Module 13: Riding Invisible

Title: Riding Invisible
Author: Sandra Alonzo

Summary:
This is a very interesting long graphic novel genre that tells about a boy name Yancy Aparicio who decides to run away from home with his horse name Shy because of his crazy brother Will. Living at home with his parents was nice up until when Will returned, bad things started happening at home and he would always get the blame from his parents, but he knew it was Will who was doing the damage. Yancy got really upset when he finds out that Shy's tail has been cut by his brother because he didn't give Will any money when he asked for money, yet their parents never say anything to Will. He takes Shy for a long ride into the mountains deciding what else to do so he wouldn't have to go home. They run out of food and drinks, now Yancy need to decide the next move so they can get some food and a place to stay. Yancy is keeping a journal and tries to write everything since day one in it, even the things at home and at school. Finally on day 4 Yancy meets a man name Gustavo Mendoza who works at a farm and trains horses. This man wants to help Yancy but needs to find out what and why he's away from home as he is still young and should be home with his parents. After telling his whole story, Tavo wants him to call home or someone to tell his parents that he is doing fine and not to worry. So Yancy decides to call his neighbor Tim and Eileen and tells them to please relay the message to his parents that he's okay. He meets the owner of the farm that Tavo works for and he gets a job by helping out as Tavo's nephew. Yancy is really happy that now he can afford to buy food and shelter for himself and his horse. After working for some time now Tavo asked Yancy that maybe its time for him to go back home, but Yancy begs Tavo to please let him stay for a little while longer, so Tavo listens and says only for a little while. Yancy remembers his phone is been charged and decides to call home, he listens to his mother calling his name but can't seem to say anything. He even hears his father then he hear his brother Will acting smart on the phone and slowly hangs up. Later on that same evening he calls home again and this time he listens to his mother saying how he should be home where he belongs, then she says how his brother got arrested for shoplifting. She kept ranting on about Will and finally she said that she wasn't worried about Will, she was worried about me because I was not at home. I finally came out and said "mom, I left home because Will was going to kill my horse". Yancy hangs up the phone but could not get his mom off his mind. Although they miss Yancy, things just gets tougher at home with Will, but his parents can't do anything as they try their best to help their troubled son.

Biography:
Alonzo, Sandra. (2011). Riding Invisible. New York, NY: Hyperion Press

My Impression:
I have never really enjoyed reading graphic novels only because they were very long stories to read, but I do love the illustrations of these story books. As I was reading this book, it had a very interesting story line and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was very impressed with out it was like keeping a personal journal being that the author wrote daily messages of everything that was done on the daily basis. Being that the characters were young, each took their roles very seriously, with one even leaving home to do what he felt he needed to take care of his beloved animal pet the horse. I'm impress with the author expressing herself well in each character.

Professional Reviews:
Booklist
( February 01, 2010; 9781423118985 )

Alonzo's first novel features the sort of likable, embattled narrator that brings to mind Arnold Spirit from Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007), but instead of being tormented by negative stereotypes and poverty, 15-year-old Yancy's primary source of misery comes from his nearly sociopathic older brother, Will. The story is told entirely in diary form, complete with a handwriting-styled font and plenty of cartoony drawings (again reminiscent of Alexie's book). After Will, who suffers from conduct disorder, violently threatens Yancy's horse, teen and horse take off into the California desert. There, they encounter a kind Mexican worker, who helps Yancy begin to size up the challenges of living with his brother and the toll that it is taking upon the entire family. Alonzo skillfully handles teetering family dynamics, equestrian details, and the undertones of immigration and class, which add realistic depth. The resolution leaves a bevy of challenges and plenty of food for thought about family dysfunction.--Chipman, Ian Copyright 2010 Booklist

Reviews retrieve from: Bowker Books In Print

Library Use:
I would have students work in groups using this book. I would have each group compare and contrast between the two brothers Yancy and Will.

Image retrieve from:
http://www.readingrants.org/2010/04/10/riding-invisible-by-sandra-alonzo-illustrated-by-nathan-huang/

Module 12: Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

Title: Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Eeinstein
Author: Don Brown

Summary:
This Bibliography Book of Albert Einstein is very interesting as it talks about some of the things that Albert enjoyed doing when he was a young boy growing up in Germany. Albert Einstein was born in an old city of Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1879. Being the first born, it doesn't sound like his family was happy on the day of his arrival because his grandma was crying, "Much too fat. Much too fat." His mother was afraid that his head was too big, so the doctor had to tell them to wait patiently and all will be well. Although he was cruel to his sister Maja most of the time, he used the time to think about things that he enjoyed like playing and building a house with cards. He loved the compass that his father gave him, as he would always tip it up and down and sideways. They moved to Munich where his parents encourage his independence, and at 4 years old he would wonder the streets alone. He soon started school but he never liked playing sports as some of the boys would taunt and insult him for not participating in the games. He loved school and only enjoyed the subjects that he liked such as math, he didn't care about the other subjects. Once his parents got him a student tutor name Max Talmud. He said that Albert was too smart and later could not follow or keep up. After a while his parents had to move because of business, Albert wasn't able to go because of the laws in Germany saying that he had to serve in the military, and as much as he hated it, he was left behind to finish his school and serve the army. Late on he joins his parents and continues school graduating and then looking for work. He marries and becomes a father, but even with that he continues to be more interested in constellations, space, energy and matter. Einstein worked and earned great awards such as the Noble Prize. He was popular then and he's still very popular and famous today. He died in New Jersey in 1555, they say the doctor who performed the autopsy t determine the cause of death-heart failure-made off with his brain and kept it in a jar for more than forty years.

