Social Networking Activity

Social Networking Activity

Vocation	Name	Twitter Name	Date Followed
Professor	Dr. Lesesne	@ProfessorNana	8/26/18
Professor	Dr. Perry	@kperry	8/26/18
Elem. Librarian	Stacy Darwin (506 Followers)	@StacyDarwin	8/26/18
Author	Angie Thomas J.K. Rowling John Green	@angiecthomas @jk_rowling @johngreen	8/26/18
Elem. Teacher	Carrie Gelson (2, 033 Followers)	@CarrieGelson	8/26/18
Literacy Organization	YALSA	@yalsa	8/26/18
Publisher	HarperCollins	@HarperCollins	8/26//18

Reflection:

I have only been on Twitter for eleven weeks now.  I have never used Twitter before and I was apprehensive about using it for this assignment.  I prefer only one social media site, and for me that is Facebook.  Eleven weeks ago, I began to follow these assigned people and organizations on Twitter and I found that it was not difficult to keep up with.  I was able to check in periodically and enjoyed reading the short blurb or link they would post.

Authors:

I followed Angie Thomas, J.K. Rowling, and John Green.  Angie Thomas was very exciting to follow due to the fact that her best-selling book “The Hate U Give” has been made into a motion picture and the premiere was approaching in October.  Angie was constantly supporting her movie by posting about the actors and actresses, announcing which cities the film would be opening in, and retweeting what others have shared as well.  Angie posted several movie trailers for followers.  I love reading a book knowing a movie is coming out.  At the time, I had not read the book yet, and the excitement Angie was sharing about the film was contagious.  It was exciting to watch the movie trailers before reading the book to get a better mental picture of characters and the story line.  The trailers were very moving and gave me chills.  Angie also promoted the soundtrack of the film.  I read the article she shared: ow.ly/FCBF30m5m5cSd.  What I really appreciated that Angie did was provide links to give aways of her novel and free screenings to teachers who have studied the novel with their class.  She even shared a link for curriculum to use with a class. 

John Green has been very busy promoting his brother, Hank, and his new book.  John tweets out youtube videos of different interviews and discussions about his brother and/or books.  One video I view was of Hank and how he reacts to interview questions about comparing him to his brother.  John is traveling with his brother and tweets where they will be.  John also promotes himself on Podcasts and shared when he will be on PBS for an interview.  Of course, there is other news as well, including when he saw Taylor Swift and event encouraged followers to vote.

J.K. Rowling was an “extra” for me to follow and it is only because of my obsession with Harry Potter.  Rowling has been busy promoting the film “Fantastic Beasts:  Crimes of Grindelwald”.  She shares about the actors and actresses and events involving the film.  Rowling also recognizes fans of the series.

After following these authors for eleven weeks now, I have realized how beneficial it can be.  Authors are constantly promoting themselves and their works.  As a future librarian, I am able to capitalize on opportunities.  I would be able to apply for free materials or services.  Knowing which books are being made into motion pictures is a huge advantage.  Reluctant readers would be more interested in a novel knowing a movie is right behind it.  Free screenings would promote reading.  Students also love knowing the “now”.  Knowing what an author is currently up to or working on is exciting. 

Elementary Teacher:

I wanted to see how easy or difficult it would be to search and find an elementary teacher who had a lot of followers and I was able to find Carrie Gelson who currently has over 2,000 followers on Twitter.  Carrie was exciting to follow and I enjoyed when her tweets popped up on my newsfeed.  I learned very quickly that Carrie is a dynamic teacher.  Not only does she post about amazing things and activities in her classroom, she is also an advocate for best practices and students.  I found several posts by Carrie where she shared articles about teacher and student interactions.  I read articles Carrie shared over the benefits of play for young children and how “play” is leaving the school setting and the devastation it is taking on development.  Carrie also encourages teachers with materials and ideas.  Carrie shares books she highly recommends and the subjects and themes behind them.  She shared a book titled, “Find Your Marigold” for first year teachers which I actually suggested to our new music teacher this year.  I love what Carrie does in her classroom.  She regularly posts about “classroom book a day” where she reads to her students a couple of books on a common theme and students vote on which one was their favorite.  An activity I did with my fourth grade students was her “Brainstorm the Titles”.  By only looking at the titles of the books, students brainstormed what they meant, dissected the words, and make connections.  After following Carrie, I feel that she has taught me a lot as an educator.  She obviously has incredible ideas and insight with children, but I really learned from Carrie is not be afraid of sharing.  We need a network of supporters and encouragers to be successful in this profession. 

