The Wednesday Wars
Written By Gary D. Schmidt

1. Bibliography

Schmidt, Gary. 2007. The Wednesday Wars. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780547237602

2. Plot Summary

The Wednesday Wars is a comical historical fiction book that takes place in 1967 in Long Island, New York.  The story follows Holling Hoodhood a seventh grader at Camillo Junior High, who just happens to be Presbyterian in a town where everyone is either Catholic or Jewish.  This wouldn’t ordinarily be a problem except that Holling is the only Presbyterian in his class and is convinced that his teacher, Mrs. Baker, hates him because on Wednesday afternoons all the other students leave to go to either Hebrew School or Catechism.  Mrs. Baker subjects him to series of chores on Wednesdays, a few of which end with horrible results, like letting Mrs. Bakers rats loose in the school when cleaning their cage.  She finally decides to have him read and discuss Shakespeare on Wednesday afternoons, which Holling believes is all a part of her plan to “bore him to death.”  Throughout the story Holling deals with many other issues besides Mrs. Baker, such as trying to be the perfect son to parents that neglect him, having to act in an embarrassing town play, and taking first girl friend on a date.  This exciting tale with the ever present Vietnam War in the back drop will make you laugh, cry, and lead you on a journey of self-discovery with Holling Hoodhood in 1967.

3. Critical Analysis

The Wednesday Wars is a coming of age story about a seventh grade boy named Holling Hoodhood, who lives in Long Island, New York.  The story takes place from 1967 to 1968 during the Vietnam Era and touches on topics such as war, racism, neglect, love, and growing up or finding yourself, as Hollings sister would say.  Gary Schmidt, the author, cleverly uses Shakespeare’s plays and compares them to real life events that Holling, the main character experiences.  In the background of this story is the Vietnam War.  Schmidt touches on the themes of racism, loss that pertain the events happening in the war.  When the husband of Mrs. Bigio, the school cafeteria lady, is killed in the war, someone vandalizes the Catholic Church where Mai Tai, a student in Hollings class and a refugee from Vietnam, lives.  Holling relates this event to The Tempest by William Shakespeare, stating that “Sometimes there isn’t a Prospero to make everything fine again.  And sometimes the quality of mercy is strained.” 

Even though this story often touches on serious topics Schmidt also inserts humorous events throughout the book. A couple of examples are when Holling has to play Ariel, a fairy from The Tempest who wears yellow tights with feathers on them, in a town play, and when he accidently lets the class pets, which are rats, loose in the school.  The comical events in this story really appeal to the reader and lighten the mood of the darker themes.

One of the more serious themes in the story is neglect.  Schmidt shows us what it’s like living in a home that gives the appearance of being “perfect.”  Holling has parents who are never there for him when he needs them, even when he ends up in the hospital.  Holling soon realizes who his real friends and family are and that his teacher, cares for him and does not hate him as he first thought.  Schmidt shows us how Holling grows up during the story and gains “guts” as his sister suggests he do on one occasion.  At the end of the book he defies his stubborn father by going to rescue his sister Heather.  She ran away from home in order to find her-self and became stranded in Milwaukee.  With Holling’s help Heather finally makes it home and the two of them realize that finding yourself is not what’s important; sometimes its being found that really matters.   

This story is for students in sixth grade and up.  The author often rights about serious topics and current events during the Vietnam Era that may be inappropriate for younger students.  I highly recommend this book and found it to be thought provoking, interesting, and funny.  Gary Schmidt really did the research and pants a realistic tale of what life was like growing up in New York during the Vietnam War.

4. Review Excerpts

Newbery Honor Book Award 2008

ALA Notable Book

YALSA Best Book for Young Adults

Publishers Weekly, Starred Review: "Schmidt, who’s LIZZIE BRIGHT AND THE BUCKMINSTER BOY won both Printz and Newbery Honors, delivers another winner...deeply satisfying."

Kirkus, Starred Review: "Schmidt ... [gets] to the emotional heart of every scene without overstatement ... another virtuoso turn by the author of LIZZIE BRIGHT."

