Title: Rules
Author: Cynthia Lord
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2006
ISBN: 0-439-44382-2
Summary
Catherine is 12-years-old and she longs for a normal life. Catherine's younger brother David is autistic and her world revolves around him and his disability because that is what her family revolves around. David loves rules even if he does not always obey the rules. Catherine keeps a notebook with her that keeps her rules for David and any new rules she thinks up. For example, one of her rules is when someone says Hi, you are supposed to say Hi back. But this rule backfires when David says Hi to someone and they do not say Hi back. David shouts the rule at the person, who looks at David funny, which causes Catherine to run back home dragging David behind her.
Catherine is easily embarrassed by David because she does not like the pity looks David gets from people. But this summer is destined to be different when a new 12-year-old girl moves in next door who doesn't know about David's differences, and the chance to be a "normal" girl turns out to be too much for Catherine.
Jason is mute and has to use a book full of little cards with words in order to communicate. Catherine meets Jason at physical therapy where David goes every week, and Catherine tags along because it's the only time she gets her mother to herself. Catherine and Jason strike up a friendship that goes beyond Jason's communication abilities. But when the time comes to introduce Jason to the new girl, Catherine's reaction shocks every one who truly knows her. Has she really accepted the differences in Jason and her brother, or is she just kidding herself?
Review
Catherine wants to be normal because life with an autistic brother, David, is anything but normal. What Catherine does not realize is that normal is different for everyone, but what 12-year-old really knows that? Cynthia Lord, herself the mother of an autistic child, looks into the world of a child who is normal in the IQ-spectrum, but lives surrounded by the life of another child who demands attention because of their disability. Catherine cannot hate her little brother for his problems, and she knows and understands that. What Catherine cannot handle is the way other people treat David, and her when she is with him. Catherine must come to grips with her feelings about disability in general when she is faced by another person with a different disability.
Teens and children will love reading this book, as it's about confronting the preconceived notions people have about "handicapped" people. Jason's speech teacher yells every word to him, and at one point he tells Catherine that just because he is mute does not mean he cannot hear. Teens will love the interest that Jason has in music, and will identify with him when his mother refuses to let him buy a guitar. Rules forces the reader to examine themselves in the way they treat people with differences. Do they treat everyone the same or are they treating the person with disabilities as a lesser person? Is this something they do on purpose or is it unintentional?
As the sister of a younger brother with a learning disability, not as severe as David's, but with a family eerily similar to Catherine's, I would say that Lord did a good job of portraying Catherine and her pleas for normalcy. I love my brother, but when I was 12 I felt the same way that Catherine did. I was desperate for friends who would understand me and my little brother, and I was desperate for signs that my parents would notice me as someone, not just as a baby-sitter for Max. The words that Lord chooses for Catherine to draw for Jason that are her feelings are accurate.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Catherine has conflicting feelings about her younger brother, David, who is autistic. While she loves him, she is also embarrassed by his behavior and feels neglected by their parents. In an effort to keep life on an even keel, Catherine creates rules for him (It's okay to hug Mom but not the clerk at the video store). Each chapter title is also a rule, and lots more are interspersed throughout the book. When Kristi moves in next door, Catherine hopes that the girl will become a friend, but is anxious about her reaction to David. Then Catherine meets and befriends Jason, a nonverbal paraplegic who uses a book of pictures to communicate, she begins to understand that normal is difficult, and perhaps unnecessary, to define. Rules of behavior are less important than acceptance of others. Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. Her love for her brother is as real as are her frustrations with him. Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance. A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter.-Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
Gr. 4-7. "No toys in the fish tank" is one of many rules that 12-year-old Catherine shares with her autistic younger brother, David, to help him understand his world. Lots of the rules are practical. Others are more subtle and shed light on issues in Catherine's own life. Torn between love for her brother and impatience with the responsibilities and embarrassment he brings, she strives to be on her parents' radar and to establish an identity of her own. At her brother's clinic, Catherine befriends a wheelchair-bound boy, Jason, who talks by pointing at word cards in a communication notebook. Her drawing skills and additional vocabulary cards--including "whatever" (which prompts Jason to roll his eyes at his mother)--enliven his speech. The details of autistic behavior are handled well, as are depictions of relationships: Catherine experiences some of the same unease with Jason that others do in the presence of her brother. In the end, Jason helps Catherine see that her rules may really be excuses, opening the way for her to look at things differently. A heartwarming first novel. Cindy Dobrez
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Connections
1. Have students research autism and what scientist think cause it. Are there any known cures? With the science teacher research other conditions involving the brain and report back to the class.
2. Spend some time with the special education class. Brainstorm ways you can help them learn, and then use them.
3. Buy a small cheap photo album, and create a word card for each slot. They must be words you use in everyday conversation. The words have to be school appropriate. Then for two days walk around with the book and you can only point to the word/s when you want to use it. Did you get frustrated after awhile? Write a short paper (1 pg) based on your experience and turn it in with the book.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
The Giver
Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64566-2
Summary
Jonas is almost 12, and it is almost December, and Jonas is frightened. In December all the 12-year-olds receive their life assignment from the Elders at the Ceremony. The life assignment will determine what Jonas will do for the rest of his life until he becomes a member of the Old in the House of the Old. Other Elevens in his community have an idea of what they want to do and whet the Elders will choose for them, but Jonas has no clue. The community where he lives in marked by orderly perfection. There is no backtalk from children, people share their feelings and their dreams everyday, and everything is black and white. Anything or anyone gray is simply released.
When the day arrives for The Ceremony Jonas watches as his friends receive assignments that fit their personalities, and himself get skipped over in the list. For this orderly community, the skip over is a big deal and Jonas frantically wonders what he did wrong. But things are smoothed over when it is revealed that Jonas has been given the special job of Receiver.
