Speak

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2009. Speak. New York: Penguin Group. ISBN-10: 0142414735 ISBN-13: 978-0142414736

PLOT SUMMARY
“I am an Outcast” Melinda Sordino, a 14-year-old freshman thinks as she walks down the hall on her first day at high school. Her former friends have ostracized her for calling the cops at an end of summer party. Speak is a gripping story about an incident that is so terrible Melinda retreats into herself and refuses to talk to anyone unless it is necessary, and even then, it seldom comes out in the way she intends. No one seems to care about her lack of talking, her lack of hygiene, the gnawing of her lips until they scab over and bleed, cutting classes and failing grades - including her parents - except for her art teacher in whose class she seems to find solace, compassion and safety. Melinda has built a protective shield around herself so no one can come in. Retreating into this private shell allows her the protection of not having to tell the world what has happened to cause her this total destruction of her previously happy world. This story continues with her slowly deteriorating until she is confronted with the Beast who caused her withdrawal and does she find the courage to survive?

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Written in first person, you see and hear who Melinda is and how deeply distressed she feels.
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson deals with a terrifying subject (teen rape) and allows us to see through the victims mind how devastating this act of violence can impact a young girl’s mental state. High school can be very intimidating on a normal day with young people trying to figure out who they are, what groups they want to be involved in, how they look, etc. A stressful passage of life we all go through under normal times. How horrible it must be to be 14, scared, afraid, and thinking that she is alone with no one whom she trusts to share this pain.

Laurie Halse Anderson allows us to see this experience in a gentle but harsh reality. I was afraid that Melinda was going to result in suicide but was glad that was not the case. I also was encouraged to read that this book is used in high school curriculums to address this problem that happens more than we realize and that choices of support are provided allowing young people to realize they are not alone. This book should also be read by parents who will be able to see the warning signs and not be afraid to talk openly with their children. Thank goodness for caring teachers who also should be aware of their students’ mood changes and seeing the signs through cutting classes, grades changing and not speaking. Great story on a subject no one likes to address with such clarity.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Library Journal
Gr 8 Up-A ninth grader becomes a social pariah when she calls the police to bust a summer bash and spends the year coming to terms with the secret fact that she was raped during the party. A story told with acute insight, acid wit, and affecting prose. (Oct.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up-Young, talented actress Mandy Siefried becomes Melinda, a troubled teen who struggles to cope after a rape, as she reads Laurie Halse Anderson's award-winning novel (Farrar, 1999). Although Melinda calls the police, she remains silent about the incident even with her parents and friends. Siefried's expressive voice depicts the tender, insecure youth and her freshman year at high school. This compelling novel presents a realistic portrayal of life in a contemporary high school. The narrator reads at a quick pace, pausing effectively to increase the dramatic mood. She easily recreates the sound of a power saw, and does a fine job of whining, singing, and presenting the cheerleaders' "Go horny Hornets." Listeners will become emotionally involved in this very effective presentation which is sure to please teen audiences.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Kirkus Review
A frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life, as real as today's headlines. At the end of the summer before she enters high school, Melinda attends a party at which two bad things happen to her. She gets drunk, and she is raped. Shocked and scared, she calls the police, who break up the party and send everyone home. She tells no one of her rape, and the other students, even her best friends, turn against her for ruining their good time. By the time school starts, she is completely alone, and utterly desolate. She withdraws more and more into herself, rarely talking, cutting classes, ignoring assignments, and becoming more estranged daily from the world around her. Few people penetrate her shell; one of them is Mr. Freeman, her art teacher, who works with her to help her express what she has so deeply repressed. When the unthinkable happens—the same upperclassman who raped her at the party attacks her again—something within the new Melinda says no, and in repelling her attacker, she becomes whole again. The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn, but it is its raw and unvarnished look at the dynamics of the high school experience that makes this a novel that will be hard for readers to forget. (Fiction. 12+)

CONNECTIONS
Laurie Halse Anderson
http://madwomanintheforest.com
Speak – Teacher’s Section
http://madwomanintheforest.com/teachers/youngadult-speak/
Teacher’s Guide
Sexual Assault Survivor Resources
Listen-A Poem by Laurie
Here’s the thing-Speak Sequel?
Hand –on Activities and Social Action Projects

