Inside the Alamo

Inside the Alamo
By Jim Murphy
Delacorte Press
New York, New York
0-385-32574-6
2003


Summary

Inside the Alamo is a book about what happened before, during, and after the Battle of the Alamo. In addition to writing about the battle, Jim Murphy looks into the myths surrounding the Alamo and breaks some of them down into separate articles in the book. For people who grew up in Texas, the Alamo is the symbol of Texas that has a story Hollywood loves to show on the big screen. However, a lot of what is taught in seventh grade Texas History is legend and no one really knows exactly what happened during the entire battle that lasted only an hour and half. What is known is featured in Inside the Alamo.

The Alamo is best known for three big defenders- William Barrett Travis, James Bowie, and Davy Crockett. Bowie and Travis were rivals since Bowie was the older veteran, and Travis was a relatively young newcomer with a big attitude. Crockett had brought his band of Tennessee volunteers and was happy to remain in the background when it came to being in charge. The battle itself may have only lasted one and a half hours, but the Mexican Army arrived on the scene on February 23, 1836. The leader of the Army was El Presidente himself, General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna. Santa Anna fancied himself a Napoleon of the West, only he did not learn completely from Napoleon’s mistakes. The first thing the Mexican Army did was start a volley of fire on the Alamo, but it did not try to take over the fort. Santa Anna did not surround the fort because he was relying on deserters to give him information. Little did Santa Anna know that this blunder was helping the Texans more than hurting them.

When the actual battle took place, the Texans were taken by surprise and what happened is the stuff of legend. Of the big three only one’s death is not disputed. What really happened with James Bowie and Davy Crockett is left up to the reader to decide based on different accounts. Even though Santa Anna called the battle a “small affair” he underestimated the effect it would have on the Texan army. However, it also helped that like his hero, Napoleon, Santa Anna’s arrogance got the better of him.

Impressions

The Battle of the Alamo is the stuff of legends in the state of Texas, "...the story of the Alamo and its brave defenders had grown into a formidable myth, lacing fact with speculation layered with distortion and outright fabriciation." (pg.110)
. Unfortunately, it is kept that way because no one knows the exact true story because most of the people who can tell you the truth either died in the Alamo, or died without writing down their stories. Jim Murphy does a great job of continually pointing out that no one really knows what happened. Inside the Alamo provides a good example of presenting both sides of the story because it has both sides presented and little biographies of people from both sides. It talks about the Death of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie, presenting both sides of the story and noting that there are discrepancies in all accounts. At the end there is a notes and an annotated bibliography section. It shows that Murphy consulted many articles, papers, and books on the Alamo and what he could count as fairly accurate or not.

The book is easy to read, and young adults should love how Murhpy explains details without being too detailed oriented. The sidebars and extra articles give even more detail and are easy to find. The book flows well since all anecdotes are not part of the actual writing. The illustrations are interesting and all done in black and white or sepia, fitting the time period. When possible there is a picture of the person, so the young adult reader can put a face to the name which is important. There is even a picture of James Butler Bonham, the nephew of James Bonham because there are no known pictures or drawings of Bonham and James Butler was said to look just like his uncle.

Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-Murphy boldly broaches the near-mythical battle of the Alamo, a Spanish mission in San Antonio whose name has become synonymous with Texas's independence. Acknowledging in his notes that "[m]ost of these questions [regarding "unresolved issues" of Alamo legend] will probably never be answered definitively," Murphy gives it his best shot and the result is an absorbing, interpretive, highly readable account of a two-week period in American history in which a couple of hundred independent Texans (Anglo Texians and Hispanic Tejanos) played a major role in U.S. expansionism. The siege of the Alamo is a well-told tale but lore, strongly abetted by Hollywood, has clouded the facts surrounding this suicidal stand. Murphy has done an admirable job of separating prejudicial speculation (by survivors on both sides) from documentation. He addresses the volatile issue of exemplary bravery, especially regarding the fate of David Crockett, diplomatically. Sidebars abound and the one-page biographical sketches, including photographs, of the major figures-especially the trinity of Jim Bowie, William Travis, and David Crockett-supplement archival photographs and illustrations, helping to set perspective, while "fast and loose" visual interpretations of the final battle show historical revisions. An extensive, annotated bibliography provides an excellent sampler of the plethora of articles and books on the Alamo.
John Sigwald, Unger Memorial Library, Plainview, TX
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* Gr. 4-8. Murphy's thorough research and solid narrative style combine to provide an in-depth account of this famous 1836 siege. Beginning with a description of the early Anglo settlement in Texas, the author explains how relations between ranchers and Santa Ana's government became strained, leading the Anglos to feel they had little choice except to defend their crumbling fortress to the death. He also discusses the strained leadership within the Alamo, why other Texans decided not to help, and Santa Ana's motives for wanting to annihilate the Anglos. Murphy's forte is his ability to tell a good story while retaining his integrity as a historian. Point by point he documents and identifies facts, rumors, myths, and conflicting testimony, allowing readers to judge where the truth may lie and giving them insight into how historical research works. Frequent inset articles highlight the important participants on both sides (including Santa Ana, Jim Bowie, David Crockett, and Jose de la Pena), providing military and personal details that add to the account, and a variety of period illustrations--maps, etchings, and artwork reproductions--complement the text. With an appended list of Alamo participants and an extensive, annotated bibliography, which features some primary sources, this resource is not only a valuable addition to American history units but also a great introduction to the historical writing method. Kay Weisman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

The Clique

The Clique
Lisi Harrison
Little, Brown and Company
New York, New York
0-316-70129-7
2004

