The Green Glass Sea

Bibliography:
Klages, Ellen. 2006. The Green Glass Sea. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN: 1417820152

Plot Summary:
Dewey Kerrigan is a smart kid, but has faced many challenges in her short life. Her mom abandoned her, her father is away working and her grandmother, the only stability she has had, has just had a stroke. Dewey finds herself on her way to meet her father at a top secret location, where is working on a project for the Army, in the middle of World War II. Although Dewey is nervous about the new life she is in for, she finds she is surrounded by some of the greatest scientists in the world (who are all working on “the gadget”), much to her delight.

Along the way, the reader is introduced to Suze Gordon, a tomboy who just wants to fit in, but doesn’t quite. She is leery of Dewey, even bullying her at certain points, to show the other kids that she is nothing like “Screwy Dewey”. Eventually, Dewey must move in with Suze and her family when her dad is called away on assignment, creating a tense situation for both the girls. After the president dies, the girls find common ground and find out the other is not as bad as they may have once appeared. Each encourages the other in what they excel at (for Suze, it’s art, for Dewey, it’s building things) and find that even in the face of tragedy, they can rely on each other.

Critical Analysis:
Klages creates a mystery around what is truly happening at the site that has become known as Los Alamos, just as it would have been to the children that lived on the Hill. She focuses on the human connections that are made between children and parents, as well as between the children themselves, using Los Alamos as a backdrop. The setting is described in such a way that the reader truly gets a vision for how cut off from the rest of the world Los Alamos was in the time. Much of the description of the base is describe in detail by the characters, allowing the reader to get an account of what a child would find important about life on an army base. Vocabulary used by the characters is typical for the time period and contributes to the feeling of the novel.

Characters in the book are knowledgeable about things that kids would be, leaving what is really happening at Los Alamos to be a mystery that is revealed as the book progresses. Historical figures that lived and worked in Los Alamos are introduced throughout the course of the book, adding to the authenticity the book creates. Most of all, the characters are thoughtfully developed, growing into their own in the course of the novel.

Awards and Reviews:
Winner, 2007 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
Winner, 2007 Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature
Winner, 2007 New Mexico State Book Award (YA)
Finalist, 2007 Quill Awards (Young Adult)
Finalist, Northern California Book Awards, 2007 (Children's)
Finalist, Locus Awards, 2007 (Best First Novel)
Book Sense #1 Children's Pick - Winter 2006/2007
One Book, One Nebraska for Kids - 2009
2009 Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Award Master List, (Illinois)
2008 NeNe Award List (Hawaii)
2008 Bluegrass Award Master List (Kentucky)
2007-08 Maine Student Book Award List
2007-08 Isinglass Teen Read List (New Hampshire)
2009 Rhode Island Teen Book Award List
2008-09 South Carolina Junior Book Award List
Starred Review in Publisher's Weekly
Starred Review in The Horn Book
A Horn Book Fanfare selection
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Scholatic Book Club selection

"The novel occasionally gets mired down in detail, but the characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes." – John Green, Booklist

"Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way." – Steven Engelfried, School Library Journal

Connections:
*What really happened at Los Alamos? Find some historical picture books that show Los Alamos as Suze and Dewey would have seen it and share them! Look for books about what children at Los Alamos would have done in the days that Dewey and Suze lived there.
*Comic books are mentioned quite a bit in the story – find some comics from the time period the book is set in and compare/contrast them to modern day comics.
*”The gadget” is a code work for the atomic bomb, but how was it used? Using age-appropriate literature, cover the aftermath of the bomb’s invention and its use in the second World War.

Book jacket found on: http://northchicagopubliclibrary.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/the-green-glass-sea-by-ellen-klages.jpg

The Witch of Blackbird Pond

Bibliography:
Speare, Elizabeth George. 1958. The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 0440995779

Plot Summary:
Katherine Tyler, also known as Kit, makes an impetuous decision to leave the island of Barbados where she has grown up after her grandfather dies. She boards a ship for the Connecticut colony, where her mother’s sister now resides, upon which she meets John Holbrook, a divinity student, and Nat Eaton, the son’s captain. Kit makes an impression on all she meets, first by swimming (which is known to be a trait of witches) and also by the way in which she dresses. She arrives unannounced, although not entirely unwelcome, to her aunt’s house and begins to learn about the way that they live. Puritanical through and through, Kit and her straight-laced uncle find fault with one another.

As Kit begins to get into the habit of day to day living with her new family, she finds refuge in the sprawling green sea that is the Great Meadows. There she meets and finds a kindred spirit in Hannah, the one known as the witch of Blackbird Pond. They begin to build a relationship and take care of and teach a young girl, Prudence, whose mother despises Kit, Hannah and berates Prudence. After a sickness overtakes the young of the town (leaving Kit’s own favorite cousin, Mercy, near death), Hannah is targeted as the culprit of the plague, resulting in her house being burned to the ground. Hannah escapes thanks to a quick thinking Kit, who leaves her in the care of their mutual friend, Nat. Kit herself is accused of witchcraft and is taken into custody, but is proven to be innocent with help from her friend Nat. She finds herself longing for home and makes a plan to leave, but not before seeing her two cousins married and finding love for herself in the process.