When Jonas shows up for training as the Receiver he only knows a few things: he cannot discuss his training with anyone, he can lie, and it will be painful. When he meets the Receiver he is to replace the old man without a name tells Jonas to call him the Giver. As Jonas learns, the Receiver is the holder of all of the memories of the past. It is the job of the Giver to transmit all the memories to Jonas. Soon Jonas learns what snow is and the feeling of riding down a hill on a sled. He learns the word love and the meaning behind it. But he also learns of war, death, and what it truly means to be released. After learning the truth of release Jonas decides something has to be done to show the people of his perfected community what the past was like.
Review
A world of perfection, a Utopian society, sounds wonderful, but when it actually exists problems begin to emerge. In a world of perfection there is no feelings, even though they are discussed each day. In a world of perfection only 50 children are born each year, they all get their parents the same day, and they all turn two on the same day. In a world of perfection everything is black and white because colors are not the same, and differences do not lead to perfection. In a world of perfection you get no choices because the Elders make the big life choices, and when you get older maybe you can be an Elder and make the decisions for other people. In a world of perfection you do not die; you are simply released to live "elsewhere."
Lois Lowry does an outstanding job of making a world of perfection sound wonderful one minute, and absolutely terrifying the next. As Jonas discovers what colors are, what feelings are, and what death means, he realizes the life he lives is not perfection, but seriously flawed. Teens will identify with Jonas' dilemma about keeping the feelings and memories to himself and how to make adults believe they perfect world that has been created is, in fact, far from perfect. Children and teens are use to authority looking down on them because they are younger.
Lowry examines the area of release & death, love, and "sameness" without a lecture hammering a person over the head. The Giver gives students, and adults, something to think about, and in a novel that is a wonderful thing.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his Utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers. Ages 12-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Define "Utopia" and design your own Utopian society complete with map and rules. Present it to the class.
2. Could you live in a society like Jonas'? Why do you think it worked? Look at the book closely, can you see cracks in the way the community worked?
3. Get in "family groups" and discuss your feelings about the book. Web your feelings about release, jobs, the age levels, and sameness. Then discuss with the class how you feel about those categories.
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication date: 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64566-2
Summary
Jonas is almost 12, and it is almost December, and Jonas is frightened. In December all the 12-year-olds receive their life assignment from the Elders at the Ceremony. The life assignment will determine what Jonas will do for the rest of his life until he becomes a member of the Old in the House of the Old. Other Elevens in his community have an idea of what they want to do and whet the Elders will choose for them, but Jonas has no clue. The community where he lives in marked by orderly perfection. There is no backtalk from children, people share their feelings and their dreams everyday, and everything is black and white. Anything or anyone gray is simply released.
When the day arrives for The Ceremony Jonas watches as his friends receive assignments that fit their personalities, and himself get skipped over in the list. For this orderly community, the skip over is a big deal and Jonas frantically wonders what he did wrong. But things are smoothed over when it is revealed that Jonas has been given the special job of Receiver.
When Jonas shows up for training as the Receiver he only knows a few things: he cannot discuss his training with anyone, he can lie, and it will be painful. When he meets the Receiver he is to replace the old man without a name tells Jonas to call him the Giver. As Jonas learns, the Receiver is the holder of all of the memories of the past. It is the job of the Giver to transmit all the memories to Jonas. Soon Jonas learns what snow is and the feeling of riding down a hill on a sled. He learns the word love and the meaning behind it. But he also learns of war, death, and what it truly means to be released. After learning the truth of release Jonas decides something has to be done to show the people of his perfected community what the past was like.
Review
A world of perfection, a Utopian society, sounds wonderful, but when it actually exists problems begin to emerge. In a world of perfection there is no feelings, even though they are discussed each day. In a world of perfection only 50 children are born each year, they all get their parents the same day, and they all turn two on the same day. In a world of perfection everything is black and white because colors are not the same, and differences do not lead to perfection. In a world of perfection you get no choices because the Elders make the big life choices, and when you get older maybe you can be an Elder and make the decisions for other people. In a world of perfection you do not die; you are simply released to live "elsewhere."
Lois Lowry does an outstanding job of making a world of perfection sound wonderful one minute, and absolutely terrifying the next. As Jonas discovers what colors are, what feelings are, and what death means, he realizes the life he lives is not perfection, but seriously flawed. Teens will identify with Jonas' dilemma about keeping the feelings and memories to himself and how to make adults believe they perfect world that has been created is, in fact, far from perfect. Children and teens are use to authority looking down on them because they are younger.
Lowry examines the area of release & death, love, and "sameness" without a lecture hammering a person over the head. The Giver gives students, and adults, something to think about, and in a novel that is a wonderful thing.
Professional Reviews
Amazon.com
In a world with no poverty, no crime, no sickness and no unemployment, and where every family is happy, 12-year-old Jonas is chosen to be the community's Receiver of Memories. Under the tutelage of the Elders and an old man known as the Giver, he discovers the disturbing truth about his Utopian world and struggles against the weight of its hypocrisy. With echoes of Brave New World, in this 1994 Newbery Medal winner, Lowry examines the idea that people might freely choose to give up their humanity in order to create a more stable society. Gradually Jonas learns just how costly this ordered and pain-free society can be, and boldly decides he cannot pay the price. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
In the "ideal" world into which Jonas was born, everybody has sensibly agreed that well-matched married couples will raise exactly two offspring, one boy and one girl. These children's adolescent sexual impulses will be stifled with specially prescribed drugs; at age 12 they will receive an appropriate career assignment, sensibly chosen by the community's Elders. This is a world in which the old live in group homes and are "released"--to great celebration--at the proper time; the few infants who do not develop according to schedule are also "released," but with no fanfare. Lowry's development of this civilization is so deft that her readers, like the community's citizens, will be easily seduced by the chimera of this ordered, pain-free society. Until the time that Jonah begins training for his job assignment--the rigorous and prestigious position of Receiver of Memory--he, too, is a complacent model citizen. But as his near-mystical training progresses, and he is weighed down and enriched with society's collective memories of a world as stimulating as it was flawed, Jonas grows increasingly aware of the hypocrisy that rules his world. With a storyline that hints at Christian allegory and an eerie futuristic setting, this intriguing novel calls to mind John Christopher's Tripods trilogy and Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Match Girl. Lowry is once again in top form--raising many questions while answering few, and unwinding a tale fit for the most adventurous readers. Ages 12-14.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Define "Utopia" and design your own Utopian society complete with map and rules. Present it to the class.