AWARDS/HONORS
National Awards
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Top-10 Best Book for Young Adults
ALA Quick Pick for Young Adults
Edgar Allan Poe Award finalist
IRA Young Adult Choice
Junior Library Guild Selection
Michael L. Printz Honor Book (American Library Association)
National Book Award Finalist
New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age
New York Times Bestseller List
SCBWI Golden Kite Award
YALSA Popular Paperback for Young Adults
State Awards
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award runner-up
California Young Reader Medal nominee
Black-Eyed Susan Book Award nominee (Maryland)
Garden State Teen Book Award (New Jersey)
Iowa Teen Book Award nominee
Heartland Award (Kansas)
Kentucky Bluegrass Award
Maud Hart Lovelace Youth Reading Award nominee (Minnesota)
Teen Three Apples Award nominee (New York)
2005 New York Reads Together Book
Carolyn W. Field Award (Pennsylvania)
Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Young Adult List
Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominee
South Carolina Young Adult Book Award
Volunteer State Young Adult Book Award (Tennessee)
Tayshas High School Reading List (Texas)
Evergreen Young Adult Book Award (Washington)
Sequoya Book Award (Oklahoma)
Young Reader’s Award Nominee (Nevada)
Bookseller and Media Recognition
Booklist Editors’ Choice
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books Blue Ribbon Book
Fanfare, The Horn Book’s Honor List
Los Angeles Times Award finalist
Publishers Weekly Bestseller
Booklist Top 10 First Novels (1999)
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year (1999)

Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Krosoczka, Jarrett J. 2009. Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN-10: 0375846832 ISBN-13: 978-0375846830

PLOT SUMMARY
Lunch Lady, who is a secret crime fighter, and her assistant Betty do more than just serve up lunch. When a favorite teacher, who has never missed a day of work, is taken ill and replaced with a creepy substitute, Lunch Lady knows something is just not right. With three curious students, her assistant Betty and her assortment of crime fighting gadgets, Lunch Lady will serve up lunch while saving the school form the Cyborg Substitute. HIIYAAAH!

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute is a graphic novel targeted towards a younger audience, but will be enjoyed by adults as well. The story is easy to follow and predictable but wonderful for engaging young children, especially ones who don’t like to read.

The drawings are fun and the gadgets are hysterical. Who wouldn’t want to see a yellow-gloved lunch lady using fish-stick nunchucks, a spatu-copter, boomerang banana, lunch-tray laptop, milk-cam and more. Here is an unusual heroine, who uses witty sayings like, “Should I serve up some whaaamburgers and cries?” while fighting the army of cyborg substitutes. Three curious students, who follow Lunch Lady, to see where she goes after work, get to see Lunch Lady in action.

There is a good lesson about bullying and how the three children, after watching Lunch Lady in action, realize that you don’t have to be big to stand up to the school bully.

The illustrations in this book were created using ink on paper and digital coloring. The Lunch Lady’s yellow gloves were the inspiration for the only color besides black used in the illustrations. Jarrett J. Krosoczka drew each page in brush and ink and some pen. The color is done on the computer but given the look of the old printing press.

When I was teaching 6th grade there were several boys who drew cartoons. It was fun entertainment. I can see Jarrett J. Krosoczka in the boys I had and can only imagine his cartoons then. Here he has taken his hobby and turned it into a very rewarding career. I hope that the young people reading these graphic novels will be encouraged to continue with their visions. Lucky for us that Jarrett J. Krosoczka continued with his, for they are hilarious and entertaining. You will find yourself laughing out loud!

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Publishers Weekly
In this campy graphic novel series debut, Krosoczka (Punk Farm) introduces Lunch Lady, a scrappy, permed crime fighter with rolled-up sleeves, yellow dishwashing gloves and an apron. Down in the school's boiler room, she and her older sidekick, Betty, test gadgets (like a handheld spatula-helicopter and a banana boomerang) and keep an eye on things. Three children—Hector, Dee and Terrence—speculate about Lunch Lady's after-school life and follow her when she jumps on her moped, in hot pursuit of a suspicious substitute teacher. Krosoczka's plot is somewhat thin: the title and cover illustration announce the trouble with the sub; the only mysteries are the mastermind and motive behind the sub's deployment. Yet Krosoczka crafts Lunch Lady as a tough, capable heroine who deploys such exclamations as “Nutritious!” and bon mots like “Should I serve up some whaaamburgers and cries?” when on a robot-destroying tear. With plenty of silliness and slapstick in the text and panel art alike, this comic should alleviate lunch-line boredom with visions of servers wielding fishstick-nunchucks and growling, “Today's special is a knuckle sandwich.” Also available: Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians. Ages 7–10. (July)

