Meet Me at the Corner [Web site], created by Donna Guthrie

Meet Me at the Corner [Web site], created by Donna Guthrie. Accessed on November 25, 2009 at http://www.meetmeatthecorner.org/


“Meet Me at the Corner Virtual Field Trips for Kids takes you to meet fascinating people from all over the world.” (homepage)


User's Annotation
Want to learn how to make video podcasts about interesting people, events, or your favorite books? Then check out Meet Me at the Corner, where you can learn how to do this and more, and submit your videos to be possibly edited and shown on the Internet!

About the Site’s Creator
In 2006, Donna W. Guthrie founded Meet Me at the Corner. She has authored more than twenty award-winning books for children, among them a middle grade fiction novel, Frankie Murphy’s Kiss List. She has also taught kindergarten through fifth grade, and is a visiting professor at Colorado College where she teaches children’s writing. She has a Master of Fine Arts in Children’s and Young Adult Writing.

Genre
Web site: video production

Interest Age
9-14 yrs.

Site Content
This is a Web site where kids can learn how to create video podcasts and submit them for possible editing and posting online. The age range of children who can submit videos is not specified, but the children in the videos that I watched appeared to be 9-14 years old. The percentage of submitted videos which are posted on the site is not specified. The site contains video podcasting lessons which very clearly demonstrate the process from start to finish. Storyboarding templates are also provided. The meat of the site is a collection of about 80 videos created by children: principally interviews of adults skilled in some area, book reviews, or a piece on an event which took place in the child’s hometown. Just a small sample of the topics included are: music, sports, art, travel, astronomy, history, and poetry. A new video appears every two weeks, and many of the videos included links to learning activities, related Web sites, and recommended books. The topics of the next videos scheduled to appear this month and next are: the U.S.S. Midway Museum in San Diego, the artwork in the New York City subway system, and model trains. There is also a page listing links to art and writing contests.

Critical Evaluation
I am very impressed with this site, and found it very user-friendly. There are a few commercial ads and of course the Amazon store, but I think the educational value of the site far outweighs the small commercial intrusion. And people are watching the videos on this site – each has been viewed at least hundreds, if not thousands of times, based on site stats. I found the video podcasting lessons quite informative, yet easy to understand, and I even learned several good tips myself. The site is very well-organized and I liked the music and design elements at the beginning of each video, very current and attractive for kids and adults alike. It is obvious that thoughtful preparation has gone into the learning activities and lists of Web site recommendations and books. My only wish, however, is of course that the list of recommended books be moved from the bottom to the top of the page, or at least somewhere in the middle. Despite a few issues with choppy sound during the videos (and this may well have been due to my computer), I highly recommend this site. And I’m absolutely certain that we’re going to see poised 12-year-old Emma as a filmmaker or CNN news correspondent someday. :)

Talking Up The Site
• Show clips from a few of the videos on the site which offer instruction on make a video podcast.
• Show clips from a few videos which kids have submitted to the site.

Curriculum Ideas
• Critical Thinking: Each student reviews a favorite video on the site, sharing with classmates its strong points and areas for possible improvement.
• Media Production: In small groups, students story board and create videos, and then submit them to the site.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Site includes an Amazon store and a few commercial advertisements:
• Become familiar enough with the site’s content to promote its merits.
• Refer to library’s Internet policies.
• Refer to site reviews from authoritative sources.
• Obtain site reviews from tweens who have used it.

Why I Chose This Site
I wanted to review a site at which tweens can learn the basics of video production.

Hate that Cat, by Sharon Creech

Hate that Cat, by Sharon Creech. New York: Joanna Cotler Books, 2008. 153 pp. ISBN-13: 9780061430923


“Thank you for telling me / I could FORGET / those confusing words / and that it isn’t knowing the words / that describe writing / that is important – / it is the thoughts in our heads / that are most important / and that feeling the rhythm / is even more / wondrous / than hearing the rhythm.” p. 56

Reader's Annotation
Last school year, Jack came to love poetry. This year, with the guidance of Miss Stretchberry, he’ll learn about alliteration and onomatopoeia…and maybe even about giving second chances to mean black cats, and how to bring the world to his hearing-challenged mother.

