Module 9: The Silence of Murder

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Book Summary: The book opens in the courtroom, and the murder has already been committed. The narrator and protagonist, Hope, is testifying on behalf of the defense, her brother Jeremy. Jeremy has been accused of murdering Coach Johnson, a beloved baseball coach in the small Ohio town of Grain. Jeremy is a special needs teenager who hasn't spoken since he was nine years old. He is the only suspect in the case because he was seen leaving the crime scene with a bloody bat, proven to be the murder weapon. Hope, who knows her brother better than anyone else, is determined to prove his innocence. With the help of her best friend T.J. and a new friend/love interest, Chase (who also happens to the sheriff's son), she begins investigating who else could have killed Coach. T.J. and Chase are both on the baseball team, so they knew Coach well and have access to things like team rosters. The three teens poke around the barn where the murder took place and look into the possibility that Coach's wife, who has cancer but is not as sick as she lets on, killed her husband for insurance money. Meanwhile, Hope and Jeremy's mother, who is somewhat abusive and a drunk, is sort of an unknown in the case because she insists that Jeremy did it but should be found guilty by reason of insanity. Jeremy, as part of his autism, collects glass jars, and no one knows why. The night before the closing arguments, Hope accidentally breaks one and discovers that Jeremy has been using the jars to collect "air" from important moments in his life. She helps the defense attorney give the closing argument by opening and reading from three jars from the morning of the murder for the first time in front of the jury. It is revealed that Coach was actually Jeremy's father, which he learned that morning, and when he went into the barn he found Coach's body and saw Chase running away. Chase then, in front of the whole courtroom, admits to accidentally killing Coach with the bat when he went to see Coach to show him how well he could bat (Chase was angry that he wasn't going to pitch in the big game because Coach thought he couldn't hit well enough against their arch rival). Jeremy is acquitted, begins talking again, Hope goes on to college with T.J., and Chase goes to prison.

APA Reference:
Mackall, D.D. (2011). The silence of murder. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Impressions: I thought this book was engaging, but the mystery could have been better set up. The clues that Chase was the real killer were there, but it was a disappointment more than an a-ha. For much of the book, I was thinking that T.J. was the murderer, and while I understand that the author probably planted those clues to throw off the reader, she made Chase a little too likable, and while I didn't find it exactly hard to believe that he was the murderer, the way it all went down was just a little bit of a let down. When Chase confesses, he loses all sympathy from the other characters, and I think that bothered me more than anything else. No one seems to care that deep down, Chase is a good person and that the murder was an accident. Coach wasn't murdered in cold blood. I understand that for Hope, it was more about the fact that he would've potentially let Jeremy go to prison for him, but I'm not even sure he would have. Anyway, the book was good, not great. However, I think that for a young teen audience, perhaps middle school age, this book is appropriate and well-suited. The problem solving opportunities are there, the plot twists are there, and I don't think teens would find it too predictable or formulaic. The element of Jeremy being a selective mute with autism also adds an element of interest not necessarily found in typical murder mysteries.

Professional Review (from Booklist):
"Grades 8-12. 'I have never even once thought that there was something 'wrong' with my brother,' says 17-year-old Hope Long, but few people share her view. Jeremy, 18, is selectively mute, autistic, and on trial for the murder of a beloved local coach. Wherever their irresponsible alcoholic mother has taken them, Hope has always been Jeremy's advocate, but now, in order to save Jeremy from execution, she must testify to his insanity. Convinced of her brother's innocence, Hope sets out to discover the real murderer. Her investigation leads to the loss of her only friend, a forbidden romance with the sheriff's son, family secrets, and a journey of self-discovery. Hope's first-person narrative pulls readers immediately into the story as she works her way through clues and false leads to the truth. The well-plotted mystery is intriguing, and Hope's determined efforts to solve it have an authentic feel. Secondary characters are a tad one-dimensional, but Hope's compelling voice and very real sense of danger propel the pace to a solution that will have readers talking."

Rutan, L. (2011). The silence of murder [Review of the book, The silence of murder by D.D. Mackall]. Booklist, 108(3), 88.

Library Uses: This book could be used as part of a unit/lesson on the wrongfully accused, and/or of people with mental challenges who are accused of crimes. After reading this book, students could be asked to research real cases of mentally challenged individuals who have been wrongfully accused, or of people in general who were wrongfully accused. Students could go on investigations themselves into these cases and put together multimedia presentations or other projects to teach their classmates about the different instances where this has happened. Furthermore, after doing this research, they could propose ways to prevent this from happening in the future, and perhaps even take some sort of action such as writing letters to Congressmen and women. All of this could be done in the library, using library resources such as databases, technology applications, books, and periodicals.