Children's Literature
This book is a wonderful way to introduce mysteries to the younger child. The super detective is called the Lunch Lady and has a helper called Betty. While busily investigating a missing teacher and a strange substitute, she still finds time to make the school lunch that consists of pizza with gravy, as she likes to put gravy on many items. During her investigation she has a variety of tools at her fingertips like a spatu-copter and a lunch-tray laptop. She also uses chicken nuggets for bombs and fish sticks for nunchucks. Gee, I wonder how old and dried up they were? Three students help her in her quest to solve the mystery. Not only do the children fight for what is right, they also learn more about themselves. This is a delightful mystery with a surprise ending that will please the reader. Books written in graphic format are favorites of mine. They make it just the thing for students who are reluctant readers and never seem to finish a book on their own. They are also a wonderful way to introduce a variety of genres to young people. Young readers who want to read anything they can get their hands on will enjoy the graphics and fast-paced text. The full-color graphics make an enormous impact on the story. Lunch Lady is a colorful character, and both boys and girls will enjoy the mystery! Reviewer: Kathie M. Josephs

Kirkus Reviews
Punk Farm creator Krosoczka breaks out of picture books with this agreeably silly graphic novel for young readers. Classmates Hector, Dee and Terrence have always wondered about the Lunch Lady: What does she do when she's not making chickenpatty pizza? Tending to her many cats? Taking care of her family? After some amateur sleuthing, the kids discover that their Lunch Lady is out fighting the forces of evil, of course, with her trusty sidekick, Betty. This dynamic duo uncovers a nefarious plot hatched by a villainous teacher to overrun the school with cyborg substitutes. Backed up by Betty's ingenious arsenal of amalgamated cafeteria utensils including Spatucopter, Chicken Nugget Bombs and Lunch Tray Laptop, the two are on the case. This graphic novel alternates between boxy, regular panels and fullpage spreads, keeping readers' visual interest piqued. Filled with goofy puns and grayscale art with cheery yellow accents, this is a delightfully fun escapist read. Be sure to recommend this to fans of Captain Underpants. Publishes simultaneously with Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians (9780375946844; paper 9780375846847). (Graphic fiction. 710)

CONNECTIONS
Jarrett J. Krosoczka
http://www.studiojjk.com
Educators and librarians, for a variety of teaching tools, visit us at
www.randomhouse.com/teachers

AWARDS/HONORS
Winner 2009-Kid’s Indie Next List “Inspired Recommendations for Kids from Indi Booksellers”

The Graveyard Book

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gaiman, Neil. The Graveyard Book. 2008. Read by Neil Gaiman. HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN-10: 0061551899 ISBN-13: 978-0061551895

PLOT SUMMARY
Nobody Owens (Bod) is a normal boy, who happens to live in a graveyard and is being raised by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, ghosts, who were childless and dead for 250 years. Bod’s family was killed by a man Jack, who continues to look for him. The ghosts grant him the “Freedom of the Graveyard” (a special charm that gives Bod sanctuary within the graveyard’s boundaries). Silas, who may be a vampire, agrees to be his guardian, provides what he needs and his education was provided by an array of instructors including a werewolf. Although safe in the graveyard, dangers exist with witches, an ancient Indigo Man, a gateway to a desert inhabited by ghouls, the Sleer, and the man Jack.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Neil Gaiman is a true master of mystery. Not only is he an accomplished writer, but an entertaining performer. I listened to the unabridged audio book and was swept away with his narration of the story, the gypsy music at the beginning of each CD, which set the tone for the graveyard, the English environment, the language of the time and the descriptions of the characters. Listening to the story allows the audience to use their imagination and create their own pictures of the graveyard and its inhabitants. The first sentence, “There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife.”, should have you hooked into wanting more. This is a story of good versus evil.