About the Author
Sharon Creech was born in Ohio, and grew up with her parents, a sister and three brothers. Her childhood experiences, and especially family car trips, often figure into her writing. She earned a Master’s degree in literature and writing, and has taught high school language arts in Switzerland and England. Creech has written several books for children -- including the Nobel-prize-winning Walk Two Moons -- but has also written a play, adult fiction, and poetry. She and her husband, who have two grown children, are living in a cottage in England this year. On her Web site (link above), she writes: “Being with my family is what I enjoy most. The next-best thing is writing stories.”

Genre
Journal, Poetry, Novel in Verse

Reading Level/Interest Age
Ages 10-12

Plot Summary
Like Love That Dog, this is also a novel in verse told in the first-person by Jack in the form of a journal assigned by his teacher. In this novel, Jack is once again in Miss Stretchberry’s class, as she has moved up a grade with her students. She introduces the literary devices of alliteration and onomatopoeia, emphasizing, however, that what really matters when writing and enjoying poetry is expressing oneself and giving oneself over to the sensual enjoyment of the poem. Although Jack is meant to be only one year older than he was in the first novel, the level of his vocabulary is advanced for his apparent age at a few moments, perhaps deliberately, suggesting the effect that the study of great literature can have on someone’s ability to express himself. Jack grows in two areas in this novel. First, Jack learns about the mistake of prejudgment courtesy of a neighborhood black cat, at first a seemingly selfish creature. However, through exposure to kittens, poems about cats, and a surprising action on the part of the black cat itself, Jack begins to see the cat differently. The more dramatic growth, however, occurs when Jack begins to wonder whether his mother, who is hearing-challenged, can feel the rhythm of poetry as he can. He thus decides to be more proactive in helping his mother to expand her sensory world.

Series Note
This novel is the sequel to Love That Dog (2001), which I have reviewed here.

Critical Evaluation
While sequels often pale in comparison to their predecessors, Hate that Cat is just as unique and impacting as Love that Dog, in the way that Creech subtly brings a tween’s world to life for us with the relatively short entries in his elementary classroom journal. The importance of family, a recurrent theme in Creech’s work, is a major component of this novel. Early on we see the solidarity of Jack’s nuclear family, in response to Uncle Bill’s pronouncements on what real poetry should and should not look like. When Jack counters these notions and defends poets such as William Carlos Williams, Jack’s father clearly demonstrates his support of Jack. And as the novel develops, we become deeply aware of the love that Jack feels toward his mother, emerging in his touching observations of her, e.g.: “…I cannot explain / how my mother paints / words / with / her / hands / but / she / does…” (p. 73). We see Jack’s growing realization that she may need his help in order to also enjoy the gift of poetry that he has received, e.g.: “And I cannot explain / how-- / when we paint words / with each other-- / I hear sounds / but I do not know / if she hears anything-- / any strange or amazing / or good or terrible / or sparkling or fizzing / sound / at / all” (pp. 73-74). Through Jack’s assistance to his mother, we see the tying together of the theme of family and the theme of the beauty of language, another idea extremely important in Creech’s writing. Creech appears to be reminding us that the wonder and magic of language is at its richest when we share it with others.

Booktalking Ideas
• Talk about Jack’s changing feelings about cats, hinting at, but ending just before the fat black cat does a surprising good turn for Skitter McKitter.
• Give a character booktalk as Jack’s mother thinking aloud (explain that in the book she does not speak with her voice). Have someone simultaneously sign this booktalk if possible.

