The Graveyard Book. Neil Gaiman.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Neil Gaiman; Béla Fleck. 2008. The Graveyard Book CD [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (Audio CD) New York : Harper Children's Audio. ISBN : 9780061551895

PLOT SUMMARY

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He lives in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for Bod-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will no longer be safe from the man Jack-who is still out there looking for the baby that got away. Nobody Owens’s parents were killed when he was a toddler and he escaped to a cemetery where the people buried there hid him from the murderer. After a heated debate on whether to take him in and what to do with him from then on, the community of the dead agree to make him one of their own. They name him Nobody, and call him Bod, because he's like nobody else in the cemetery. Bod is taken in by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a married, sadly childless, couple in ghost form who lived many years ago and raise the toddler as a member of their family. A nocturnal guardian named Silas ensures that Bod receives food, books, and anything else he might need from the human world. From the inhabitants of the yard and from his guardian, Silas, Bod learns the ways of ghosts: tricks for haunting fading, dream-walking, and soon is well known across all the graveyards in London. He also has academic lessons with a cast of dead intelligencia and tries a short stint at the local public school. Bod interacts naturally with humans and nonhumans alike, making a few friends among the living but mostly staying close to home. Wherever the boy wonders he finds new dangers and the skills he’ll need to survive within the graveyard and in the scary world of the living.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

There is a space of two years between each vignette and each can stand alone in story. The plot follows Bod's progress as he grows from baby to teen, learning life’s lessons amid a cadre of the long-dead, ghouls, witches, and all walks of undead. In time, Bod becomes a guardian of the graveyard. Gaiman’s world consists of a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens, ancient Roman Caius Pompeius, an hidebound young witch, a captivating woman in grey, a Hound of God/school teacher for Bod and his beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead. One of Bod’s most gripping adventures portrays the Duke of Westminster, the Emperor of China and the 33rd President of the United States (Harry Truman's name is never mentioned) as hideous ghouls hungry for Bod's flesh.

Gaiman cites his inspiration for his newest novel from Kipling’s The Jungle Book. There are some obvious parallels between Bod’s story and The Jungle Book; for example, instead of getting kidnapped by apes, Bod gets kidnapped by ghouls. Pieces of other epic stories are glimpsed throughout as well; Bod is prophesied to overthrow an ancient and powerful sect, he lives between two worlds, and then some… can’t give it all away! Gaiman cleverly blends horror, humor, and humanity into a exhilarating story. In all, this is a wonderful metaphor about a kid growing up and exploring the world beyond the safety his homes. There's so much to read into in this novel, no wonder it won the Newbery.

AUDIO EXPERIENCE

Neil Gaiman; Béla Fleck. 2008. The Graveyard Book CD [AUDIOBOOK] [UNABRIDGED] (7 Audio CD7 1/2 hr) Written and read by Neil Gaiman. Music performed by Béla Fleck.
The audio disc features a brilliant version of Saint-Saëns' "The Danse Macabre" performed by Béla Fleck on the banjo. Also introductory banjo in the beginning of each disc but then fades out for the remainder of the narration. Gaiman's voice never changes overmuch –he is nasal and scratchy for most of the reading; but he conveys the range of characters and their emotions by giving each character a different voice or accent. Nevertheless, curled up with the headphones, it’s as if he’s sitting beside me reading me a story, which is always soothing (this was my first audio book, probably not my last, but I’m not anxious for another).

