Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, 2000, MA: Candlewick Press. (0-7636-0776-2)
Awards: Newbery Honor Book, 2001
Annotation: India Opal Buloni, a once lonely ten year old in a new town, gains friends of all types once she adopts her furry companion Winn Dixie; a dog named after the grocery store that she found him in.
Personal Reaction: While re-reading this book (I read it when it first came out) I began thinking this book is underrated. Parents and children seem to prefer Kate DiCamillo’s other award winner that was published just a few years later, The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread. In fact, both books were made into films, yet the cartoon movie version of The Tale of Despereaux (Universal, 2008) was better received than the live action movie of Because of Winn-Dixie (20th Century Fox, 2005).
I think this book may not have been as popular due to some of its content. Opal’s father is a preacher of a Baptist church. Some scenes take place at his sermons. Also, Opal befriends a lot of the odd characters in her new town, including some adults who, according to the town’s folk, have issues. Miss Fanny Block, the local librarian, is erratic and has small shaking fits in the middle of telling a story. Otis, known most for being arrested, is a lonely guitarist who works at the town pet shop. Gloria Dump, a blind older lady, is rumored to be a witch, but really is a nice lady and recovering alcoholic.
Opal also befriends young Sweetie Pie Thomas, who, despite going on six years old, sucks her thumbs. Amanda Wilkinson is described as a sour-faced girl who is stand-offish, yet Opal gets to the bottom of her behavior (as she does with all of her new friends). It turns out that Amanda is sour-faced because her 5 year old brother drowned the previous year. Opal eventually even becomes friendly with the town bullies, identical twins Dunlap and Stevie Dewberry, both described early on as bald headed babies. Through various turns of events Opal also becomes a fan of her and her father’s trailer park landlord.
Tween readers may be able to relate to Opal’s early onset loneliness, especially if they have ever experienced moving into a new town or if they come from single-parent household. The family dynamic, and the fact that there is cross-generational friendships, make me believe that this book has very redeeming qualities. Mentioned throughout the story, Opal is an only child being raised by her father. Opal’s mother is not brought up by her father, which makes her curiosity and longing for her mother grow. Eventually Opal comes to terms with her mother’s abandonment as she begins to gain friends and appreciate her father more.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Ages 9-12. Subjects and themes include: bullying, judgments, friendships, parent-child relationships, adult-youth relationships, small towns, and adapting to new environments.
Genre Label: Fiction
Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, 1978
Annotation: Hardworking farm boy, Jesse Oliver Aarons, Jr., meets eccentric tomboy, Leslie Burke, just prior to entering the 5th grade. At first Jesse is reluctant to befriend his new neighbor and classmate, but he eventually lets his guard down and he and Leslie become best friends. Leslie teaches Jess many things, including: how to be a kid, how to have fun, how to be brave, how to use his imagination, how to love, and, sadly, how to grieve from her loss.
Personal Reaction: I recall having read this book at some point during my childhood and knew that one of the main characters dies. However, I did not recall the details and rather enjoyed reading it again. One thing I forgot was what a quick read it was and that it contained sporadic illustrations. The particular edition I read had a certain 70s decade feel to it, which I think might make the book feel out of date to current teens. However, upon looking up other editions available online, I found out that newer version have been printed with the movie tie-in graphic on the cover (Walt Disney, 2007).
Jess’s life seems rather harsh for a kid. Jesse is the only boy in a family with four daughters, Jess’s father is also gone most of the time, and when he is home, he is distant from his only son. Jess’s mother is somewhat aloof and tends to stick up for his younger sibling and bend the rules for his older sisters. I found it interesting that Jess ended up being so close to Leslie, as even though she is a tomboy, she is still a female companion. However, she is almost meant to be his soul mate and gets him interested in make believe and his passion for art. I think what I found more enduring about this book is Jess’s relationship, not with Leslie, but with his younger sister Mae Bell. He considers her a pest, yet is very protective and loving toward her.
Toward the end of the book, Jess builds a brigade to his and Leslie’s fortress (a wooden shack they made to represent an enchanted kingdom), which is named Terabithia. Leslie died while trying to cross the rapid waters below from a worn rope Jess and she used over and over again. Jess is not there to witness her death and really never gets to see her body. Ironically, in a chapter entitled “the perfect day” Jess accompanies his crush, the elementary school’s music teacher to a museum; this is the day Leslie dies. My favorite part of the book is the bridge building chapter. Mae Bell ends up following Jess as she is concerned he is lonely, however, she gets stuck on the bridge with strong water flowing below her. Jess is able to be brave and take action to save her. Later, Jess explains that Terabithia needs a queen, as Leslie once held the title and he gives the queen’s crown (in a matter of speaking) to Mae Bell.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Ages 10 and up. Subjects include friendship, bullying, dying, imagination, and school life.
Genre Label: Fiction
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, 1989, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. (0-395-51060-0)
Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, 1990
Annotation: This book is a testament to bravery, struggle, and friendship during Nazi occupied Denmark in 1943. Ten-year old girl, Annemarie Johannesen (Danish and Protestant), does what she can to keep her good friend Ellen Rosen (Jewish) out of harm’s way during the relocation of Jews from their Copenhagen town.