Curriculum Ideas
• Literature: Over several weeks, students write poems in each of the styles of the poems which Jack’s class studies, culminating in a class poetry reading in front of family and friends.
• Research Skills: Students search poetry databases and printed reference guides, and also interview people they know, to find poems on a topic of interest to them, and share their favorite with the class.

Potential Challenge Issues & Defense
I do not foresee any challenges to this book, but if any were to arise, the following steps could be taken in defense:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I recently read and loved Love That Dog, and had to read the sequel.

American Medical Association Boy’s Guide to Becoming a Teen, by Amy B. Middleman & Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer

American Medical Association Boy’s Guide to Becoming a Teen, by Amy B. Middleman & Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer. Illustrated by Brie Spangler. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006. 128 pp. ISBN-13: 9780787983437


“The truth is that everyone needs to talk about their feelings. Reaching out to others for support is actually a sign of strength – not weakness. You’ll be surprised at how much better you feel, and you will find that everyone has these same feelings from time to time.” p. 81


Reader's Annotation
Are you a guy with questions about becoming a teenager? From peer pressure to body odor to dating to talking to your parents, and everything in between, turn to this guide for the information.

About the Author & Editor
Author Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer is a licensed clinical social worker who has a Master’s degree in social work and a certificate in child and adolescent psychodynamic psychotherapy. She is a school social worker who supervises several middle school social work programs, and also has a private practice serving children and adolescents. Medical Editor Amy B. Middleman is a medical doctor and also has Master’s degrees in Education and Public Health. She is a board-certified Adolescent Medicine specialist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics. In her medical practice, she specializes in adolescent care. For information on both author and editor, see this page.

Genre
Nonfiction: health

Reading Level/Interest Age
11-13 yrs.

Content Summary
This guide for pre-teen boys answers questions that many in this age group have about becoming a teenager. The format of the guide is very similar to that of the American Medical Association Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Teen. The nine chapters cover the topics of: puberty, eating and exercise, height, appearance (skin, teeth, and hair), the reproductive system, physiological aspects of male sexuality, feelings, relationships, and sex. Each chapter starts off with a brief introduction to the topic. Then the majority of each chapter consists of questions which pre-teens may have (one or two per page) followed by concise and clear answers. Also included throughout the text are “Real Boys, Real Feelings” two-page spreads which list the thoughts and concerns of actual boys, e.g., ‘I used to be popular but now....I spend more time alone than before.’ or ‘My dad yells at my soccer coach during games and makes me want to crawl in a hole…’. Most pages include a drawing or two of a boy relating to the topic at hand, and there are also clear labeled drawings of aspects of male anatomy. Additionally, there are “Mythbuster” boxes which clear up commonly believed myths about teen health issues, and boxes with more detailed information on various topics. The book concludes with a list of recommended Web sites which pre-teen boys can consult for further information, and a glossary.

Critical Evaluation
This is a clear and well-organized guide that I think many pre-teen boys will find useful. It addresses a wide range of questions, including topics as diverse as feelings about parents’ divorce, grief, pressure to use drugs, how to handle anger, pubic hair growth, low self-esteem, relationships, height, and so many others. The text is not preachy, but presents valuable information objectively, accompanied by sound advice in situations where many pre-teens are prone to impulsive actions. As in the AMA Girl’s Guide, however, I felt that topics such as sexual orientation and depression could have been covered in more depth. While the illustrations are attractive, I think that some boys will find them a bit “cutesy” at times, and as with the AMA Girl’s Guide, I would have liked to see a wider range of body sizes depicted, including especially heavier boys. Also I would suggest that the word “guys” be used instead of “boys” in future printings, as the former is how many pre-teen boys see themselves. But despite these minor concerns, I highly recommend this book, and wish more high-quality guides for boys such as this existed.

Booktalking Ideas
• Give a general overview of the book, and mention a couple humorous anecdotes about the issues that concerned you (teacher/librarian) as a pre-teen.
• Read aloud several of the myths mentioned in the “Mythbusters” boxes.
• See my review of the AMA Girl’s Guide for alternative booktalking ideas.

