The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins

By Katherine Paterson

Published by HarperCollins Publishers (1987)

Reading Level: ages 9-12 years

Pages: 148

Genre: Modern Realism

Summary: Gilly is a foster child that has been moved to several foster homes. She is very smart and refuses to be good. She is sent to the home of Maime Trotter. Trotter is also taking care of a little boy named William Earnest Teague, and Gilly thinks he is stupid. A blind African American gentleman, named Mr. Randolf, comes over every night for dinner and Gilly doesn't like to touch him. Gilly is also upset that her teacher is also African American. Tries all of her tried and tested methods of the past to drive people crazy, but it doesn't work. She tries writing a letter to her mother and also she steals money and tries to run off to California to live with her mom, but the station master turns her in and she decides she likes living with Trotter. She helps around the house and helps William Earnest with his words and teaches him to fight. But when everyone gets sick her biological grandmother comes by because of the letter Gilly sent to her mother and decides to take Gilly with her. Gilly has to leave Trotter and lives with her grandmother, who she likes, but she still misses Trotter. Her mom comes to visit for Christmas and she isn't anything like what Gilly had envisioned and doesn't love her and only came because Grandma paid her to come. Gilly wants to run away and calls Trotter, but Trotter talks her out of it and Gilly tells Trotter she loves he and then Gilly decides to stay with her grandmother and brave things out.

My Reaction: I don't know how many required books in this class that I wasn't looking forward to reading I ended up loving. This is one of them. I didn't think the story looked like one I would enjoy, but I absolutely loved the book! I think Gilly is a very real girl and I loved Trotter. I think that this book was profound and beautiful.

Potential Problems: Gilly swears a lot.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to older children or foster parents.

Children Just Like Me

Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Childre Around the World

By Barnabus and Anabel Kindersley

Published by DK Publishing, Inc (1995)

Reading Level: ages 9-12 years

Pages: 80

Genre: Nonfiction

Summary: This book is about children from all over the world. They introduce the child, give quotes, tell us what they like, favorite foods, hobbies, school, families, and what clothes they wear. The childen I most enjoyed learning about were Celina from Brazil and Tadesse from Ethiopia. Celina is nine years old and has four sisters and a brother. She has to collect water from a well and she swims in a river that has alligators. She only recently started going to school and she likes to make body paint. Tadesse is also nine years old and lives in an orphenage with three of his four sisters because his mom can't take care of them. He is christian. He eats food that they grow on the orphange's farm. He goes to school and studies his country's native language, among other subjects. His favorite subject is math.

My Reaction: I tought it was really interesting. A great reference book, in fact I think I remeber using this book when I was younger.

Potential Problems: None

Recommendations: I would recommend it as a reference if someone is studyinf different countries.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

The Mouse and the Motorcycle

By Beverly Cleary

Published by George J. Mclead Limited (1995)

Reading Level: Ages 7-12 years

Pages: 176

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Summary: The story takes place at the Mountain View Inn in the California foothills. Kieth and his parents stop there for the fourth of July holiday on thier way to San Francisco. Kieth has a toy motorcycle. A mouse name Ralph watches the boy play with his motorcycle and when the boy leaves he tries to ride it but falls into a trash can. Kieth gets him out and lets Ralph ride his motercycle and brings food to Ralph's family. Ralph loses the motorcycle in the laundry and has to chew his way out and it endangers his family. Kieth gets sick so Ralph uses the toy ambulance to bring him an aspirin. Matt, one of the employees, finds the motorcycle and Keith gives it to Ralph.

My Reaction: Ralph is just like a little boy, but he grows up and becomes more mature. I liek that. I enjoyed it the book alot.

Potential Problems: Not that I can see.

Recommendations: I would recommend this, mostly, to imaginative little boys, but I think girls would enjoy it too.

Al Capone Does My Shirts

Al Capone Does My Shirts

By Gennifer Choldenko

Published by Puffin (2006)

Reading Level: Ages 9-12 years

Pages: 240

Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary: Moose's father gets a job working on Alcatraz Island as a guard and electrician and he moves his family there. He takes the job so that Moose's older sister Natalie can get into a special school for children with disabilities like Natalie's. Lots of other families live on Alcatraz as well. The Warden's daughter, Piper is always getting him in trouble and comes up with schemes that get them in trouble, most of them deal with talking about Alcatraz's most notorious criminal, Al Capone. Natalie doesn't get into the school and their mom gets really upset and hires a private tutor to help her get ready for the school. The tutor recommends that Moose take her everywhere with him. Moose would take her with him and leave her alone for a few minutes while he looked for a ball that was used by the inmates. He discovered that when he left her alone another inmate would talk to her and Moose didn't know what happened between them so he refused to take her out anymore. Natalie didn't get in to the school again so Moose writes a letter to Al Capone and asks for his help. Al Capone gets Natalie into the school.