ALA Booklist, Starred Review: "Schmidt...makes the implausible believable and the everyday momentous...a gentle, hopeful, moving story."

Horn Book, Starred Review: "Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters."

School Library Journal: "[An] entertaining and nuanced novel.... There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones."

Booklist Starred Review: “[A] quietly powerful coming-of-age novel. . . . [Schmidt] offers a gentle, hopeful, moving story of a boy who, with the right help, learns to stretch beyond the limitations of his family, his violent times, and his fear, and leap into his future with his eyes and his heart wide open.

5. Connections

In the book The Wednesday Wars Holling is asked to do many things that he really doesn’t want to do, such as wearing tights and acting in a play or cleaning erasers for Mrs. Baker.  Talk about a time when you had to do something that you didn’t want to, but you did it anyway.  What were your reasons for doing the activity?  How did it make you feel? 

Hollings parents are never around when he needs them.  When he ends up in the hospital after he saves his sister they don’t come.   When Holling is supposed to go to the baseball game after the play his dad doesn’t show up.  When he runs a big race they don’t come to watch.  How do you think these events made Holling feel?  Do you think this made him more independent?  What characters in the book are always there for Holling? (ex. Mrs. Baker, Meryl Lee, Danny Hupfer) Write a couple of paragraphs about how you think Holling felt when his parents were not around when he needed them and about the characters that were there to support him. 

In the book The Wednesday Wars Holling reads some of Shakespeare’s plays.  Research and learn more information about Shakespeare.  Then as a class read one of his plays and discuss common themes found in the play.  Below are some of Shakespeare’s plays.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477123

King Lear by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482769

Macbeth by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477109

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-1619492233

Othello by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482820

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743477116

The Tempest by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-0743482837

Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare ISBN: 978-1461030218

This activity is more suited for high school students and up.  Research and learn more about the Vietnam War Era. Make a cause and effect chart based on your findings.  There are many good websites that give information on the war.  Here are some websites that give brief descriptions and are appropriate for high school students.

http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htm

http://www.surfnetkids.com/vietnam.htm

http://kids.yahoo.com/reference/encyclopedia/entry?id=VietnamW

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/vietnam/

Chains

Written by Laurie Halse Anderson

1. Bibliography

Anderson, L. H. 2008. Chains. New York, NY: Atheneum Books. ISBN 9781416905851

2. Plot Summary

Chains is an exciting story about a young girl named Isabel who was born into slavery and cannot escape it.  Isabel and her sister Ruth lose their mother first and their old owner Mrs. Finch, who freed them of slavery in her Will.  However Mrs. Finch’s nephew, Mr. Robert, has other plans and sells Isabel and Ruth to a Mr. and Mrs. Lockton of New York.  Mr. and Mrs. Lockton are not the kindest people.  Mrs. Lockton parades little Ruth around like a doll to her friends until Ruth has a seizure.  Ruth has something wrong with her and is often referred to as adorable, but simple minded.  Isabel minds her manners and does her chores until one day when Mrs. Lockton sends Ruth away because she is superstitious and afraid of her and the seizures.  Isabel has no idea where her sister is and directs her anger at Mrs. Lockton, which results in horrible consequences. 

Meanwhile in the background of Isabel’s story is the beginning of the Revolutionary War in the year 1776.  Isabel befriends a boy named Curzon, who is a slave for a Rebel supporter.  Curzon convinces Isabel to help the Rebel cause by spying on Mr. Lockton and his friends who are Loyalists.  The situation becomes very dangerous for Isabel and Curzon when fighting and fires break out and the Loyalists take over New York City.  This exciting and enlightening historical fiction novel will make you want to read more about the American Revolution and Isabel’s plight.