Curriculum Ideas
• Health: With your school’s and parents’ permission, have each boy meet individually with the school counselor to discuss any questions/concerns about the book or related topics that they did not want to bring up in front of the group.
• Health: Boys brainstorm ways to handle anger, frustration, etc., in small groups, and then share these with the class.
• See my review of the AMA Girl’s Guide for alternative curriculum ideas.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Discussion of sex and sexual orientation, and drawings of male anatomy:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I was impressed with the AMA Girl’s Guide, and wanted to review their guide for boys.

American Medical Association Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Teen, by Amy B. Middleman & Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer

American Medical Association Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Teen, by Amy B. Middleman & Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer. Illustrated by Brie Spangler. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2006. 128 pp. ISBN-13: 9780787983444


“There is no one way you ‘should’ feel at this time in your life. Different girls have different feelings about starting puberty. Your feelings may even change from day to day.” p. 8


Reader's Annotation
Looking forward to being a teenage girl, but not quite sure what to expect? From acne to crushes to changing moods and friendships, and so much more, this easy-to-read guide covers it all.

About the Author & Editor
Author Kate Gruenwald Pfeifer is a licensed clinical social worker who has a Master’s degree in social work and a certificate in child and adolescent psychodynamic psychotherapy. She is a school social worker who supervises several middle school social work programs, and also has a private practice serving children and adolescents. Medical Editor Amy B. Middleman is a medical doctor and also has Master’s degrees in Education and Public Health. She is a board-certified Adolescent Medicine specialist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics. In her medical practice, she specializes in adolescent care. For information on both author and editor, see this page.

Genre
Nonfiction: health

Reading Level/Interest Age
11-13 yrs.

Content Summary
This guide for pre-teen girls answers questions that many in this age group have about becoming a teenager. The nine chapters cover the topics of: puberty, eating and exercise, height, appearance (skin, teeth, and hair), the reproductive system, menstruation, feelings, relationships, and sex. Each chapter starts off with a brief introduction to the topic. Then the majority of each chapter consists of questions which pre-teens may have (one or two per page) followed by concise and clear answers. Also included throughout the text are “Real Girls, Real Feelings” two-page spreads which list the thoughts and concerns of actual girls, e.g., ‘I hate being the tallest girl in my class…’ or ‘A friend told me her boyfriend kept trying to get her to do sexual stuff…’. Most pages include a drawing or two of a girl relating to the topic at hand, and there are also clear labeled drawings of aspects of female anatomy. Additionally, there are “Mythbuster” boxes which clear up commonly believed myths about teen health issues, as well as boxes with more detailed information on various topics. The book concludes with a list of recommended Web sites which pre-teen girls can consult for further information, and a glossary.

Critical Evaluation
This is an attractive and easy-to-read guide that is not condescending. It takes pre-teens’ questions seriously and discusses them openly, if somewhat briefly in a couple instances. But overall, I think this brevity is appropriate for an introductory guide, and a longer book may scare away potential readers. I think that the wide range of questions that this book addresses openly and honestly is great: topics such as masturbation, bullying, cliques, sexual harassment, bra sizes, tampons, tattoos, and so many others, as well as a lot of practical tips regarding the appearance concerns that become so important in pre-teen and teen years. I felt that topics such as sexual orientation and depression could have been covered in more depth, however, given the sizeable number of pre-teens who have questions related to these topics. I liked very much that the guide encourages girls to discuss issues of concern with trusted adults before making major decisions. Just a few minor quibbles with the illustrations: although they are fun and upbeat, I would have liked to see a wider range of body sizes depicted (e.g., there are only a few drawings of heavier girls) and a few less "perfect" faces. But despite this, I very highly recommend this book…it is one I wish I’d had in my own pre-teen years.