Elementary Librarian:

I decided to follow an elementary librarian who lives in North Carolina, Stacy Darwin.  Stacy has over 500 followers.  I have never met Stacy personally, however we have a mutual friend who is responsible for connecting us.  I wanted to follow Stacy because not only is she a librarian whom I feel I know from a distance, I have been told that we are very much alike.  I was excited to see what a real-life, every day librarian does.  Stacy is an enthusiastic librarian which fun and creative ideas.  She shares activities going on in her library such as students using the research process and learning about technology.  I loved her activity with “Makers with a cause…” where students were sending books to hurricane victims but adding bookmarks with words of encouragement.  She also shared a great idea to use in the beginning of the year with the book titled “Wishtree” which I have never read.  It was exciting for me as a Library Science student to read her posts about “access to information” and students looking through “mirrors and windows” with novels.  I was encouraged to see empathy being promoted in the library through reading.  I really enjoyed following Stacy.  It was excited to what we are learning in class used in the library.  I did learn she does not post as frequently as one who has many followers.  I was encouraged to follow more librarians in order to connect and gain knowledge from.  (I discovered Stacy Darwin also follows @ProfessorNana).

Literacy Organization and Publisher:

These two were my least favorite to follow on Twitter.  YALSA and Harper Collins give excellent and reliable information, but I found I am more connected to a person I am following rather a company.  YALSA shared booklists that is beneficial to know and use as a future librarian.  I would open the links to book lists and view the material.  I am thankful to know of another place I can find that resource when I am ordering books or recommending them.  I also learned one can apply to blog for YALSA or do other services for the organization.  The main thing I found interesting was learning there were grants I could apply for.  Budgets seem to be an issue in libraries so knowing where I could go for a grant is very beneficial.  Harper Collins mainly promoted books the company publishes.  The company tweets out promotions with selling books and shares about its authors.  I came across a post about the “Top 20 Best Thriller” novels and read the recommendations.  I have decided to read one over Christmas break and torn between “We Were Mothers” or “Under My Skin”.  I have learned that it is important to follow organizations and companies to gain the insight and knowledge of the materials I will be using. 

Professors:

 I was very excited to see we were asked to follow Dr. Lesesne and Dr. Perry for this assignment.  I love looking at what others are reading when Dr. Perry asks, “…what are you reading tonight?”  A response that made me laugh out loud when I began to follow Dr. Perry was the answer of someone with “the syllabus”.  I love the sketchnoting Dr. Perry shares.  I am proud to say I have used this concept in my fourth grade classroom.  It is not digital, but the students have loved it.  We studied Native Americans and I asked my students to create a sketchnote of what they learned about each tribe.  I used Dr. Perry’s sketchnote pictures as a reference for them and they loved it.  Students were able to share what they learned in a creative way.  I have also enjoyed reading Dr. Lesesne and Dr. Perry’s book suggestions.  Through the online textbook for our course and the video lectures, I feel like I know who these two professors are.  I highly respect their criteria for book recommendations and their insight for children and young adult literature.  There was a post Dr. Perry tweeted that really stood out to me.  What drew me to the post is it included, “…I usually don’t do this but…” so I just had to read it.  Her post was about books involving the usually diversity topics of race, religion, and so on, however there are few books with overweight characters that don’t lose the weight during the story.  She explains that many overweight characters will lose the weight and then maybe the boy ends up liking them.  That is what I enjoy about these two professors.  I have had my eyes opened on literature this semester.  I also really enjoyed the causal posts about life.  In particular the post about Dr. Perry forgetting one of her bags on a trip and when she thought she had colorful post it notes but they were only the boring yellow ones.  I cannot express enough how much I enjoy Dr. Lesesne and Dr. Perry’s insight.  I am excited to continue to learn and grow.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, I am very pleased with my social networking activity.  I was apprehensive to get on Twitter before this assignment and now I view it as a useful tool as a future librarian.  I am able to connect with others and get great ideas.  I am also able to access more resources and information to use and recommend to others.  On a personal note, I was also encouraged through this assignment to share more about what I am doing in the classroom and how I am using what I am learning in my courses.  Networking is an important tool and may be used for professional growth. 

