poetic words. An interview with Patricia MacLachlan at the end of the collection gives students more information about the author's life and writing process, and about the real-life inspiration for Sarah. A beautiful collusion of an excellent story with a perfect narrator, and a treat for all listeners.-Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc.  Review: Use in Library Setting: This book will be used in the library as buddy pairs. With a poster board, children will partner up and use half of the paper and create a farm with supplies that they will be getting from the librarian. They will use the other half of the paper and create a scene of the Sea using the supplies that they receive from the librarian. Image from: http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&biw=1338&bih=516&tbm=isch&tbnid=FzuFFOMGbYodoM:&imgrefurl=http://childrensbookalmanac.com/2010/10/sarah-plain-and-tall/&docid=gqksDi-AiTgJHM&imgurl=http://childrensbookalmanac.com/wp-content/uploads/Sarah-Plain-and-Tall.png&w=320&h=320&ei=T9hfUOylMoK4iwLTkYDICg&zoom=1&iact=rc&dur=1&sig=104151175255594110228&page=1&tbnh=96&tbnw=93&start=0&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:8,s:0,i:104&tx=942&ty=315