Booktalking Ideas
• Read aloud several of the actual thoughts of real girls which are included in the book on the “Real Girls, Real Feelings” pages.
• Ask the girls in the audience what questions they have about becoming a teen, and then read aloud answers to these or similar questions from the book.
• See my review of the American Medical Association Boy’s Guide to Becoming A Teen for alternative booktalking ideas.

Curriculum Ideas
• Health: Each girl types a question/concern they have about becoming a teen on a piece of paper, without adding her name. Tape these around the room, and read each question aloud and discuss as a group…girls will realize that others have the same concerns that they do, and be better prepared for teen issues that each may not have thought of on her own.
• Critical thinking: Each girl visits one of the “Find Out More!” Web sites recommended at the end of the book, and then shares with the other girls a couple things she learned from it, the site’s strong points, and suggestions she has for improvement. She then shares her thoughts with that site’s administrator via email.
• See my review of the AMA Boy’s Guide for alternative curriculum ideas.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Discussion of sex and sexual orientation, and drawings of female anatomy:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I wanted to review a self-esteem/health guide for pre-teen girls, and of those that I found, this one had received more favorable reviews than others.

Eleven, by Patricia Reilly Giff

Eleven, by Patricia Reilly Giff. New York: Wendy Lamb Books, 2008. 165 pp. ISBN-13: 9780385900980


“Sam’s Dream: The sails flapped overhead….He looked up and up, and saw….a castle surrounded by trees, with more towers than he could count….windows reflecting water….Footsteps. Whose footsteps? His own?” p. 75


Reader's Annotation
11-year-old Sam MacKenzie may just have uncovered something about his past: some papers in the attic may indicate that he is adopted. However, as he has difficulty reading, Sam enlists the help of a new classmate, Caroline, to help him solve this mystery.

About the Author
As a child, Patricia Reilly Giff loved reading, in particular Little Women, The Secret Garden, and the Nancy Drew series, among others. She has earned a Master of Arts, a Professional Diploma in Reading, and a Doctorate of Humane Letters, and has worked as a reading teacher and an educational consultant for publishers. She began writing, without any training, in a workspace that her husband fashioned from two adjacent closets, and has now written more than 60 books for children. She and her husband live in Connecticut, and have three children and five grandchildren. In 1990, Giff and her family opened a children's bookstore, and she also instructs aspiring writers.

Genre
Mystery, realistic fiction

Reading Level/Interest Age
9-11 years

Plot Summary
Sam MacKenzie is an eleven year-old who, while searching for where his birthday presents might be hidden, discovers some papers in his attic which may indicate that he is adopted. This worries him greatly, as it makes him wonder where he belongs in this world, and if Mack, the man whom he has thought to be his grandfather all these years, is really a relative at all. As Sam has difficulty reading, he decides he must find someone to help him understand the papers and work with him to solve the mystery. Feeling that his male friends would not be very understanding, he chooses to ask Caroline, a new classmate whom their teacher has assigned to work with him on a project for their medieval studies unit. Caroline, who is lonely and at first withdrawn because she’s had to change schools so often due to her dad’s work as an artist, agrees to help, and the two develop a strong bond during their investigation. At home, Sam and Mack live above Mack’s carpentry shop, where Sam has become very competent with woodworking himself. Anima and Onji, their next-door neighbors, and owners of an Indian restaurant and a deli, respectively, are additional adult role models who care deeply about Sam’s happiness. In addition to the puzzling papers in the attic, Sam has also begun to have strange dreams containing images of a boat, a castle, and the number eleven. He and Caroline must work quickly to solve the mystery of Sam, before Caroline has to move again.