Crazy House - Book Review

Patterson, J. (2017). Crazy house. NY: JIMMY Patterson Books

Crazy House is a dystopia, suspense filled science fiction of teenage twins who live in a futuristic society of what is now the United States.  The sisters live in a “cell”, which is a mandated community by the “United”, which is the governing body.  Each cell produces a certain good or product, that is then distributed to the other cells.  Cassie and Becca live in an agricultural cell where farming is the main vocation.  In school, the sisters are taught that the most important things in life are being good citizens and contributing to the United.  They are assigned a vocation at a young age, and all of their education is centered around that vocation.  Cassie is the model student and citizen.  She is surprised when her rebel sister, Becca, disappears, but is not completely shocked, just things Becca is acting out again.  However, when she can not find Becca, she starts to panic and frantically search for her sister.  Since their mother was taken away by the government for a “mood-adjustment” and never returned, and their father has been hospitalized after a failed suicide attempt, it was up to Cassie to find Becca on her own.  She searches in some of the places Becca usually hangs out with her other “loser” friends, and finds out that Becca was taken.  By who?  No one knows.  During her search, Cassie finds out that Becca was an “outsider”, a group of people who rebel against the government.  In this group is also the Provost’s son, Nate, which is shocking since the Provost is the leader of their cell.  Nate decides to help Cassie find Becca and the other missing children from their cell.  When Cassie gets expelled from school and loses her vocation because of being associated with the bad citizens within her family, she decides to venture beyond the cell boundary where she is also kidnapped.  Both sisters are taken to a prison called Crazy House where all of the inmates are children on death row.  In this prison, they are tested in every way imaginable from mental tests on subjects they learned in school, physical tests of training and combating other children, to emotional testing of watching other inmates being executed.  Surprisingly, Nate and a local boy who lived outside the prison, decide to try to break into the prison to try to free Cassie and Becca.  However, they are also captured.  After countless near death experiences, the four of them, Cassie, Becca, Nate, and the local boy, devise a plan to try to escape through a legendary tunnel the local boy heard about.  They actually manage to find the tunnel, survive the life threatening crawl, and return to their cells. Upon returning, the twin sisters find that their home is being sold and their future is bleak if they remain in their home cell.  The Provost is furious and blames the sisters for getting his son involved.  Miraculously, the girls share their horror story of the Crazy House where children are imprisoned and executed and gets members of the community to follow them back to the prison to rescue the remaining children.  When they arrive back at the Crazy House, it is completely deserted leaving the sisters looking like liars, manipulators, and worse of all, bad citizens.  Just when they think they are at rock bottom with no hope, they are kidnapped again and brought to where the Crazy House has been relocated.  It is there that the leader of the Crazy House, Ms. Strepp, reveals that the Crazy House is actually a part of the “outsiders” rebellion against the government and that they have been training the girls to be the next leaders of the rebellion.  The children were not really being executed.  They were using the appearance of execution, mental, physical, and emotional torture, and the ultimate complete break down of the children to prepare them for the battles of ahead.  They now did not fear death, and could therefore lead the rebels against the suppressive government. 

I felt like this author did a great job of creating a futuristic society that seemed far-fetched, but also possible at the same time.  In this society, they created a perfect balance for efficiency, which included population control.  When someone died, a baby was born.  This was controlled by having a baby wait list that couples would join if they wanted children.  When they were notified that it was their turn on the list, they were given three months to get pregnant, otherwise they were moved back to the bottom of the list.  Deaths were controlled through a Suicide Assistance Service (SAS), where the government would offer the free service of painlessly assisting in lethal injection.  This was presented as a service to the society if you were no longer contributing because it allowed a new potential good citizen to be born.  While reading, a part of me thought about how crazy and unrealistic these ideas are in today’s world.  However, the other part of me thought how scary it would be if our society transformed into this Crazy House idea.  I enjoyed the relationship between the twin sisters, Cassie and Becca.  I loved how they were different, but still loved and accepted each other’s differences.  I enjoyed the sisterly banter of being annoyed and competitive with each other, but at the end of day (or end of their lives in this case), there was no one they loved more than their twin.  This novel was also a great example of empowering teenagers to change the world.  In this story, the characters saw a problem and fixed their eyes on setting it right for all types of people.  They believed in themselves and accomplished the unimaginable at the tender young ages of teenagers. 

To learn more about the author, visit this website:  http://www.jamespatterson.com/

Bossypants - Book Review

Fey, T. (2011). Bossypants. NY: Little, Brown and Company

There is more to Tina Fey than just funny.  Before all her fame and success, Tina was just a Greek girl with dreams.  Written by Tina Fey herself, she takes readers to different times of her life and describes what life was like for Tina.  She begins by telling readers about her home-life as a child.  She is eight years younger than her brother and her parents had her in their forties.  Tina explains how she got the scare on her face as a kindergartener, and what it was like going through puberty by getting a “my first period” kit.  Tina describes her teenage years and getting dumped at 17, her time at the University of Virginia, and eventually moving out to Chicago in 1992 to study improvisation at a comedy theater.  Her love of theater developed as she worked at Summer Showtime as a kid and even directed plays at age 12.  Tina shares her experience with Saturday Night Live, developing characters, and writing movies and shows such as “30 Rock”.  Tina was the boss of 200 employees and did it well.  Her show gained fame and Emmy Awards and even the attention of Oprah.  Tina also had her personal life to attend too.  Readers will learn about her eventful honeymoon with her husband and how no one recognized her on the cruise ship.  Tina enlightens readers on the rules of improvisation and how the same rules can apply to life.  Not only do readers gain more insight into Tina Fey’s life and journey, they will laugh all the way through the book.