3. Critical Analysis

Anderson masterfully weaves a tale of a poor slave girl struggling to gain her and her sisters freedom and the beginning of the American Revolution together.  Anderson’s main character Isabel is a spirited girl who would do anything to protect her little sister, Ruth, even take a beating for her.  When Isabel and Ruth are sold to Mr. and Mrs. Lockton, a Loyalist couple from New York, Isabel finds it increasingly harder to protect her sister.  Mrs. Lockton separates them by having adorable little Ruth dress up and parade around for her friends all day while Isabel is off doing chores.  When Mrs. Lockton witnesses Ruth having a fit or seizure she becomes afraid of her and sends her away.  Isabel is furious and directs her anger at Mrs. Lockton, which results in horrible consequences that will make the reader want to cry.  It is when Isabel is at her weakest that she finds a friend in Mrs. Seymour, Mr. Lockton’s older mother who tries to help her throughout the story.  Anderson clearly shows the unjust and debasing life of a slave in 1776 in New York City. 

She also shows us the secret network of Rebel and Loyalist communication during the Revolutionary War by having Isabel become a spy for her friend Curzon.  Isabel has made up her mind to avoid the situation between the two sides, until Curzon joins the Rebel cause in place of his master and ends up in jail.  In order to keep Curzon alive and fed Isabel must spy and carry messages for Curzon’s jail mates.  Anderson’s fast passed and detailed writing style keeps the reader wanting more.  The historical facts are cleverly entwined with Isabel’s story and are not overwhelming to the reader.  Chains shows you another side of history from the point of view of Isabel, who can’t see the good or the benefit of supporting either side of the American Revolution.

Anderson’s rich character development and interesting plot will quickly draw in readers.  This book has a 4.7 reading level or fourth grade, but probably will appeal more to older students because of the details of the American Revolution and harsh themes of slavery, war, and poverty.  The book also touches on the topic of survival and overcoming odds.  I highly recommend this book and cannot wait to read the sequel called Forge.

4. Review Excerpts

2009 Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction

2008 National Book Award Finalist

IRA Teachers' Choices booklist for 2009

Selected by Indie Booksellers for the Winter 2009 Kids' List

2008 Booklist's Editors Choice-Books for Youth

2009 Top 10 Black History Books for Youth

2009 Notable Children's Book

The Washington Post Review- As she did so well with Fever 1793, Laurie Halse Anderson vividly captures a chaotic historical time. Shortlisted for this year's National Book Award, Chains is a nuanced portrayal of a nation and a girl bound for freedom. –Mary Quattlebaum

Hornbook Review-“Anderson's novel is remarkable for its strong sense of time and place and for its nuanced portrait of slavery and of New York City during the Revolutionary War.”

Publishers Weekly Review-Anderson (Speak; Fever 1793) packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot. Ages 10-up. (Oct.)

Kirkus Reviews-" 'Freedom and liberty' has many meanings," but enslaved Isabel knows that while Loyalists and Patriots battle for their own versions of freedom, she is "chained between two nations" that uphold slavery. She wonders, "If an entire nation could seek its freedom, why not a girl?" Anderson brilliantly recreates New York City in the summer of 1776, viewed through the eyes of a remarkable heroine. Taught to read by her previous owner, Isabel knows the Bible and has memorized poetry, and her eloquent first-person voice portrays her life as a slave even as she spies for the rebels, covertly delivers food to Bridewell Prison and plots her own escape. Readers will care deeply about Isabel and may feel frustrated by the abrupt ending to the novel, clearly poised for a sequel or two. While waiting, they can enjoy M.T. Anderson's The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation: Volume II, The Kingdom on the Waves, another superb take on the subject. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 10 & up)

5. Connections

Isabel’s freedom is taken from her by Mr. Finch in the beginning of the story.  She also suffers many injustices at the hands of cruel Mrs. Lockton.  How did this made you feel as a reader?  How did characters such as Mrs. Seymour, Becky, and Curzon help Isabel?  Discuss your ideas as a class or in groups, and then write two or three paragraphs about your ideas.

Laurie Halse Anderson cleverly inserts facts about the Revolutionary War into the background of this book.  Research on the internet or read other non-fiction books about the American Revolution and compare them to the historical facts found in the book Chains.