I listened to this book while on a road trip with my family and in-laws –all avid readers. We all decided to give Gaiman a go, but the first two chapters of the book was all it took for the company to vote this book off the radio. It was slow to begin, and I think the baby-hunting in the first few scenes was just too much for some listening. I moved to headphones and listened for another 2 discs. If this wasn’t formal homework I may have returned the audio book for the print version altogether. The experience of listening to this audio book felt more like a chore than it should have. I had trouble following the story. I missed transitions and character introductions. Often I would suddenly feel like I had no idea what was going on. Not for not paying attention, but rather because I had trouble marking the important transitions between scenes. I didn’t catch character introductions and wondered who they were. At first I kept rewinding the audio to try to catch it, but that drove me crazy, so I listened and hoped it would come to make some sense. In the text those same transitions are marked by paragraph spacing or sometimes a small graphic between scenes that is not a new chapter but rather a long breathe between subjects. By disc 3 I was a little lost. My auditory acuity isn’t suited for listening to long vocal tracks like this. It could be complicated by his thick accent and changing tones. I just had a lot of trouble following Gaiman’s narration. I can’t blame the frustration on Gaiman’s writing, however, because my husband brought one of his other novels along for his own vacation reading, Anansi Boys. I picked it up a few times and was hooked immediately. (I must admit, even now I am anxious to finish this review so I can stay up reading about Fat Charlie) I was quickly intrigued by the writing, interested in the characters, and over the first few chapters, I found the story easy to follow as I would a Terry Pratchett or Stephen King novel. In conclusion, reading print is by far my preference over audio books any day, anywhere. But it was a good story and I'd like to read it –read it- again because I did miss quite a lot.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“In this novel of wonder, Neil Gaiman follows in the footsteps of long-ago storytellers, weaving a tale of unforgettable enchantment.” -Monica Edinger. New York Times.
The Graveyard Book has spent 15 weeks on the New York Times best-seller list for children’s chapter books. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/books/27newb.html?em

“Gaiman's novel is a soothing towel on the forehead of an ashen, fevered rugrat who wants to know what it all means.” –miracle. http://www.fictioncircus.com/

AWARDS

The Graveyard Book won the 2009 Hugo and Newbery Awards, as well as a Locus Award for best YA novel.

Its numerous honors makes The Graveyard Book one of the most honored children's books in recent history. Gaiman's work was cited by the ALA for its "delicious mix of murder, fantasy, humor and human longing", noting its "magical, haunting prose."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Graveyard_Book

CONNECTIONS

Irish Academy Award-winning filmmaker Neil Jordan has signed on to write and direct the film adaptation.

Neil keeps a blog on jacketflap. You can learn an awful lot about him here http://www.jacketflap.com/megablog/index.asp?blogid=416

And of course on his website http://www.neilgaiman.com/

Gravestone Rubbing. Visit a cemetery with paper and charcoal to rub some gravestones of your own. Play the part of a detective and see what you can learn about the people who are buried there. Try to find the oldest and most recent residents.

The graveyard is populated with characters we typically think of as evil. How does Gaiman play with this idea, particularly in the characters of Silas, Miss Lupescu, and Eliza Hempstock?

Bod's human interactions are limited to a brief friendship with Scarlett and an even briefer stint at school. Discuss how these experiences change Bod. How do our friendships and associations with others affect us?

Rapunzel's Revenge. Shannon Hale.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Hale, Shannon, and Dean Hale. Illus. Nathan Hale. 2008. Rapunzel’s Revenge. Bloomsbury: London. ISBN : 9780747587439.

PLOT SUMMARY

Rapunzel has no idea what lies over the giant wall surrounding the castle where she lives as Mother Gothel’s daughter and heir. When she dares to spy over it one day, she meets her real mother living in slavery on the other side. Her curiosity incurs the wrath of Mother Gothel and she is locked away in a small room at the top of a very tall, very magical tree. During her years in captivity her hair grows extremely long and she devises an escape plan to use her hair like a rope: rappelling out of the tree, into the wild forest around her, and off to save her real mother from Mother Gothel’s evil rule. As Rapunzel herself says in the narration, “This is where the ‘once upon a time’ part ends.”


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Rapunzel is reinvented in this exciting rendition of the classic fairy tale collaboration by Shannon Hale, her husband Dean Hale, the brilliant artist Nathan Hale (no relation) and Melinda Hale (also no relation) on text detail. Here is where the Brothers Grimm meets the Wild West with creative abandon. Everything is exaggerated by Mother Gothel’s growth magic. There is a reassuring diversity among characters living in Gothel's realm coming in every shape and color. There are dwarves and a magic pick axe named Inga, a crazy hermit named Witchy Jasper who has a pet jackelope, a sea serpent, a giant bucking boar, scary coyotes, and more. Rapunzel herself is a lasso wielding acrobat out to save the world in her funky outfits and flaming locks a mile long. Jack, the mysterious outlaw with magic beans, is a native boy running from the law with a goose named Goldie who may one day lay an egg.