Tina Fey sends a great message to readers and especially women through her book.  She also reminds us to not take things too seriously.  Her views on weight, diets, politics, and relationships are heartfelt and genuine, but keep readers laughing.  Tina included several formats in her book including lists and scripts.  I loved reading a copy of a Saturday Night Live script when she played Sarah Palin.  I loved getting her insight on what it was like to publically tease and make fun of others.  She describes where she draws the line when it gets too personal. 

Readers can read more about Tina Fey here:  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0275486/bio

Adventure Time: The Flip Side - Book Review

Coover, C. & Tobin, P. (2014). Adventure time: The flip side. Los Angeles, CA: KaBOOM

Finn and Jake are off for an adventure of a life time.  Finn has been suffering from “Quest Deficiency” so Jake is trying to find a quest fast!  Not just any quest, it must be a great one.  Jake goes to the Quest Board which is a place for others to post quests that are needed.  He finds a quest worthy of their time on the back of the board.  He is not sure why Princess Bubblegum is upset about getting a quest from the back of the board.  Finn and Jake quickly learn that they have actually accepted a reverse quest.  Their quest was to rescue Painting Princess from the Monkey Wizard but Painting Princess has not yet been kidnapped by the Monkey Wizard.  They must now convince Monkey Wizard to kidnap her or all of Ooo will be doomed.  Finn and Jake encounter con men, ogres, and many other obstacles and tests they must pass such as eating a ton of ice cream in order to move on in their quest.  Ooo begins to unravel, with everything being in a reversed world.  Zombies attack the town when finally the Monkey Wizard agrees to kidnap Painting Princess to set Ooo straight again. 

This graphic novel was a quick read and entertaining.  This was my first “Adventure Time” graphic novel to read and I enjoyed getting to know Finn and Jake.  The illustrations work well with the text to tell of the adventures of Finn and Jake.  The panels are full of action with some wordless frames.  Readers will laugh out loud at the humor in this novel.  For instance, in one panel, Finn says, “You’re…not sure?  Jake…what do I do?” and Jake replies with “I don’t have all the answers dude.  If I did, I could finished this crossword.”  This all takes place while in an intense scene with zombies attacking them. 

To learn more about other “Adventure Time” graphic novels, visit this website:  http://www.simonandschuster.net/series/Adventure-Time/books?options%5Bsort%5D=BOOK_ORDER%7C0%7C%7CSERIES_VOLUME%7C0%7C%7CBOOK_ON_SALE_DATE_SINCE_EPOCH%7C1

Readers will be able to view 57 novels in this series.

Asking For It - Book Review

O’Neill, L. (2016). Asking for it. NY: Quercus

Emma O’Donavan is a beautiful 18 year old in Ireland, who is very aware of the popularity and attention her beauty brings.  Although she has a circle of friends, Emma is not a friend herself.  She is rude, coincided, self-absorbent, arrogant, and sometimes just hateful.  Emma arrives to school one day with her group of friends furious with her and accusing her of stealing boyfriends and sleeping around.  Emma is a little confused about these accusations, and it gets even worse when the entire school is laughing at her, whispering about her, and won’t let her sit with anyone at lunch.  It isn’t until Emma’s brother calls to tell her to look at Facebook that she sees what her friends and the entire school must have been talking about.  A few nights before, Emma consumed too much alcohol and drugs at a party, and was gang raped by several guys who took explicit photos of Emma and posted them on social media.  The only thing Emma remembers is waking up on her doorstep.  As Emma scrolls through the nightmare online, she cannot believe she is the girl in the photos.  The pictures also show one guy throwing up on her and another peeing on her head.  A teacher confronts Emma about the entire situation and introduces the reality to Emma of being raped that night.  Emma is now an outcast and is being blamed for what happened to her.  People are saying that Emma was “asking for it” with her behavior and the way she dresses.  To make things even more complicated for her, Emma somewhat willingly had sexual relations with one of the boys in the photos just before the incident.  Emma lacks the support of her parents as charges are pressed.  She eventually drops all charges with the assumption that she will not win.