Summary

When Massie’s father announces that his friend from college Jay Lyons is moving into the guesthouse with his family, Massie is stressed. Not only does Mr. Lyons and his family ruin her Labor Day plans, but he has a daughter her age also. Massie is the leader of a group of girls at Octavian Country Day School in Westchester County, New York. And one thing is for sure: There is no way Massie is going to let newcomer Claire Lyons become a part of her group, especially when Claire shows up in Keds and GAP overalls. Massie makes it her job to make sure that Claire Lyons does not ruin Massie’s standing in the Octavian Day School hierarchy. It doesn’t take Claire long to realize that Massie has no intention of being her friend or even help her find her way at the new school. But it’s not long before Claire finds her inner Massie and does her best to turn the tables. She sneaks into Massie’s room and sabotages Massie’s relationship with her friends and says that Claire is now “cool.”

As with all deceptions, Claire’s secret is revealed and if she thought she was unpopular before, she had no clue what that word had meant before. But as with most young adult books, Claire realizes that there is more to life than being “popular” and does find her own way. Massie realizes that some people do have feelings, and that they are human. Since this is the first book in a series, this will not be the first time Claire has to learn this lesson, and Massie will have to learn how to be nicer too.

Impressions

The Clique is the first novel in a series revolving around a group of girls at the Octavian Country Day School in Westchester County, New York. The leader of the clique is a girl named Massie Block who is a spoiled only child. The recommended age of the series is fifth grade to eighth grade, and it fits the age range. Older teens will roll their eyes at how petty Massie is and how easily swayed her friends are. The book is a fun read and the young adults will love the other books in the series. While there is not a "reedeeming value" in the books besides it being a fun read, it could lead to good discussions about Cliques and why they aren't good. It did make me remember my junior high years and I laughed at how ridiculous my frienda and I were.

Reviews

From School Library Journal
Grade 5-8–Claire Lyons moves with her parents from Florida to wealthy Westchester County, NY. Until they can get settled, the family stays in the guest house of Mr. Lyons's college buddy, who happens to have a daughter who is also in seventh grade. Expected to welcome her, Massie instead chooses to make Claire's life miserable for no other reason than she's the new girl. Massie enlists her clique of friends at Octavian Country Day School, all part of the beautiful and popular crowd, to help with the harassment, which ranges from catty comments on Claire's clothes to spilling red paint on her white jeans in a conspicuous spot. Tired of it all, Claire tries to fight back, but then the abuse worsens. The book has trendy references kids will love, including Starbucks in the school, designer clothes, and PalmPilots for list making. However, this trendiness doesn't make up for the shallowness of the characters or the one-dimensional plot. Nor is the cruelty of the clique redeemed with any sort of a satisfying ending. The conclusion leaves one with the feeling that a sequel is in the works. Amy Goldman Koss's The Girls (Dial, 2000) shows the same cruelty of girls with a more realistic story and resolution.–Diana Pierce, Running Brushy Middle School, Cedar Park, TX
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. Head-to-toe Calvin Klein is in. So is Ralph Lauren. Burberry is so out. And as for Claire's platform navy Keds and two-year-old, white Gap jeans--doesn't she know that clothes are like milk or cheese with a "best-before date" and a limited shelf life? Claire is clueless when she enters seventh grade, a newcomer and total outsider when it comes to [...] Massie's friends at an exclusive private girls' school. Massie leads her clique in humiliating [Claire] (including splashing those jeans with red paint to make it look like Claire has her period), and the instant messaging is very mean. It's also hilarious, especially because the viewpoints switch between the two [girls] and Claire gets her revenge--sort of. There's too much detail about how the superwealthy live, but Harrison, who writes for MTV, knows peer pressure, and her first novel has fun with the tyranny of brand names ("she was wearing . . ." is a constant). Buy this quickly, though, because the very specifics that teens will recognize will be "so out" before the year is over. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

The Thief Lord

The Thief Lord
Cornelia Funke
Scholastic, Inc.
New York, New York
2000
0-439-40437-1

Summary

Prosper and Bo are two orphans that have arrived in Vienna after their mother's death. Their aunt, their legal guardian, only wants to take Bo, which prompted them to leave their home and escape to Vienna. There they meet up with a band of orphans who scout magnificent homes for another kid they call the Theif Lord. Bo and Prosper do little except Prosper is a good negotiator. He earns Bo and him a spot in the gang by negotiating prices to the evil pawn broker Barbarosa.

Barbarosa is amazed by what the Thief Lord can do, and offers the gang the chance to steal something that would make them richer than they ever dreamed. They accept the challenge and discover things that turn their whole world upside down. They knew the object they were to steal looked ordinary, but not everything is what it seems. Complicating things are a private investigator hired by Prosper & Bo's aunt to find the boys and the real identity of the person known as the Thief Lord.

Impressions

At first I thought this was one of the worst books I have ever read. It started off slow with a lot of descripton about where the children lived and what Vienna looked like. Cornelia Funke did do a good job of setting a scene, but it seemed to take a while. Once the plot line got to the big job gang of children were to perform, and there was more action, the story was better. The twist that comes near the end was wonderful, if the outcome was a little predictable. The children in the gang were well thought out and each chld had their strengths and weaknesses in the group, except for Bo whose job was to look cute and pitiful since he was the youngest.

Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Imagine a Dickens story with a Venetian setting, and you'll have a good sense of Cornelia Funke's prizewinning novel The Thief Lord, first published in Germany in 2000. This suspenseful tale begins in a detective's office in Venice, as the entirely unpleasant Hartliebs request Victor Getz's services to search for two boys, Prosper and Bo, the sons of Esther Hartlieb's recently deceased sister. Twelve-year-old Prosper and 5-year-old Bo ran away when their aunt decided she wanted to adopt Bo, but not his brother. Refusing to split up, they escaped to Venice, a city their mother had always described reverently, in great detail. Right away they hook up with a long-haired runaway named Hornet and various other ruffians who hole up in an abandoned movie theater and worship the elusive Thief Lord, a young boy named Scipio who steals jewels from fancy Venetian homes so his new friends can get the warm clothes they need. Of course, the plot thickens when the owner of the pawn shop asks if the Thief Lord will carry out a special mission for a wealthy client: to steal a broken wooden wing that is the key to completing an age-old, magical merry-go-round. This winning cast of characters--especially the softhearted detective with his two pet turtles--will win the hearts of readers young and old, and the adventures are as labyrinthine and magical as the streets of Venice itself. (Ages 9 and older) --Karin Snelson --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Publishers Weekly
Wacky characters bring energy to this translation of an entertaining German novel about thieving children, a disguise-obsessed detective and a magical merry-go-round. After their mother dies, 12-year-old Prosper and his brother, Bo, five, flee from Hamburg to Venice (an awful aunt plans to adopt only Bo). They live in an abandoned movie theater with several other street children under the care of the Thief Lord, a cocky youth who claims to rob "the city's most elegant houses." A mysterious man hires the Thief Lord to steal a wooden wing, which the kids later learn has broken off a long-lost merry-go-round said to make "adults out of children and children out of adults," but the plan alters when Victor, the detective Aunt Esther hired to track the brothers, discovers their camp and reveals that the Thief Lord is actually from a wealthy family. There are a lot of story lines to follow, and the pacing is sometimes off (readers may feel that Funke spends too little time on what happens when the children find the carousel, and too much on the ruse they pull on Prosper's aunt). But between kindhearted Victor and his collection of fake beards, the Thief Lord in his mask and high-heeled boots, and a rascally street kid who loves to steal, Prosper's new world abounds with colorful characters. The Venetian setting is ripe for mystery and the city's alleys and canals ratchet up the suspense in the chase scenes. Ages 9-12.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Striking Out

Striking Out
By Will Weaver
HarperCollins Publishers
New York, New York
0-06-023346-X
1993

Summary

It is 1970 and Billy Boggs is thirteen years old and lives underneath the shadow of his late brother Robert who had died five years earlier in a farming accident. The accident wasn’t quite Billy’s fault, but the sudden death has left the family fragmented in several ways. The town they live near, and where Billy goes to school, might as well exist on another planet. Billy lives on a struggling farm and since Robert died, most of the chores fall on Billy’s shoulders. There is barely anytime for fun, but in rare spare moments, Billy works on his pitching. One Saturday while in town at the Feed Store and watching the boys from town play ball, Billy’s strong pitching and throwing arm is revealed when he returns a home run ball from across the street all the way to the catchers mitt. That one small, seemingly insignificant act starts a chain of events that marks the struggle of Billy to come out from under the shadow of Robert and become his own person. Helping him out on his journey is his mother who is also “striking out” on her own as a secretary at a doctors office. Billy, his mother, and his father deal with the new starts in their own ways and at times the tension is strong. But all three are stubborn and forge their own paths.

Billy has never had friends before. The farm was far from town and farm life didn’t make for a great social life anyways. Gina and Heather, two young girls who pretty much live on their own on land near the farm, are close to friends as Billy had. But Gina was a pest, and Heather, who was older, was a pretty girl outside of Billy’s league. The girls were fine living by themselves and their own rules until Heather gets involved with an older man. Billy tries to help the best he can, but once again, adults run Billy’s life.

Impressions

Striking Out is a story many teens would identify with on the level that Billy’s father’s expectations of Billy were beyond Billy’s wants and needs. Most will not understand life on the farm, but they will understand a father who tries to push an iron will on his young teenage son. Billy can be hard to like at times because he can be as surly as his father. At the same time one can understand why Billy doesn’t want to be a charity case.

Girls who pick up this book will appreciate the storyline of Billy’s mother, although I don’t see many girls wanting to read the book if they only look at the cover art and the liner notes. However, I believe this book was not written to necessarily appeal to the female reader, and that is not a bad thing. As a female who is a big baseball fan, I had to struggle with getting into the book. The Father is a surly figure and Billy isn’t likable. I wanted to feel sorry for him because it is obvious he misses his brother, but I had a hard time with feeling sorry for Billy. The male readers will identify that Billy’s surliness is just male pride and is his ay of expressing emotion. As a female, I was frustrated that Billy didn’t yell at his father and tell him how he was feeling, and what a big jerk his father was. It was Billy’s mother who did the yelling and adequately expressed Billy’s thoughts. Figures.

