Casting the Gods Adrift: A Tale of Ancient Egypt

Author: Geraldine McCaughrean
Illustrator: Patricia D. Ludlow
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Cricket Books (May 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0812626842
ISBN-13: 978-0812626841

Synopsis: Tutmose, his brother (Ibrim) and his father (Harkut) are chosen to go work as skilled craftsmen for Akhenaten, the new Pharoah of Egypt. After only an initial reluctance based more on the thought of their father's wrath than any devotion to multiple gods, Tutmose and Ibrim willingly accept the new king's commandment to worship only one God. But Harkut, who was raised in a polytheistic society, cannot do as commanded, and begins to plot ways to kill the king. Will Tutmose and Ibrim make their father see reason, or will Harkut succeed in killing the Pharoah?


Review: For the most part this book was enjoyable, with rich details - many of which I had encountered in my previous amateur Egyptologist studies. The details are mostly rich and the characterizations of Tutmose and Ibrim are highly developed. However, the same cannot be said about the Pharoah and his family. For the most part, though, this book was highly enjoyable and provided a nice, quick interlude into the past.


Awards/Reviews:

No awards for this title

McCaughrean has told a fine story, and though the themes and vocabulary may be advanced for the intended audience, readers will most likely just enjoy the story. The characters are lively, and the plot moves nicely. Budding Egyptologists will savor this title with its historical references and detailed backdrop. - School Library Journal

McCaughrean gives readers a glimpse into Egypt's future (and a reference to an archeological find that could well pique interest in further study). - Publishers Weekly

The author's thoughtful consideration of belief systems in conflict adds depth to Tutmose's lively account of life in Pharaoh's entourage, and the development of his own religious convictions. - Kirkus Reviews

Connections:

For fun, after reading this novel, have students read "Tut, Tut" by Jon Scieszka. (Puffin, 1998). The Trio finds themselves in ancient Egypt where they must outwit the pharaoh's evil advisor. After reading, have students point out what historical elements were similar in both books, what was different, etc.

Study ancient Egyptian history, math and writing at http://www.discoveringegypt.com/hiromenu.htm. After learning about just how ancient Ancient Egypt really is, Egyptian mathematics and more. For fun, allow students to go to the site during computer time and see their name in hieroglyphics, play games and more.

Wednesday Wars, The

Title: The Wednesday Wars
Author: Gardy D. Schmidt
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Sandpiper; Reprint edition (May 18, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 054723760X
ISBN-13: 978-0547237602

Synopsis: In 1967, everyone (read: adults) has bigger things to worry about than one 7th grade boy's problems with his teacher. Holling Hoodhood is the last presbyterian left in his class. On Wednesday afternoons, when all his Jewish classmates Hebrew school to prepare for their bar- or bat-mitzvahs and the other half goes to Catechism, Holling is the only kid left in class - effectively putting a stop to his teacher, Mrs. Baker's, free Wednesday afternoons. In a move Holling is sure is prompted by Mrs. Baker's hatred for him, his teacher decides she will read the works of William Shakespeare with Holling on those Wednesday afternoons. Who knew studying The Bard would help form so much of Holling's character?

Review: There aren't enough positive things to say about this book. At turns it made me cry, laugh out loud, and get angry - sometimes within the space of a few minutes! Holling Hoodhood and Mrs. Baker are fully realized people on the page, not just flat characterizations. The events of the late 1960s are told from a fresh perspective and filtered through the mind and viewpoint of a teenaged boy. Having a teenaged boy myself, I can verify that the events Holling finds so "traumatic" are very true of real teenagers. I have already given the book to my son and told him to read it!