The story of Emma O’Donovan is extremely frustrating and gut wrenching to read.  Readers are frustrated with her decision making leading up to the party and incident that resulted in this nightmare.  O’Neill does not hold back in describing the photos that were posted online of Emma.  It was all too real.  I found it very interesting to create a character for this story to be one readers would not like.  Emma is not one readers would be rooting for, however that does not make what happened to her right.  I think the scene that most upset me through it all was the end, when her parents did not fight for Emma to keep fighting.  Emma longed for them to encourage her and they did nothing.  Her mother even said that those boys really were nice kids, just made bad decisions which crushed Emma.  This was a well written novel with a frustrating plot and ending.

To find more information on author Louise O’Neill, go to this website:  https://www.quercusbooks.co.uk/Quercus/Authors/Louise+ONeill.page

Here you may find her Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more information.

The Baby-sitters Club: Mary Anne Saves the Day - Book Review

Telgemeier, R. (2007). The baby-sitters club: Mary Anne saves the day. NY: Scholastic

Mary Anne Spier is a member of the Baby-sitters Club with her friends Kristy, Claudia, and Stacey.  The girls run a small business of baby-sitting and have set rules and systems in place on how to stay organize and run a productive child care system.  Their usual club meeting is taking place when all four girls get in a huge argument and leave the meeting not speaking to each other.  Mary Anne, who is normally a soft spoken girl, stood up for herself but hurt some feelings along the way.  Things are not resolved when they return to school, but Mary Anne finds a new student, Dawn, to sit with so she will not have to eat alone.  The two hit it off right away with their friendship and eventually learn that their parents dated each other while they were in high school.  Mary Anne is being raised by her over protective father who still requires she wear her hair out of her face and has an early curfew.  Her mother passed away when she was a baby.  Dawn is being raised by her mother and the divorce between her parents is the cause of them moving.  It takes a while for the Baby-Sitters Club to make up and return to normal.  Mary Anne plays the role of a peace maker and writes letters to her friends apologizing for what was said in the meeting.  Dawn is accepted as a new member of the club and is thrilled to make more friends.  Mary Anne and Dawn devise a plan to make their parents’ paths cross.  When they do, Mr. Spier asks Dawn’s mother out and the girls are happy to see their parents enjoy another’s company. 

Written in the format of a graphic novel, this classic “Baby-Sitters Club” story is a fun read.  I grew up reading “Baby-Sitters Club” novels and it was exciting to see a fresh spin with the format.  I enjoyed the panels of illustrations with some wordless ones and others full of text.  The story sends a great message of growing pains, longing for independence and trust from parents, and forgiveness with true friends.  I appreciated the consistency of the characters from long ago.  It was almost like running in to an old friend. 

Raina Telgemeier has many graphic novels that readers may find here:  https://goraina.com/

The 57 Bus - Book Review

Slater, D. (2017). The 57 Bus: A true story of two teenagers and the crime that changed their lives. NY: Farrar Straus Giroux

Sasha is a white agender teenager who attends a private school, and Richard is an African American teenager who attends public school in a poor neighborhood.  This true story is of these two teenagers and the crime that would change both of their lives forever.  In 2013 in Oakland, California, Richard and Sasha were both on the 57 bus when Richard lit Sasha’s skirt on fire as she was sleeping on the bus.  The book gives readers a closer look at both teens and events that led up to the incident, the actual event, and events afterward.  Readers will learn Sasha is agender, was born a boy, but does not associate with one gender.  Sasha prefers the pronoun “they”.  Richard had been sentenced to a group home before this incident for being a part of a group fight.  Richard has lost numerous loved ones to murder.  He sees Sasha on the bus sleeping, and prompted by his friends, uses a lighter to light Sasha’s skirt on fire.  Sasha instantly is set into flames.  Richard and his friends exit the bus, and a couple of strangers on the bus rush to Sasha’s aid to put the flames out.  Sasha undergoes multiple surgeries for their third degree burns from calves the thighs.  Richard was arrested at school the next day and was charged with two hate crimes and faced with being tried as an adult.  Dashka Slater used well researched material for this text.  The book includes short chapters, poetry, lists, social media information, text messages, and letters.  Richard wrote letters of apology to Sasha, explaining he never meant to hurt anyone.  At Richard’s sentencing, Sasha’s parents spoke to Richard, saying they hope he is able to learn from this terrible act.  They did not get his letters of apology until fourteen months later and wished they had read them before they spoke.  At Richard’s progress trial, Sasha’s parents give a heart melting speech of forgiveness and hope for Richard.  They ask the judge to not allow Richard to be judged as an adult.  Richard has done his part while in jail, and the judge shortens his sentence and allows him to stay in the juvenile facility. 