This tall tale has all the best from western legends and the desert scenery with rocky landscape, native architecture, and oversize cactus bring home the high desert. The two protagonists are in trouble everywhere they go, making for non-stop action adventure. After Rapunzel’s escape from the magic tree, Mother Gothel put a price on Rapunzel’s head for treason and sent her muscleman, Brute, to fetch her. (He’s huge and rides a ginormous buffalo … are you thinking Paul Bunyan?) Gothel locked up Rapunzel’s birth mother, and Rapunzel is determined to get back to the castle to rescue her mother, overthrow Gothel’s evil rule, and return the country to prosperity. But first they outwit every foe that crosses their path and make some friends along the way. The writing is spunky with witty banter and jokes galore. The fast paced plot doesn’t faze Nathan Hale. His illustrations move across the page with a rhythm all their own and bring the story to life. If you don’t take time to study them you’ll miss some better details of the story. A number of well known fairy tales find their way into the telling of Rapunzel’s Revenge adding intrigue and humor on a myriad of levels, but it would take an evil stepmother to give that part away.

Though nearly 150 pages thick, I devoured this novel in one afternoon. It proved to be a great escape from the real world for a few hours and I will gratefully read it again. A joy for anyone and everyone –even my toddler is now trying to lasso the world!


REVIEW EXCERPTS

“In this graphic novel, Rapunzel's a spunky, hair-whip-toting cowgirl. She joins with stolen-goose rapscallion Jack to rescue her mother and end her wicked stepmother's reign. The gutsy tale is particularly well suited to its format, with illustrations mixing the familiar and offbeat. High action, sensory thrills, and the wisecracking heroes are clearly conveyed through image cropping, text placement, and facial emotional cues.” Horn Book. http://www.perma-bound.com/

“If you don’t love this one… I’ll grow super-long braids and ride off into the sunset.” Shelfelf. http://shelfelf.wordpress.com/2008/06/11/rapunzels-revenge/


AWARDS for Rapunzel’s Revenge

Rapunzel’s Revenge has won or has been nominated for many awards, including an ALA 2009 Notable Children’s Book award, a YALSA 2009 Great Graphic Novel for Teens award, and an Eisner Award nomination.


CONNECTIONS

Students can search for the different characters mentioned in this rendition. Each student can choose one and compare their original tale to the new characterization in Rapunzel’s Revenge.

For a creative writing exercise, reinvent another fairy tale or legend, create a dialogue and perform it or illustrate and publish it.

In history, relate Rapunzel’s hair-power with other Samson tales or tie it to the traditional role of hair across cultures (Seikh, Native American, etc)
Shannon provides some wonderful activity ideas on her website, http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_rap.html

Find out more about the Hales online at Shannon’s official website http://www.squeetus.com/stage/main.html and in her wikipedia page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon_Hale.

Jellicoe Road. Melina Marchetta.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Marchetta, Melina. 2006. Jellicoe Road. New York : HarperCollins. ISBN 9780061431845.

PLOT SUMMARY

Five people die in a car accident on the Jellicoe Road. Three kids survive, another saves them and they embrace one more. This crew will be friends for as long as they live. Taylor Markham's mother left her at the 7-11 on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven years old and she has no idea where she comes from. A novel of self discovery and friendship; two stories from the past and present bring together bonds of history- shared love, grief, secrets, truth and forgiveness- at the school on Jellicoe Road.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This novel is really two stories set in a rural Australian boarding school: about a girl struggling to find her peace, and about a group of teenagers 20 years in the past whose friendship shaped her history. The ending is suddenly intense, with happy and painful moments crushed together so that you don’t know whether to cry or laugh. At its heart, this a story about how friendships born from grief can last a lifetime.

Taylor Markham is the hesitant leader of the school in the traditional territory wars between the Jellicoe School students (led by Taylor), the Townies (led by Chaz Santangelo), and the Cadets (led by Jonah Griggs), who come in for six weeks from the city. Taylor is lost in herself; she struggles with leading the school, her missing mother, the disappearance of Hannah, a serial killer on the loose, and general teenage angst. When Hannah suddenly goes away, Taylor comes undone in her despair. She finds some solace in Hannah's house reading her unfinished manuscript which slowly reveals the story of Taylor’s mysterious past. Only Jonah, the boy that is getting under her skin through her heart, and the support from her wards will bring her out of her head and strengthen her resolve to find her own peace.

Hannah's manuscript brings the past into Taylor’s present with the story of five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road: Tate, Narnie, Webb, Fitz, and Jude. A terrible accident brings these five together with a bond to outlast life and death. They begin the territory wars, built the clubhouse, carve their story in the Prayer Tree, and share the horrible secret. Not all of them grow up, and those that do have issues. But the survivors carry their love for each other through all sorts of trial and tribulation, till the bitter end.