Non-fiction books on the American Revolution:

American Revolution Battles and Leaders by DK Publishing ISBN: 978-0789498892

Liberty or Death: The American Revolution: 1763-1783 by Betsy Maestro ISBN: 978-0688088026

In 1776 by Jean Marzollo ISBN: 978-0545110730

George vs. George: The Revolutionary War as Seen by Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer ISBN: 978-0792273493

You Wouldn't Want to Be at the Boston Tea Party!: Wharf Water Tea, You'd Rather Not Drink by Peter Cook ISBN: 978-0531124475

Websites on the American Revolution:

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/revolutionarywar.htm

http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/American_Revolution.html

http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/northamerica/after1500/history/revolution.htm

http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/16-history/251-american-revolution.html

Do an author study on Laurie Halse Anderson.  Read other books she has written and talk about her writing style.  Compare and contrast the main characters of her other books to Isabel. 

Historical Fiction:

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-1416961451

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0689848919

Some of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Young Adult Contemporary Fiction Books:

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0142400012

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0312674397

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0142411841

Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson ISBN: 978-0142405703

Lily’s Crossing

Written By Patricia Reilly Giff

1. Bibliography

Giff, P. R. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. New York, NY: Yearling. ISBN 0440414539

2. Plot Summary

Lily’s Crossing is a story about a ten year old girl named Lily Mollahan who is vacationing at her family’s summer house in 1944 in Rockaway, located in Long Island, New York.  Lily lost her mother when she was a baby and lives with her father, Poppy, and grandmother, Gram.  Lily is excited and happy to spend her summer in Rockaway until she learns that her father is going off to war and her best friend, Margaret, who lives in Rockaway, will be moving to a wartime factory town.  Lily deals with feelings of guilt at not saying goodbye to her father and suffers from loneliness until she meets a boy named Albert.  Albert is a Hungarian refugee that is staying with the Orban’s, a family that lives in Rockaway, for the summer.  Albert is shy and suffers from guilt and loneliness, just like Lily, because he had to leave his little sister behind in France and never got to say goodbye.  Lily and Albert quickly become friends, but Lily has a problem with telling lies.  She tells a lie to Albert that may put him in danger.  Lily’s Crossing shows an accurate depiction of what it’s like living on the Atlantic Coast in America during World War II, and the sacrifices that people have to make during the war. 

3. Critical Analysis

Patricia Reilly Giff paints a realistic portrait of life in Rockaway in 1944 during World War II.  Lily’s Crossing is based on historical events that Giff remembers growing up during the war and experiences she had when she visited Rockaway as a child.  Lily’s Crossing tells the story of Lily Mollahan, an outgoing little girl, who loves to write, and has a problem with lying.  Lilly often tells lies to make her-self seem more interesting or out of hurt feelings.  She tells her new friend Albert, a Hungarian refugee that had to leave his sister behind in France, a lie that Albert believes and may cost him his life.  Albert lost half his family in Hungary and would do anything to get back to his sister, Ruth.  Giff shows us in Lily’s Crossing, how friendship and family help the main characters make it through tough times.

Giff also realistically depicts what it’s like to live on the Atlantic coast of Long Island where the United States destroyer ships sail back and forth to Europe and search lights scan the coast for wartime enemies.  She tells of the lack of eggs and other items, and how the town morns the loss of her best friend Margaret’s brother, who is missing in action.  Giff uses short chapters and fast passed dialogue that will appeal to young readers.  This book is appropriate for readers ages 10 and up and has a reading level of fifth grade. 

Lily’s Crossing shows another side of America during World War II through the eyes of a child.  Lily and Albert’s bond born through loss and loneliness and their need for friendship and Lily’s ability to overcome her mistakes, really appealed to me as a reader.  I recommend this book to student’s fifth grade and up because of its difficult themes. 

4. Review Excerpts

1998 Newbery Honor Book

ALA Notable Book

Boston Globe--Horn Book Honor Book.

