When You Reach Me (Newbery #1)

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Title: When You Reach Me

Author: Rebecca Stead

Illustrator: Kate Gartner (cover)

Year Published: 2009

Publisher: Random House
Awards: Newbery Medal (2010)

What did you like/dislike about the book?

Rebecca Stead's book, When You Reach Me, is a tale of a middle school girl, Miranda, and her life in New York City.  Miranda tells about her life experiences, such as her mother getting on the game show $20,000 Pyramid and her days in school.  She and her best friend, Sal, have realistic encounters with neighborhood citizens.  One day, Miranda gets a strange letter and must figure out who its author is and what she is supposed to do with it.

Miranda often changes from first person to second person, as if she is talking to the letter's author.  This can be difficult to decipher at first.  

My favorite detail of the book is the quick plot.  Although it took a little while to get used to the changing audiences, the book moves quickly.  Miranda's explanations of her mother's personality and of her school life are humorous.  Many readers would be able to relate to her.  I also enjoyed the ending to this story.  Normally, I can figure out a story's ending early on, but was surprised by this book.  The time travel aspect of the book requires the reader to suspend reality, but it is not distracting.

This book is appropriate for intermediate and middle school readers.  It can be used to teach memoir writing, character, and science fiction writing.  There aren't any inappropriate parts, language or content, that would cause me to caution against reading this book.

What in your life would have influenced this reaction/response?

I did not know this book had a science fiction slant before reading it, otherwise, I might not have chosen it.  However, this book was more a discussion of Miranda's life and interactions than about science fiction issues.

How does this book compare to similar books/author’s other books?

Stead's only other title also involves science fiction and young adult characters.

What did I learn about children’s literature from this book?

Just because a book has science fiction elements to it doesn't mean I won't enjoy it.  I need to give more books a chance.

Other titles by this author include:

First Light

Almost Astronauts: Diversity Title #2

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Title: Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Author: Tanya Lee Stone

Illustrator: N/A

Year Published: 2009

Publisher: Candlewick Press
Awards: Silbert Medal (2010), YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction, Horn Book Honor

What did you like/dislike about the book?

Tanya Lee Stone's book, Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream, is a heroic tale of a group of women space pioneers dubbed the "Mercury 13".  Although they never achieved astronaut status, these women were among the brightest space minds of their time.  They were met with NASA "regulations", political pushbacks, and stereotypical gender roles.   This book is an easy-to-read nonfiction title, complete with authentic pictures, quotes, and extensive history.

My favorite detail of the book is the plot line.  I was not familiar with the Mercury 13 before reading this book and their story was inspiring.  Their courage in the face of a male-dominated career field shows true character and is an inspiration to all.  I also enjoyed the inclusion of artifacts from this time period.  These items added to the authenticity of the story.

This title has additional research resources and information about later female astronauts.

This book is appropriate for intermediate and middle school readers.  Younger readers can look at the pictures, but the vocabulary will be too advanced for them.  It can be used to teach perseverance, American history, space history, and gender roles.

Why should this title be in every classroom/library collection?

This title shows diversity by comparing gender roles and expectations in a male-dominated career.  These women had insurmountable obstacles in their way, but they did not back down.  Although their final goal was not achieved, this book can be an example to both females and males on how to break through preset expectations.  I can see many students being inspired by this story.

How does this book compare to similar books/author’s other books?

Most of Stone's other titles involve strong female American historical figures, such as Amelia Earhart and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.  She also writes about America in general, including about national monuments, animals, and traditions.  In addition to these titles, Stone has a series of color books.

What did I learn about children’s literature from this book?

Chapter books do not have to be paperback and picture-less.  Including pictures of artifacts is a good way to add to the authenticity of a title.  All stories do not have to have a resolved conflict.

Other titles by this author include:

Amelia Earhart (DK Biography)

Elizabeth Leads the Way

Living in a World of... (series)

The Princess Diaries: Book to Film #2

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Title: The Princess Diaries

Author: Meg Cabot

Illustrator: N/A

Year Published: 2000

Publisher: Harper Collins
Awards: ALA Best Book for Young Adults (2001)

What did you like/dislike about the book?

Meg Cabot's book, The Princess Diaries, is a story about an awkward high school freshman who finds out she is heir to the throne of Genovia.  It is written in the form of Mia's diary, with frequent entries showing her thoughts.  There are 10 volumes of The Princess Diaries, which cover 14 published novels.