2. Could you live in a society like Jonas'? Why do you think it worked? Look at the book closely, can you see cracks in the way the community worked?
3. Get in "family groups" and discuss your feelings about the book. Web your feelings about release, jobs, the age levels, and sameness. Then discuss with the class how you feel about those categories.
The First Part Last
Title: The First Part Last
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84922-2
Summary
Bobby is excited to turn sixteen, until his girlfriend Nia gives him the surprise of his young life. She's pregnant. From there life starts to turn upside down for the young couple. Neither set of parents are very excited about being grandparents, and it is decided that they will give up the baby, so Bobby and Nia can live normal lives. But things do not always go as planned and Bobby ends up taking care of the baby by himself. As Bobby struggles to take care of baby Feather, flashbacks to life while Nia was pregnant show a Bobby who realizes there is more to life than just hanging out. Then chapters show the semi-carefree Bobby. Now chapters show the Bobby who has a support system of friends in K-Boy and J.L. and his mom, but he knows at the end of the day it is him taking care of little Feather. Bobby makes some poor choices, but in the end he learns from them, and learns that parenting doesn't always mean living in a comfort zone.
Review
Most Young Adult books that deal with a teenage pregnancy tell the story from the point of view from the girl, but Angela Johnson uses the boy's point of view for this poignant story. Bobby's whole world turned upside down the moment he turned 16, and it is not because he could finally drive, which is pointless for a boy in New York City. No, it's because his girlfriend Nia gives him the shock of his life, she's pregnant. Told in alternating flashback and current day snippets, the First Part Last looks at the male of teenage pregnancy. Not every teenage male who gets his girlfriend pregnant ditches her. Bobby deals with trying to keep up with Nia's cravings, his classes, and frets about keeping the baby when Nia is pregnant. After baby Feather is born Bobby deals with a Mom who refuses to really help him besides allowing them to live with her, friends who don't understand his new role, staying awake in class, and taking care of a baby who thinks nighttime is playtime.
Teens will love the viewpoint of the young African-American father and how he speaks at their level. He tells it as it is, even if they are a little over-the-top. But then again, 16-year-olds can be prone to narcissism and over-exaggerating. However, Johnson writes a novel that makes the reader feel a bit of the struggle of a young father. The reader is left wondering why Nia is not helping Bobby when the couple seemed so close during the pregnancy. The revelation that Nia is now in a persistent vegetative state due to eclampsia and lives in a nursing home, is a bit much and falls flat in the storyline. It's a "so that's what happened" moment and nothing more. Johnson's build up to the birth is anti-climatic due to the eclampsia storyline, but readers will love the now chapters as Bobby tries to live his life as normal as possible.
Professional Review
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Put yourself in the feet of Bobby. Would you have done the same thing? What would you have named Feather? What would you have done when Nia slipped into a coma?
2. Talk to a teenage mother/father and ask them about their experiences. Do they have support? Write about their experiences.
3. Split the class into two sections- Now and Then. Have them turn the sections into a play and act it out in order so they can see the story in chronological order. Which way was more effective to portray the differences in Bobby's life? Discuss and brainstorm, no essay needed.
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84922-2
Summary
Bobby is excited to turn sixteen, until his girlfriend Nia gives him the surprise of his young life. She's pregnant. From there life starts to turn upside down for the young couple. Neither set of parents are very excited about being grandparents, and it is decided that they will give up the baby, so Bobby and Nia can live normal lives. But things do not always go as planned and Bobby ends up taking care of the baby by himself. As Bobby struggles to take care of baby Feather, flashbacks to life while Nia was pregnant show a Bobby who realizes there is more to life than just hanging out. Then chapters show the semi-carefree Bobby. Now chapters show the Bobby who has a support system of friends in K-Boy and J.L. and his mom, but he knows at the end of the day it is him taking care of little Feather. Bobby makes some poor choices, but in the end he learns from them, and learns that parenting doesn't always mean living in a comfort zone.
Review
Most Young Adult books that deal with a teenage pregnancy tell the story from the point of view from the girl, but Angela Johnson uses the boy's point of view for this poignant story. Bobby's whole world turned upside down the moment he turned 16, and it is not because he could finally drive, which is pointless for a boy in New York City. No, it's because his girlfriend Nia gives him the shock of his life, she's pregnant. Told in alternating flashback and current day snippets, the First Part Last looks at the male of teenage pregnancy. Not every teenage male who gets his girlfriend pregnant ditches her. Bobby deals with trying to keep up with Nia's cravings, his classes, and frets about keeping the baby when Nia is pregnant. After baby Feather is born Bobby deals with a Mom who refuses to really help him besides allowing them to live with her, friends who don't understand his new role, staying awake in class, and taking care of a baby who thinks nighttime is playtime.
Teens will love the viewpoint of the young African-American father and how he speaks at their level. He tells it as it is, even if they are a little over-the-top. But then again, 16-year-olds can be prone to narcissism and over-exaggerating. However, Johnson writes a novel that makes the reader feel a bit of the struggle of a young father. The reader is left wondering why Nia is not helping Bobby when the couple seemed so close during the pregnancy. The revelation that Nia is now in a persistent vegetative state due to eclampsia and lives in a nursing home, is a bit much and falls flat in the storyline. It's a "so that's what happened" moment and nothing more. Johnson's build up to the birth is anti-climatic due to the eclampsia storyline, but readers will love the now chapters as Bobby tries to live his life as normal as possible.
Professional Review
From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Connections
1. Put yourself in the feet of Bobby. Would you have done the same thing? What would you have named Feather? What would you have done when Nia slipped into a coma?
2. Talk to a teenage mother/father and ask them about their experiences. Do they have support? Write about their experiences.