Publisher’s Weekly Review-"Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line...this has all the ingredients that best reward readers."

School Library Journal Review- "Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice."

Booklist Review-"With wry comedy and intense feeling...Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was like on the home front during World War II...The friendship story is beautifully drawn."

The Horn Book Magazine Starred Review-"Details...are woven with great effect into a realistic story."

The New York Times Book Review-"Brilliantly told."

The Bulletin-"[A] fine piece of historical fiction. . .fully satisfying.”

5. Connections

Research and learn more about America during World War II.  What kinds of sacrifices did Americans have to make for the war effort?  Put the students into groups to research and learn more about America during World War II.  Then have them make a list of items Americans had to go without or things Americans did to support the war effort.  Have the students write the list on poster board or construction paper and share their findings with the class.

Books about the American Home Front:

American Homefront in World War II: Almanac by Allison McNeil ISBN: 978-0787676513

Children of the World War II Home Front by Sylvia Whitman ISBN: 978-1575054841

Rosie the Riveter: Women Working on the Home Front in World War II by Penny Colman ISBN: 978-0517885673

World War II for Kids: A History with 21 Activities by Richard Panchyk ISBN: 978-1556524554

Websites about the American Home Front during WWII:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/wwii/ahf/life/index.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/15511/

http://www.loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/presentationsandactivities/presentations/homefront/

http://www.ameshistoricalsociety.org/exhibits/events/rationing.htm

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/wwiioverview_4.htm

Lily and Albert have many things in common in the book Lily’s Crossing but are also different in some ways.  One example of differences is how Lily can be dishonest at times and Albert is a very honest character.  Discuss how Lily and Albert’s characters are similar and how they are different.  Make a Venn diagram and put the similarities in the middle and the differences on the outside circles.

Read other books about children during the WWII.  Discuss how the problems the characters face are similar or different to the characters in Lily’s Crossing. 

Other Historical Fiction books about children during WWII:

The Cookcamp by Gary Paulsen ISBN: 978-0439523578

Don’t you know there’s A War On? By AVI ISBN: 978-0380815449

Escaping Into the Night by D. Dina Freidman ISBN: 978-1416986485

Homefront by Doris Gwaltney ISBN: 0689868421

Journey to America by Sonia Levitin ISBN: 978-0689711305

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry ISBN: 978-0547577098

Secrets by Dorothy Hoobler ISBN: 978-0761316046

Silver Days by Sonia Levitin ISBN: 978-0689715709

Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn ISBN: 978-0547076607

Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff ISBN: 978-0440238010

Quest For The Tree Kangaroo:

An Expedition To The Cloud Forest Of New Guinea

Written by Sy Montgomery

Pictures by Nic Bishop

1. Bibliography

Montgomery, Sy. 2006. Quest For The Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition To The Cloud Forest Of New Guinea. Photos by Nic Bishop. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 9780618496419

2. Plot Summary

This book tells the exciting story of Lisa Babek and her team’s quest to find a tree kangaroo in the forests of New Guinea. Sy Montgomery, the author, and Nic Bishop, the photographer, join up with Lisa and her crew to hike through miles and miles of thick forest to make it to one of the only cloud forest left in the world.  Once there they set up camp, learn about survival and tree kangaroo’s, a little bit about the people of Yewen, New Guinea, and how to track and capture tree kangaroos.  Once they capture a tree kangaroo the scientist run tests to learn about these very elusive animals, fit them with a tracking device, and let them go.   It sounds simple enough, but tree kangaroo’s are one of the most difficult animals in the world to find because they have learned to be almost invisible in their natural environment and can move from tree to tree very fast.  Join Lisa and Sy Montgomery on this amazing journey to find these adorable creatures and learn more about cloud forests and the other animals and plants that live there.