Biography:
Brown, Don. (2004). Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company

My Impression:
This book was very entertaining been that its illustrations were a bit comical and humorous. I enjoyed how the author expresses his thoughts and creates various text explaining the way he felt about things that made him excited and valiant. He never let anyone stand in his way of what he wanted to do. His focus of how he could make a change enabled him to withdraw from the normal things that young boys wanted to do and concentrate on solving problems that were very difficult. I believe that because his parents allowed him to wonder on the streets at a very young age encouraged him to take charge. He wasn't afraid of trying new things, and because of that his interest took him beyond his imaginations of solving difficult problems. I'm very impressed with Albert Einstein and the life that he lived.

Professional Review:
Booklist
( September 01, 2004; 9780618492985 )

Gr. 3-5. Young readers won't come away from Brown's newest picture-book biography understanding the theory of relativity, but they will be heartened by the parallels between their own experiences and those of an iconic science guy. The author-illustrator of Mack Made Movies 0 (2003) and other books presents the future Nobel Prize winner as a sallow, sunken-eyed little boy who lingers on the sidelines as other boys roughhouse, spends hours building a house of cards "fourteen stories high," and vexes his teachers (one tells him that "he would never get anywhere in life"). Brown's language dips into vagueness when it's time to describe the mature scientist's contributions, and the accompanying artwork is often disappointingly generic, awkwardly incorporating computer-generated elements that overwhelm the delicate ink-and-watercolor style used elsewhere. Still, this joins Frida Wishinsky's What's the Matter with Albert? 0 (2002) as one of the very few picture-book biographies of Einstein available. Try giving it to older elementary students, who will get the most out of the detailed author's note and bibliography featuring many books for adults. --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2004 Booklist

Reviews retrieve from online:
Bowkers Books in Print

Use in Library:
I will have students work individually doing research on Albert Einstein. They will write about what made Einstein famous and compare it with other classmates. Teacher and students can discuss and learn from one another.

Image retrieve from:
http://jillianflick.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/odd-boy-out-by-don-brown/

Module 11: What Does It Mean To Be Green?

Title: What does it mean to be green

Author: Rana DiOrio

Summary:
This informational book is very interesting, as the author expresses the meaning of how important green thing are. The reaction of people toward things that are green, does it mean for a person to love the green plants, riding around and felling sick in the car. Do we have to be a frog, pickle or an alien to know that green means. This informational book is saying that to be green we have to utilize electricity only when we need it. People need to buy more local food, especially the ones that we grow ourselves because chemicals are not used when we grow them. People need to realize the exercising is good for the health so walking places is much better than driving in a car. Using plastic containers to pack our food or lunch when ever we take food to work, picnics or other places instead of using paper plates. People need to realize how important it is not to litter anywhere, picking up the rubbish when we see it along side the road, at the beaches and parks. Putting and placing recycling bottles, plastics, and paper in its proper place. When it rains, save water in a bin so it could be used to shower, brushing teeth instead of turning on the water hose,or living on, and not wasting paper by using both sides instead of one side. Whenever we have more clothes than what we really need, pass them down or give them away to those who need clothes. Being green is doing whatever we can to protect the earth's precious resources.

Biography:
DiOrio, Rana. (2010). What Does It Mean To Be Green. New York, NY: Little Pickle Press.

My Impressions:
I really loved and enjoyed reading this informational book because of its interesting illustrations and the powerful message it is saying to the people. The author expresses very important issues and various ways of how the people can help save the environment and care for their surroundings, as well as helping others in sharing some of the things we have with those who are not so fortunate. The adults and the children will surely enjoy this short book but strong message it brings.

Professional Review:


Reviews:

Used in the Library:
This is a great book to utilize in the library for children to have a short skit play and discussions on the subject. Students will have a part to play so they will understand how important it is to save some of the most important things that we sometimes take for granted such as water, clothes, and food. Discussion about the earth's environment will be discussed and questions will be answered.