3. Split the class into two sections- Now and Then. Have them turn the sections into a play and act it out in order so they can see the story in chronological order. Which way was more effective to portray the differences in Bobby's life? Discuss and brainstorm, no essay needed.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Title: Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-395-63367-2
Summary
Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911 in Beaumont, TX, the sixth of seven children born to Norwegian immigrants Ole and Hannah Didriksen. As a baby, she was called "Baby" until her younger brother Arthur was born in 1915, when the family shortened it to "Babe." The nickname really stuck when she began to hit home runs in the sandlot games with the neighborhood boys. From an early age Babe knew that she was talented in the sports arena, and from an early age she made it her goal to become the greatest athlete ever.
While she is not considered the best athlete ever now, she is defintely considered to be the greatest female athlete ever. Babe battled many odds in her career. She lived and played sports at a time when women were considered too weak to do sports well. Every sport she tried she mastered, whether it was natural talent or through determination. When she was told she was not able to do something, it only made her work harder. She co-founded the LPGA to give more women a chance to earn money as pro-golfers.
Babe wanted to live a larger-than-life life. She added to that desire in her own life when she fudged on some of the details of her life. For example, she listed her date of birth as 1913, instead of 1911 for the Olympics so that the sports writers would think that she was still a teen instead of 21. In her autobiography she listed her year of birth at 1914. Babe won three medals at the 1932 Olympics: a silver in the running high jump in a controversial ruling, a gold in the javelin, and another gold in the 80-meter hurdles. Babe also holds a controversial record of 17 straight golf tournament victories, but some people believe there is a buried loss after 13 tournaments. Babe herself said she has 17.
Babe had to endure the ridicule of many people in her life. From fellow women athletes to the press, Babe was called every name in the book, and even had a few made-up names like "Muscle Moll" that stuck. Babe did not always take the names in stride, but was determined to be the best athlete no matter what.
By the time Babe died of cancer at the age of 45 in 1956, Babe had won the Woman Athlete of the Year awards 6 times, and the AP Female Athlete of the Half-century in 1950. No other woman has won the awards more times.
Review
Russell Freeman tackles another larger-than-life person in his biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Babe was a determined woman in an era when women were not yet making their voices heard ian areas that were considered "men only" areas. Babe did her best to conquer the world of women's sports and conquered it she did. Freedman discusses the bumps, the brusies, and the victories of Babe's life. He frankly discusses the ego problems that Babe had, and how she was not well-liked among many of the other female athletes of the time. Freedman also discusses the fame that Babe had as she tackled sports records head on, and how that fame affected her and her family.
Freedman tackles most of the issues that surrounded Babe's life, but sidestepped the issues Babe had with her husband, wrestler George Zaharias and the close relationship Babe had with another female golfer, Betty Dodd. But Freedman can be excused for side-stepping when Babe herself did not mention Dodd in her autobiography until the last pages, and only listed Dodd as a close friend.
Despite Babe's ability to trump up her achievements and her awards, Freedman does not and mentions in the biography that Babe touted her own achievements. Freedman acknowledges he does not know the complete truth of some parts of Babe's life in his bibliography.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In another exemplary biography, Newbery Medalist Freedman (Martha Graham) turns to Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956), arguably the preeminent woman athlete of the 20th century. He pays ample attention to Babe's extraordinary achievementsAe.g., her three world records in track and field at the 1932 Olympics; her record-setting golf career in the '40s and '50sAbut his book's greatest strength lies in his portrait of the person behind the athlete, a portrait that hums with the energy and vibrancy of Babe herself. A bold tomboy Texan from a poor family, Babe saw sports as a way to earn recognition, respect and a living, something almost unheard of for a woman at the time. Using quotations from friends, rivals and Zaharias herself, as well as a bounty of period photographs, Freedman brings her irrepressible personality leaping from the page. At a golf championship in Scotland, she egged on the polite and quiet crowd to cheer for her; playing a bit part in the movie Pat and Mike, she obliged the screenwriters to change the script so she wouldn't have to lose to the Katharine Hepburn character. Freedman tiptoes around the issue of Zaharias's sexuality, especially when describing her troubled marriage to a former wrestler and her close association with another female athlete. By paying attention, however, to the times in which she lived, Freedman demonstrates Zaharias's role as a challenger not only of sporting records, but of cultural assumptions about class and gender as well. This celebratory work gives readers a chance to cheer Zaharias's legendary life. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-Freedman is on top of his game with this engaging profile of one of this century's most remarkable athletes and larger-than-life personalities. The Michael Jordan of her day, Didrikson not only excelled at every sport she tried, but she also became a darling of the media. This attractive, oversized photo-biography recounts her life story and sets it into the larger context of the evolving role of women's athletics, and the development of professional sports in the U.S. The account could have been overwhelmed with statistics-Didrikson was responsible for the rewriting of the record books (several times over) and was, more than once, the impetus behind the reworking of the rules. However, the narrative transcends her various fields of play and is essentially a powerful personal story. Freedman delves into the psyche of the fierce competitor, whose natural abilities belied her single-minded drive and obsessive training regimes, and enlivens the text with quotes by the charismatic sports star and many other primary sources. The book includes a wonderful array of black-and-white photos that reveal much about the public and private Didrikson-her agile grace, her intense concentration, and her love of the limelight-even in the face of tragedy. Befitting a champion, this superbly crafted, impeccably documented biography ranks head and shoulders above its peers.
Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have students look at other female athletes like Wilma Rudolph or Nadia Comaneci to compare their achievements and background. How did their lives shape who they were?
Babe was not truthful in her own autobiography. Have students talk about how lying in your own autobiography can affect the perception of people years down the road. Would they be tempted to lie to make themselves look better? How do they feel about Babe's accomplishments?
Have the students write a theatre play based on Babe's life. Break up into two groups. The first group will concentrate on birth-the olympics. The other group will focus on the olympics-death. This will focus on two of Babe's major sports: track which she competed in, in the olympics, and golf which was her sport of choice after the Olympics. Have the students perform the plays.