The first 150 pages are confusing and disjointed -just like a disturbed teenage girl’s mind. It seems to be all about the war games and poor Taylor’s abandonment issues -except for the insertion of a seemingly unconnected plotline which I originally thought was about Talyor’s schoolmates. One moment Taylor’s drowning a cat with her bare hands and the next moment she’s fallen for her worst rival. Then suddenly the characters change altogether and there’s depression, suicide, and melodramatics from the past. There’s a boy in her dreams that spooks her but she worries when the he doesn’t appear even though she’s avoided sleep to miss him. I nearly quit this book for all the whining self-absorbed teenage ick.

The juxtaposition between Taylor’s narrative and Hanna’s story is a very clever idea and ultimately made an awesome journey out of a mediocre coming of age novel. The lack of transition between stories made it difficult to keep up, even sometimes they felt like the same characters. The character development is sporadic and most of the connections are not clear until the very last chapters. Once the pieces began to fit together though, I had a hard time putting the novel down. Slowly the characters become surprisingly real and it’s hard not to be swallowed by their raw and vivid emotions. I felt what the characters felt: joy, sadness, hope, despair, happiness, and belonging. Taylor and her friends are different people at the beginning and the end of the book. They seem to forget about the territory wars and fall in love with one another, run away, and collaborate on solving the mystery of Taylor’s life. Each character is changed by the past in some way. In the end, Taylor is no longer the manic-depressed girl forced to lead her school, but a confident young woman who’s found her home, her family, and peace in her soul.

I laughed, I cried, I held my breath; I even forgot the rambling beginning as I read well into the night –hooked in Marchetta’s fierce storytelling. If you can stand the beginning, it’s well worth it to keep reading.


REVIEW EXCERPTS

"Melina Marchetta has a knack for writing stories that swallow you up and refuse to let you go until you’ve read every last word....Marchetta is a master at creating intriguing characters and her stories are heartfelt." -Sydney Morning Herald on JELLICOE ROAD

"Two tragic stories--one past, one present--come together in this carefully constructed novel set in the Australian bush. Despite grief piled on grief in the personal histories of the characters, they are all firmly bound by friendship and love. Suspenseful plotting, slowly unraveling mysteries, and generations of romance shape the absorbing novel." -The Horn Book


AWARDS FOR JELLICOE ROAD
Michael L. Printz Award
Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Book
ALA Best Book for Young Adults

CONNECTIONS

The disordered plotlines provide an opportunity to teach notetaking and diagramming to older students. As they read the novel, have them take notes on the character relationships, story lines, or even to track the clues that bring the two sagas together.

Marchetta repeatedly refers to the 1980’s (the setting for Hannah’s story) as being far in the past. What do the eighties mean to us now? How to modern students view that era, the music and culture from 20 years ago?

This novel broaches the tender subject of teenage emotions: suicide.grief. loneliness.etc. How can students relate? Offer a journal exercise to help them define their own emotions.

If teaching a geography module on Australia, try to connect the culture for the students by providing a selection of realistic-fiction novels set there. Talk about the diversity of language and lifestyle present across the continent. How do the students relate to Aussie perspective as compared with their own native culture?

The Game of Silence. Louise Erdrich

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Erdrich, Louise. 2005. The Game of Silence. New York : HarperCollins. ISBN: 9780060297909.




PLOT SUMMARY

Her name is Omakayas and she lives in an Ojibwe village on the Island of the Golden-Breasted Woodpecker (Lake Superior) in 1850. The routine of the village is interrupted by the arrival of a group of desperate strangers without clothes or food. Her people take them in immediately; giving the orphaned children new homes and nurses the older travelers back to health. From these travelers the village learns that the whites are forcing all Native Americans to move west, despite the treaty. To be sure of the stories brought by these strangers the village sends their men in the four directions to learn why the chimookomanag are breaking the treaty and how the tribe will live in this western reserve (not well, as the men soon find out). A whole year passes before the first man returns. Meanwhile, Erdich tells the daily life and migrations of Omakayas and her family. Her dreams tell her that there is much change in her future –she will leave her island and seek a new home away from the white settlers.