Module 8: The 5th Wave

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Book Summary: The book begins with Cassie wandering around in the woods with her M-16 and her brother's teddy bear. She kills a soldier in an abandoned convenience store, and it's unclear whether the soldier is really on her side, and even what the two sides are. The book sort of continues to do that, moving back and forward in time for awhile, until we learn about the alien invasion and the first four waves (wave one was killing the power all over the world, wave two was an earthquake/tsunami that devastated the coastlines, wave three was a virus that killed most of the rest of the population, and the fourth wave was the silencers among the living, shooting anyone they could find). The book also alternates between Cassie's story, as she tries to find and rescue her brother, Ben's (nicknamed Zombie) story as he is trained to be a soldier, and a couple of other insertions, including the point of view of a silencer and Cassie's little brother as he is taken into what we are led to believe is a refugee camp. It is later revealed that the refugee camp, a former military base, is really being run by the aliens and training humans to kill other survivors out in the world. Meanwhile, Cassie is taken in by a young man who rescues her from the frozen forest after being shot, and we learn that he is actually a silencer who has fallen in love with her. He reveals the story of the aliens, who came to Earth because they needed a new, inhabitable planet, and implanted themselves into certain humans because they had to leave their own bodies behind. He helps Cassie infiltrate the base, and he ultimately destroys it. Cassie finds her brother at the same time Ben, who has gone rogue with his squadron after learning what the base really is, has gone back to rescue him (they met earlier in training at the base). The three of them get out just in time, are picked up by the rest of the squadron, and get away. The books ends right after they make it to safety...or, what is safety for now.

APA Reference:
Yancey, R. (2013). The 5th wave. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: I loved this book and am excited to continue the series. There are so many sci-fi/dystopian young adult books and series coming out these days that they've become almost contrived and even formulaic, but I thought this story was a fresh take on the genre and could be enjoyed by readers of all ages. There was a love story, but it wasn't overdone and didn't overshadow the central storyline, which I hate. I also thought it was interesting how the book begins near the end of the fourth wave, and we learn about the first four waves through the reflections and flashbacks of the characters. If the author had tried to begin the series with the first wave, the story would not have moved as well, and the central themes may have been lost. I was also really impressed by the way the story kept the reader guessing, as far as who the good guys really were. I suspected that Commander Vosch was not good, of course, after the massacre at Cassie's refugee camp, but Ben's trust and faith in him made me question if it was Cassie who really didn't know what was going on. The way the book forces the reader to put the pieces together until the very end was well done and enjoyable.

Professional Review (from Horn Book Guide):
"Cassie, sixteen, prepares herself for the fifth wave of aliens, the final takeover, fearing that she may be all that's left of humanity. She's alone until she meets 'very good-looking' Evan Walker, and together they must figure out how to fight back. Yancey vividly portrays Cassie's existential crisis in a broken world: how to live, and why to live, and what to care about."

Yancey, Rick The 5th wave [Review of the book, The 5th wave by R. Yancey]. (2013). Horn Book Guide, 24(2), 137.

Library Uses: I think this would be an awesome book to use as an introduction to a lesson/unit on survival skills. Visitors could be brought in to give lessons or demonstrations on survival, living off the land, and/or primitive camping. Students could share their ideas or do projects on what they would do in the event of an alien apocalypse. This book could also be used to partner with science classes to explore what, if any, real science there is in the book. Of course, the aliens' technology is purely made up, but the "eye" used to decimate entire areas of land, the tracking devices, and the "Wonderland" program used to see humans' memories could all be jumping off points to learn about real technology in these fields, artificial intelligence, robots, advances in technology, etc.

Module 7: Out of My Mind

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Book Summary: The book begins with Melody, the main character, explaining that she knows thousands of words but has never spoken. Much of the beginning of the book is Melody explaining her first few years of life and describing her day to day life and how she adapts to her world. For example, her neighbor, Mrs. V, teaches her to recognize hundred of written words and creates a tray she can use to point to common words and names she uses. Melody is in a special education classroom at a local elementary school, and when she is in fifth grade, the school starts an inclusion program where the special ed students take a few classes with the regular program students. Because Melody is not cognitively impaired, she attends most academic classes with the rest of the fifth grade. She makes a friend, Rose, and most of the students are nice to her and accepting, but there are a couple of mean girls. On a trip to the aquarium, it is revealed that Rose is a little conflicted, maybe even embarrassed, about her friendship with Melody. Over the holidays, Melody gets a Medi-Talker, which allows her to type what she wants to say with her thumbs, and the machine will say it out loud. This is a huge breakthrough, but it still doesn't solve all of Melody's problems. As one of the smartest kids in fifth grade, she tries out for a quiz team, and gets the highest score, much to the surprise of the other students and even the teacher. After a lot of practice and the local competition, the team makes the national competition. When Melody and her family arrive at the airport, they discover her flight is canceled, and the team has left her behind without telling her they made an earlier flight. The next day, Melody's little sister has a close call when their mother hits her with the car accidentally, and by the time the team returns from D.C., Melody has found her voice and is able to confront them, accept herself, and stop seeking their approval.