Author: Russell Freedman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 1999
ISBN: 0-395-63367-2
Summary
Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911 in Beaumont, TX, the sixth of seven children born to Norwegian immigrants Ole and Hannah Didriksen. As a baby, she was called "Baby" until her younger brother Arthur was born in 1915, when the family shortened it to "Babe." The nickname really stuck when she began to hit home runs in the sandlot games with the neighborhood boys. From an early age Babe knew that she was talented in the sports arena, and from an early age she made it her goal to become the greatest athlete ever.
While she is not considered the best athlete ever now, she is defintely considered to be the greatest female athlete ever. Babe battled many odds in her career. She lived and played sports at a time when women were considered too weak to do sports well. Every sport she tried she mastered, whether it was natural talent or through determination. When she was told she was not able to do something, it only made her work harder. She co-founded the LPGA to give more women a chance to earn money as pro-golfers.
Babe wanted to live a larger-than-life life. She added to that desire in her own life when she fudged on some of the details of her life. For example, she listed her date of birth as 1913, instead of 1911 for the Olympics so that the sports writers would think that she was still a teen instead of 21. In her autobiography she listed her year of birth at 1914. Babe won three medals at the 1932 Olympics: a silver in the running high jump in a controversial ruling, a gold in the javelin, and another gold in the 80-meter hurdles. Babe also holds a controversial record of 17 straight golf tournament victories, but some people believe there is a buried loss after 13 tournaments. Babe herself said she has 17.
Babe had to endure the ridicule of many people in her life. From fellow women athletes to the press, Babe was called every name in the book, and even had a few made-up names like "Muscle Moll" that stuck. Babe did not always take the names in stride, but was determined to be the best athlete no matter what.
By the time Babe died of cancer at the age of 45 in 1956, Babe had won the Woman Athlete of the Year awards 6 times, and the AP Female Athlete of the Half-century in 1950. No other woman has won the awards more times.
Review
Russell Freeman tackles another larger-than-life person in his biography of Babe Didrikson Zaharias. Babe was a determined woman in an era when women were not yet making their voices heard ian areas that were considered "men only" areas. Babe did her best to conquer the world of women's sports and conquered it she did. Freedman discusses the bumps, the brusies, and the victories of Babe's life. He frankly discusses the ego problems that Babe had, and how she was not well-liked among many of the other female athletes of the time. Freedman also discusses the fame that Babe had as she tackled sports records head on, and how that fame affected her and her family.
Freedman tackles most of the issues that surrounded Babe's life, but sidestepped the issues Babe had with her husband, wrestler George Zaharias and the close relationship Babe had with another female golfer, Betty Dodd. But Freedman can be excused for side-stepping when Babe herself did not mention Dodd in her autobiography until the last pages, and only listed Dodd as a close friend.
Despite Babe's ability to trump up her achievements and her awards, Freedman does not and mentions in the biography that Babe touted her own achievements. Freedman acknowledges he does not know the complete truth of some parts of Babe's life in his bibliography.
Professional Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
In another exemplary biography, Newbery Medalist Freedman (Martha Graham) turns to Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956), arguably the preeminent woman athlete of the 20th century. He pays ample attention to Babe's extraordinary achievementsAe.g., her three world records in track and field at the 1932 Olympics; her record-setting golf career in the '40s and '50sAbut his book's greatest strength lies in his portrait of the person behind the athlete, a portrait that hums with the energy and vibrancy of Babe herself. A bold tomboy Texan from a poor family, Babe saw sports as a way to earn recognition, respect and a living, something almost unheard of for a woman at the time. Using quotations from friends, rivals and Zaharias herself, as well as a bounty of period photographs, Freedman brings her irrepressible personality leaping from the page. At a golf championship in Scotland, she egged on the polite and quiet crowd to cheer for her; playing a bit part in the movie Pat and Mike, she obliged the screenwriters to change the script so she wouldn't have to lose to the Katharine Hepburn character. Freedman tiptoes around the issue of Zaharias's sexuality, especially when describing her troubled marriage to a former wrestler and her close association with another female athlete. By paying attention, however, to the times in which she lived, Freedman demonstrates Zaharias's role as a challenger not only of sporting records, but of cultural assumptions about class and gender as well. This celebratory work gives readers a chance to cheer Zaharias's legendary life. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 5 Up-Freedman is on top of his game with this engaging profile of one of this century's most remarkable athletes and larger-than-life personalities. The Michael Jordan of her day, Didrikson not only excelled at every sport she tried, but she also became a darling of the media. This attractive, oversized photo-biography recounts her life story and sets it into the larger context of the evolving role of women's athletics, and the development of professional sports in the U.S. The account could have been overwhelmed with statistics-Didrikson was responsible for the rewriting of the record books (several times over) and was, more than once, the impetus behind the reworking of the rules. However, the narrative transcends her various fields of play and is essentially a powerful personal story. Freedman delves into the psyche of the fierce competitor, whose natural abilities belied her single-minded drive and obsessive training regimes, and enlivens the text with quotes by the charismatic sports star and many other primary sources. The book includes a wonderful array of black-and-white photos that reveal much about the public and private Didrikson-her agile grace, her intense concentration, and her love of the limelight-even in the face of tragedy. Befitting a champion, this superbly crafted, impeccably documented biography ranks head and shoulders above its peers.
Luann Toth, School Library Journal
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Connections
Have students look at other female athletes like Wilma Rudolph or Nadia Comaneci to compare their achievements and background. How did their lives shape who they were?
Babe was not truthful in her own autobiography. Have students talk about how lying in your own autobiography can affect the perception of people years down the road. Would they be tempted to lie to make themselves look better? How do they feel about Babe's accomplishments?
Have the students write a theatre play based on Babe's life. Break up into two groups. The first group will concentrate on birth-the olympics. The other group will focus on the olympics-death. This will focus on two of Babe's major sports: track which she competed in, in the olympics, and golf which was her sport of choice after the Olympics. Have the students perform the plays.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Worth
Title: Worth
Author: A. LaFaye
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85730-6
Summary
Everything in Nathaniel's life was going well, until his leg is smashed in an accident rendering him useless to his parent's farm. Since Nathaniel cannot help with the crops, he is sent to school for the first time where he is immediately put with the younger children. Now Nathaniel not only has to deal with his feelings of worthlessness on the farm, but also feelings of being the school dunce. To make matters worse at home, to help with the farm labor Nathaniel's father brings home a boy from the Orphan Train named John Worth.