CRITICAL ANALYSIS

It is 1850 and the lives of her have a familiar rhythm: they build their birchbark houses in the summer, go to the rice camps in the fall, and move to their cozy cedar log cabins near town for the winter. The historic novel paints a wonderful picture of Anishinabe culture during colonization. Erdich conveys the experiences of traditional family life in vivid language and dots the text with humorous and very real moments of childhood. The children play, get in trouble, care for (and terrorize) each other, animals, plan war parties, gather food and do their chores. Sometimes the parents sing the song for silence and the Game begins. Prizes are piled up for the children who win and they all sit quietly while their parents talk about the impending changes and search for a solution.

Erdich does not downplay the terror of colonization nor the fear coursing through the families; but neither do her characters wallow in despair. In town near their winter cabin the family has more interaction with the settlers. Omakay and her sister befriend a young girl in town; they go to school and teach their father to read and write; the family trades with the merchants there. The interaction between the two cultures is peaceful. The girls communicate through gesture and broken sounds –mostly they are curious of each other.

This novel glows with insight and appreciation for traditional Ojibwa life. Dozens of sweet pencil illustrations show the characters in their natural surroundings. Just a little open web research on the Anishinabe/Ojibwa people will confirm that Erdich’s literary illustrations are truthful to their history. Louise Erdrich is of German-American/Chippewa descent, a native of North Dakota, and she is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Ojibwe. She writes with both English and Anishinaabemowin. In the end pages she offers a comprehensive glossary of Ojibwe terms in the story.

I simply could not put this novel down. This is the middle of a trilogy set during the 1800's in Minnesota: The Birchbark House, then The Game of Silence, and finally The Porcupine Year. I think I'd like to read the series through. I love a good long tale and if this volume is like the others, I know what I’ll be reading over Christmas!


REVIEW EXCERPT

“A bloody brilliant piece of work.” E.R. Bird, Children’s Librarian.


AWARDS for Game of Silence

New York Times Notable
Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Kirkus Editor’s Choice
Horn Book Fanfare
ALA Booklist Editors’ Choice


CONNECTIONS

Ojibwe culture: I hate to say it but Wikipedia is a pretty good starting place for finding out more about the Ojibwe Nation. They have collected some high quality links to information on all aspects of the tribes history. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ojibwe

Ojibwe language: http://www.ojibwemowin.com/ is the site for teachers of Anishinaabemowin. This is a great place to find research on language revitalization, curricular ideas, and to connect to other linguistic sites for Native languages.

Reviews and author biography at http://www.kidsreads.com/ among many.

Midnight Magic. Avi

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Avi. 1999. Midnight Magic. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN 9780590360357.

PLOT SUMMARY
Set in Italy 1491, in the Kingdom of Pergamontio, Mangus the Magician and his apprentice, Fabrizio, are summoned to the castle of King Claudio to banish the ghost that haunts his daughter -only to discover that it is worse than that.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

After being tried for the sin of performing magic, and in exchange for his life, Mangus the Magician is pursuing Reason and Science over the dark mysteries and intrigues of the Middle Ages. Mangus is not a real wizard but a former entertainer, and indeed he does not believe in magic but rather that every mystery can be explained through logic and reason. He and his apprentice, Fabrizio, spend their days of house arrest in a cold dark home filled with old tomes of knowledge.

One stormy midnight Fabrizio casts his tarot cards. Hoping to see a great future for his master Fabrizio draws: THE CASTELLO, THE KING, THE GHOST, THE PRINCESS, THE TUTOR, THE QUEEN and DEATH. In that moment, the story begins! A soldier arrives to escort Mangus to help the King free the princess from her ghostly visions. Fabrizio follows his master to the King’s side and soon the pair discovers a foul plot is afoot involving a missing prince, murders, hidden passages and of course, the king's deceitful adviser, Count Scarazoni. The tarot cards’ message unfolds as Avi rolls out a wonderful story. The book feels predictable until the plot twists -just when you think you have it figured out. I liked the end when truth and reason win out over lies conspiracy and everyone lives happily in peace and comfort.