Image retrieve from:
http://www.google.com/imgres?num=10&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1203&bih=551&tbm=isch&tbnid=P8CSfBEZzb5wGM:&imgrefurl=http://info.littlepicklepress.com/download-our-being-green-lesson-plans/&docid=BbzsV0dgfY3SBM&imgurl=http://info.littlepicklepress.com/Portals/119538/images/Green-Book.jpg

Module 10: What I Saw and How I Lied

Title: What I Saw and How I Lied

Author: Judy Blundell

Summary:
This historical fiction book was very interesting, not because it had anything to do with history but because of the twisted turn in how the events took place. This storyline begins with Evie and her friend Margie buying candy cigarettes so they could practice smoking. Evie and her mother Beverly now live with her new step father Joe and his mother Gladys. Joe was leaving for the military and insisted that they move in and stay with his mother. When Joe got back from the military he wanted to take his wife to a trip where they could relax and enjoy themselves, so Joe decided to take his family to Palm Beach. When they arrived at the hotel it was closed, and so they continued on until they came to another hotel that was lighted with a sign that read "Welcome to the Le Mirage Hotel." They went in and saw a couple of people but later found out that no one came to the hotel in the fall. One evening I heard noise outside my window, when I looked it was a group of girls going out dancing all dressed up in evening gowns. Mother wasn't around and I quickly went to her closet to see if there was something I could find that would fit me. My mother and Mrs. Grayson came up just in time to see and with all the commotion they helped me get ready and I left. As I walk in the room there was dancing and people sipping punch, I had wanted to disappear because high school girls were now staring. I noticed the ugliest boy in the room is looking straight at me and wanted to dance with me because no one else in the room had wanted to dance with him. It was none other than the boy that work at our hotel name Wally. I quickly put down my drink and left the dance, and went back to the hotel and sat by the pool, that's where I saw him. He was handsome with dark blonde hair. He came over and asked me to dance, at first I hesitated but when he asked again I put my hand in his. I felt different, it was like a dream and the next day I wondered if it was real, would I ever see him again. I was falling in love with him, and his name was Peter, not know that he and my mother had something going, until the day that they decided to take the boat out. At first I wasn't happy with the decision that my mother and Joe made with Peter that they would go fishing. I don't know what happened exactly but that morning when the storm hit there was no news on my mother, Joe and Peter. I was worried for my parents but mostly for Peter because I had fallen in love with him and hoped for him to come back to me. We had to evacuate from the hotel and Evie was taken to Officer Deary's house to stay with his wife Twyla. There was still no news about her parents and Peter yet until later the next day Officer Deary arrived in wet, grimy and exhausted to tell Evie that her parents have been found but not Peter. Although Evie was happy for her parents she could not stop thinking the worst for Peter, did he fall over board or what, she wondered. A couple of days later as Evie and her parents were getting ready to leave they were stopped by Officer Deary, he had told them that Peters body was located and they needed to be questioned because he was found dead. Although Joe and Beverly were exonerated because Evie had lied in court for the sake of her mother, Evie believes that her step-father Joe had planned the whole charade and had Peter killed.

Biography:
Blundell, Judy. (2008). What I Saw and How I Lied. New York, NY: Scholastic Press

My Impression:
My impression on the story line of this book was very interesting because from the beginning Evie had always loved her mother and was very close to her. It must have been very hard for Evie to have fallen in love with someone for the very first time, yet she later finds out that it was her mothers lover. I'm sure it was hard but because she loves her mother more, she was willing to take the stand and lie about everything she knew and saw, but even with that she had also loved Joe. Yet she made sure at the end that Joe wouldn't get anything he thought he was going to get, especially the money. Evie being young, she surely grew up fast with all the events that happened so fast in such a short time.

Professional Reviews:

School Library Journal
( April 01, 2010; 9780545160919 )

Gr 9 Up-It's 1947 and Evie's stepfather Joe has returned home to Brooklyn after World War II. Life is slowly returning to normal, until the devastatingly handsome Peter Coleridge appears, looking for his old war buddy. Joe, obviously upset by Peter's appearance, decides to take Evie and her mother on a vacation to West Palm Beach, Florida. Evie's family quickly makes friends with another New York City couple, the Graysons, and Joe and Mr. Grayson begin to make business plans. Then Peter appears and Evie, who is almost 16, begins falling in love with him. She doesn't find it easy to spend time with him because her mother accompanies them everywhere. Tensions mount as Joe's hatred for Peter and her mother's infatuation with the younger man grow and put Evie in the middle of something she does not understand. When tragedy strikes and Peter disappears during a sailing expedition with her parents, Evie must determine who is lying and what is the truth in order to save her family. Judy Blundell's National Book Award winner (Scholastic, 2008) translates well to the audio format, with Caitlin Greer perfectly capturing Evie's voice in this intricate coming-of-age novel that is compelling blend of romance, adventure, mystery, and historical fiction.- Janet Hilbun, Texas Women's University, Denton (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Reviews from Bowkers Books in Print

Use in Library:
Being that its a historical fiction book, I would have the students write an essay about their own conclusion of the characters.

Image from: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/sample/read/9780439903486