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In this story of a 13-year-old Minnesota boy's adjustment to a hardscrabble existence, PW found "a wealth of lovingly recounted details" and "flashes of humor [that] serve as relief." Ages 10-up.
- serve as relief." Ages 10-up.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 8-12-This novel opens with a rather grisly description of the death of Billy Baggs's older brother in a tractor accident. The action quickly shifts to five years later, when 13-year-old Billy is still wrestling with guilt over Robert's death. An opportunity to play summer baseball offers him some hope of regaining the equilibrium in his life, but his family's numbing rural poverty and his parents' own failure to come to grips with their son's death present further obstacles. This is not strictly a sports book, as other threads in the plot involve a pair of sexy farm sisters and accusations of rape; the beginnings of independence for Mrs. Baggs; and Billy's friendship with a slightly loony member of the baseball team. Unfortunately, not all of these threads come together at the end, and one gets the feeling that either a sequel is in the works or that Weaver tried to stuff too much into an already long text. The author also gets a few details wrong-Dodgers pitcher Sandy Koufax had already been retired for four years in 1970, but appears on the covers of all the sports magazines. The strongest parts of the story involve the gritty, unromantic descriptions of farm life, and the honest depiction of the deep emotions of the major characters. This depth of feeling makes readers really care about the family, and is probably enough to make this uneven and unruly book worth a purchase.
Todd Morning, Schaumburg Township Public Library, IL
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Hollywood Nobody

Hollywood Nobody
Lisa Samson
Navpress
Colorado Springs, Colorado
978-1-60006-091-5
2007

Summary

Scotty is anything but your typical teenager. For started she doesn’t attend school and her mother does not home school her. She home schools herself, and gives herself projects. She lives in a beat up old Travo V with a rainbow painted on the side because she travels from film location to film location with her mom, Charley, who is a food stylist for the movies. Her mother has always had strange conversations over the phone, and here lately those conversations are more frequent. It worries Scotty, but she knows her mom will not talk about it.

Scotty’s best friends are Grampie and Grammie, a semi-retired couple who also travel in an RV, but a much nicer one. One of the reasons Scotty likes Grammie and Grampie so much is that they feed her steaks, pork chops, and cheese! Scotty’s mom is a vegan and won’t even allow cheese in the RV. Scotty is known around America as Hollywood Nobody, although America doesn’t know it is her.

Scotty’s newest location is Toledo Island in North Carolina where her favorite director, and sort of father figure, is filming a version of The Great Gatsby with a twist. Plus Scotty’s newest crush, Seth Haas, is the leading man. But reality has to barge in at some point. Seth sees Scotty as a little sister, since there is a four year age difference between the two of them. Seth also puts himself in charge of teaching Scotty her geometry. Scotty also takes the chance to talk to Seth about religion. Seth grew up in a Christian home, but is struggling. Scotty was raised with no religion, but has assigned herself a research topic on tent revivals since there is one taking place on Toledo Island.

As the weird phone calls are getting more and more frequent the only person Scotty has to turn to is Julie, a diner owner with past issues of her own. When a big man shows up and Charley freaks out completely, Scotty knows her wacky life has taken a turn for the worse. When the same man shows up while Scotty is studying lighthouses on a secluded island for a project and chases her off the island, Scotty demands answers from Charley. What Scotty learns turns everything she has ever known about herself upside down. With God’s help, and a new film location and a new RV, Scotty will learn to cope with this new information.

Impressions

Scotty is the type of character you want to cheer for because she takes life one bit at a time and does not complain. Much. Many teens think that living life on the road with no school worries would be the perfect life. Reading Hollywood Nobody should cure some of that desire. Even though the life Charley and Scotty live seems incredibly far-fetched at times there is a good reason for it, plus it makes for a great storyline and a way to meet interesting characters.

I love Scotty’s flair for the retro cats eyes glasses and her hunger to connect with someone, but on her own terms. She does not need a boy to fill the hole left by her absent father, and she does not feel like she is entitled to stuff because her life is so crazy. With her life it is easy to get in touch with bad influences and drugs. Scotty realizes what that can do to one’s body and refuses to indulge in drugs. Scotty is secure in who she is with the exception of wondering what has happened to her father.

This book is the first in a series of four Hollywood Nobody novels. It is a Christian novel, but readers will find that the book does not proselytize and should enjoy the fact that Scotty is exploring Christianity on her own terms and not blindly following a belief of her family.

Reviews

From TeenReads
Lisa Samson's fans will be amused and entertained with this fresh new series featuring Scotty Fitzgerald, a wise-beyond-her-years teen who writes an anonymous Hollywood Nobody blog based on her insider status as the daughter of a longtime movie set food designer. Scotty, short for Frances Scott Fitzgerald Dawn, has lived her entire life on the road in an antiquated RV that has been decorated hippie style. Her mom, Charley, a vegan who allows Scotty to drive without a license and pretty much homeschool herself, is strangely oblivious to the laws of the land but ever so conscientious about the ills of eating meat and dairy. (Cheese, Scotty's secret addiction, is a special sore point.) –Michele Howe

CCMMagazine.com
Thanks to her mom’s career, 15-year-old Scotty Dawn definitely knows her way around a film set. And while her life is anything but dull, she faces the same problems that most teens do, like figuring out who she is. Before long though, readers will get to know the real Scotty through her entertaining blog that namechecks almost as many celebs as the latest issue of US Weekly. And whether you’re a teen (or well past your teens), her struggles and triumphs will definitely entertain. CCMMagazine.com- Staff Writer

The Plain Janes

The Plain Janes
By Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg
DC Comics
New York, New York
978-1-4012-1115-8
2007

Summary

Jane has just moved to anytown USA, called Kent Waters, after a bomb has exploded in her big city home town of Metro City. Jane had been walking by the Café where the bomb was when it exploded. Needless to say, this incident changed Jane’s life in more ways than one. Jane has coped well with the change in her life realizing that there is beauty around her. A dandelion that survived the blast and the ensuing chaos, plus a sketch book from another victim has kept Jane going. Throughout the novel, it is the letters to John Doe that narrate parts of the story.