Not only is this novel well written with multiple types of text and formats, the information was well researched.  The Author’s Note describes the sources used to create this novel.  I appreciated the way Richard was portrayed in the novel.  He was not a hateful person trying to harm anyone, he made a poor choice and is living the consequences of his decisions.  The author did not victimize him for what he did either.  The chapters describing the incident was eye opening.  Many people ran from Sasha and tried to exit the bus, only a couple of people helped Sasha.  “The man with the mustache” was in awe of what happened, he could not believe what he witnessed.  Readers will learn to be mindful of your actions, to have empathy to others, and to think about how your actions with affect others. 

To view newscast of this event, readers may visit:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUBdFm6flLY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9NxK8_mW3g

Cardboard - Book Review

TenNapel, D. (2012). Cardboard. NY: Scholastic

Mike is a hardworking carpenter who is out of work and looking for jobs.  After being turned away from work, Mike is on his way home, not knowing what he will be able to afford for his son’s birthday gift.  He pulls over to a vendor, Gideon, and ends up purchasing cardboard with two rules from Gideon.  1) You must return every scrap you don’t use.  2)  You can’t ask him for more cardboard, this is all he may have.  Gideon convinces Mike the cardboard will be a great gift for a good boy because he can be creative and use his imagination.  Mike, and his son Cam, learn very quickly there is something magical about this cardboard.  After making a boxer character, he comes to life!  Cam names him Bill and the two are instant friends.  Bill mows yards and teaches Cam how to box, while Cam’s neighbors, Marcus and Pinkeye, watch and become very envious of this cardboard magic.  They damage Bill by spraying water on him which ruins his cardboard body.  Mike and Cam must quickly save Bill by first asking Gideon for more cardboard.  Gideon is furious with Mike for not following his rules and denies any help.  Mike rushes home and creates a “card board maker” out of the cardboard, and is able to magically get cardboard by the push of a button.  The two save Bill, and Cam is able to make more little cardboard characters.  Marcus and Pinkeye devise another plan and they steal the cardboard maker and make several monsters that eventually overturn Marcus’ power of control.  The characters are thrown into a cardboard nightmare and must fight their way out.  Water is the weapon they must use to defeat the cardboard monsters but that also means Bill will be destroyed as well.  Marcus realizes he needs to change his act and apologizes for his behavior and Cam is thrilled and surprised to meet Bill, a man looking for work who coincidentally has a cut on his arm. 

This graphic novel was extremely entertaining.  The plot of the story moves quickly and was engaging.  The variety of panels from full page to wordless was visually pleasing and easy to follow.  Although this is a fun read, there was aspects of family moving on after Cam’s mother passed away, the love of a father and the disappointment of not being able to provide, and a wealthy family thinking their son does no wrong.  I love the surprise at the end with Bill showing up as a human.

Doug TenNapel is not only a graphic novel author, he is also a video game designer and television show developer.  Readers can learn more about his works on this website:  http://tennapel.com/

  

The 5th Wave Book Review

Yancey, R. (2013). The 5^th wave. NY: Penguin House Company

Cassie is a 16 year old survivor of an alien invasion.  This post-apocalyptic story is set after the Others have already done four waves of mass destruction to earth, killing billions of humans.  Cassie can only imagine what the 5^th Wave will be.  Told from multiple points of view, readers learn what life is like for several characters and how they all come together at the end.  The main character, Cassie, has already lost her parents in the previous Waves, and is living in the woods, alone, with the sole purpose of saving her younger brother Sammy.  Cassie trusts no one thanks to the 4^th Wave, where the aliens invaded the human race, causing humans to become their own enemy.  Cassie’s story begins with searching for water and finding an injured soldier who was dying from a wound.  She does not trust he is human and shoots him, realizing later he was only holding a cross, not a weapon.  Cassie knows she is beginning to lose herself in this world she must survive.  As Cassie moves on to find her brother, she is shot in the leg by a Silencer who has been following her.  Cassie is near death when Evan comes in and saves her.  Cassie is suspicious of Evan and with good right because she later learns Evan is in fact a Silencer who loves Cassie and will rebel against his alien commands.  Readers will read from the point of view of Ben Parish who changes his name to “Zombie”.  Ben and Cassie went to school together and she even had a major crush on him.  Ben shares his story of being a victim of the plague that came through with a Wave.  He is slowly dying at a refugee camp then he is taken to a military camp and is healed.  There, he meets Sammy, Cassie’s brother, and wants to help him find his sister.  Ben (Zombie) shares a more darker side of the invasion.  All the stories and adventures eventually come together at the end of the novel and Cassie and Sammy are reunited.

