Year: 2020

Posted on by — Leave a comment

My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner – Book Review

 

Title: My Life as a Potato
Author: Arianne Costner
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 24, 2020

Ben Hardy is the new kid. His recent move from California to Idaho is exactly what a person could imagine it to be– a shock and an adjustment. It is also a great opportunity. However, Ben’s potato curse follows him to the Potato State, and his chance to define himself before others do it for him is complicated by a hot dog throwing incident. Soon after, Ben must assume the responsibility of being the school’s mascot, Steve the Spud. As he tries to juggle his secret mascot identity, newfound popularity at school, and changing friendships, he realizes what really matters. He can only hope it isn’t too late!

Arianne Costner’s My Life as a Potato is a fun, feel-good novel. It contains common themes in middle school literature, such as identity, friendship, and the power of choices, which will make the story relatable to all that read it. The secret mascot responsibilities do stand out from other middle grade novels while putting a unique spin on Ben’s struggles. Through those struggles, My Life as a Potato captures a broad look at middle school life’s minutiae. Unfortunately, the expansive scope sacrifices depth as a result. Is this decision a bad thing? Not at all! The middle grades genre is flooded with books that tackle hard topics and challenging themes. Costner’s My Life as a Potato is a light-hearted antidote for those that need a sunnier breath of fresh air. Students will connect with Ben and his struggles, making the novel a good read for those looking for an amusing weekend read.

Classroom Applications

  • STEM Fun – Teach the novel in conjunction with fun STEM activities or science labs with potatoes.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of friendship, school, and sports mascots.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Potatoes
  • Mascots

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with My Life as a Potato. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

On the Horizon by Lois Lowry – Book Review

 

Title: On the Horizon
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 7, 2020

On the Horizon takes readers from the shores of Pearl Harbor to the city of Hiroshima during and after World War II. After viewing the ghost of the USS Arizona on home video, author Lois Lowry recounts the devastation Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caused. Then, Lowry brings readers along as the Enola Gay unleashes its own fury on Hiroshima, leading to annihilation in Japan. The story does not avoid the tragedy and destruction war can bring. In its wake, readers learn about Lowry’s life in Japan, and, later, a twist of fate that demonstrates just how interconnected people are by their lived experiences and history.

Lowry’s novel, narrated in verse, recounts the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the aftermath of both infamous WWII events. Lowry raises timeless themes, such as interconnectedness, the impact of history across time and space, and the power of healing and friendship. Each poignant vignette packs an emotional punch. They also build toward a crescendo that will leave a long-lasting impression. The ending gives pause for deep contemplation although the story would have been well-served to surface that essential point earlier, if only to give readers more time to dwell on it. On the Horizon is personal and reflective, qualities that will resonate with all readers from all backgrounds. While WWII novels saturate middle grades curriculum, Lowry’s On the Horizon comes at it from a slightly different angle. Her story’s intimacy and the personalized nature of the accounts, stories of sailors, civilians, and more, add depth and humanity to the topic’s treatment. They also would make On the Horizon a meaningful addition as supplementary reading in a larger, comprehensive study of the time period.

Classroom Applications

  • Literature Circles – Use the novel as part of a study about World War II.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about World War II, such as Grenade by Alan Gratz, to create a thought-provoking unit that captures multiple perspectives on this global conflict, especially the less-studied Pacific Theater.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • World War II
  • WWII – Pacific Theater
  • Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • Pearl Harbor

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with On the Horizon. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park – Book Review

 

Title: Prairie Lotus
Author: Linda Sue Park
Publisher: Clarion Books
Release Date: March 3, 2020
Interested in teaching Prairie Lotus? Check out the LIT Lessons Prairie Lotus Novel Study.

The history books describe the intense hostility Chinese immigrants faced in the 1880s. In addition to overt discrimination and racism, there was legislation that limited their immigration to the United States and prohibited them from becoming United States citizens. This is the backdrop for Hanna, whom as a half-Chinese and half-white teenager, faces all the hostility the time period could muster. She and her father (who is white) set out across the country to settle in the small town of LaForge in the Dakota Territory. Once there, the prospects of building a dry goods store and setting down roots appears promising. Yet, when LaForge residents learn of Hanna’s heritage, anti-Chinese prejudice threatens to destroy her hopes of finding a home, finishing school, and fulfilling her dream of becoming a dressmaker for her father’s shop.