When Jane arrives at her new school she snubs the popular group she had been a part of at Metro City and sits down at a table of rejects who all happened to be named Jane. It takes a lot of work on Jane’s part, but the other Janes finally agree to be a part of a group called P.L.A.I.N. PLAIN is the brainchild of Jane and it stands for People Loving Art In Neighborhoods. The goal is to get people to notice the beauty that surrounds them. Together they plan art “attacks” like bottles hanging from a tree with instructions like give someone a hug or they wrap objects on main street like presents.

While the teens see that PLAIN is a harmless group (with the exception of bubbles in the fountain), the parents and town police react by imposing curfews and threatening suspension. Jane’s mother, who has become ultra protective of Jane, is the most worried and is the first to call the police. But nothing will stop the Janes, even when a letter comes back “Return to Sender” from John Doe and Jane breaks all rules to find out what happened. After all, John is the one who taught Jane to hope again.

Impressions

The Plain Janes is a graphic novel and it was one of the first graphic novels I have ever read. It flowed well and the pictures added much to the storyline. The story was believable and could have been any Manhattan family after 9/11. In my years of teaching I have found that students want their voices heard and acknowledged. Some teens go about it the wrong way, and some teens join the newspaper, debate team, or other student activity.

Reviews

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7–10—Young adult author Castellucci makes her graphic-novel debut with this quirky comic. Jane's parents relocate to the suburbs when she's caught in a bomb attack in Metro City. Bored and lonely in her new town and school, the teen is thrilled when she meets three other girls named Jane, all of them as out of place as she is. They form a secret club, the Plain Janes, and decide to liven up the town with art. Some people like their work, but most are frightened, and the local police call the Plain Janes' work "art attacks." Castellucci gives each girl a distinct personality, and spirited, compassionate Main Jane is especially captivating. Rugg's drawings aren't in superhero or manga style, but resemble the more spare, clean style of alternative comics creators such as Dan Clowes and Craig Thompson. A thoughtful look at the pressures to conform and the importance of self-expression, this is also a highly accessible read. Regular comics readers will enjoy it, but fans of soul-searching, realistic young adult fiction should know about it as well.—Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* For the first book in a new series aimed at teenage girls, DC comics recruited novelist Castellucci (Boy Proof, 2004, and The Queen of Cool, 2005) to write this story about outsiders who come together, calling up themes from the author's popular YA novels. Relocated to suburbia after a brush with disaster in the big city (and fueled by an urge not to be terrified of the world as a result), Jane rallies a small group of outcasts into a team of "art terrorists," shaking the town from its conservative complacency by putting bubbles in the city fountain and wrapping objects on the street as Christmas packages. Their activities end up rallying the local teenagers to their cause and working the adults into a dither. The book has its share of stereotypes--the science geek, the psychotically overprotective mother, the irrepressible gay teen--but this is thought-provoking stuff. The art, inspired by Dan Clowes' work, is absolutely engaging. Packaged like manga this is a fresh, exciting use of the graphic-novel format. Jesse Karp
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX: The Law That Changed the Future of Girls in America
By Karen Blumnethal
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
New York, New York
0-689-85957-0
2005

Summary

Title IX came into being in 1972 when the education amendments were added to the Civil Rights Act when President Nixon signed them into law. But Title IX rules were stuck in a mire of wording and challenges from organizations like the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It wasn’t until 1974 that the Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare proposed the rules of Title IX, and another year passed before President Ford approved the rules.

The law had many champions including US Representative Edith Green from Oregon. Green led the way for many equal rights laws for women including the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which applies to hourly workers only. Other women in Congress like Rep. Shirley Chisholm, Rep. Patsy mink, and Rep. Charlotte Reid helped Green in her fight for Title IX. They all fought discrimination within the chambers themselves. There was a congressional pool and gym for members of Congress, except for the women. This meant that women missed out on deals on legislation, and when three women tried to enter one day they were denied access due to the fact that the men liked to swim in the nude.

Despite people testifying about benefits to allowing women to attend college and participating in sports, the powers that be did not want to put Title IX into affect. They had their own teams of experts that were against the law. The main sticky point was that Title IX did not just stop discrimination against women in higher education and in sports, but it required that schools spend dollar for dollar the same amount on women as men. This part of the law lead to the loss of scholarships for some men and the loss of entire men’s teams.

In the early 1980s Title IX was taking off, but when Reagan took office he made a proposal on changing regulations on Title IX since the rules were burdensome and was too much money to regulate. In 1981 Grove City College in PA refused to sign a form promising to follow Title IX because they were afraid that signing the paper would open up the Christian college to government interference. Grove City accepted as little amount of government money as possible., but students did receive some loans and grants. So the college and four of its students sued. In 1983 the Supreme Court ruled that Title IX applied to only those specific programs that received federal money. The ruling set Title IX back and numerous discrimination lawsuits.
In 1988, Congress created a new law called the Civil Rights Restoration act over President Reagan’s veto and made Title IX stronger. Since then Title IX has had its ups and downs and other challenges. Most people associate Title IX with sports but it applies to all aspects of education.

Impressions

As a girl who has always enjoyed playing and watching sports, I found this book to be a hard read in more ways than one. On one level I got frustrated with the archaic attitudes about women and sports. I had never encountered that before because I’m a “Title IX” baby as the book calls women that were born after Title IX went into effect. By the time I started high school in 1992 equality of women in sports was a given.