Critical Evaluation
What I love most about this novel is how Giff gives us access to Sam’s inner thoughts, and how realistic his joys and fears are for his age. However, these moments of thought appear in manageable chunks, interspersed throughout the action and dialogue, so that the text is not too introspective for young readers. The tone of the novel is quite suspenseful at times, balanced with much description of Sam’s daily life with Mack, Anima, and Onji. It is very positive that Sam often finds himself remembering advice that one of these role models, or his classroom and reading teachers, has given him – I have not seen this as often in other tween novels I’ve read, and Giff does it in a way that is not preachy. The mystery involved in this story is actually quite interesting, and includes a good number of clues, some of which can be interpreted in more than one way, keeping the reader guessing. The only critique I have is that while Sam’s embarrassment at the idea of being seen getting off the school bus with a girl is realistic, Caroline’s calm and understanding reaction to this seems a little too wise for her years. However, it is possible that she is hiding her disappointment due to wanting to hold on to the one friend she has at her new school. But this is a small matter in what is one of the most moving tween novels I have read this semester. Two final notes I must add: this would of course be a great book for reluctant readers, especially as a read-aloud; and Sam’s woodworking skills show excellently how success in one area can empower a tween to take on additional challenges.

Booktalking Ideas
• Give a character booktalk as Sam, thinking aloud about the mysterious images in his dreams.
• Give a character booktalk as Caroline, sharing her feelings about moving from school to school, and sizing Sam up as he asks for her help.
• Give an episode booktalk about Sam and Caroline’s secret trip to the attic to view the papers which may indicate that Sam is adopted.

Curriculum Ideas
• Social Science: Students each research a learning challenge or special need, and present this information to the class. Teacher facilitates small-group discussion about students’ attitudes toward children with such challenges, encouraging empathetic response.
• Literature: Like Anima in the novel, students take turns reading their favorite stories to the class. This could be combined with a potluck, reminiscent of the shared meals in the novel.
• Research skills: Like Sam and Caroline, students practice researching different topics via newspaper and other periodical databases, and the Internet.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
I do not foresee any challenges to this book, but if any were to arise, the following steps could be taken in defense:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I chose to read this book because I loved the idea of a tween discovering a mystery about himself in his own attic, as well as Sam's reading challenges being a major aspect of the story.

Looking for Bobowicz: A Hoboken Chicken Story, by Daniel Pinkwater

Looking for Bobowicz: A Hoboken Chicken Story, by Daniel Pinkwater. Illustrated by Jill Pinkwater. New York: HarperCollins, 2004. 201 pp. ISBN-10: 0060535555


“‘As a scientist, I do not believe in phantoms,’ Starr Lackawanna said. ‘You’re a scientist?’ I asked. ‘Library science,” Starr Lackawanna said. ‘I have a master’s degree.’….Starr Lackawanna typed our names on three official Hoboken Public Library cards. I had her type my name as Nick Nemo. I was pretty sure she knew that wasn’t really my name – but she did it anyway.” pp. 126-127


Reader's Annotation
Ivan Itch is not happy about having just moved from the suburbs to the city. And to top it all off, his bike has just been stolen. But then he meets fellow comic book lovers, Loretta and Bruno, and the three embark on a quest to find the bike, one very large chicken, and its owner, Arthur Bobowicz.

About the Author
Daniel Pinkwater lived in a few different cities during his childhood. Although he regards Chicago as his home, it was in Los Angeles that he found an art supplies store which fascinated him, leading to his interest in drawing and writing. As a child, he won a short story contest whose prize was a subscription to National Geographic, by which he realized that writing could lead to compensation. In college he studied English, philosophy, and other subjects, but when his father threatened to end his education, he switched his major to art. Pinkwater has worked as an art teacher, and once lived at an artists’ cooperative in Africa. He began by writing picture books, and then chapter books, and has now published over 80 works in all. His wife Jill is a teacher, writer, and artist who has illustrated many of his books.

