Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech, (2003). New York, NY: HarperCollins. (ISBN:0060292903)Awards: Rebecca Caudill Young Reader's Book Award Nominee (2006),
Sunshine State Young Readers Grade 6-8 Nominee (2005).
Audience: Ages 9-13
Annotation: Rosie and Bailey both are 12 years old. The two grew up next to each other and did everything the same and they are best friends. Rosie is having a hard time understanding Bailey and is upset. With the help of her grandmother, Rosie is able to sort out her problems with Bailey. Through cooking and storytelling, Granny Torelli helps Rosie realize that making up with Bailey is the right thing to do. It’s not long before Rosie and Bailey see the connection between their lives and Granny’s lesson.
Personal Reaction: This book offers a story with strong characters and meaningful relationships through good cooking. I love the incorporation of the grandmothers life experiences to teach her granddaughter about relationships. This book brings two different protagonists together as they both learn each others differences and what they both have in common. I am a softy for books that have cooking in them, sometimes I want to try and make the recipes myself. I love how Granny Torrelli uses distractions with her granddaughter Rosie so she feels more comfortable to begin sharing her feelings.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Tweens, friendship, soup, family,
Genre Label: Fiction
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Tweens, friendship, soup, family,
Genre Label: Fiction
Hidden by Helen Frost, 2011, New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. (ISBN:9780374382216)Audience: Ages 10-14
Awards: N/A
Annotation: When Wren Abbott and Darra Monson are eight years old, Darra's father steals a minivan but he doesn't know that Wren is hiding in the back and later escaping from the garage where the car was kept. Darra’s father is sent to jail after they figure where Wren came from. Years later, the girls face each other for the first time at a camp. Can they exchange stories about their experience, or would they still blame each other for what happened?
Personal Reaction: This story was simple and easy to read. I was hooked from the beginning to end. It’s a mystery to solve and suspense takes over you. This novel is written in poems revealing the complexities of memories and strength in a friendship as both girls overcome their pain and fears. It teaches a lesson of not jumping over board by insulting or ridiculing another person. It teaches about sorting past issues in a manner of respect.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Coming-of-age, fiction, friendship, juvenile, multicultural, novel-in-verse, friendship.Personal Reaction: This story was simple and easy to read. I was hooked from the beginning to end. It’s a mystery to solve and suspense takes over you. This novel is written in poems revealing the complexities of memories and strength in a friendship as both girls overcome their pain and fears. It teaches a lesson of not jumping over board by insulting or ridiculing another person. It teaches about sorting past issues in a manner of respect.
Genre Label: Fiction
In Care of Cassie Tucker by Ivy Ruckman, 1998,New York, NY: Delacorte Press. (ISBN: 0385325142)Awards: N/A
Audience: Ages 9-14
Audience: Ages 9-14
Annotation: Cassie Tucker is 11 years old and is the only daughter of a preacher. She has two brothers, one older, one younger, but always wanted a sister. So she's disappointed when she hears that her fourteen year old cousin Evan Tucker is coming to live to her Nebraska home because his parents died of cholera. Cassie is anxious to meet his cousin and wonders what he is like, but is also upset because she will lose her room to him. Cassie learns a lot from Evan as time passes by and comes to accept him as a part of the family.
Personal Reaction: I think young readers, tweens and teens can read this novel because of the age difference which all the characters to relate to. It teaches the reader to be open minded and be welcoming. I was intrigued by how the story developed and how vivid the characters were. I liked the fact that Evan was very open with his extended family, and did not hide or use negative means to cope with having lost his parents. This book comes together beautifully as Cassie and Evan are different but come to know and learn from each other.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Great for fourth graders to middle school, religious, friendship, family, loss, fear Personal Reaction: I think young readers, tweens and teens can read this novel because of the age difference which all the characters to relate to. It teaches the reader to be open minded and be welcoming. I was intrigued by how the story developed and how vivid the characters were. I liked the fact that Evan was very open with his extended family, and did not hide or use negative means to cope with having lost his parents. This book comes together beautifully as Cassie and Evan are different but come to know and learn from each other.
Genre Label: Fiction
Moonpie and Ivy by Barbara O'Connor, (2001). New York, NY : Farrar Straus Giroux (ISBN:0374350590)Audience: Ages 10-14
Awards: Massachusetts Book Award for Children's/Young Adult Literature (2002).
Annotation: Pearl's mother, Ruby, just up and left her one night with Aunt Ivy, who's a complete stranger to Pearl. Pearl wonders if she'll ever come back – Pearl’s mother has always been wild and irresponsible. So Pearl is stuck with Aunt Ivy, and Moonpie, the neighbor boy whose mother doesn't want him, either. Just as Pearl is getting comfortable and feels connected with her aunt and Moonpie, Pearl’s mom reappears.
Personal Reaction: This books shows how life can be unfair and hard. I connected with the story about being left with family and then picked up again. It is a hard process that tweens and teens may have to go through, and this books teaches them they are not alone. That they can memorize the phone number of another person they feel they can trust if things go wrong. It is hard to say what many tweens and teens go though, especially a lot of changes when parents are moving them around. This book can teach tweens to be strong for themselves.
Genre Label: Realistic fiction, fiction
Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge, (2011), New York: Amulet Books. ISBN: 978-0-8109-9722-6Awards: N/A
Audience: Ages 12 & up
Audience: Ages 12 & up
Annotation: Page by Paige is a graphic novel with great expressively vivid images and designs that is based on the story of the author’s life experience. Paige is a 16 year old that has to adjust to the new life in New York City, leaving behind her friends and home. Through her developing friendships in New York she begins to discover about herself as an artist and gains confidence to share her sketchbook of beautiful art work among her new friends and her parents. This lovely graphic novel is full of metaphors and similes.
Personal Reaction: This book was a great coming of age story and teaches teens to be open to changes, be aware of their talents, be confident, and not give up. It is a inspirational and motivational graphic novel which teens that do not typically like reading can get hooked into. This book offers a story about change and a lot of teens will relate to that since many move from schools or places. I believe this graphic novel will become one of the many popular graphic novels among both boys and girls because of the story and the great illustrations. I love all the metaphors and similes too.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Junior high and up because reader can identified to character's experience. Subjects and themes, self esteem in adolescence, beauty, and friendship, coming of age, relationships, art.
Genre Label: Graphic novel