A second problem with the book is that I found it hard to read because it seemed to jump around a lot. Blumenthal would be talking about some challenge or aspect to Title IX and would give an anecdote about a woman and her sport in the middle of the talk about the challenge. I could keep things straight as far as dates went, and when I looked at the timeline in the back I was even more confused. For example, when Blumenthal was writing about the challenge to Title IX from Grove City College she started on page 90 and weaved her way through to page 94 where the outcome of the Grove City was discussed. The book would be much easier to read if court cases and challenges were discussed in whole with anecdotes afterwards.

The book does a good job of being through with the history of Title IX and any student doing a report on discrimination, women’s rights, or the evolution of sports would find a gold mine of information in the book, as long as they figure out have to navigate through it.

Reviews

From School Library Journal
Starred Review. Grade 7 Up -A fascinating look at the birth, growth, stagnation, and final emergence of Title IX. While acknowledging the controversy surrounding this law, the author is unwaveringly supportive of its passage and implementation. Interesting and easy-to-follow chapters highlight the process of creating, revising, fighting for, and ultimately passing this legislation that gave girls and women equal access to physical-education classes, gymnasiums, universities, and graduate schools. Human-interest stories personalize the issues, and photographs of congresswomen fighting for equal opportunities for girls, women demonstrating, and the ultimate victory-a woman on the cover of Sports Illustrated-show how challenging, yet ultimately rewarding, the battle has been. Charts depict amazing statistics about the increase in athletic participation by females from 1970 to 2001. Cartoons show the humorous but painfully true attitudes of our culture toward women as they have strived to achieve equality in this country. The book closes with a "Then and Now" section highlighting the changes Title IX has brought about. Lynn M. Messina's Sports in America (H. W. Wilson, 2001) and Victoria Sherrow's Encyclopedia of Women and Sports (ABC-CLIO, 1996) both offer bits of information, but nothing out there comes close to Blumenthal's portrait of the emergence of women athletes in our society.-Julie Webb, Shelby County High School, Shelbyville, KY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gr. 6-9. As in Six Days in October (2002), a compelling overview of the 1929 stock market crash and a financial primer, Wall Street Journal editor Blumenthal uses specific facts and fascinating personal stories to give readers a wide view of history. Here, the author looks at American women's evolving rights by focusing on the history and future of Title IX, which bans sex discrimination in U.S. education. Profiles of groundbreaking female athletes and legislators deftly alternate with highlights of the women's movement, from the early twentieth century through today. The dull paper stock diminishes the many black-and-white photos, but the images are still gripping, and relevant political cartoons and fact boxes add further interest. Few books cover the last few decades of American women's history with such clarity and detail, and this comprehensive title draws attention to the hard-won battles, the struggles that remain, and the chilling possibility that rights, if not fiercely protected, can easily be lost. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Bad Boy: A Memoir

Bad Boy: A Memoir
By Walter Dean Myers
HarperCollins Children's Books
New Yor, New York
0-06-029523-6
2001

Summary

Walter Dean Myers is a noted author of young adult literature but for a period of his life it looked like he would keep his desire to write to himself and flounder on the streets of Harlem where he grew up. Myers group up in the 40s and 50s, and was raised by his father’s first wife after his mother died. Walter loved his “mama” and was jealous of any attention she gave her biological daughters. One time he promised to break an expensive watch that belong to his sister if Mama didn’t pay attention to him. She did not, he promptly broke it, and he received one of many spankings in his life. When it came time for school Myers had learned to read well enough to be placed in the second grade, but his speech impediment placed him in first grade. That speech impediment caused many fights in school for Myers who had a problem with his temper. This was the time when corporal punishment in the classroom was allowed and when Myers’ Mam complained about it, the teachers failed him instead. It also did not help that Myers was big for his age, but he was also a very bright boy. His intelligence was also his downfall. He would think up great ways to get into trouble, but he would also lie convincingly his way out.

Things for Myers change when his Uncle Lee died. His father fell into a deep depression and his mama turned to alcohol to help deal with the depression. She also developed a habit of “chasing numbers” to help the family’s financial situation. Myers worked hard for a typewriter when he was in high school and when it came time to buy the typewriter his Mama had spent the money he had saved “chasing numbers.” He still loved her, but it was evident they were drifting apart. Myers was enrolled in a high school called Stuyvesant that was a school for all boys and had a science emphasis. At age 15, Myers longed for a person who was a secret reader like himself and floundered at the scientific school until he stopped going all together. When Myers skipped school he read books like A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man or Ulysses both by James Joyce. At that time he was placed under the supervision of a city agency. Dr. Holiday was the psychiatrist assigned to his case. She asked Myers if he minded being black and it was the first time Myers thought of himself as an “afro-american.” He was struggling with more than just race. He was male and liked to write and read, neither of which seemed to be a symbol of being a man. He had heard the n-words and learned to associate then with being black and knew “that there was no advantage in being black.” (179) But he chose to see himself as an intellectual and not a member of a race. However, that could not erase the fact that college was out of the question for him.

It was soon after that when Myers became involved with a former convict named Frank Hall. Hall was somehow involved in the drug trade and brought Myers in as a back-up. When Hall and Myers get involved in a fracas, it shakes Myers up. One day he found himself enlisting in the Army at 16. Shortly after, the chapter of Myers’ life ends as he is sent to boot camp.