Personal Reaction: The injustices of the Holocaust are introduced and discussed in this novel. At first, both Annemarie and Ellen are naive as to why the German soldiers are cluttered among the streets of their Copenhagen town. However, quickly the plot speeds up and thickens as the dangers that accompany the Nazi troops are soon realized by both girls. Word spreads, via the Danish resistance, that the Nazi’s are relocating Jews, yet it is uncertain where and what exactly the ramifications of this act means. Most Jewish families know that the outcome of the relocation is bad news and soon they begin to flee in the middle of the night. Ellen’s family acts quickly too. On what would be a happy evening, the night of their New Year (Rosh Hashanah), Ellen’s parents coordinate a plan with Annemarie’s parents. Annemarie’s parents decide to take in Ellen and plan to let her take on the identity of their deceased oldest daughter. Ellen and Annemarie don’t have a chance to be excited at the thought of being sisters, as soldiers invade Annemarie’s home in the night looking for the Rosen family. The story escalates from here as the girls find out that Ellen’s parents are still in Denmark, but with the help of Ellen’s uncle, are all going to flee to Sweden. Annemarie takes part in helping the Rosens escape.
I found this book to be a very quick read as it was very suspenseful and had frequent mysteries that I wanted to unveil. As an adult reader, the mysteries were a little predictable or easy to figure out, but I enjoyed reading the book nonetheless. I am sure for the tween reader, the intrigue and suspense is spot on. For instance, in the beginning of the book it is revealed that Annemarie’s older sister, Lise, died from an “accident”. It is assumed to be an auto accident. Later, after Annemarie helps Ellen escape, it is revealed that her Lise was part of the resistance and was killed by the German soldiers. Sadly, Lise’s fiancé who lived past her death (he is also involved in the Rosen family escape) is also killed.
Annemarie is forced to grow up quickly and loses some of her childlike innocence while gaining courage that she didn’t know she could possess. This novel is a great introduction to the Holocaust and is a great way to open up discussion about this period in history. Classrooms and libraries can benefit by sharing book talks about the trials mentioned in the novel.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Ages 9-12. Subjects include: World War II, the Holocaust, Denmark history. Themes include bravery and friendship.
Genre Label: Historical Fiction
The View from Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg, 1998, NY: Aladdin Paperbacks. (0689817215)Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, 1997
Annotation: A team of four interrelated sixth graders unite to compete against older grade levels in an academic competition. This diverse group deems themselves “The Souls” and, led by their brave home room teacher, Mrs. Olinksi, accomplish many feats by sticking together.
Personal Reaction: I rather liked the flow and set up of this book. The chapters switch on and off from a narrator to that of the point of view of the main characters. The intermittent chapters of the narrator help set the speed and pace of the concurrent happenings at the academic competition that The Souls attend and eventually win.
The Souls, a group of friends and academic whizzes, are brought together by an interesting series of events. Each Soul member: Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian have designated chapters that explain their interests, background, how they all meet or are related to one another, and in a way address how each member was able to answer challenging intellectual questions during the academic bowl. The Souls’ teacher, Mrs. Olinski, also has chapter that lets the reader into her life. Mrs. Olinski is a young widow who became a paraplegic after a car accident that she and her husband were involved in. The Souls help her gain confidence in herself that she lost after becoming physically handicapped.
Each member of The Souls is diverse in their own way, which I think is a positive aspect in this story. Julian, for instance, is of Indian descent but was raised on a British cruise ship. He has a British accent and wears clothes that make him a target for school bullies.
Nadia, a red head, is half Jewish and in the book she is known as a “hybrid”. Noah, 100% Jewish, is wise beyond his years, enjoys calligraphy and is very intuitive to other’s feelings. Ethan is quiet and enjoys musicals, plays, and really any screen productions. The Souls come together when Julian dispenses scavenger hunt type clues to each of the other three sixth graders. The clues come from use of geography and literary references to Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Each student is invited to tea time at 4 p.m. one Saturday afternoon. All attendees bring a gift, they hit it off and decide to meet every Saturday for tea. Eventually Mrs. Olinski becomes part of the tea time as well.
I like the diversity of each character and their ability to bond, despite their physical and other differences. I also like that a lot of adults are mentioned in this book and The Souls feelings and relationships with the adults are given notice lot of attention. I think an added benefit of this book are the questions asked during the academic bowls. This book offers more than a lesson in tolerance; it is also filled with trivia. The answers to the questions asked during the academic bowls are offered at the end of the book.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Ages 9-12, particularly relatable for students in the 6th grade. Themes include friendship, student-teacher relationships, academic competition, schools, physically handicapped individuals, and tolerance.
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman. Illustrated by Peter Sis, 1986, New York: Greenwillow Books. (0688062164)
Awards: Newbery Medal Winner, 1987
Annotation: This is a story about a young bratty prince and his street smart whipping boy who, together, run into a far amount of adventure and trouble. During many attempted escapes from villains the boys, who at best times are frenemies, later become friends.
Personal Reaction: I particularly like the vocabulary used in this book as it gives a feel for an era of kings and castles. This words like “gaw” as an expressive term is an example of this and is reminiscent of the similar vocabulary in Kate Dicamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread. The words used to describe the characters are engaging, such as the villain’s name; “Hold-Your-Nose-Billy” (he reeks of garlic and other stench). Prince Horace is even deemed , “Prince Brat”, which helps the reader understand just how spoiled and arrogant he is. The Whipping Boy, “Jemmy-From-The-Streets”, is also a creative way to remind readers the descriptive characteristics of each person in the plot.
In addition to the vocabulary, I like that even though the boys are polar opposites, and the prince is portrayed as an overly obnoxious character, everyone learns a lesson in humility. This book can has stood the test of time as an award winning piece of literature for children.
Curricular Connection/Subjects/Themes: Friendship, adventure, tolerance, royalty, etc. Can be paired with Kate DiCamillo’s The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread.
Genre Label: Fiction