Genre
Humor, mystery

Reading Level/Interest Age
9-11 years old

Plot Summary
Ivan (Nick) Itch, who appears to be an upper elementary student, has just moved unwillingly from the suburbs to urban Hoboken, New Jersey. To make matters worse, his bike is stolen on his first day there. However, one day he discovers that there is a small hole between his basement and that of the house (converted to apartments) next door. When he calls through it on a whim, he receives a reply from Loretta and Bruno, who also appear to be tweens, and who share Nick's love of comic books. The two befriend Nick, and eventually inform him that there is a phantom who lives in their city, taking items from houses at night and replacing them with broken objects and half-eaten tuna sandwiches. One night, while the three attend a bat-catching festival at a local park, Nick briefly sees a tall figure riding his bike. The three decide to investigate, and also to find out what they can about a legendary 6 ft. chicken which reportedly appeared in Hoboken years ago. During their detective work, they meet colorful characters such as Vic Trola, pirate radio DJ; librarian Starr Lackawanna; Meehan, a homeless man; and inventor Sterling Mazzocchi. Nick, Loretta, and Bruno soon learn of a secret cave under the local park, where they believe the thief may be hiding the stolen goods. Yet their quest to find the cave's entrance will not be an easy one.

Series Note
Henrietta the chicken first appeared in Pinkwater’s 1977 Hoboken Chicken Emergency .

Critical Evaluation
A 2005 Edgar Award nominee, this novel contains as much zany humor as it does mystery, along with a few fantastical elements. Nick’s parents' carefree attitude toward his explorations of his new city is fairly exaggerated, creating the scenario of freedom and independence of which many tweens dream. Although several longer passages of the novel are narrated in the first-person by Nick, the text is perhaps 70% dialogue, which keeps things moving along at a good pace. Characterization in this novel focuses mainly on the humorous aspects of each individual’s personality, and not their inner worlds; this quick and enjoyable read is mainly plot-focused, with some observations and commentary by Nick. A very positive aspect of the novel is its promotion of the value of libraries, as the tweens repeatedly seek the assistance of librarian Starr Lackawanna with their detective work. Even after she is not much help in their first library visit, they give her another shot. The value of great literature is also emphasized, and Starr bridges the tweens’ interest in comics with the classic works upon which their favorites are based.

Booktalking Ideas
• Give an episode booktalk about Nick’s discovery of the hole in the wall of his basement
• Give a character booktalk as Nick’s father, in his humorously dated vocabulary.
• Give a character booktalk as librarian Starr Lackawanna, outlining the details of the mystery that Nick and friends are trying to solve.

Curriculum Ideas
• Literature: Share with students some actual issues of Classic Comics/Classics Illustrated (1941-1971). Students then create short comics based on their favorite books.
• Research Skills: As a class, students visit a public library and work side-by-side with a librarian to research questions they have about their city’s history.
• Music: Nick and friends enjoy the older music that Vic Trola plays on his station. Expose students to a range of musical styles from past and present, perhaps as they work on art projects.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Negative generalizations about homelessness:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I chose this book because I really enjoyed Pinkwater as a child, and wanted to read his recent writing.

The Night Tourist, by Katherine Marsh

The Night Tourist, by Katherine Marsh. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2007. 232 pp. ISBN-13: 9781423106890


“…with a loud pop, Jack felt his body shoot out of the pipe and fly up into the cold, winter air like a champagne cork. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the snow-covered ground some twenty feet below. He gripped Euri’s hand as tightly as he could and frantically flapped his free arm and legs.” p. 58

Reader's Annotation
Finding himself in New York City one afternoon, incredibly brainy but friendless 14-year-old Jack Perdu takes the opportunity to explore Grand Central Terminal. There he meets a very different girl named Euri, who shows him more of the Terminal and the City than most know exists...

About the Author
Katherine Marsh grew up in a New York City suburb near Grand Central Terminal, where The Night Tourist is set. As a child she spent a lot of time reading, and like her novel’s protagonist, studied Latin. She has taught high school English; worked as a journalist for Good Housekeeping, Rolling Stone, and The New York Times; and most recently managed The New Republic magazine. She now writes full time and lives in Washington, D.C. with her husband, son, and two cats.