Everything in John Worth's world is also crumbling. He is a city boy, and knows nothing about working on a farm. He isn't even allowed to sleep in the house because Nathaniel's mom believes that all orphans are ruffians. He longs to attend school like Nathaniel, but is not allowed because so much work has to be done on the farm.
The two boys end up bonding over a book of Greek tales, and the only way boys can truly be brothers-a fistfight. But they truly become a family when an arguement between ranchers and farmers comes to a head and the boys find themselves in the middle of it.
Review
People have plans for their lives, but life does not always go how it is planned. 11-year-old Nataniel Peale never planned on becoming a cripple. He was going to learn how to work a farm from his Father, and someday take over the farm when he was old enough for a family of his own. 11-year-old John Worth was going to live in the city his whole life and become a banker. But that dream was taken away in one day by a fire that swept through the building he lived in, killing his entire family. Worth and Peale's lives intertwine when Peale's condition lives his father no choice but to "adopt" an orphan to work on the farm in Nathaniel's place.
LaFaye takes on the world of rural Nebraska in the late nineteenth-century and the Orphan Trains that rode the rails transporting children needing homes from the overcrowded cities of the east. The reader can picture the Peale farm from the descriptions of Nathaniel, and the uproar his injury causes his family. The everyday survival of the Peale family is much like that of the typical farm family. Each day is a battle to survive, especially when money is in short supply.
Many of the riders from the Orphan Train ended up in a situation similar to John Worth's. They were used as hired hands on farms, especially the bigger, older boys. When a train made a stop in a town, the bigger, older boys were among the first "adopted" because they could help out on the farm.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Crippled by a freak farming accident, 11-year-old Nathaniel is bitter, helpless, frustrated, and angry when his father brings John Worth, an Orphan Train boy, into their home to help with the chores Nate can no longer manage in A. LeFaye's novel (S & S, 2004). But the two boys, each wounded in a different yet similar way, discover they have more in common than initially apparent and slowly begin to develop a friendship based on their joint desire to save the family's farm. LaFaye's unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land is matched by the narrator Tommy Fleming's skill at portraying the starkness of the emotions felt by each of the characters in this short, spare, and beautifully told winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Speaking with an authentic Nebraska accent, Fleming captures the poignancy of Nate's battle to overcome his disability, learn to read, and reinvent himself within his unhappy family. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.—Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
From AudioFile
What is the source of one's worth? In the hardscrabble life of the Nebraska plain, a fluke accident crushes an only son's leg, bringing even more difficult times to the family. Nathaniel's sense of self is also crushed. Through grappling with his feelings toward his father, the orphan boy who comes to help out, the Greek family attending school, and the power struggles between farmers and ranchers, Nathaniel emerges as a whole individual. Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming's youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story's authenticity. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Connections
Have students research the statistics of Orphan Train riders and adoptive families. Is the book accurate?
Have student look up what the plain states were like during the late-ninteenth century. What were the conditions like? What was medicine like back then? What were the lending practices like? Did Ranchers and Farmers really fued like they did in Worth?
Put yourself in the shoes of Worth or Nathaniel. Would you react the same way they did? Write an essay about how you would feel and be authentic. For this assignment I would not grade so much on grammar and spelling, but more on how authentic they can write. Too many students get caught up in being "perfect" and either try to hard or don't try at all.
Author: A. LaFaye
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2004
ISBN: 0-689-85730-6
Summary
Everything in Nathaniel's life was going well, until his leg is smashed in an accident rendering him useless to his parent's farm. Since Nathaniel cannot help with the crops, he is sent to school for the first time where he is immediately put with the younger children. Now Nathaniel not only has to deal with his feelings of worthlessness on the farm, but also feelings of being the school dunce. To make matters worse at home, to help with the farm labor Nathaniel's father brings home a boy from the Orphan Train named John Worth.
Everything in John Worth's world is also crumbling. He is a city boy, and knows nothing about working on a farm. He isn't even allowed to sleep in the house because Nathaniel's mom believes that all orphans are ruffians. He longs to attend school like Nathaniel, but is not allowed because so much work has to be done on the farm.
The two boys end up bonding over a book of Greek tales, and the only way boys can truly be brothers-a fistfight. But they truly become a family when an arguement between ranchers and farmers comes to a head and the boys find themselves in the middle of it.
Review
People have plans for their lives, but life does not always go how it is planned. 11-year-old Nataniel Peale never planned on becoming a cripple. He was going to learn how to work a farm from his Father, and someday take over the farm when he was old enough for a family of his own. 11-year-old John Worth was going to live in the city his whole life and become a banker. But that dream was taken away in one day by a fire that swept through the building he lived in, killing his entire family. Worth and Peale's lives intertwine when Peale's condition lives his father no choice but to "adopt" an orphan to work on the farm in Nathaniel's place.
LaFaye takes on the world of rural Nebraska in the late nineteenth-century and the Orphan Trains that rode the rails transporting children needing homes from the overcrowded cities of the east. The reader can picture the Peale farm from the descriptions of Nathaniel, and the uproar his injury causes his family. The everyday survival of the Peale family is much like that of the typical farm family. Each day is a battle to survive, especially when money is in short supply.