Awards/Reviews:

• 2008 -- Newbery Honor Book
• 2008 -- ALA Notable Children's Book
• 2008 -- ALA Best Book for Young Adults
• 2007 -- Booklist Editors' Choice
• 2007 -- National Parenting Publications Book Award
• 2007 -- NY Public Library, 100 Titles for Reading
• 2007 -- Book Sense Award Finalist

"Schmidt rises above the novel's conventions to create memorable and believable characters." Horn Book, Starred

"[An] entertaining and nuanced novel.... There are laugh-out-loud moments that leaven the many poignant ones." School Library Journal

"An accessible, humorous school story, and at the same time, an insightful coming-of-age tale." Bookpage

Connections:

Prior to reading "The Wednesday Wars", the teacher will create anticipation guides for students to complete before and contemplate during reading the book. A guide to creating anticipation guides can be found at http://novelinks.byu.edu/uploads/Novels/TheWednesdayWars/Anticipation%20Guide.pdf.

Prior to reading the novel, port a laptop to the overhead projector and go to http://jlindabu.glogster.com/The-Wednesday-Wars/. This "glog" gives a pictorial and text overview of the novel. Use to fan interest in the novel.

Read excerpts from the Shakespearian plays "Holling" reads in the book.

Compile research books on Martin Luther King, Jr., Bobby Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Nixon and other historical figures of the time. Assign students to groups and assign each group a historical figure to research and give a presentation to the class on. Students can choose to give a straight stand-up report, create a faux news interview with the historical figure, or any other number of ways to present their assigned historical figure to the rest of the class.

Invite a community member who was in middle school in the late 1960s to come talk about their experiences, what they remember about the days when King and Kennedy (both brothers) were killed and any other recollections of their childhoods in that era.

Game of Silence, The

Title: The Game of Silence
Author: Louise Erdrich
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins (June 13, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780064410298
ISBN-13: 978-0064410298

Synopsis: "The Game of Silence" tells the story of the Ojibwe living on Lake Superior in the 1850s. One day, "Little Frog" (Omakayas in the native tongue) sees six dots on the horizon out on Lake Superior. Six canoes full of refugees from other Ojibwe camps come to tell a shocking story - the White People are breaking their word and forcing the Ojibwe to leave the lands the White People promised they could keep and to move to a reservation far away. The book tells the story of what happens to the tribe through the long winter as they try to get more information and decide what they must do about the White Man's breaking of his word.

Review: I really enjoyed this book, though it was so heartbreaking to me knowing the history around this and knowing already what happened to so many Native Americans during this period. There are many passages in this book that are funny, some are heartbreakingly sad and others made me so angry I wanted to hit someone. With rich characterization, factual information about the time period and historical events, Erdrich weaves a compelling tale about strength, loss and growing up.


Awards/Reviews:

- Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction
- Kirkus Editor's Choice
- Horn Book Fanfare
- ALA Notable Children's Book
- ALA Booklist Editor's Choice
- New York Times Notable Book
- Parenting Magazine Book of the Year

"Memorable." - Chicago Tribune

"Full of humor, richness and heart." - Wisconsin State Journal
"This meticulously researched novel offers an even balence of joyful and sorrowful moments while conveying a perspective of America’s past that is rarely found in history books." - Publishers Weekly

"Erdrich’s captivating tale of four seasons portrays a deep appreciation of our environment, our history, and our Native American sisters and brothers." - School Library Journal

Connections:

In the story, there is a Catholic priest who works to develop a written version of the Ojibwe language. On the overhead projector ported to the laptop, go to http://www.omniglot.com/writing/ojibwa.htm and learn more about the real-life missionary who was the basis of this character, as well as see written Ojibwe language.

With computer and overhead still ported, go to http://www.tpt.org/?a=productions&id=3 to learn about Native Americans racing against the clock to save the Ojibwe language from being lost forever. After reading and studying the information about lost languages, watch the television program (on the same link) about the people fighting to keep this language from being lost.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream

Title:  Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream
Author:  Tanya Lee Stone
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Paperback: 144 pages
Publisher: Candlewick (February 24, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0763645028
ASIN: B004AYCXCK

Synopsis: When male pilots began training for the fledgling NASA in 1958 in the hopes of becoming the nation's first men to orbit the earth, the nation could not fathom the idea of women ever becoming astronauts. But Randy Lovelace, chairman of NASA's Life Sciences Committee, felt that women were just as (if not more) capable as men to be astronauts. Without approval, Lovelace began testing women pilots to see if they could withstand the rigors of the astronaut training. In fact, he put them through tests even more intensive than those the men faced, just to prove the women were resilient enough to handle the demands of being astronauts. In many cases, the women did better than the men, with 13 women making "the cut." Sadly, the attitude of sexism in America at the time doomed the womens' dreams to failure, leaving them as only a footnote in the history of America's space program.