Impressions

As a white female who grew up in the ‘90s, I found Myers story about his formative years alternately fascinating and disturbing. There is no way I will ever be able to understand what it is like to be black, especially in the 1940s. I was appalled at how Myers was treated by his peers and his teachers. The very people who were supposed to encourage Myers to use his talents did their best to keep him down. Myers did not help matters though by not confiding in anyone, even when he was given a counselor. Bad Bay is well-written and the hopelessness that Myers feels at the end makes the reader feel hopeless also. The impishness of Myers as a little boy made me smile at times and at other times I felt real sorry for his Mama. One of my favorite things about the book is that Myers offers little apologies for what happened when he grew up and stated everything matter of factly. The book is a memoir, so it has an element of reflection on his life but no excuses are given as to why he acted the way he did. He has accepted the challenges he faced and he does not blame his past on problems he has in the present. It made this book easy to read and teens will recognize that Myers does not give excuses for his past behavior. It would have been easy for Myers to do that, but he chose not to.

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Myers paints a fascinating picture of his childhood growing up in Harlem in the 1940s, with an adult's benefit of hindsight, wrote PW. What emerges is a clear sense of how one young man's gifts separate him from his peers, causing him to stir up trouble in order to belong. Ages 13-up. (May)
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 7 Up-This superb memoir begins simply with an account of Myers's family history and his boyhood. Vivid detail makes the Harlem of the '40s come alive, from the music and children's games to the everyday struggle for survival. As Myers grows older, however, his story also grows in complexity. Soon readers are caught up in his turbulent adolescence and his slow, painful development as a writer. Even while performing poorly in school, the teen endlessly devoured great works of literature, often in secret. He also wrote, sometimes quitting out of discouragement but always beginning again. Eventually he attended school less and less often, sometimes fighting roaming gang members or delivering "packages" for drug dealers. After dropping out of high school, he enlisted in the army. Sadness and bewilderment infuse these last chapters as Myers faces a bleak future. Intellectually, he's left his family and friends far behind, but his race and circumstances seem to give him few choices. After years of menial jobs, Myers remembered a teacher's advice-"Whatever you do, don't stop writing"-and in time his persistence paid off. This memoir is never preachy; instead, it is a story full of funny anecdotes, lofty ideals, and tender moments. The author's growing awareness of racism and of his own identity as a black man make up one of the most interesting threads. Young writers will find inspiration here, while others may read the book as a straightforward account of a colorful, unforgettable childhood.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

The Floor of the Sky

The Floor of the Sky
By Pamela Carter Joern
University of Nebraska Press
Lincoln, Nebraska
978-0-8032-7631-4
2006

Summary

Toby Jenkins is a widow in the Nebraska Sandhills, and is in danger of losing the family ranch to investors. When Toby’s 16-year-old granddaughter shows up at the farm pregnant, the hidden truths Toby has held back from extended family comes out bit by bit.

Toby’s late father, the overbearing Luther Bolden, has been dead for many years, but still reigns supreme at the family ranch in many ways. As Toby is about to lose the ranch and the family home, the Alhambra, memories of Luther remain in the way he ruined the lives of all three of his children, and his ranch hand George. Each child was emotionally damaged in some way, as was George, and Luther delighted in their pain.

Lila is a 16-year-old who is bitter with the world since her parents splitand her mom became extremely involved in her career, and her father is too busy with his nonexistent music career. Even though she is only 16, Lila has developed a keen sense of a person’s character. She knows her grandmother is hiding something and Lila has to find the truth out no matter what.

Gertie is Toby’s extremely bitter older sister who feels nothing but contempt for everyone around her. In Gerties mind, she is the one that is suffering injustices since she is upright and pure while her wild sister gets the family ranch. Gertie is mad because she lost her farm to a no-good (in her mind only) grandson when her son-in-law was killed. Toby intensely dislikes Gertie, and doesn’t make life any easier for her and even manages to do it when she doesn’t mean to. Gerties beloved husband Howard has Alzheimer’s, but as Howard slips further Gertie is consistently taught the true nature of their relationship.

George is the loyal ranch hand who stays and works on the ranch because it is where his wife, child, and younger half-brother David are buried. Both are buried in the Bolden family cemetery. George feels a need to stay on the ranch to watch over Toby, and also watch over their brother John. Poor Johnny was disliked by Luther and was shell-shocked from World War II. Alcoholism got the best of him as did his lingering nightmares.

But this summer was the summer the demons left behind by Luther would finally be put to rest.

Impressions

This book was an Alex Award winner in 2007. An Alex Award goes to books that were written for adult, but would also appeal to young adults. The book itself is dark, and I’m not normally a fan of dark books, but it fits the mood. The cover art is black and white and dark, which I found strangely comforting. The book is written in such a way that the reader may think they know what is coming up, or that they can guess what the truth really is, but it is not. It kept me on my toes and I did not want to put the book down. As a reader I felt for Lila as she struggled with putting her baby up for adoption and the automatic judgmental looks she got from people in the city. . I think teens will enjoy this book. It deals with some tough topics: love, divorce, drugs, teenage pregnancy, religion, and teen marriage. It does not sugar coat topics and teens will love this book for that reason. They don't want Lila skipping through her pregnancy like everything is going to be okay and the same as it used to be because life isn't like that. Teens know that life is not tied up in a pretty bow, all problems are not solved, and not everyone lives happily ever after.