APA Reference:
Draper, S. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: I was initially intrigued by the marketing of this book; the description on the cover focuses on Melody being an older child who has never spoken, so I had to know why. Was it some kind of trauma? Then, of course we learn early that it is severe cerebral palsy, and while I was fascinated by the background information and learning how Melody lives, I still wasn't sure the book was going to grip me; would there be any actual plot or was it just a lot of information about living with a debilitating disability? I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could not put the book down. Draper's ability to make the reader empathize with someone in Melody's situation in a completely new way is remarkable. I particularly enjoyed how even when Melody made strides, it was still so evident how hard her life was. She made a friend, but there were limitations. She accomplished being part of the quiz team, and even the teacher left her behind. The story was overall positive and hopeful, but it didn't shy away from the complications and heartache, which I think is what made it so powerful.

Professional Review (from Kirkus Reviews):
"Melody, diagnosed with cerebral palsy, cannot walk or talk. Despite her parents' best efforts, the outside world has defined her by her condition. Melody's life changes when inclusion classrooms are introduced in her school, and she interacts with children other than those in her special-needs unit. To these children, Melody is 'other,' and they are mostly uncomfortable with her sounds and jerky movements. Normal problems of school friendships are magnified. Preparation for a trivia competition and acquisition of a computer that lets her communicate her thoughts reveal Melody's intelligence to the world. Melody is an entirely complete character, who gives a compelling view from inside her mind. Draper never shies away from the difficulties Melody and her family face. Descriptions of both Melody's challenges--'Going to the bathroom at school just plain sucks'--and the insensitivities of some are unflinching and realistic. Realistically, Melody's resilient spirit cannot keep her from experiencing heartbreak and disappointment even after she has demonstrated her intellect. This book is rich in detail of both the essential normalcy and the difficulties of a young person with cerebral palsy."

Out of my mind [Review of the book, Out of my mind by S. Draper]. (2010). Kirkus Reviews, 78(4), 142.

Library Uses: This book could be used as part of a unit in which children learn about people who live differently. If possible, a guest with a disability could visit the library and talk to students about their challenges and how they navigate the world. Students could prepare questions ahead of time. Also, because the book begins and ends with the opening to Melody's autobiography assignment, the book could be used as a gateway to students writing their own autobiographies, or reading nonfiction autobiographies by real people. Another idea might be to introduce having some sort of inclusion program in the library where regular program students could help special education students choose and check out library books, allowing the regular program students to get to know and gain perspective on students with disabilities, hopefully breaking down stereotypes.

Module 6: Boot & Shoe

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Book Summary: Boot and Shoe are brothers (dogs) who live together and share everything, except that during the day, Boot stays on the back porch, and Shoe prefers the front porch. One day, a squirrel comes along and entices both dogs to come off their porches and chase it. The dogs chase the squirrel until they each fall down, exhausted. When they awaken, Boot finds himself on the front porch, and Shoe is on the back porch. They are confused and sad because the other is not on the porch with them, in his usual spot. They look all around the other's porch for their brother, but he is nowhere to be found. They decide they will wait for the other one, and not leave their porch. This means they miss dinner, and at bedtime, they stay on the porches, cold, instead of getting into their warm bed. They even walk around the house at the same time, but can't find the other because he is looking for them on the other side. After waiting up all night, each dog is crying on the porch when they have to relieve themselves. Lo and behold, they find each other at the tree! They are so happy and tired, they go to bed even though it's morning.

APA Reference:

Frazee, M. (2012). Boot & Shoe. New York: Beach Lane Books.

Impressions: I thought this story was so cute! As a dog lover, I felt so heartbroken for Boot and Shoe when they were so sad and confused. I enjoyed watching them chase the squirrel and spend so much time trying to find each other. I thought the illustrations played a big part in my enjoyment of the book because their sad puppy faces were so realistic (while still cartoonish), and Frazee did a great job of capturing the essence of dogs and how they look when they are feeling different emotions or trying to puzzle something out. I think kids of all ages (and even adults) can appreciate this book and find it entertaining. It would also be a great choice for an inexperienced reader, because of its short sentences, and it has a lot of lessons about spatial awareness woven in. For example, when Boot and Shoe are looking for each other, there is a lot of repetition about where and how they are looking, using different prepositions, each with an illustration so this book could be used to teach prepositions and/or spatial awareness.