I had very mixed emotions about this first book of the series.  I usually love when a book changes the point of view of characters and love figuring out how they will come together, however it was a little confusing at times to realize which perspective the reader was hearing from.  The characters switch from present day activities to flashbacks to previous Waves.  I found myself more interested in wanting to learn about the events that took place before where the book starts from.  The introduction titled “Intrusion: 1995” hooks the reader from the start as it describes the invasion of the Others on the human race, leaving no trace or evidence that it even happened.  I especially loved the bond of siblings in this novel with Cassie and Sammy.  Cassie was determined to keep going for her younger brother.  Survival stories intrigue me as a reader and I love to imagine which characteristics of Cassie I would have.  The novel leaves readers on a cliffhanger, which is appropriate being it is the first book of a series. 

Readers will enjoy the second and third books, “The Infinite Sea” and “The Last Star” to finish this series. 

Chapters 11-15 Textbook Reflection

Chapter 11:  Realistic Fiction

Realistic Fiction can also be referred to as Contemporary Realistic Fiction (CRF) or Modern Realistic Fiction (MRF).  It is set in modern or contemporary times, it believable, and everything in the story is consistent with the real world including characters, setting, and events. 

There is criteria for evaluating realistic fiction for children:

1.       Is everything consistent with the real world in which contemporary and modern kids live?  Is there speech, behavior, and every element consistent?

2.      Does the theme emerge naturally from the story?  A good piece of realistic fiction encompasses more than one theme and it should emerge slowly and consistently.

3.      How does the topic or subject matter of the book relate to modern readers?  Does it tackle sensitive and tough topics such as death, loss, sexuality and sexual orientation, changing of family structure, or more?  Topics that use to be taboo are now becoming the subject matter of books for young readers.

I love reading and recommending realistic fiction to readers and I have never thought about what criteria I am basing my recommendations on.  I simply think the book is “good” or look at awards or recognitions the book has received.  Although that is a good place to start, knowing the criteria for which finding great literature for children is based on allows me to be a more effective librarian.  What stood out to me most was looking at what the topic or subject matter of the book is about and how it would relate to modern readers.  I have found that these “taboo” subjects are what makes this genre so personal for readers.  Readers are able to relate in these subject areas or build empathy by looking through the lens of another character.  I also feel theme is a major component in realistic fiction.  As an educator, I see the impact of teaching theme and finding literature with a strong sense of theme can change readers and perspectives. 

Chapter 12:  Nonfiction

Nonfiction may include biographies, autobiographies, memoirs, narratives, and expository texts.  Dr. Robert Small said nonfiction is the only kind of book that is defined by what it is not.  There is certain criteria for evaluating nonfiction for children.  The first is qualifications of authors.  A reader can find information about the author in the back of the book, in the author’s notes, or even on their website.  Check to see if they put in the research for the topic.  The next criteria is are the facts accurate?  We must rely on the authors because we are not experts on the topic.  A reader may look at resources to learn more about the author and topic.  A great activity would be to have students select multiple sources on the same topic.  Students could make a chart to find what facts every source had, facts only a couple of books had, and facts only one book had.  This teaches children to do their own research and to be informational literate.  We must also consider what the purpose of the scope of this particular piece of nonfiction is.  What age groups does it address and is it a broad topic or narrow?  What need does it meet?  Another criteria for nonfiction is the organization of the book and how it assists kids in finding answers to their questions.  The literature needs text features that are user friendly and pleasing to the eye.  Call out boxes are especially beneficial for those who may be overwhelmed with all the written information on a page, but is able to view a small piece.  Some questions to consider when evaluating nonfiction is:

What would the text be like if it was written 50 years earlier or 50 years later?

Would this make a good documentary?

What do you think the author did to write this book?

What kind of teacher do you think this author would make?

Book Scenario:

Based on criteria used for evaluating nonfiction for children, “Perfectly Normal” should be considered for publishing.  The author has done the research behind the information presented in this book which you may read in the resources and references in the text.  The scope of the text is broad in that it presents information on changing bodies and sexuality, but can also narrow down to specific issues.  The organization is pleasing to the eye.  The book is full of text features and visuals that give information in a delicate, but honest way.  The text allows readers to easily find the information they are looking for quickly so they will not waste their time searching.  If a reader wants fast information, the text features provided will guide them to that information.  Children need to know and understand that their changing bodies are “perfectly normal” and this text is an excellent source to find reliable information presented for children.