The story is fiction, but reads with an element of truth. Neil Gaiman has taken an odd setting of a graveyard and turned it into a place of mysteries to explore, compassion, friendships, home, education, and love. Bod is loved and cared for by usual inhabitants, dead and alive, grows into a confident and educated young man who craves contact with the living. The story begins with evil and this battle is still underlying to the climatic ending.

The Graveyard Book is a must have in book and audio book for any library. What more could you ask for than mystery, intrigue, love, humor, ghosts and surviving evil!

The opening music is Danse Macabre played on the banjo by Béla Fleck. This music really set the tone for mystery and excitement.

REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From School Library Journal
Grade 5–8—Somewhere in contemporary Britain, "the man Jack" uses his razor-sharp knife to murder a family, but the youngest, a toddler, slips away. The boy ends up in a graveyard, where the ghostly inhabitants adopt him to keep him safe. Nobody Owens, so named because he "looks like nobody but himself," grows up among a multigenerational cast of characters from different historical periods that includes matronly Mistress Owens; ancient Roman Caius Pompeius; an opinionated young witch; a melodramatic hack poet; and Bod's beloved mentor and guardian, Silas, who is neither living nor dead and has secrets of his own. As he grows up, Bod has a series of adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, and the threat of the man Jack who continues to hunt for him is ever present. Bod's love for his graveyard family and vice versa provide the emotional center, amid suspense, spot-on humor, and delightful scene-setting. The child Bod's behavior is occasionally too precocious to be believed, and a series of puns on the name Jack render the villain a bit less frightening than he should be, though only momentarily. Aside from these small flaws, however, Gaiman has created a rich, surprising, and sometimes disturbing tale of dreams, ghouls, murderers, trickery, and family.—Megan Honig, New York Public Library
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Bookmarks Magazine
Neil Gaiman's fantasies have entranced both younger readers and adults; this gothic fantasy, a coming-of-age story modeled after The Jungle Book and with slight nods to Harry Potter, will appeal to all ages. By juxtaposing the world of the dead with the world of the living, Gaiman creates a fantastical world where the thoughtful protagonist comes to understand the power of family as he experiences the fear, pains, confusions, and joys of growing up. Critics praised each illustrated chapter as its own little gem, with moments both tender and terrifying—and each equally exciting. The Graveyard Book is sure to become a book to last the ages.
Copyright 2008 Bookmarks Publishing LLC --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* While a highly motivated killer murders his family, a baby, ignorant of the horrific goings-on but bent on independence, pulls himself out of his crib and toddles out of the house and into the night. This is most unfortunate for the killer, since the baby was his prime target. Finding his way through the barred fence of an ancient graveyard, the baby is discovered by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a stable and caring couple with no children of their own—and who just happen to be dead. After much debate with the graveyard’s rather opinionated denizens, it is decided that the Owenses will take in the child. Under their care and the sponsorship of the mysterious Silas, the baby is named “Nobody” and raised among the dead to protect him from the killer, who relentlessly pursues him. This is an utterly captivating tale that is cleverly told through an entertaining cast of ghostly characters. There is plenty of darkness, but the novel’s ultimate message is strong and life affirming. Although marketed to the younger YA set, this is a rich story with broad appeal and is highly recommended for teens of all ages. Grades 6-10. --Holly Koelling --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

CONNECTIONS
Neil Gaiman
http://www.mousecircus.com
http://www.neilgaiman.com/
Béla Fleck
http://www.belafleck.com/

AWARDS/HONORS
Booktrust Teenage Prize, 2009 Winner United Kingdom Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence in Children's Literature, 2009 Honor Book Fiction and Poetry United States
Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite (and not-so-favorite) Books of the Year, 2008 Honorable Mention Best Novel for Young Readers That Adults Would Love If They Knew About It United States
Cybils, 2008 Winner Fantasy and Science Fiction (Middle Grade) United States
Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, 2009 Winner United States
Indies Choice Book Award, 2009 Winner Best Indie Young Adult Buzz Book United States
John Newbery Medal, 2009 Winner United States
Locus Award, 2009 Winner Young Adult Book United States
Los Angeles Times Book Prize, 2008 Finalist Young Adult Literature United States
School Library Journal Battle of the (Kids') Books, 2009 Nominee United States