3.Critical Analysis

Sy Montgomery follows Lisa Babek and her team into the cloud forest of New Guinea in search of tree Kangaroos called Matschies (MATCH-eez).  Sy Montgomery is an “author, naturalist, documentary scriptwriter, and radio commentator who writes award-winning books for children as well as adults.”  Lisa is a forty-five year old conservation director at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, Washington. She, like her team, has a passion for learning about and protecting animals and their environments.  Even though Sy Montgomery is telling the story, the focus of the story is on Lisa and the other people of her scientific team.  Montgomery fills the pages of this book with rich descriptions and facts about New Guinea and its wildlife and the culture of the native people that have helped them on their journey.  In addition she includes background information on each of the team members, which shows the reader how they became a part of the team and that they are knowledgeable and have lots of experience with tree kangaroos and animals. 

Montgomery clearly describes the trip to the forest and the experiences of the team in an exciting first hand account of the quest.  While telling the story she includes dialogue from the other team members that really makes the reader feel as if they are right there with the team in the cloud forest.  The book is easy to read and organized into sections based on different legs of the trip.  Some of the sections are titled; The Adventure Begins, Partners In Conservation, The Hike to Heaven, Welcome to The Cloud Forest, and Capture.  In between each section Montgomery includes factual inserts about different animals in the cloud forest.  Each page also includes beautiful pictures taken by Nic Bishop.  The pictures are big and easy to see and have been carefully chosen to go along with the writing on each of the pages.  There are also descriptions included next to the pictures explaining what they are.  I did not care for the small font of the picture descriptions or the orange color because it made them hard to read.  However the font used in the story was clear and easy on the eyes.   

Montgomery does not include a bibliography, but does thank the many people, organizations, and zoos that helped her write this book.  Based on reading Montgomery’s writing it seems like she researches all the facts before putting them on paper.  The book also has an index, a list of words in Tok Pisin, the native language of the people in Yewen, New Guinea, and a list of websites that give you more information on tree kangaroos.  This book is rather long and might be difficult for young readers to read because of the big words that are used and scientific dialogue.  The book has a sixth grade reading level, but might be enjoyed by students in fourth grade and up.  This book is exciting and engaging and I highly recommend it. 

4. Review Excerpts

v     Winner of the 2007 NCTE Orbis Pictus Award

v     A 2006 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book.

v     Winner of the 2006 Henry Bergh Children's Book Award for a Non-Fiction Book the   Environment and Ecology Category

v     John Burroughs Young Reader Award

v     A Green Earth Honor Book from the Newton Marasco Foundation

v     2007 Julia Ward Howe Finalist Award from the Boston Authors Club

v     Booklist Editor's Choice Book 2006

v     School Library Journal Best Book of the Year 2006

v     Selected by the National Science Teachers Association Council on Children's Books as an Outstanding Science Trade Book for Students K-12

v     NSTA/CBC Selector's Choice

v     On the Washington Post list of top ten books of the year for children

v     A Junior Library Guild Selection

School Library Journal (Starred Review)- Grade 4-9–Montgomery and Bishop continue their outstanding collaboration to introduce readers to scientists at work. Here, they document their participation in an expedition to the rugged and remote cloud forest of Papua New Guinea in search of the elusive and fascinating Matschie's tree kangaroo. Biologist Lisa Dabek heads a team of scientists from around the world who work with local guides to locate the creatures and fit them with radio collars to learn more about them. Bishop's photographs capture the expedition in detail. Stunning close-ups of plants, insects, and birds vie for attention with panoramas of moss-draped trees in the eerie, ancient forest. Montgomery describes both the hardships and exhilaration of the enterprise. She also introduces readers to some of the local people dedicated to conservation efforts. Dabek's pursuit of her interest in animals despite problems with asthma and her suggestions about exploring the natural world should encourage young scientists. The book's fascinating glimpses into a little-explored region will hold the attention of anyone interested in unusual creatures and the efforts to study them.–Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University, Mankato Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Booklist(Starred Review)- Montgomery and Bishop follow award-wining titles such as The Tarantula Scientist (2004) with another beautifully illustrated entry in the Scientists in the Field series. This time, they join researchers on a grueling expedition in Papua New Guinea to track the rare Matschie's tree kangaroo. Montgomery gives a chronological, sometimes moment-by-moment account of the challenging climb into the remote cloud forest, the conditions in camp (rice-and-fern dinners, icy waterfall showers), and the awe-inspiring encounters with barely studied animals. The text occasionally veers into a casual tone ("a leech dropped into Lisa's eye. Yuck!") that seems aimed at a young audience, while the small font, exacting detail, and meandering narrative may demand older readers. Still, Montgomery gives an unusually strong, visceral sense of the work and cooperation fieldwork entails and the scope and uniqueness of this particular mission. She also communicates the thrill of studying animals in the wild, making observations, and discovering new information. As usual, Bishop's color photographs are exemplary and extend the excitement in stunning close-ups of creatures and of the team at work. Web resources, notes about conservation, and a glossary of Tok Pisin (the language spoken by the team's Papuan members) are appended. Gillian Engberg Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Horn Book-Montgomery's friendliness and curiosity set the tone...Bishop's photography is, as always, outstanding...Dabek's advice to young naturalists...[is a] useful addition.