Chapter 13 Fantasy/Science Fiction

Fantasy is stories that violate the laws of physical reality.  Science fiction is a subgenre of fantasy.  All science fiction falls into the fantasy genre, but not all fantasy falls in with science fiction.  There is criteria for evaluating fantasy and science fiction for children:

1.       Despite the fantastic aspects of the story, characters must behave in consistent and believable ways.

2.      There must still be rules for the fantasy world.

3.      Authors must assist readers in the “willing suspension of disbelief.”

4.      The theme should explore universal truths.

There is something for everyone in the science fiction subgenre.  There is “hard” sci-fi, which includes made up worlds and beings, and there is “soft” sci-fi, which is more about the plot and characters.  There are several categories of science fiction:

-        Apocalyptic and post apocalyptic:  dealing with the catastrophe or living in it many years later

-        Steam punk:  involving steam powered energy

-        Cyberpunk:  involves hacking and computer technology

-        Bio-punk:  involves hackers with humans; can manipulate DNA; genetic engineering

-         Dystopia:  involves propaganda for control of citizens; withholding information from citizens; society to have the illusion it is perfect but with many underlining problems

-        Extra-Sensory Perception:  (ESP); using the mind to do things

-        Robot, android, cyborgs, and artificial intelligence

-        Space and aliens:  extra-terrestrials

-        Time travel, parallel universe:  Scientific method to time travel

-        Virtual reality and gaming

-        Miscellaneous: anything else could fit here

Understanding genres and subgenres is an important tool for a librarian.  A librarian must know the different subgenres to better build her collection and provide books for readers’ interest.  Understanding what genre or subgenre allows librarians to make a more effective book recommendation.  I personally appreciate the knowledge of each subgenre because it narrows book topics for recommendations.  If a child tells me they enjoy science fiction, there is a wide range of material I could recommend.  When I understand how each genre and subgenre is related, I will be able to use time more efficiently. 

Chapter 14:  Graphic Novels

Graphic novels is not a genre, it is a form or a format.  Graphic novels have evolved to span from readers from young elementary years, to secondary students, and to adult literature.  A survey said that 67% of teachers do not read graphic novels.  But larger and larger numbers of readers are preferring graphic novels.  By definition, a graphic novel is in comic format that resembles a novel in length and has a narrative development.  Graphic novels do not have to be used for learning, they can be used for just pure enjoyment.  Graphic novels combine text and illustration to convey the story.  They can be fiction or nonfiction.  Just like other novels, graphic novels have parts of the book.  The gutters play an important role in graphic novels because it helps separate what is on the page so the reader can view the panels and comprehend the story line.  Readers read graphic novels from left to right and from top to bottom.  Scaffolding comes easily with graphic novels because of the assistance the illustrations give the reader. 

As a reader and an educator, I am a huge fan of graphic novels.  As a teacher, I have loved watching some of my reluctant readers finally find literature they enjoy and will read.  I do know some teachers who do not allow students to read graphic novels for their independent reading.  My question to them has been, are students still having to comprehend what they are reading?  Are students able to recall character development, theme, plot, and other literary elements?  I personally love that readers must use everything on the page in order to comprehend the text.  As a reader, I have loved reading graphic novels and exploring genres in the format of a graphic novel.  I have especially loved reading biographies in the format of a graphic novel.  I have realized I can expose students to different genres in the format of a graphic novel and maybe they would not be so reluctant to read it. 

Chapter 15:  10 Questions To Ask About A Novel by Richard Peck (1978)

l. What would the story be like if the main character were of the opposite sex?:  This helps diffuse sexual polarizations and stereotyping.

2. Why is the story set where it is? (Not where is the story set?):  This points out setting as an author’s device.

3. If you were to film the story, would you use black and white or color and WHY?:  This helps with the consideration of tone.

4. If you could not use all of the characters, which would you eliminate and WHY?:  This helps identify characters which add texture vs. simplification for media translation.

5. How is the main character different from you?:  This helps the reader to identify without being like the main character.

6. Would this story make a good TV series? Why/not?:  This helps with an ending focus and sequential nature of chapters.

7. What one thing in the story that has happened to you?:  This helps with anecdotal response of recognition.

8. Reread the first paragraph of Chapter 1. What is in it to make you read on? If

nothing, why did you continue to read?:  This hooks the reader and awareness of author’s intent in writing.

9. If you had to design a new cover for the book, what would it look like?:  Deceptive packaging and consumerism.

10. What does the title tell you about the book? Does it tell the truth?:  Titles as narrative hooks vs. symbolic titles.

As a reading teacher, I am a huge fan of these questions.  I tried a few of them out on my 4^th graders this week as we read passages.  I was amazed with their thinking and response.  I asked my students, “why is the setting set where it is?”  Students were able to make the connection to the importance of the setting and how it relates to the plot.  I also asked my students what was one thing that happened to you that happened in the text.  Students were able to relate to the text and make text to self connections.  My favorite question I used this week was “how is the main character different than you?”  This question allowed students to see through another lens.  They were also able to make those text to self connections and compare and contrast.  The students enjoyed the discussion over these questions and they made for engaged literature circles.  My goal is to include these questions while discussion all literature with students.  As a future librarian, using these questions will help create a culture of reading on my campus.  Students will be encouraged to engage in the text.