Review: This book is very well written and presents the story of the "Mercury 13" in an entertaining narrative that will appeal to readers. The book is highly accurrate, well designed and organized to flow well and tell the story succinctly, and the author's distinct voice is clearly heard while one reads the story. The author's sense of outrage at the blatant sexism of the time can be clearly felt by the reader. My only caution to the reader is that they not see all the character's in history in this book through the lenses of modern policy, and instead view their actions in light of the times in which they occurred. This does not make what happened any easier to stomach, but it does serve to help one see their actions in the broader framework of the times in which they lived.

Awards/Reviews:

2010 Robert F. Sibert Medal Award
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award
Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor

NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book

Bank Street Flora Stieglitz Straus Award 

An Outstanding Science Trade Book

CCBC Choices 2010

Kirkus Best YA Books of 2009

Notable Social Studies Trade Book

Horn Book Fanfare

Amelia Bloomer List

Richie's Picks

Chicago Best of the Best Books

Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of 2009

ALA Notable

Best Books for Young Adults (BBYA)

National Science Teachers Association Recommended Book

"This passionately written account of a classic but little-known challenge to established gender prejudices also introduces readers to a select group of courageous, independent women." - School Library Journal, starred review

"The chatty, immediate style (“Picture this”) and full-page photos make for a fast read, and the crucial civil-rights history will stay with readers. The long, spacious back matter is part of the story, with detailed chapter notes and a bibliography." - Booklist

"(A) fascinating, dramatic story...the author offers great insight into how deeply ingrained sexism was in American society...this empowering, impassioned story will leave readers inspired." - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Connections:

Before even showing the students the book, the teacher should conduct the pre-reading exercise outlined in http://www.tanyastone.com/assets/files/AA%20Reading%20Guide.pdf. Ask the students in the class to draw or write a description of what they think an astronaut looks like. When the students are done, go around the room and look at all their drawings/descriptions. Make a chart of how many showed/described astronauts as women and how many as men. Introduce the book.

Teachers should pass out graphic organizer worksheets to the students before they begin reading the book to help them chart the obstacles to women in space during the 1950s and 1960s.

After reading the book, have students write a letter to then-Vice-President Johnson expressing their opinion of what happened to the "Mercury 13."

The Great and Only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum

Author:  Candace Fleming

Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 160 pages
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (September 8, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0375841970
ASIN: B004NSVEQE

Synopsis: The story of how Phineas Taylor "Tale" Barnum became P.T. Barnum, purveyor and exhibitioner of oddities and animals, and father of "The Greatest Show on Earth!"

Review: I loved this book; in fact, once I started reading it I could not put it down. It offers readers a fascinating look of how a shopkeeper turned himself into a "showman" known the world over.  Candace Fleming has organized the text brilliantly into chunks of information easy for children of all ages to digest, with clever sidebars containing information on Barnum's family, life and career, often in his own words. The information is well-documented, yet the story flows well and reads more like a story than a series of facts.