Many of the riders from the Orphan Train ended up in a situation similar to John Worth's. They were used as hired hands on farms, especially the bigger, older boys. When a train made a stop in a town, the bigger, older boys were among the first "adopted" because they could help out on the farm.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 3–6—Crippled by a freak farming accident, 11-year-old Nathaniel is bitter, helpless, frustrated, and angry when his father brings John Worth, an Orphan Train boy, into their home to help with the chores Nate can no longer manage in A. LeFaye's novel (S & S, 2004). But the two boys, each wounded in a different yet similar way, discover they have more in common than initially apparent and slowly begin to develop a friendship based on their joint desire to save the family's farm. LaFaye's unsparing look at the grueling hardships of day-to-day farm life during the late 19th-century and the ongoing battle between farmers and ranchers for control of the land is matched by the narrator Tommy Fleming's skill at portraying the starkness of the emotions felt by each of the characters in this short, spare, and beautifully told winner of the Scott O'Dell Award for historical fiction. Speaking with an authentic Nebraska accent, Fleming captures the poignancy of Nate's battle to overcome his disability, learn to read, and reinvent himself within his unhappy family. A compelling and historically accurate story beautifully rendered.—Cindy Lombardo, Tuscarawas County Public Library, New Philadelphia, OH
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
From AudioFile
What is the source of one's worth? In the hardscrabble life of the Nebraska plain, a fluke accident crushes an only son's leg, bringing even more difficult times to the family. Nathaniel's sense of self is also crushed. Through grappling with his feelings toward his father, the orphan boy who comes to help out, the Greek family attending school, and the power struggles between farmers and ranchers, Nathaniel emerges as a whole individual. Tommy Fleming narrates with an edgy voice that helps the listener understand the raw feelings that permeate the story. Heartfelt emotions are evident, and Fleming's youthful voice and slight Midwestern accent add to the story's authenticity. A.R. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.
Connections
Have students research the statistics of Orphan Train riders and adoptive families. Is the book accurate?
Have student look up what the plain states were like during the late-ninteenth century. What were the conditions like? What was medicine like back then? What were the lending practices like? Did Ranchers and Farmers really fued like they did in Worth?
Put yourself in the shoes of Worth or Nathaniel. Would you react the same way they did? Write an essay about how you would feel and be authentic. For this assignment I would not grade so much on grammar and spelling, but more on how authentic they can write. Too many students get caught up in being "perfect" and either try to hard or don't try at all.
Rodzina
Title: Rodzina
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-618-13351-8
Summary
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski has lost her brothers in a fire, her father at the hoof of a runaway horse, and her mother to a broken heart. Rodzina lived a few days on the street before she eneded up at the Little Wanderers Refuge. Soon after arriving there, the orphan was shuffled off to go west on an Orphan Train. Rodzina is the story of Rodzina's trek from Chicago to California on the Orphan Train. Rodzina had been told by another orphan that the orphans on the train were sold as slaves, and the impression is made deeper when Rodzina is told she is in charge of the young orphans because she is the oldest femail rider. Rodzina just wants to be left alone in her misery, but little Lacey attaches herself to Rodzina. Lacey is "slow" and an easy target for the other orphans: Mickey Doolet, Sammy, Joe, Gertie, Horton, Chester, and Spud. Accompanying them is "Miss Doctor", a cold-hearted looking woman going west to escape the Chicago mindset that women can't be doctors, and Mr. Szprot, the man in charge of placing children.
THe trip proves interesting for Rodzina when Gertie disappears after Rodzina gives her to Miss Doctor, and when she is adopted at the first stop, and adopted again after the second stop. Rodzina has much to learn about herself before she can become a member of any family.
Review
The Orphan Trains ran from 1850 to 1929, many of them from New York. One can only imagine what was going through the mind of the children as they left homes they had made for themselves or when their parent(s) had to give them up for a better life. Cushman does a good job of creating an orphan train rider who is hesitant about making the trip out west. The main character, and the title character, Rodzina ia a fairly recent orphan who is still in a state of denial. Not only is she in denial, but she has been given false information by another orphan about the orphan train being a way for people to get slave labor for cheap. This colors her view of the people who come to look at adopting her and the other orphans. It is not hard to believe that other orphans felt the same way Rodzina did. She witnessed the breaking up of families as adopting families were willing to adopt only one sibling. Cushman does a good job of making the reader feel the panic Rodzina feels when she is adopted the first time and realizes she is to be a hired hand, and forces the family to bring her back. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the plight of the orphans throughout the whole book. Many of the things Rodzina saw on the Orphan Train were what the real Orphan Train riders saw and worried about.
The adult main characters are aloof and not friendly, only adding to the harshness of the Orphan Train experience for Rodzina and the other orphans. Mr. Szprot makes it known that he does not care for the Orphans one bit when he promises Rodzina hes going too make sure she is adopted by anyone who will take her, whether or not they promise to treat her right. "Miss Doctor" is riding along with the orphans as another chaperone, but from the beginning lets Rodzina know she has no time to talk to the orphans. However, it is Rodzina and "Miss Doctor" who discover themselves on the trip and the characters who undergo the greatest transformation.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski tells the story of her journey across the United States on an orphan train in 1881 in this audio version of Karen Cushman's novel (Clarion, 2003). A strong-willed, not very attractive Polish girl from Chicago, Rodzina is convinced that she is unlovable and would only be adopted to be used as a slave. More than 20 orphans, along with the harsh Mr. Szprot and the strict Miss Doctor, make up the cast of characters. Narrator Becky Ann Baker's voice reflects the emotions and maturity level of each character. Despite the unfortunate situation that the orphans have found themselves in, the book has many funny and lighthearted moments, such as playing baseball on the train and having dinner with "circus" folk. Listeners see new cities in untamed parts of the West through the eyes of the children. Rodzina sees Indians riding on the platform between trains, meets mail-order brides, and reads the variety of notices posted at train stations along the way. The children on the orphan train worry about their fate, but Rodzina does her best to comfort them with Polish folktales and stories about her family. After the most appealing children have been adopted and Rodzina has made her escape from a few undesirable placements, we see her as the capable girl that she is. The narrator gives a slightly different voice to each character. Her pronunciation of the Polish words in the text is extremely helpful. Cushman gives us a valuable insight into American history, especially from a woman's perspective, and adds an extensive final note and list of resources for further information about orphan trains and orphans throughout world history. An introduction read by Cushman is particularly poignant as she tells about her own Polish family. An excellent choice for public and school libraries.