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Toby Jenkins, now 72, has been living all her life in the same ornate Sears, Roebuck farmhouse in the Nebraska Sandhills her father bought for her mother back in 1920. For now, Toby aims to stay there with her cranky self-righteous sister, Gertie, despite the local weasel banker's pressure to sell. Toby is widowed, resolute and land-scarred; a string of family deaths, tragedies and abandonments have left Toby and Gertie with no one to pass the place on to. Then Toby's 16-year-old pregnant granddaughter, Lila, arrives from Minneapolis. At first the unloved, metal-studded Lila, the child of Toby's adoptive daughter, a bitter airline stewardess, is surly and ungrateful, but eventually her curiosity about country rituals and her grandmother's life leads her to the family cemetery and to archives harboring long-buried family secrets. Playwright Joern's characters are as stern as the land, and the world of her debut novel is sturdy and memorable. (Sept.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Joern intricately weaves together a compelling family saga and a beautifully rendered paean to the land her characters love and are struggling to preserve. Rooted in the Nebraska Sandhills, Toby, an aging widow, lives with her older sister in the house their parents built before the Depression. Toby invites Lila, her pregnant 16-year-old granddaughter, to stay with them until her baby is born, in part to assuage the long-standing rift between Toby and Lila's mother. While sifting through her feelings about her pregnancy, impending motherhood, and adoption, Lila simultaneously begins digging into family secrets, including the death of Toby's first love in an accident caused by her father and the son Toby gave up for adoption months later. Surrounding the intertwined details of this family's loves, jealousies, and regrets like a cocoon is their emotional bond with the land itself--the land they're in danger of losing to a ranching conglomerate. Joern's lyrical and painterly descriptions of the vast Sandhills are the perfect backdrop for this subtle drama. Deborah Donovan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

The Wall

The Wall:Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
By Peter Sis
Frances Foster Books
New York, New York
978-0-374-34701-7
2007

Summary
Peter Sis grew up in Prague, Czechoslovakia during the Communist Era. Communism means the state gets control of basically everything. When the state controls the social aspects this means that they can tell a person what they can and cannot listen to and draw only specific items. Creativity is discouraged, or only allowed with certain parameters. The Wall is the story of one boy’s desire to be free: free to be himself and free to draw his art.

Peter dreams of being free, and as news from America finds its way into Prague, Sis questions his communist culture. Sis knows to keep his questions to himself because it is dangerous for people to know about his questions. What is even more dangerous is the fact SIS is an artist who likes drawing abstract paintings, but under Communism only the Socialist Realism is allowed. But things start to change in January of 1968 when Jan Ducek is elected First Secretary of the Communist Party. Dubcek lifts some censorship bans and the students are now allowed to have long hair and wear jeans. Things look good until Soviet tanks rolled into Prague on August 21, 1968. Then things returned to Communism normal only with more mistrust from the government.

Impressions

Sis does a good job of telling the story of communism in picture book format. The stark black & white drawings with bits of Communism red gives the reader a hint of what life might have been like. The writing around the edges is short, and to the point. The pictures speak for themselves. Besides the red used to represent communism, Sis includes other symbols like every person who is pro-communist is depicted as a pig. Interspersed throughout the book are pages that are written as timelines with Sis’ thoughts of what was happening at the time. It was interesting to read how he reacted to things like hearing Elvis Presley for the first time. Sis and his friends thought Elvis was a girl! Surrounding the pages providing a border are pictures of Sis during the time period and drawings also. The book does give a good introduction to Communism and provides a glimpse into one person’s life. It leaves me wanting to know more about certain events like the 1969 Beach Boys concert because the book gives just enough information about events. It is a good springboard to get students interested in the period.

Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. Born out of a question posed to Sís (Play, Mozart, Play!) by his children (Are you a settler, Dad?), the author pairs his remarkable artistry with journal entries, historical context and period photography to create a powerful account of his childhood in Cold War–era Prague. Dense, finely crosshatched black-and-white drawings of parades and red-flagged houses bear stark captions: Public displays of loyalty—compulsory. Children are encouraged to report on their families and fellow students. Parents learn to keep their opinions to themselves. Text along the bottom margin reveals young Sís's own experience: He didn't question what he was being told. Then he found out there were things he wasn't told. The secret police, with tidy suits and pig faces, intrude into every drawing, watching and listening. As Sís grows to manhood, Eastern Europe discovers the Beatles, and the Prague Spring of 1968 promises liberation and freedom. Instead, Soviet tanks roll in, returning the city to its previous restrictive climate. Sís rebels when possible, and in the book's final spreads, depicts himself in a bicycle, born aloft by wings made from his artwork, flying toward America and freedom, as the Berlin Wall crumbles below. Although some of Sís's other books have their source in his family's history, this one gives the adage write what you know biting significance. Younger readers have not yet had a graphic memoir with the power of Maus or Persepolis to call their own, but they do now. Ages 8-up. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* In an autobiographical picture book that will remind many readers of Marjane Satrapi's memoir Persepolis (2003), Sís' latest, a powerful combination of graphic novel and picture book, is an account of his growing up in Czechoslovakia under Soviet rule. Written in several stands, the somewhat fragmented narrative never dilutes the impact of the boldly composed panels depicting scenes from Sís' infancy through young adulthood. Throughout, terrific design dramatizes the conflict between conformity and creative freedom, often through sparing use of color; in many cases, the dominant palette of black, white, and Communist red threatens to swallow up young Peter's freely doodled, riotously colored artwork. The panels heighten the emotional impact, as when Sís fleeing the secret police, emerges from one spread's claustrophobic, gridlike sequence into a borderless, double-page escape fantasy. Even as they side with Peter against fearsome forces beyond his control, younger readers may lose interest as the story moves past his childhood, and most will lack crucial historical context. But this will certainly grab teens—who will grasp both the history and the passionate, youthful rebellions against authority—as well as adults, many of whom will respond to the Cold War setting. Though the term picture book for older readers has been bandied about quite a bit, this memorable title is a true example. Mattson, Jennifer

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It's been a year, but I'm posting new summaries and reviews for my Young Adult Literature Class!