Professional Review (from Horn Book Guide):

"Dogs Boot and Shoe share a lot of things, but Boot prefers the back porch and Shoe, the front. A squirrel gets both dogs riled up enough to give chase; each ends up on the wrong porch--and decides to wait for the other. The sprightly lines of Frazee's black pencil and gouache illustrations add to the humor of this nimble tale of misplaced assumptions."

Frazee, Marla. Boot & Shoe [Review of the book Boot & Shoe, by M. Frazee]. (2013). Horn Book              Guide, 24(1), 9. 

Library Uses: I think this book could be used as part of a fun pet-themed lesson for younger students. Students could be told ahead of time to bring pictures of their pets and could tell each other about silly things their pets have done. This could be segued into a discussion about misconceptions and how we deal with misunderstandings. Students could come up with an alternate version of the story in which Boot and Shoe make different choices and don't have to spend the night all alone. 

Module 5: Trombone Shorty

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Book Summary: This book is the autobiography of Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, told as a children's book. It details Troy's childhood in New Orleans, playing pretend music with his friends, and New Orleans is highlighted as a big part of the culture displayed in the book and what shaped Troy as a person, including all the parades and festivals that influenced his music tastes. The book tells the story of how Troy, who always loved music, became a musician and got his nickname; when he began playing an old, beat up trombone he found, the trombone was bigger than he was. His brother called him "Trombone Shorty!" and the name stuck. He practiced incessantly, and when his mom took him to the New Orleans Jazz Festival, he brought his trombone and was called up on stage to play with Bo Diddley. After that, Troy formed his own band, the 5 O'Clock Band, and as an adult, his band is Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue. He tours all over the world. An author's note at the end of the book retells the biography in paragraph form and includes photos from Troy's childhood, while the main part of the book includes vivid illustrations by Bryan Collier, a Caldecott winner. 

APA Reference:

Andrews, T. (2015). Trombone Shorty. New York: Abrams Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: I thought this book told the story of a musician's life in an original and engaging way that appeals to young readers and adults alike. The illustrations are striking, colorful, and enhance the telling of the story, really bringing the reader into Troy's world. I liked the incorporation of New Orleans culture; the repetition of "Where y'at?" kept the familial sense of community going throughout the story. I think this book is a great choice for minority, particularly predominantly African American schools (although other races would still obviously enjoy it) because it shows a young man (who is still only 30 years old) from a tough neighborhood who practiced really hard at something he loved and became really successful. So often when you ask kids about important black figures they know about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., or Barack Obama, but they don't always know about people living right now who were just like them who they can look up to. I think Troy Andrews is a particularly good choice because in addition to his accomplishments and philanthropic work, he looks young and cool, and his path in life seems realistically attainable for the average kid who wants to work hard. 

Professional Review (from Booklist):

"Grades 3-5. In this contemporary autobiography, Andrews pays tribute to the New Orleans neighborhood of Treme and the culture and community that propelled him into becoming the Grammy Award-nominated musician he is today. Like other stories of artistic achievement, this is one of determination and passion. Young Troy, nicknamed Trombone Shorty, by his brother, forms a band with his friends using homemade instruments, until one day Troy finds a real trombone to call his own. But this story breaks from the motif of individualism to recognize that family, community, mentors, and friends are always part of life's journey. It reminds young readers--particularly boys of color--that they can follow their dreams and lean on people who will nurture and guide them. Andrews' journey is perfectly complemented by Collier's illustrations. Sharp panels of color and image, perspective that dips and soars, and layers of mixed-media collage unite to feel like renditions of brass band music itself. The author's note fills in the gaps in the story and reaffirms the importance of people and place. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Trombone Shorty Foundation."

Chaudhri, A. (2015). Trombone Shorty [Review of the book Trombone Shorty, by T. Andrews]. Booklist, 111(14), 62. 

Library Uses: This book could be a great addition to a Black History Month series in which students learn about contemporary black figures. I would set parameters of the series so that included figures would have to be living and working right now, and I would do my best to choose some lesser known people. Students could learn about one or two people each week when they come to the library during Black History Month, and after reading the book and learning about the person, they could create something inspired by that person, such as a piece of art or a poem. There could be an extension activity in which students choose which person inspired them the most, why, and stated what they want to be or do when they get older, and how this person, such as Troy Andrews, showed them ways they can achieve their dreams.