The Crossover (A Book Review)

The Crossover (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014. eISBN 9780544289598

Plot Summary

Twin brothers Josh ("Filthy McNasty") and Jordan are stars on the court like their former NBA dad. Trouble arises when the twin stars are thrown apart by Jordan's sudden interest in a girl and a family tragedy.   

Critical Analysis

Told from "Filthy's" perspective in exciting and humorous verse is the story of twin teen basketball stars Josh and Jordan Bell who are following in their former super star NBA father's footsteps with the support of their assistant principal mom. With inventive and rhyming vocabulary that seems to move all over the pages like a basketball in motion, Josh (nicknamed "Filthy McNasty") leads the reader into an account of the special relationship and bond he shares with his brother and parents.

In the beginning, Josh and Jordan's relationship seems effortless as they interact like typical twin brothers who share a love and talent for basketball. Raised in a loving family, Josh is caught off guard when his brother suddenly goes head over heels for a girl and breaks their twin bond that he has always known. Finding it hard to contain his jealous feelings and the sense of being forgotten, Josh goes through a journey of self-discovery as he tries to recover the special relationship he had with his brother.                

Review Excerpt(s)

2015 Newbery Medal Winner

2015 Coretta Scott King Honor Award Winner

Review from Booklist on 03/15/2014:

"...An accomplished author and poet, Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip-hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond. The effect is poetry in motion. It is a rare verse novel that is fundamentally poetic rather than using this writing trend as a device. There is also a quirky vocabulary element that adds a fun intellectual note to the narrative. This may be just the right book for those hard-to-match youth who live for sports or music or both."

Starred review from School Library Journal on 03/01/2014:

"Gr 6–10—Twins Josh and Jordan are junior high basketball stars, thanks in large part to the coaching of their dad, a former professional baller who was forced to quit playing for health reasons, and the firm, but loving support of their assistant-principal mom. Josh, better known as Filthy McNasty, earned his nickname for his enviable skills on the court: "…when Filthy gets hot/He has a SLAMMERIFIC SHOT." In this novel in verse, the brothers begin moving apart from each other for the first time. Jordan starts dating the "pulchritudinous" Miss Sweet Tea, and Josh has a tough time keeping his jealousy and feelings of abandonment in control..."

Starred review from Kirkus on 12/18/2013:

"...Most interesting is the family dynamic that informs so much of the narrative, which always reveals, never tells. While Josh relates the story, readers get a full picture of major and minor players. The basketball action provides energy and rhythm for a moving story. Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch."

Connections
Other Kwame Alexander books to check out:

• Alexander, Kwame. Booked. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016. ISBN 9780544570986

The Crossover is a book teen boys may enjoy and relate to the characters on a personal level. 

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (A Book Review)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Saenz, Benjamin. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2012. ASIN B0055OJC78

Plot Summary

Aristotle is an often angry and isolated teenage boy trying to understand the meaning of life and his family's secrets about his brother. Through an unusual friendship with a boy named Dante, Aristotle begins to understand more about himself. 

Critical Analysis

Aristotle is a disgruntled and often angry fifteen year old Mexican teenager living in El Paso, Texas in the year of 1987. From the very first line of "One Summer Night I Fell Asleep Hoping The World would be different when I woke,' Aristotle has readers hooked in his constant melancholy and cynicism mixed with Spanish slang. Desperate to understand his silent father who is scarred from war and why his own mother (whom he is close to) won't speak about his brother who is in jail, Aristotle (or Ari, for short) begins a journey of self-discovery that proves to be surprising for both the reader and Ari simultaneously.  

On the surface, Ari's Summer outlook appears to be dull and uneventful as is told in introspective and sometimes amusing detail through his own voice. Set in the back drop of a normal suburban neighborhood in El Paso and accurately described, the desert becomes Ari's source of refuge when he is not visiting the community pool during the hot days. It is during one of his routine swimming pool visits that he hears a squeaky voice offer to teach him how to swim. Reluctantly, Ari allows the boy (Dante) to teach him although he's not sure they have anything in common. Ari has never had a friend before, often citing the complexities of teenage relationships as the source. Over the course of a year, the natural friendship unfolds as each boy bears witness to tragedy and the harsh realities of growing up and understanding one's place in a world during a time when society's prejudices and stereotypes had not yet evolved to today's level of acceptance.                      