Critical Analysis:
Many different aspects of colonial life are woven through this story, but the main storyline of being a fish out of water will resonate with the young adult audience. Kit finds herself in situations that she is unfamiliar with, from clothing to church-going, and she finds she needs to learn or re-learn many aspects of her life. Use of language, such as thee and thou, as well as incorporation of terminology from the time period help to flesh out the story and create a vivid depiction of the sometimes stoic nature of the colonialists. Vocabulary and historical accuracy lend well to stylizing the story, but the author does not forget that it is a sixteen year old girl that is relating the story to the reader. The reader is able to identify with the feelings that Kit has, regardless of the fact the story is taking place in pre-Revolutionary America.

Of most importance, the story rings authentic. Kit is thrust into a very different kind of life than she was exposed to before and struggles with the newness of the situation daily. She wishes to fit in with her new surrounding, but not without forsaking her values, morals or, most of all, who she truly is. Kit makes the decision to befriend someone she finds worthy of her time, without regard to what others have said. Above all, Kit stays true to what she believes and this is something that the reader can easily see and identify with on all levels.

Awards and Reviews:
A Newbery Medal Book
An ALA Notable Children's Book
Kansas William White Master List

"Strong plot, fully-realized characters, and convincing atmosphere distinguish this historical narrative of a girl whose rebellion against bigotry and her Puritan surroundings culminates in a witch hunt and trial." - Booklist

"This book has a lively plot and excellent characterizations. The background has every dimension of reality." - The New York Times

Connections:
*What was life on a boat like? Kit had to travel a great distance on a ship, so what are some of the things she may have encounter on the voyage? Have the children do a little research on boats and life on a ship to find out the answers to these questions.
*Being accused of being a witch was serious business during the time in which Kit lived. Read true stories of witch trials (be cautious of the material, depending on the age group) and write a reader’s theater starring the kids. Ask questions that get them thinking about what they would do if they were in the same situation as Kit or someone accused of such a crime.

Book jacket found on: http://images.contentreserve.com/ImageType-100/1191-1/%7B2BCDAE51-9941-417D-89E0-45DA5DE44162%7DImg100.jpg

Don't You Know There's A War On?

Bibliography:
Avi. 2001. Don’t You Know There’s A War On?. New York, NY: HarperCollins. ISBN: 0380815443

Plot Summary:
Sixteen year old Howie Crispers recalls the year he was in Ms. Gossim’s fifth grade class, which was in the middle of World War II. His father is away fighting in a sub, his mother is working at the ship yard and he is left to his own devices. On his way to school one faithful day, he discovers (by climbing down a coal shaft and lifting himself up in a dumbwaiter) that his teacher was going to be fired. Aghast, Howie goes to school, knowing that the teacher he finds beautiful and nice will be let go.

Eventually, Howie finds out during a mandatory blackout that Ms. Gossim is pregnant and her husband is missing in the war. Ms Gossim’s pregnancy is the reason that she is being released. Howie rallies the students to write a petition to persuade the principle to let Ms. Gossim stay, even though Ms. Gossim has asked that Howie not tell the other students about her condition. Not to be dissuaded, Howie gathers a small group of his classmates, marches to the door of the superintendent and successfully pleads with her to allow Ms. Gossim to stay.

Critical Analysis:
What is most striking about this work is the way in which the characters speak; children use slang in speaking with one another, as well as with adults. This sets the story and allows the reader to truly find the voice of the main character. While World War II is happening and everyone is involved, the story is really about choosing to do what is right, regardless of the consequences. Instead of centering on the war itself, the story focuses on Howie and the decisions he makes. The war is never far behind, however, since Howie expresses worries about his father, goes through a blackout and finds out that his best friend’s father dies while serving in the war. Brooklyn landmarks are incorporated, to give the story’s setting an even greater depth.

Awards and Reviews:
Children's Choice nominee, Oklahoma
Children's Choice nominee, Missouri
Children's Choice nominee, Virginia

“His voice is fresh with the wholesomeness of 40s slang and the ageless irreverence of just being a boy. Especially well-crafted are lifelike dialogues that zip with brevity and wit that will keep readers grinning.” – Betty Hicks, Children’s Literature

“Howie Crispers narrates Avi's poignant, funny coming-of-age tale set in Brooklyn during WWII. For the facts, readers can consult Stephen E. Ambrose's excellent volume, but for a flavor of everyday life on the homefront, they will appreciate Howie's recollections of his experiences as a fifth grader during one pivotal week in March 1943”. – Publisher’s Weekly

Connections:
*During the war, even fifth graders were encouraged to help the cause. Investigate some of the things that children were encouraged to do during the Second World War. Pose questions to the students about how they would deal with having to do similar things!
*Newspaper headlines are used as a device in this work – using the Internet and other resources, check different papers for the same week. Compare and contrast the different headlines, then make your own paper!

Book Jacket found on http://www.harpercollins.com/harperimages/isbn/large/9/9780380815449.jpg