Genre
Supernatural, mystery

Reading Level/Interest Age
12-14 years

Plot Summary
This 2008 Edgar Award-winning novel (Best Juvenile category) principally tells the story of three days of supernatural adventure in the life of 14-year-old Jack Perdu. Jack is incredibly intelligent, but friendless. Always buried in his Latin texts, social life is passing him by, and he and his dad both still really miss Jack’s mother who passed away a few years earlier. When Jack is hit by a car, his dad sends him to a very unusual New York City doctor. While in the City, Jack decides to explore Grand Central Terminal. There he meets Euri, also 14 years old, who takes him on a tour of the Terminal’s secret places that most don’t know about. Jack soon learns that Euri and everyone else he meets on this tour are actually dead, and this brings him hope that he may be able to find his mother in this underworld. While on their quest to locate his mom, Euri takes Jack on night flights over the City, and to experience the ghostly after-hours life of the New York Public Library and the St. James Theatre, along with many other wonders of the underworld and the afterlife of spirits in limbo. Along the way, Euri reveals her own desire to live again. And all the while, the pair have to remain one step ahead of the underworld guards who relentlessly pursue all living visitors. But as Jack’s time in the underworld begins to run out, he has to make a decision: will he risk being trapped there forever, in order to give Euri the possibility of living again?

Series Note
The sequel to this novel is The Twilight Prisoner (2009).

Critical Evaluation
Although this book won an Edgar, I would identify it more closely with the supernatural than the mystery genre. The mystery it contains does not really become a primary focus of the novel until its last third. But no matter where one classifies it, The Night Tourist is well worth reading by anyone’s criteria. Marsh’s detailed depiction of the New York City underworld will absorb you wholly. Apart from a physical setting which is alternately magically beautiful and bleak, she has also included an inventive array of social mores and rules governing the afterlife, as well as the special abilities and limitations of spirits in limbo. Another wonderful aspect of this novel is its literary references, including the fact that the tale parallels aspects of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, and also humorous appearances by late poets such as Dylan Thomas. The novel is suspenseful and moves along at a nice pace, aided by some exciting moments in which Jack and Euri must think on their feet in order to outsmart the underworld guards and their three-headed dog. But I think that by far the great value of the novel lies in Marsh’s inclusion of much insight into human nature, in particular that of teens such as Jack who are self-conscious and still learning how to make friends, and those like Euri, who sometimes make impulsive decisions which they later come to regret. However, given the fact that Jack informs Euri of the heartening find which he made on her parents’ Christmas tree, it is somewhat unsatisfying that her spirit is still not at peace by novel’s end. Yet it is understandable that someone like Euri may, like many teens, have concerns that cannot be resolved with quick fixes.

Booktalking Ideas
• Give an episode booktalk about Jack’s first experience flying over New York City.
• Give a character booktalk as Euri, focusing on her wish to live again.
• Give an episode booktalk about Jack’s first visit to the New York Public Library after hours.

Curriculum Ideas
• Literature: Students read the Orpheus and Eurydice myth, and discuss how the The Night Tourist both parallels and diverges from it.
• Cartography: In teams, students research and make presentations on maps of various aspects of their city (waterways, roads, architectural zones, demographics), explaining how to read them.
• Art: Students paint detailed illustrations of what they think they would see if they flew over their own neighborhoods at night. For fun, they may want to compare these to satellite images.

Potential Challenge Issue & Defense
Mention of suicide:
• Become familiar enough with the book’s content to promote its literary merits.
• Refer to library’s collection development policy.
• Refer to book reviews from authoritative sources such as ALA, School Library Journal, etc.
• Obtain book reviews from tweens who have read it.

Why I Chose This Book
I chose to read this novel for my group genre presentation because its premise is so unique.