Awards/Reviews:

YALSA-ALA Excellence in Young Adult Non-Fiction Finalist
WINNER 2009 Kirkus Reviews Best Young Adult Books
WINNER 2009 Publishers Weekly Best Children's Book of the YearWINNER 2010 ALA Notable Children's BookWINNER 2010 ALA Best Books for Young AdultsWINNER 2010 Cooperative Children's Book Center ChoicesNOMINEE 2011 Tennessee Volunteer State Book Master ListSUBMITTED Junior Library Guild Selection
“The material is inherently juicy, but credit Fleming’s vivacious prose, bountiful period illustrations, and copious source notes for fashioning a full picture of one of the forbearers of modern celebrity.” - Booklist, starred review

"Audiences will step right up to this illuminating and thorough portrait of an entertainment legend" - Publishers Weekly
"An outstanding choice for all middle level and secondary collections." - School Library Journal

Connections:

Have students draw or write a description of what they'd include in a circus if they were P.T. Barnum. To incorporate multi-disciplinary subjects, tally up the animals/acts that students would use, then determine percentages of students who would have included each item.

Use the sidebar item "No Black People" on pp. 39 to launch a discussion on the Civil War (still ~15 years away when this item was published in the newspaper). Also discuss the Civil Rights movement to illustrate how little attitudes had changed in the 100 years between when the newspaper item was published and when the Civil Rights Act was passed.

Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia

Title:  Saving the Ghost of the Mountain: An Expedition Among Snow Leopards in Mongolia
Author:  Sy Montgomery
Photographer:  Nic Bishop
Reading level: Ages 9-12
Hardcover: 80 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (August 17, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 9780618916450
ISBN-13: 978-0618916450

Synopsis: Tom McCarthy, conservation director of the Snow Leopard Trust, returns to Mongolia to see if he can accurately count and see just how many snow leopards are still living in Mongolia. The journey itself is arduous - most of the "roads" leading to the remote regions where snow leopards live are unpaved, and have little to differentiate them from the area around them. Once McCarthy and his team are up in the mountains, their tasks becomes even more perilous, as they will have to scale steep mountains and ridges in the hopes of seeing any snow leopards - a sighting that is rare. In addition to facts about their trip, the book includes interesting facts about Mongolia and chronicles how McCarthy came to work to save these endangered animals, including changing perceptions of the very people who hunted these animals to the brink of extinction.

Review: This book offers a fascinating insider's view of McCarthy's work, including anecdotes from McCarthy and the author and photographer themselves about their journey up and down the mountains of Mongolia in search of this big cat. The book is engrossing not only to those who are animal lovers, but also for those interested in learning more about the culture and geography of Mongolia.  Sy Montgomery relates McCarthy's work in an engaging style that hardly feels like non-fiction and instead feels like a well-written storybook.  Interesting facts about Mongolia's people, other wildlife, history and culture immerse the reader in the country's rich history. A nice bonus is the afterwords by the author and photographer telling of their own personal experiences leading up to and on this particular assignment.

Awards/Reviews:

Named one of the Best Books of 2009 by School Library Journal

One of Booklist’s Top 10 Environmental Titles for Youth published in 2009

Selected as an Outstanding Science Trade Book for students K-12 for 2010 by NSTA/Children’s Book Council

A Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Books of 2009

A Junior Library Guild Selection

"Reading this book is an extraordinary experience. It has an elegant layout featuring ornamental lettering, watermarks, and gorgeous photos; were it not for the delightfully exuberant text, it would be a stately coffee table book. But kids will giggle about the central role of scat or, as Montgomery often writes, "poo," in the research of snow leopards' habits." - School Library Journal, starred review

“It’s no easy feat to write a book about one of the most charismatic yet notoriously elusive creatures on the planet without a single sighting, but Sy Montgomery pulls it off with style." - Kirkus Reviews

Connections:

Go online to http://www.authorwire.com/s/sl_fieldjournal.html and read Sy Montgomery's field journal of what occurred while she and Nic Bishop were on the expedition to Mongolia.

Complete the author's suggested map activity (http://www.authorwire.com/s/downloads/MongolianAdventureMapSkills.pdf) with the class. See who can rack up the most points!

Read about some Mongolian ettiquette rules the author and photographer had to learn before visiting the homes of their hosts.  The teacher can also make Buuz for students to sample (check for food allergies first!)  http://www.authorwire.com/s/sl_makeBuuz.html