Linda Sue Park’s Prairie Lotus adds the strong, brave voice of Hanna to the growing collection of middle grade novels featuring diverse perspectives. In particular, Prairie Lotus highlights an important facet of United States history that often goes untold when it comes to discussions about Westward Expansion. Park’s depiction of racial prejudice, her brief glimpses into the systematic removal of Native Americans, and general portrayal of life on the prairie accurately reflect certain realities of the time period. It is appropriate for the maturity level of younger readers and lends itself to critical analysis for older readers. Touching on controversial historical issues creates a conflict for readers because they will have to rectify the malevolence of these issues with Hanna’s “happy” ending. While the author explains that the novel is intended to serve as a counter-narrative to the Little House on the Prairie series, Hanna’s story still achieved the “tidy ending” of frontier literature. Yet, the history behind Hanna’s story is anything but tidy. Still, the mismatch could be productive if examined properly. The distance between fiction and history creates an opportunity for students to take a critical lens. They could critically analyze the narrative in Prairie Lotus for the way it presents the 19th century Chinese immigrant experience. They could also use that analysis as a springboard into a deeper examination of most mainstream portrayals of not only the immigrant experience but also Westward Expansion. In short, the depth Prairie Lotus seeks does create a path for thorough, critical engagement, if one is willing to follow it.

Overall, the writing in Prairie Lotus is succinct and vivid; Hanna’s voice is powerful and measured; and the plot is captivating and provoking. As a result, Prairie Lotus certainly earns its place on middle grades bookshelves. It also offers educators an opportunity to expand students’ understanding of this time period. They could use it as a vehicle to add deeper perspective historical studies about Westward Expansion while challenging the typical narratives told about Manifest Destiny.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach this comprehensive novel unit – Prairie Lotus Unit: Comprehensive Novel Study – which includes a nonfiction study of Chinese immigration, westward expansion, and First Nations in the 19th century.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about the immigrant experience during the 19th century or the Native American experience during the 19th century.
  • Book Comparison – Read excerpts from the Little House on the Prairie novels to compare and contrast the portrayal of life on the prairie during the 19th century, specifically focusing on the treatment of minorities and “outsiders.”

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • U.S. History: Immigration
  • Chinese immigrant experience in the 19th century
  • 19th century Native American history
  • Life on the prairie in the 19th century

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Prairie Lotus. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Mañanaland by Pam Muñoz Ryan – Book Review

 

Title: Mañanaland
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: March 3, 2020

Maximiliano Córdoba and his family live in the small village of Santa Maria somewhere in the Américas. Twelve-year-old Max loves stories and fútbol. He wants nothing more than to make the local team, except maybe to know more about his mother, who left when he was still a baby. When Max’s desire to learn about his mother intersects with and complicates his eligibility to make the team, he takes matters into his own hands. Max decides to seek out the truth on his own. As Max embarks on his journey, he realizes that the fantastical stories Buelo spins at night are not only true but also secretive and dangerous. Max’s decision to assume responsibility for his family’s work helping others ultimately has far-reaching consequences that will change him and the life of the one he helps.

Author Pam Muñoz Ryan is a masterful storyteller, and Mañanaland is yet another stellar example of her talent. Max’s story blends the fantastical with reality in a way that creates a timeless, intriguing story. His efforts to carry on the family’s legacy of helping refugees fleeing from all types of tyranny transcends time and space. It is a story of the past, the present, and – unfortunately – the future as well. The author’s storytelling ability also serves as the perfect vehicle to relate Max’s experience to larger, universal narratives. The writing is descriptive and layered, but it remains accessible for readers of all ages and abilities, which will allow them to parse out deeper meanings and complex themes.

Packed with emotion, relatable characters, and life-altering choices, Mañanaland is an engaging read that will illicit thoughtful and challenging discussion in upper elementary and middle grades classrooms. While the novel can stand on its own as a unit, it is an excellent book to pair with another text that includes refugee or immigrant stories. Such a pairing would create a dynamic novel study that could bring to light both the diversity and universality of the refugee experience.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the refugee experience, specifically one focused on Central American and South America.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about the refugee/immigrant experience, such as Efrén Divided, to create a thought-provoking unit that “crosses the border.”