The story flows well. I enjoyed the innocence of the plot; not riveting, but certainly entertaining. Avi skillfully weaves serious philosophy into a stirring and spirited piece of fiction. Something that really made this book work for me was the clever banter between Mangus and Fabrizio. Referencing old sayings of truth and wisdom their interactions are humorous and sometimes quite profound. (“I think it’s better to be a living donkey than a dead wise man” –Fabrizio page 127)

[A taste of an early conversation… ]

“Fabrizio, if you buy with ignorance, you will be paid with the same coin.
“But master, you know what people say, ‘False gold often buys more than iron.’
Fabrizio, a fool is paid in folly.
Master, if a foolish man makes a map, let him journey alone.
(Mangus) Ah, but until all men are wise, the wise must act for all men.
Master, just because a flea needs blood to live, am I obliged to carry him on my skin?”
(Page 60)

I have heard about Avi and see his books fly off the shelves. I was curious what the buzz is about so chose him for our featured author of Historical Fiction. After reading the synopsis for this novel I decided it was probably one that I would enjoy. The book was okay - nothing spectacular but an easy and entertaining read. I’m not an “Avi-fan” yet though I’ll likely give another of his novels a try –perhaps his other books are more riveting. I will look forward to the next one.

FEATURED AUTHOR: AVI

Edward Irving Wortis and his sister were born 1937, in New York and were raised in Brooklyn. His twin sister gave him the nickname "Avi" at an early age. He grew up in a family of readers, writers, and artists but did not come easily into his gift. “Teachers told young Avi that his writing didn't make any sense. Little did they know he had dysgraphia, a learning disability that makes writing difficult. Yet, with boundless talent and the encouragement of an understanding tutor, Avi kept writing.” Avi is now a proud author of many novels. For 25 years his career as a librarian supported both his family and his writing until literary success enabled him to retire and become a full-time author. He has won Newbery awards for The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle (1990), Nothing But The Truth (1991) and Poppy (1995). He writes historical novels, comedies, animal adventures and ghost stories –all for a young audience. Avi lives with his wife in Denver, Colorado. His website features interviews, biographies, photos, and his bibliography of published work. Avi says that his favorite book he’s ever written is “The Next One.”
http://www.avi-writer.com/avi_biography

REVIEW EXCERPT

“Weaving in the age-old clash between superstition and reason, Avi creates a sort of 15th-century Holmes and Watson in the characters of Mangus and Fabrizio, who continually trade aphorisms (" `Fabrizio, if you buy with ignorance, you will be paid with the same coin.' `But, Master, you know what people say, False gold often buys more than iron' "). With snappy dialogue, nonstop action and lavishly embroidered period backdrops, this will please Avi's fans and may well win over some new ones.” (Publishers Weekly: Barnes & Noble)

CONNECTIONS

The inclusion of a ghost and the incongruities of science and magic evoke the lingering question of whether there is truth in the supernatural or if it's merely something science has yet to explain. What mysteries exist today that science has yet to interpret? How do people define these phenomenon in modern day?

Scholastic provides some really wonderful discussion questions for Midnight Magic. One particularly good discussion point scholastic offers is below:

"With its medieval setting, Midnight Magic shows how through time human nature has basically remained the same. Consider Count Scarazoni's statement, "There are laws against magic. Our people fear it" (page 32). At what other times in our history would this statement be true? What does his comment reveal about human nature? What are other things against which people have made laws mainly because of fear?"
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collateral.jsp?id=1054_type=Book_typeId=3982

For ideas on lesson plans and other AVI connections for the classroom check out http://www.webenglishteacher.com/avi.html .

Island of the Blue Dolphins. Scott O’Dell.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

O’Dell, Scott. 1960. Island of the Blue Dolphins. New York: Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers. ISBN: 0440439884.

PLOT SUMMARY

As everyone in Karana’s tribe is leaving the island to join their chief in a new land, she realizes her little brother has been left behind. She jumps out of the boat and swims back to the island. They live there alone until her brother is killed by a pack of wild dogs. After his death she is very lonely and tries to sail after her family, only to return to the island when the boat begins to leak. Over time she makes friends with a variety of animals, she builds a house, gathers food, makes canoes and even weapons to eradicate the dogs that threaten to kill her too. She is lonely. As the months turn into years she prepares to go with the next ship that lands on the island but that is a long time to come. Many things happen while she grows older on the island. This well crafted story is a unique and enchanting adventure.


CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Karana’s story takes place on San Nicolas Island off the coast of California. The island is shaped like a big fish sunning itself on the ocean. The village is called Ghalas-at and Karana was possibly the last member of the Nicoleño tribe. Unlike many contemporary novels of the time, Island of the Blue Dolphins portrays a strong female protagonist. The representation of tribal life, written by a non-native in 1960, is admirable; none of the crazy prejudice against Natives during that era is present in O’Dell’s writing. As a reader I appreciate how he pays honor to the ways of her tribe and the traditions that help her thrive after everyone leaves.

The first person narrative follows her experiences on the island across 20+ years. As Karana matures, O’Dell skillfully includes subtle changes in her perception, emotions, and thoughts as each experience gives shape to her story. After losing her brother to the dogs, she goes through stages of loneliness, loss, determination, and peace. She develops a family of animal friends she recued and tamed: an orphaned otter, two birds taken from their nest, and even the wild dog she initially sought to destroy.. She thinks in terms of rocks, sand, sea, wind which brings the reader further into her world. Eventually she realizes how deep her loneliness has rooted and she decides to join the next ship that lands on her island. Luckily the very next ship is actually looking to rescue her (but she doesn’t know that, so neither does the reader.) The sailors seem to expect her though and welcome her and her animals. The story ends as she sails away from the island for the last time, already missing her quiet life and happy times.

The sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins picks up on the main land (California) and is the story of her niece, Zia. … both sad and happy times come for Karana. She reunites with some of her family but is never quite comfortable among people. Plot twists galore, but mostly more of the same, O’Dell published Zia some sixteen years later. If you liked the first, you’ll like the second.

For me, I especially enjoyed this book as a young girl dreaming of a wild life among the animals… which one of us didn’t go through that phase! As an adult, the book was slow, reminding me of Jean Auel’s series, Earth’s Children. I am especially fascinated (now) by the history of the actual woman, Juana Maria; I couldn’t help but snoop around a little and find out about her:

Juana Maria (died October 18, 1853), better known to history as "The Lone Woman of San Nicolas" (her Indian name is unknown), was a Native American woman who was the last surviving member of her tribe, the Nicoleño. She lived alone on San Nicolas Island from 1835 until her discovery in 1853. Just seven weeks after arriving on the mainland, Juana Maria died. In that time she danced and entertained her many visitors. The story of Juana Maria had captured the imagination of many, and still does. Most of the evidence of her life is gone and her story is pieced together from several accounts. Juana Maria's water basket, clothing and various artifacts, including bone needles which had been brought back from the island, were part of the collections of the California Academy of Sciences. Unfortunately, they were destroyed in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire. Her cormorant feather dress was apparently sent to the Vatican, but it appears to have been lost.

From what I’ve learned researching Juana Maria on the web, Scott O’Dell minimized the gruesome massacre of her tribe, and portrayed her infant son as her young brother to make the novel more appealing to a young audience. He added to the story many fantastical details to bring her legend to life. He did a wonderful job of writing a story based on the Lost Woman of San Nicolas Island, but there is more to the history then he lets on. Several websites that have worked to accurately connect the different legends and histories that tell her story.

http://www.missionscalifornia.com/stories/lone-woman-san-nicolas-island.html

Joe Robinson. "Marooned - 18 Years of Solitude". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 1, 2009.

http://www.nativevillage.org/Messages%20from%20the%20People/Lone%20Woman%20of%20San%20Nicolas%20Island.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juana_Maria

She was buried in a unmarked grave in Santa Barbara, only seven weeks after she arrived to the mainland. In 1928 the Daughters of the American Revolution installed a plaque commemorating her.

REVIEW EXCERPT

"A haunting and unusual story based on the fact that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone on a rocky island far off the coast of California ... A quiet acceptance of fate characterizes her ordeal." School Library Journal, Starred


CONNECTIONS

This is definitely a book for older students, even adult book clubs. There are many possible conversations that can be born from these pages, depending on your audience.
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/dolphin/
This website has activities and educational games exploring the world of San Nicolas Island. I like how they’ve set up the learning interaction here. Children will find something to connect with.

O’Dell wrote a sequel, Zia, a sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins. It was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1976, sixteen years after the publication of the first novel.

Discuss with the group what Karana's life would have been like after she left the island. Remind students that she didn't speak English or Spanish and that she had been alone for nearly 20 years. Have students write about what they think happened to Karana when she reached California (Mid 1800’s). Was she happy? Did she miss the quiet of the island? How did she communicate and make new friends?

A film version of Island of the Blue Dolphins was released in 1963. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058241/