Module 5 - History, Biography & Nonfiction

Sandler, Martin W. 2008. LINCOLN THROUGH THE LENS: HOW PHOTOGRAPHY REVEALED AND SHAPED AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE. Walker and Company. ISBN: 0806796672

Lincoln Through the Lens documents Abraham Lincoln’s life using the some of the earliest photographs ever taken. Lincoln realized the power of the technology and used it to further his legal and political career. “In addition to chronicling Lincoln's political career, the book illustrates the rise of photography as a documentary resource.” Voya. It not only includes many photographs of Lincoln, but also images of the times in which he lived. “Part history of early photography, part Lincoln biography, and part documentation of the period, this slim book speaks volumes in both words and pictures.” School Library Journal. There are quotes from Lincoln throughout the book, giving the reader insight into Lincoln’s persona, his thoughts, hopes, fears, and frustrations. Comparing the pictures of Lincoln as a young man and those of him near the end of his life, one can see the toll the Civil War and his personal tragedies took on him. “This well-researched, interesting book should be available for all school children to read when they are studying Abraham Lincoln.” Children’s Literature


Crutcher, Chris. 2005. KING OF THE MILD FRONTIER: AN ILL-ADVISED AUTOBIOGRAPHY. New York: Random House Audio ISBN: 0307282546

In a Starred Review, Publishers Weekly calls King of the Mild Frontier “ funny, bittersweet and brutally honest”. This is the story of how Chris Crutcher, grew from a pimply face, insecure “bawlbaby", to become the popular and award-winning young adult writer he is today. “Crutcher entertains readers, challenges them, and touches their hearts…hard to imagine it being written any better.” Voya. The audiobook, in which Crutcher himself reads, is most enjoyable. It is like listening to a brother or uncle share old stories about family and school from days gone by. Crutcher shares where many of his books characters come from. Boys especially will be entertained by the book. The female characters, his sister and mother, are as well developed as the male characters. All in all, though, “this is a good read… and it tells a strong story to get at strong truths.” Kirkus Reviews

Schmidt, Gary D. 2009. WEDNESDAY WARS. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN: 054723760X.


Wednesday Wars takes the reader month by month through the 1967-68 seventh grade school year of Holling Hoodhood. Every other kid in the class is either Catholic or Jewish and goes to religious instruction on Wednesday afternoons; but Holling who is Presbyterian stays in the classroom with his teacher Mrs. Baker each Wednesday. Holling is convinced Mrs. Baker hates him. She makes him read and study Shakespeare, which lands Holling in an embarrassing role as a fairy in the community theatre production of The Tempest. Holling’s homelife is perfect, except that his parents ignore him and his flower child sister has no use for him. The turmoil of the 70’s is a backdrop to the typical traumas of seventh grade. Holling deals with bullies, a runaway sister, Mrs. Baker’s MIA husband, misunderstandings with the girl he likes, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy. Schmidt creates a realistic and memorable character in Holling, and a story that rings true for a seventh grader and the turbulent 70’s. “This story interweaves the issues of the period with grace and power, resulting in historical fiction both entertaining and endearing.” Children’s Literature.

Module 4 - Fantasy and Sci Fi

Bray, Libba. 2010. GOING BOVINE. New York: Random House. ISBN 0385733984



GOING BOVINE won the 2010 Michael J. Printz Award for excellent young adult literature. Author Libba Bray creates a realistic character in Cameron, who is coasting through school and life. There is not much he cares about until he finds out he has mad cow disease. As his health deteriorates and he drifts in and out of consciousness, he dreams he undertakes a Don Xiote-like cross country quest to save the world and find a cure for his illness. Along for the ride is his hospital roomate, who he knows from high school and who happens to be a dwarf. A Norse God cursed to exist as a garden gnome and a pink haired punk rock angel teach Cameron to care about others, appreciate his family and even find romance.
　
　
Collins, Suzanne. 2008. HUNGER GAMES. New York: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 0439023483




In the futuristic dystopia of Panem, society is controlled by a Capitol that conducts a brutal and deadly television reality game each year. Each of the nation's territories sends two children, selected by lottery, to compete in the Hunger Games. They must hide, hunt and fight, killing each other until only one participant is left standing. Katniss takes the place of her little sister, who was selected to go to the games. The capitol creates many torturous scenarios that pit the participants against one another. Katniss is a good hunter and a formidable foe. The book is fast-paced. There is one adventure after another and romance adds another interesting element to the plot.
　
　
　
Shan, Darren. 2001. CIRQUE DU FREAK. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316648523



Life suddenly changes for Darren when he and his friend Steve go to a freak show, Cirque Du Freak. They see all kinds of weird things and beings. After the show, Steve approaches one of the performers, a vampire named Mr. Crepsley and begs him to take him as his assistant. But Mr. Crepsley refuses. "You are an evil person", he tells Steve. "Your blood is bad...Vampires are not the evil monsters of lore...We respect life. You have a killer's instincts, but we are not killers." Darren, meanwhile, is hiding and sees the whole scene between Steve and Mr. Crepsley.

Darren, for his part, cannot stop thinking about Mr. Crepsley's exotic spider, Madam Octa. A few days later, Darren sneaks back into the dilapidated building where the show took place to steal the spider. From here things go from bad to worse. Events get twisted and Darren finds himself in a place he never wished to be, and can never escape. Readers who enjoy horror, will want to read this book and work their way through the whole series.