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Refugee experience
  • Immigration history

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Mañanaland. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

  • Efrén Divided by Ernesto Cisneros (Character Connections, Themes)
  • Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen (Character Connections, Themes)
  • Refugee by Alan Gratz (Character Connections, Themes)
  • Front Desk by Kelly Yang (Character Connections, Themes)
*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

Kent State by Deborah Wiles – Book Review

 

Title: Kent State
Author: Deborah Wiles
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Release Date: April 21, 2020

Kent State retells the story of the events surrounding the infamous clash between student demonstrators protesting the Vietnam War and the National Guard at Kent State in Ohio. The time period’s complex history still evokes visceral responses from people to this day, and Deborah Wiles’ retelling through verse does the same. Wiles weaves multiple narratives together using conversational and sometimes confrontational voices told from the perspective of participants and observers of the Kent State shootings. Although chaotic at times, the story’s structure reflects the uncertainty around these events in Kent, Ohio. It also reveals the range of deeply held beliefs about the Vietnam War and United States’ culture that contributed to the intense emotions during that period. The skillful blending of myriad perspectives with comprehensive research creates a realistic portrayal of this event. Critically, like the period itself, it also creates dissonance, leaving readers with challenging questions about culture, protest, and ideals still worth considering today.

Kent State reinforces the fact that personal histories offer compelling versions of reality. In fact, the truths they tell are often more resonant. However, they also have their limitations. Whose history gets told? How does this history get told? What motivations underpin the answers to these questions? Wiles does a fantastic job starting the conversation as it pertains to the United States during the Vietnam War Era, but she is unable to sustain it as far as might have been possible. Kent State would be a provocative and important novel to include in a larger study of the Vietnam War, potentially with multiple novels, but it would be difficult to teach on its own due to the background knowledge needed to understand the books’ many facets and contextual references. Nevertheless, Wiles’ work represents a part of the history of the Vietnam War Era that is worth telling and remembering, much like the many voices in the book itself. High school teachers will undoubtedly find value in Kent State’s complexities, especially when pairing it with other works about this fraught time period.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Scholastic Inc., for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study on the Vietnam War Era.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about the Vietnam War, such as The Things They Carried, to create a thought-provoking unit that captures multiple perspectives on this global conflict.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Vietnam War
  • Vietnam Protests
  • America during the Vietnam War
  • All aspects of the Vietnam War Era

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Kent State. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
Posted on by — Leave a comment

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller – Book Review

 

Title: When You Trap a Tiger
Author: Tae Keller
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 28, 2020

Lily’s grandmother, her halmoni, is gravely ill. When Lily’s mother moves the family back to Sunbeam, Washington to live with Halmoni, the reality of her grandmother’s illness thrusts Lily into the magical world of Korean folklore. Once a world of love, laughter, and fond memories, Lily finds herself facing off with a magical tiger in an attempt to appease the creature and save her grandmother. As Halmoni’s condition worsens, Lily’s desperation leads her farther into the magical realm of Korean folklore, helping her navigate through her feelings of grief and helplessness along the way. Ultimately, Lily’s discoveries, including a new friend and finding the depth of her own courage, bring peace and healing in unexpected, magical ways.

Tae Keller’s When You Trap a Tiger is a poignant look at Lily’s struggles: grieving over Halmoni’s illness, accepting her changed relationship with her sister, and finding her own voice and courage through the stories she experiences and eventually creates. It is a complex time in Lily’s life, and the narrative reflects this complexity as the magical world created in the novel enmeshes itself with the grounded reality depicted in the novel. At times, these dueling narrative threads can confuse readers as to which world they are in – the magical or the real. While this narrative choice may accurately reflect the confusion Lily faces during this difficult time, it occasionally detracts from the other literary elements that bring Lily’s story to life. Keller creates dynamic characters that will stay with readers long after they finish the novel, a significant accomplishment. The author skillfully develops these characters in subtle ways that create intrigue and investment so much so that many readers will be left with a yearning to learn more about them, and in particular, Halmoni.

When You Trap a Tiger will have many fans, especially those of magical realism. Readers can easily get lost in Lily’s tales but will need to do plenty of rereading to parse out the novel’s complexities. The book would be a fantastic addition to middle grades classrooms implementing literature circles with novels that incorporate folktales. However, other class applications are fairly limited. Still, it is another diverse voice to add to the collection of #ownvoices literature for our young people.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the history of Korea or a study of Korean folktales.
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books that include folktales from around the world.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading novels that incorporate folktales.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • History of Korean Peninsula
  • Emigration from Korea to the U.S.
  • Korean folktales

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with When You Trap a Tiger. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.