5. Connections

Create a KWL chart while reading this book.  In the K column write what the students know about tree kangaroo’s before reading the book.  Fill this column out based on the pictures and the student’s knowledge of the kangaroos.  In the W column write what you want to find out about tree kangaroo’s.  Write down the students questions.  Then read the book to the students.  It is a little long so it might take more than one sitting and a review of the part of the book read the previous day.  Finally in the L column write what you learned about tree kangaroo’s.  Put the facts that the students can remember from the book.  This might be a good opportunity to go back and show the students how to use the index to find out information and facts about tree kangaroos.

Read other books by Sy Montgomery.  Discuss similarities and differences between the way she writes the books and the format she uses. 

The Tarantula Scientist by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9780618915774

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9780618494170

The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9780618111190

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9780618916450

Search for the Golden Moon Bear: Science and Adventure in Pursuit of a New Species by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9781603580632

Journey of the Pink Dolphins: An Amazon Quest by Sy Montgomery ISBN: 9781603580601

Learn more about the tree kangaroos found in the book Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by researching them online.  Then put the students into groups to make a colorful poster with interesting facts that they learned in the book or from the websites about the animals.

Websites with more information on tree kangaroos.

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/matschies-tree-kangaroo/

http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/finder/tree-kangaroos/tree-kangaroos.html

http://www.conservation.org/fmg/pages/galleryplayer.aspx?galleryid=X52

http://www.endangered-animals.com.au/tree_kangaroo.htm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Matschie's_Tree-kangaroo

Our Solar System

Written by Seymour Simon

1. Biography

Simon, Seymour. 2007. Our Solar System. New York: Harper Collins. ISBN: 9780688099923

2. Plot Summary

Our Solar System is a non-fiction book about the sun, the planets, asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.  The book begins with a detailed description of the creation of the sun and its attributes.  Then the author describes each planet in detail with interesting facts about the history of the planets and there discovery.  In addition he includes information about the planets distance around the sun, the planets seasons, and what each planet is made of.  He also talks about asteroids, comets, and meteoroids.  Each page has big beautiful pictures that show the different sides of the planets and our solar system.  This book is very informative and would be a great book to read in order to find out more about the solar system.

3. Critical Analysis

Seymour Simon uses beautiful pictures and clear factual information to take the reader on a journey through our solar system.  Each set of pages contains bright beautiful pictures of planets and outer space on one side and on the other information that pertains to the picture in a large easy to read font.  The pictures in this book come straight from NASA and Simon often gives background information on the pictures by describing the NASA spacecrafts that took the pictures.  There are also many pictures taken by telescopes and astronauts that went into space. 