Review Excerpt(s)

Pura Belpre Author Medal Winner (2013)

Michael L. Printz Honor Book (2013)

Stonewall Book Award (2013)

  

Starred review from Booklist on 12/15/2003:

"When Aristotle and Dante meet, in the summer of 1987, they are 15-year-olds existing in “the universe between boys and men.” The two are opposites in most ways: Dante is sure of his place in the world, while Ari feels he may never know who he is or what he wants. But both are thoughtful about their feelings and interactions with others, and this title is primarily focused on the back-and-forth in their relationship over the course of a year..."

Starred review from Kirkus on 04/18/2012:

"He doesn't know why his older brother is in prison, since his parents and adult sisters refuse to talk about it. His father also keeps his experience in Vietnam locked up inside. On a whim, Ari heads to the town swimming pool, where a boy he's never met offers to teach him to swim. Ari, a loner who's good in a fight, is caught off guard by the self-assured, artistic Dante. The two develop an easy friendship­, ribbing each other about who is more Mexican, discussing life's big questions, and wondering when they'll be old enough to take on the world..."

Starred review from School Library Journal on 11/08/13:

"This 2013 Printz and Stonewall award-winning book (S & S, 2012) is a wonderful coming-of-age story, and Miranda does a stellar job of capturing the essences of both teen characters. A terrific addition to audiobook collections."

Connections
Other Benjamin Saenz books to check out:

• Saenz, Benjamin. He Forgot to Say Goodbye. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. ISBN 9781416994343

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is a book teens struggling with identity or sexuality can relate to on a personal level.

Dash (A Book Review)

Dash (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Larson, Kirby. Dash. New York: Scholastic Press, 2014. ISBN 9780545416351

Plot Summary

Dash is the story of Mitsi Kashino and her Japanese-American family who are relocated to Camp Harmony after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Devastated and without her best companion, Dash, Mitsi struggles to understand the events leading to her family's internment.    

Critical Analysis

The story of Dash is about an 11-year old girl named Mitsi and her Japanese-American family (including her beloved dog Dash) living in Seattle at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor. The reader will readily identify with Mitsi as she accounts the bullying and tension she experiences at school and in her community. As things escalate and Mitsi learns her family can no longer stay in their community or take Dash with them, she desperately and devastatingly tries to understand why everyone including her best friends suddenly see her as the enemy because of her ancestry. Reflecting the real attitudes and sentiments about Japanese culture at the time, this book takes the perspective of relocated Japanese Americans to military-patrolled camps amid United States fear and paranoia of Japan.  

The author presents Mitsi's story factually with slowly embedded details of the 1940's period including items such as davenports, typewriters, student autograph books, school desks with lids, school chalkboards, time-period cars (Nash), soda shops, etc. What makes it easy to read is the fact that it's told through an 11-year old girl's eyes with simple straightforward language and emotion a young reader can understand and find relatable. When Mitsi's neighbor agrees to watch Dash for her while she is gone, it is the kindness and the letters from "Dash" that keep her hopeful in times of uncertainty.  

Larson is clearly knowledgable about the weather and landmarks found in 1940's Seattle, citing historic streets and buildings such as the Smith Tower and Jackson Street. Larson also descriptively recounts the process Japanese Americans experienced having to sell or dispose of their possessions and being limited on what they could bring with them, being transported to their camps in military trucks for long hours, the dingy look of the rows of poorly constructed barracks, the long lines, waiting, and overcrowding with armed soldiers all around, and the scared and nervous looks on the faces of other families. There are Author's Notes at the end of the story, detailing research about Pearl Harbor and other sources used throughout the book.        

Review Excerpt(s)

Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award (2015)

Starred Review from Publishers Weekly on 06/16/2014:


"As she did in Duke (2013), Larson centers this trenchant novel on a child dealing with hardships on the home front during WWII, including separation from a beloved dog. Inspired by real-life wartime events, the novel vividly communicates the emotional and physical ordeals endured by Japanese-Americans evacuated to relocation camps after the bombing of Pearl Harbor..." 

Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews on 05/28/2014:

"Eleven-year-old Mitsi Kashino and her family are forced to move to a Japanese internment camp following the attack on Pearl Harbor.The Japanese-Americans are forced to leave their homes, their jobs, and all but what they can carry. Unfortunately for Mitsi, this also means leaving her beloved dog, Dash, behind. Thankfully, a good-hearted neighbor agrees to take Dash in. The neighbor writes letters to Mitsi, composing them from Dash’s point of view, and these keep Mitsi connected with the world beyond the fence. Overcrowded living quarters, long lines and minimal resources stretch the patience of the internees and threaten the bonds of the Kashino family..."