This story is definitely not for young readers.  It discusses issues such as losing one's virginity, French kissing, periods, underage drinking, and breasts.  Many middle and early high school readers will be able to identify with Mia's self-conscious nature.  However, as an adult, I found her frequent whining a bit unpleasant. 

I liked the first-person point-of-view given throughout the book and felt Mia's experiences were comparable with real teens in modern times.  However, the book's focus was more on Mia keeping her secret than on her decision to become a Genovian princess.  Perhaps in the latter books, more attention is paid to her life in Genovia.

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Movie Title: The Princess Diaries (series)

Director: Garry Marshall

Year Produced: 2001

Starring: Anne Hathaway, Julie Andrews

Awards: N/A

What did you like/dislike about the movie?

The movie is more light-hearted and family-friendly than the books.  Especially entertaining are the scenes in which Mia gets her makeover and which chronicle her various misadventures at official palace events.

This movie is rated G and is appropriate for viewers of all ages and can frequently be found on the Disney Channel.  The other title in the series is Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.

How do the book and movie versions of this title compare?

The main plot lines of both the book and movie are similar.  Mia is faced with her true identity, which comes as a shock, and she must balance being a teenager with being a princess.  However, some glaring differences occur.  In the movie, Mia lives in San Francisco, Mia's grandmother is a kindhearted queen (not a princess), and Mia's father is recently deceased and inactive in her life.  In the book, she lives in New York, her grandmother is reviled for her haughty nature, and Mia's father is an active presence in her life, albeit with testicular cancer.

What is surprising to me is that such a family-friendly movie would come out of a teen book.  I can imagine there have been various instances of young girls reading about Mia's misadventures, only to realize the mature subject matter.

Overall, the book was an okay precursor to the movie.  While the basic plots aligned, the subject matter and appropriate audience did not.  

A Yoshiko Uchida Tale

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Title: Journey Home

Author: Yoshiko Uchida

Illustrator: Charles Robinson

Year Published: 1978

Publisher: Atheneum
Awards: N/A

What did you like/dislike about the book?

Yoshiko Uchida's book, Journey Home, is a tale of a young Japanese girl's experiences during World War II.  She and her family are forced into the camps, where they have few possessions.  Her only brother has joined the Army and they are constantly worried about his safety.  Finally, little Yuki's family is allowed to leave the camps and return to Berkeley.  However, not everyone is happy to see Japanese families reintegrating into the community.  Yuki's family opens a grocery store, but their lives are not without hardships in California.

My favorite detail of the book is Yuki's perspective.  In today's schools, lessons about the Japanese interment camps are told from the American point of view.  Using Yuki's thoughts and feelings brings a fresh angle to the story.  For example, on page 16, "...she'd left Yuki feeling somehow ashamed of being Japanese.  And Yuki hated that."  American students would likely be surprised to learn of Yuki's feelings.

I also enjoyed the story of Yuki's brother, Ken.  A soldier's perspective on war can be much different than civilians'.  Ken seemed to be the most realistic character in the book.

At times, I felt this story was a little too syrupy.  Things just seemed to work out or other topics were glossed over.  For example, when dealing with their neighbors' fallen son.  Nothing was ever mentioned about the Japanese atrocities against Americans.  However, this can be attributed to the story being told from the girl's perspective.

This book is appropriate for older readers, particularly middle school.  The subject matter is inappropriate for younger readers and they will not have the background knowledge to comprehend.  Students will be able to identify with Yuki's feelings of being left out.  It can be used to teach about Japanese-American relations in the mid-20th century, as well as to study families, memoirs, or Japanese culture.  Uchida uses her own life experiences to tell young Yuki's story.

What in your life would have influenced this reaction/response?

I did not know much about the life of Japanese-Americans during the mid-20th century before reading this book.  All I had learned was from a textbook's perspective.  It is eye-opening to hear the story from a Japanese-American child's point-of-view.  Much like with any conflict, there are two sides affected by the issues.  This book caused me to think about other situations in which children on the "other side" are affected, such as the Iraq war.

How does this book compare to similar books/author’s other books?

Uchida's other titles involve realistic portrayals of a Japanese-American.  Many of her stories are reflections of events in her life.  Laurence Yep is another author who writes upon this subject matter. 

What did I learn about children’s literature from this book?

Perspective is a powerful tool, especially regarding juvenile historical fiction.  As a teacher, it is important to provide a well-rounded version of events for readers.  This text would be able to showcase the plight of others.

Other titles by this author include:

A Jar of Dreams

The Best Bad Thing

The Magic Purse