My Reaction: I thought it was good. I didn't think it was out of this world fantastic, but I thought it was good enough to buy the sequel.

Potential Problems: Moose thinks that his sister might have been abused, there is some violence.

Recommendations: I recommended it to my thirteen year old sister.

The Valentine That Ate My Teacher

The Valentine That Ate My Teacher

By Dean Marney

Published by Scholastic Inc. (1998)

Reading Level: Ages 8-11 years

Pages: 100

Genre: Modern Fantasy

Summary: Lizzie hates Valentines Day. And she hates the new girl, Sybil. And every time a guy named Gus shows up weird things happen, but she never remembers that she has seen him she sees him again. Lizzie also thinks her teacher, Mr. Bernstein, is cute and also a few other boys. Lizzie starts seeing Ralph. In class she passes out because as the class is watching a documentary on a heart surgery she sees herself being operated on. Another day she sees a crack in the back of the class and green stuff oozing out of it until it fills the class room. Lizzie tries to warn the class and gets sent to the hall and the loud speaker tells her to go to the basement but she hates basements so she tries to go to the office but everywhere she turns and runs leads her to a door marked basement even though the school has none. She finally opens the basement door and finds herself in the office and she gets in trouble for being in the bathroom to long. On Valentines day she sees the green ooze again and falls into a valentine mailbox with Sybil, one of the boys from her class, and her teacher. The valentine box eats them and they wind up in a haunted carnival. They have to find each other and find the center of the carnival before dark to get out. Lizzie learns to like Sybil and they all have to go through a tunnel of love ride because that is the center. They appear in the valentine mailbox and push their way out and no one but Lizzie remembers anything, but she learns love is at the center.

My Reaction: This book is weird, and a little confusing. Not my favorite in the slightest.

Potential Problems: The Carnival is a little scary because it has a very haunted feel to it. Rides work on their own.

Recommendations: I don't think I would stop anyone from reading this book, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone, unless I know they like really bizarre stuff.

Star Girl

Star Girl

By Jerry Spinelli

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers (2002)

Reading Level: Age 14-16 years old

Pages: 208

Genre: Modern Realism

Summary: Mica High is a place of conformity. For the most part everyone acts, dresses, and speaks the same until a new student comes. She calls herself Stargirl and dresses in costumes, bruings her pet rat to school, and plays the ukelele and sings to people on their birthdays. Everyone kind of shunned her until she cheered at a football game and then she was invited to be a cheerleader and everyone loves her. They got annoyed that she cheered for everyone, even those not on her team. Leo starts dating her and teaches him to listen. When Stargirl helps a player from an opposing team the whole school hates and shuns her and partially shuns Leo. Leo learns how Stargirl does service and tries to help her conform. Stargirl hopes that if she wins a speach competition everyone will like her again. She wins and no one cares and nothing changes. Stargirl goes back to being herself and Leo avoids her. Stargirl comes to a dance looking georgeous and leads everyone in the bunny hop and everyone likes her again accept Hillari. Hillari slaps Stargirl and in response Stargirl kisses her cheek and leaves the dance and is never seen again. Leo regrets losing her. The school starts a Stargirl club dedicated to daily service. In the end Leo gets a porcupine tie for his birthday.

My Reaction: I didn't think I would like this book because I thought it would be just another popularity story about someone incredibly talented being like everone else. It wasn't like that at all. It inspired me to be better for the of doing good and not to care about what others think.

Potential Problems: It shows teens being cruel to each other.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to tweens or teenagers. Maybe fourth or fifth graders.

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

The Mysteries of Harris Burdick

By Chris Van Allsburg

Published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (1984)

Reading Level: Ages 9-12 years

Pages: 32

Genre: Picture Book

Summary: Mr. Wenders, who worked for a publishing company got pictures from a man, Harris Burdick. Each picture came from a story Mr. Burdick wrote and each picture was accompanied by a title and caption. Mr. Burdick promised to come back

with the full stories but he never did. He disappeared. This book has all the pictures, story titles, and captions that Harris Burdick left. They encourage the reader to finish the stories.

My Reaction: Ahhhhhhhh! This book is so cool! Every time I read it my imagination goes crazy with ideas! I've shared it with each of my roommates and they really liked it to. I want to use one of the pictures to write my own story.

Potential Problems: A couple of the pictures might be scary for small children.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book to parents, teachers, and any child with an active imagination or to ones without, they will have one by the time their done with this book.

Other Books by Chris Van Allsburg:

• Jumanji
• The Polar Express
• Zathura
• The Garden of Abdul Gasazi

Learn about the Mysteries of Harris Burdick writing contest by checking out the author website: www.chrisvanallsburg.com