School Library Journal on 06/01/2014:

"Gr 3–6—After Pearl Harbor, life changes for fifth grader Mitzi Kashino and her family, as it did for all Japanese American citizens across the US during that time. Family and friends are shunned, bullied, fingerprinted, and even incarcerated for visiting Japan. Relocation from Seattle, WA to Camp Harmony, and ultimately to Minidoka, ID, causes the loss of jobs, school, homes, cars, and personal possessions. Pets were not allowed in the camps, and this is where Mitzi's dog Dash becomes the linchpin in Larson's story..."

Connections
Other Kirby Larson books to check out:

Newbery Honor Book (2007), Montana Book Award (2006):

• Larson, Kirby. Hattie Big Sky. California: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2007 (reprint edition)

• Larson, Kirby. Hattie Ever After. New York: Random House Children's Books, 2014 (reprint edition)

• Larson, Kirby. Duke. New York: Scholastic, 2015 (reprint edtition) 

Dash would be a great novel to discuss the effects of the attack on Pearl Harbor and relate it to other wars in history. It could even be used in conjunction with other accounts of Americans affected by WW2. Duke is meant as a follow-up text to Dash.   

Code Name Verity (A Book Review)

Code Name Verity (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Wein, Elizabeth. Code Name Verity. New York: Hyperion, 2012. ISBN 9781423152880

Plot Summary

Code Name Verity is about a secret spy named Queenie who gets captured by the Gestapo during WW2 after she parachutes from her best friend (Maddie's) airplane into Nazi-occupied France.

Critical Analysis

Code Name Verity details a Scottish spy named Queenie who is dropped in Nazi-occupied France with her best friend Maddie and detained by the Gestapo who immediately recognize her as a spy. In exchange for more time and her clothes, Queenie takes the easy way out giving codes and information about British aircraft, locations, and other identifying information. Buying herself time, she slowly releases the information by writing a novel centered around her best friend Maddie and their friendship. As the Gestapo and and SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer von Linden struggle with her "confessions," Maddie becomes more evasive and confrontational. It is at the end of the novel that Maddie's true intentions become clear and readers will be thinking about this book long after it has ended, wondering how they missed the real story.

The very first page when Queenie describes her captivity using the words, I AM A COWARD, readers will be hooked and wondering what will happen next to the young woman, fearing for her safety and hoping for her freedom until the very end. Wein carefully weaves details and historical accounts of interrogation practices that were used by Nazi's in this novel about two women who bravely served their country in WW2 by gathering information and learning to fly aircraft. Planes and bombers are described accurately from the 1940's as well as the landscapes of France and Britain although the town Queenie finds herself in is fictional. Wein offers an Author's Debriefing at the end of the story, detailing her research and reinforcing the fictional heroines and other aspects of the story, like when Maddie flew to France by herself which is not something that would have ordinarily been accomplished by a female pilot. Every detail is accounted right down to the fact that ball point pens had just been invented as they were used in the story. A Bibliography at the end of the Debriefing contains specific works about Air Transport Auxiliary, Women's Auxiliary Air Force, etc. Code Name Verity is a story that makes the reader think differently about WW2 and the limited contributions of women at the time.                     

Review Excerpt(s)

Michael L. Printz Honor Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature (2013)

YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Top Ten (2013)

Boston Globe Horn Book Award Honor (2012)

Starred Review from School Library Journal on 10/01/2015:

"A quick-witted British girl whose plane has crashed in Nazi-occupied France is forced by the Gestapo to confess to her country's war plans. Her writings detail her friendship with Maddie, the pilot who crashed the plane. A must for young adult collections, as is Wein's companion novel, Rose Under Fire, whose intelligence and emotional depth will appeal to adult readers as well. Pearl Cornioley's autobiography, Code Name Pauline, covers similar ground and can provide needed context to Wein's story." 

Starred Review from Kirkus on 02/15/2012:

"Breaking away from Arthurian legends (The Winter Prince, 1993, etc.), Wein delivers a heartbreaking tale of friendship during World War II..."

Starred Review from Booklist on 05/01/2012:

"If you pick up this book, it will be some time before you put your dog-eared, tear-stained copy back down. Wein succeeds on three fronts: historical verisimilitude, gut-wrenching mystery, and a first-person voice of such confidence and flair that the protagonist might become a classic character-if only we knew what to call her."