Casey Rondini, Westerly Public Library, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Becky Ann Baker narrates this poignant tale set in the late 1800s with clarity and charm. The awkward 12-year-old Rodzina finds herself plucked from the streets of Chicago and placed on an orphan train to the West. Throughout the story, Baker animates this young girl whose life has turned upside down. Rodzina tries to cope as best she can, all the while seeing to the needs of the younger orphans. She learns about herself, the world, and people who really do care for her. This is a painstaking account of a slice of American history not often represented. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Connections
Read articles about real people who traveled on the Orphan Train and Charles Loring Brace. Does Rodzina do a good job of portraying what happened? Why or Why not?
Research the Kindertransport in Europe. How does that compare to the Orphan Train system? What about Kindertransport is different?
If you were a passenger on the Orphan Train, how would you feel? Would you feel the same as Rodzina or Mickey Dooley? Why or Why not?
Author: Karen Cushman
Publisher: Clarion Books
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-618-13351-8
Summary
Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski has lost her brothers in a fire, her father at the hoof of a runaway horse, and her mother to a broken heart. Rodzina lived a few days on the street before she eneded up at the Little Wanderers Refuge. Soon after arriving there, the orphan was shuffled off to go west on an Orphan Train. Rodzina is the story of Rodzina's trek from Chicago to California on the Orphan Train. Rodzina had been told by another orphan that the orphans on the train were sold as slaves, and the impression is made deeper when Rodzina is told she is in charge of the young orphans because she is the oldest femail rider. Rodzina just wants to be left alone in her misery, but little Lacey attaches herself to Rodzina. Lacey is "slow" and an easy target for the other orphans: Mickey Doolet, Sammy, Joe, Gertie, Horton, Chester, and Spud. Accompanying them is "Miss Doctor", a cold-hearted looking woman going west to escape the Chicago mindset that women can't be doctors, and Mr. Szprot, the man in charge of placing children.
THe trip proves interesting for Rodzina when Gertie disappears after Rodzina gives her to Miss Doctor, and when she is adopted at the first stop, and adopted again after the second stop. Rodzina has much to learn about herself before she can become a member of any family.
Review
The Orphan Trains ran from 1850 to 1929, many of them from New York. One can only imagine what was going through the mind of the children as they left homes they had made for themselves or when their parent(s) had to give them up for a better life. Cushman does a good job of creating an orphan train rider who is hesitant about making the trip out west. The main character, and the title character, Rodzina ia a fairly recent orphan who is still in a state of denial. Not only is she in denial, but she has been given false information by another orphan about the orphan train being a way for people to get slave labor for cheap. This colors her view of the people who come to look at adopting her and the other orphans. It is not hard to believe that other orphans felt the same way Rodzina did. She witnessed the breaking up of families as adopting families were willing to adopt only one sibling. Cushman does a good job of making the reader feel the panic Rodzina feels when she is adopted the first time and realizes she is to be a hired hand, and forces the family to bring her back. The reader cannot help but sympathize with the plight of the orphans throughout the whole book. Many of the things Rodzina saw on the Orphan Train were what the real Orphan Train riders saw and worried about.
The adult main characters are aloof and not friendly, only adding to the harshness of the Orphan Train experience for Rodzina and the other orphans. Mr. Szprot makes it known that he does not care for the Orphans one bit when he promises Rodzina hes going too make sure she is adopted by anyone who will take her, whether or not they promise to treat her right. "Miss Doctor" is riding along with the orphans as another chaperone, but from the beginning lets Rodzina know she has no time to talk to the orphans. However, it is Rodzina and "Miss Doctor" who discover themselves on the trip and the characters who undergo the greatest transformation.
Professional Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Twelve-year-old Rodzina Clara Jadwiga Anastazya Brodski tells the story of her journey across the United States on an orphan train in 1881 in this audio version of Karen Cushman's novel (Clarion, 2003). A strong-willed, not very attractive Polish girl from Chicago, Rodzina is convinced that she is unlovable and would only be adopted to be used as a slave. More than 20 orphans, along with the harsh Mr. Szprot and the strict Miss Doctor, make up the cast of characters. Narrator Becky Ann Baker's voice reflects the emotions and maturity level of each character. Despite the unfortunate situation that the orphans have found themselves in, the book has many funny and lighthearted moments, such as playing baseball on the train and having dinner with "circus" folk. Listeners see new cities in untamed parts of the West through the eyes of the children. Rodzina sees Indians riding on the platform between trains, meets mail-order brides, and reads the variety of notices posted at train stations along the way. The children on the orphan train worry about their fate, but Rodzina does her best to comfort them with Polish folktales and stories about her family. After the most appealing children have been adopted and Rodzina has made her escape from a few undesirable placements, we see her as the capable girl that she is. The narrator gives a slightly different voice to each character. Her pronunciation of the Polish words in the text is extremely helpful. Cushman gives us a valuable insight into American history, especially from a woman's perspective, and adds an extensive final note and list of resources for further information about orphan trains and orphans throughout world history. An introduction read by Cushman is particularly poignant as she tells about her own Polish family. An excellent choice for public and school libraries.
Casey Rondini, Westerly Public Library, RI
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From AudioFile
Becky Ann Baker narrates this poignant tale set in the late 1800s with clarity and charm. The awkward 12-year-old Rodzina finds herself plucked from the streets of Chicago and placed on an orphan train to the West. Throughout the story, Baker animates this young girl whose life has turned upside down. Rodzina tries to cope as best she can, all the while seeing to the needs of the younger orphans. She learns about herself, the world, and people who really do care for her. This is a painstaking account of a slice of American history not often represented. D.L.M. © AudioFile 2003, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Connections
Read articles about real people who traveled on the Orphan Train and Charles Loring Brace. Does Rodzina do a good job of portraying what happened? Why or Why not?
Research the Kindertransport in Europe. How does that compare to the Orphan Train system? What about Kindertransport is different?
If you were a passenger on the Orphan Train, how would you feel? Would you feel the same as Rodzina or Mickey Dooley? Why or Why not?
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