In Our Solar System, Simon gives detailed information in this order about the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto, Asteroids, Comets, and Meteoroids.  Simon’s writing consists of factual information about each planet such as its discovery, how it was named, the size of the planet, what it’s made of, the seasons on the planet, and much more.  The last page of the book contains a glossary of scientific terms and an index.  There are also websites listed where the reader can find out more information about our solar system.  The inside cover of the book and the inside back cover of the book contain a large chart from NASA that lists all the planets and information about them such as distance from the sun, revolution in Earth days, and how many satellites they have.  This chart is a useful tool for finding fast facts and for comparing the planets. 

Simon uses the copyright page to credit his sources and often writes where he found the information about the planets throughout the book.  Seymour Simon is the author of more than 200 books for children and is the recipient of the Science Books & Films Key Award for Excellence in Science Books.  He is well known in the world of non-fiction books for writing interesting and exciting scientific books for children.

I would recommend this book to librarians and teachers for its stunning pictures and interesting facts.  I really enjoyed reading about the discoveries of the different planets and the format of this book makes it very easy to read.  However, Our Solar System might be difficult for younger students to read because it is a 63 page book and contains scientific terms, and big words.  The reading level of this book is seventh grade and up.  However, fourth grade students and up would probably enjoy listening to this book read aloud and looking at the pictures and facts in its pages. 

4. Review Excerpts

Awards for Seymour Simon:

Science Books & Film Key Award for Excellence in Science Books

Empire State Award for excellence in literature for young people

Educational Paperback Aossication Jeremiah Ludington Award

School Library Journal- Grade 3-6-- Having worked his way through individual volumes on the Sun and its galactic companions, Simon now offers a brief overview of the solar system itself. The full-color photographs and illustrations are spectacular. Each of the planets gets several pages of coverage, with comets, meteors, and asteroids also receiving attention. This book serves best as an introduction to the single topic books since the information presented here is quite brief. The endpapers have a nicely organized chart of useful statistics such as diameter, rotation period, revolution period, etc., for each planet. Not sufficient in itself for most report needs, this title's eye-catching illustrations and understandable text should encourage young readers to look for further information. --Elaine Fort Weischedel, Turner Free Library, Randolph, MA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

5. Connections

Put the students into groups and have each group select a planet to study.  Each group should decorate a poster board with images of their planet and find interesting facts about their planet to share with the class.   The students can use the facts from Our Solar System as well as other non-fiction books.

First Space Encyclopedia By DK Publishing ISBN: 9780756633660

Me and My Place in Space by Joan Sweeny ISBN: 9780517885901

Planets, Moons and Stars by Laura Evert ISBN: 9781559718424

Solar System: A Visual Exploration of All the Planets, Moons and Other Heavenly

Bodies that Orbit Our Sun By Marcus Chown ISBN: 9781579128852

Stars & Planets by Carole Stott ISBN: 9780753412008

Seymour Simon also wrote the Destination series of books that focus on one planet in space.  The following books are some of the books in the series.

Destination: Mars by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060546380

Destination: Jupiter by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780064437592

Destination: Saturn by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780688084042

Tell the students to pretend that they are an astronaut that has a space ship fast enough and powerful enough to visit any planet in the solar system.  While they are in space they must keep a journal to document their adventures.  Have each student write at least four entries about their trip to space in their journal.  The length of the journal entries is up to the teacher or librarian depending on the age of the students.  Younger students can drawl pictures instead.  The book The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System  as wells as The Worlds Around Us: A Space Voyage are a good books to read along with Our Solar System in order to help the students imagine that they are on an adventure in space.

The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System by Joanna Cole ISBN: 9780590414296

The Worlds Around Us: A Space Voyage by Ellen Jackson ISBN: 9780761334057

Seymour Simon has written more than 250 books for children.  Read other books by Seymour Simon in order to teach and discuss different topics.  Talk about his writing style and teach the students about the glossary and index that he includes in the back of his books.  Below are a few of his non-fiction books.

Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9781587171550

The Brain: Our Nervous System by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060877194

Dogs by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780064462556

Guts: Our Digestive System by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060546519

Lightning by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060884352

Oceans by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060889999

Weather by Seymour Simon ISBN: 9780060884390