Connections
Other Elizabeth Wein books to check out:

• Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. New York: Disney-Hyperion, 2014 (reprint edition)

• Wein, Elizabeth. Black Dove, White Raven. New York: Disney-Hyperion, 2016

• Wein, Elizabeth. The Winter Prince (The Lion Hunters Series Book 1). North Carolina: Baen, 1994

Code Name Verity would be a great way to begin a discussion on WW2 and the role women had in the war effort. It also contains identifying information on Nazi practices which could also be explored. Rose Under Fire is meant as a follow-up to Code Name Verity.

Catherine, Called Birdy (A Book Review)

Catherine, Called Birdy (Review by Leighanne Massey)

Bibliography

Cushman, Karen. Catherine, Called Birdy. New York: Clarion Books, 1994. ISBN 0395681863 

Plot Summary

Catherine, Called Birdy is the story of a 14-year old girl living in Medieval England in the late 1200's who begins to account her daily life in a journal upon the request of her brother, Edward.  

Critical Analysis

Catherine, Called Birdy is an account of a 14-year old girl who happens to be the daughter of a country knight living in a village in Medieval England in the late 1290's. Upon the request of her favorite older brother, Edward (the monk), she begins an account of her life as a favor to him. It is the hope that Birdy's constant reflection will mature her wily ways. Upon her first attempt at writing, Birdy's entry is brief, detailing how many fleas she removed and her strong dislike for spinning. She deliberates the relevance of her entries seemingly doubtful of its benefits...that is until her mother tells her if she journals for her brother then she won't be expected to embroider as much.   

Birdy accounts her days in often humorous detail with easily understood English excepting some period-specific words such as her go-to saying "Corpus Bones" and others like "privy," and "glorious robes of samite and ermine," which rely on context. Readers will be amused when they read about her antics at driving suitors away, find themselves surprisingly empathetic toward her limitations and longing for adventure, mischievousness, and love of her mother, uncle and brother as well as her birds. As Birdy matures, she experiences the inequality of men and women of different stations/places in Medieval England as well as prejudice and racism against people of Jewish descent. Cushman portrays the events of England in the late 1200's realistically with town hangings, the health and hygiene of the people, drunken and rioting behavior resulting in deaths or burned cottages, a royal funeral procession, church influences, and even details of castles and manors such as Birdy's and how they were often dirty (the rushes had to be constantly replaced and/or cleaned), they often had vermin such as rats and in Winter, the inside of castles or manors could be very cold and even freeze on the inside. Many aspects of Medieval life are developed throughout this story that will seem foreign to readers. Cushman offers an Author's Note at the end of the book, detailing additional research about this time period and the mindset and priorities of people in Medieval England.                                    

Review Excerpt(s)

Newbery Honor Book (1995)

Publishers Weekly (1994):

"You can run, but you can't hide" is the rather belated conclusion reached by Catherine, called "Birdy" for her caged pets, in this fictive diary of a medieval young woman's coming-of-age and struggle for self-determination..."

Starred Review from School Library Journal (1994):

"Grade 6-9-This unusual book provides an insider's look at the life of Birdy, 14, the daughter of a minor English nobleman. The year is 1290 and the vehicle for storytelling is the girl's witty, irreverent diary. She looks with a clear and critical eye upon the world around her, telling of the people she knows and of the daily events in her small manor house. Much of Birdy's energy is consumed by avoiding the various suitors her father chooses for her to marry..."

Kirkus Reviews (1994):

Unwillingly keeping a journal at the behest of her brother, a monk, Birdy (daughter of a 13th-century knight) makes a terse first entry--``I am bit by fleas and plagued by family. That is all there is to say''--but is soon confiding her pranks and troubles in fascinating detail. Her marriage must suit her drunken father's financial needs, and though the 14-year-old scares off several suitors (she pretends to be mad, sets fire to the privy one is using, etc.), in the end she's ``betrothed and betrayed.'' 

Connections
Other Karen Cushman books to check out:

A 1996 Newbery Award Winner:

• Cushman, Karen. The Midwife's Apprentice. New York: Clarion Books, 1995. ISBN 978-0547722177 

• Cushman, Karen. Matilda Bone. New York: Clarion Books, 2014 (reprint edition)

• Cushman, Karen. The Ballad of Lucy Whipple. New York: Clarion Books, 2012 (reprint edition)

Catherine, Called Birdy and The Midwife's Apprentice provide historical accounts and practices of Medieval England which would appeal to readers or students studying or interested in this time period. The two stories could be compared and contrasted based on the female lead characters and what their lives were like during this period.