Module 5: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Book Summary

The world has been destroyed by zombies, and only one group of healthy people remain, living in a primitive village surrounded by fences that keep the infected out. Life is dominated by the church and the sisters who act as all facets of government: they write the rules in the form of the village bible, provide for all the needs of the people, and exact punishment for those who do not follow the edicts. Those who rebel or don’t fit in with the sisterhood’s plan are ejected into the forest to become zombies. The night before Mary, the heroine of the story, is forced on pain of death to marry the brother of her true love, the zombies attack and destroy the village. Mary, her intended, her true love, her best friend who is betrothed to her true love, her brother who abandoned her, his wife, and an orphaned boy escape. In the end, we only know that Mary survives through her determination to find the ocean. We do not know what happened to all of the characters, and there are two more books in the series.

APA Reference of Book

Ryan, C. (2009). The forest of hands and teeth. New York, NY: Delacorte Press.

Impressions

This fantasy/horror story is written for grades nine and up, with more difficult vocabulary and detailed sentences. The gruesomeness of the details as zombies are destroyed and humans are attacked, along with the harsh treatment of the characters, are reasons that this book is perhaps better suited to older, more mature students. Complex characters are torn with conflicting emotions of love and survival. Even the more evil of the characters are shown from different perspectives and are viewed with compassion. The plot is tense with a suspense that propels the reader through to the end, where readers are bathed with relief alongside Mary as she stands in the ocean’s waves.

Professional Review

In this sci-fi/horror novel, the suspense that Ryan has created from the very first page on entices and tempts readers so that putting the book down is not an option. The author skillfully conceals and reveals just enough information to pique curiosity while also maintaining an atmosphere of creepiness that is expected in a zombie story. Some of the descriptions of death and mutilation of both the Unconsecrated and the living are graphic. The story is riveting, even though it leaves a lot of questions to be explained in the sequel.      excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre

Banna, D. (2009, May). The forest of hands and teeth. [Review of the book The forest of 

     hands and teeth, by C. Ryan.] School Library Journal, 55(5), 117. Retrieved 
     from www.slj.com

   

Library Uses

Some high school students need encouragement to discuss literature. Science fiction and horror would captivate some of these students and get them talking, and could be their key to understanding literature. Begin with a book talk, reading excerpts, to entice them to read a particular genre. Then a follow up with discussion along the way.

For those kids who arrive in 9^th grade unable to read, pair the book with a CD. If you can get them hooked with an exciting story such as this, then you may uncover the will to read – and that is the secret that will cause them to improve in leaps and bounds.

Module 5: Doll Bones

Book Summary

Zach, Poppy, and Alice, 12, are best friends, or quest friends. Together, they write and act out adventure stories with dolls and action figures. Zach’s father decides that Zach is too old to be playing with dolls and throws his action figures away, which sets off the action of the plot. Too embarrassed to tell the girls, Zach lashes out and tells them he no longer wants to play. The girls feel so strongly about finishing up the story currently underway, they take Poppy’s mother’s antique doll, whom they have named The Queen, from the case so that she can finish the play. But the doll is haunted with the spirit of a murdered girl, Eleanor. The author drops hints along the way that the doll is dangerous. The doll enters the minds of the children shows them scenes from her life. She wants to be buried with her family, and wants the kids to do it, and at times the doll seems to possess one of the children. The three set off in the middle of the night on the quest to return Eleanor to her family so that her spirit can rest. It is a dangerous adventure for the kids, and Eleanor’s creepiness increases with the plot. The story concludes, however, with a happy ending for all.

 

APA Reference of Book

Black, H. (2013). Doll bones. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster

Impressions

Doll Bones is written in a style and vocabulary easy for fourth graders to enjoy but suspenseful enough for much older readers. Intriguing elements, such as a doll filled with the remains of a murdered girl, make it a compelling read even for adults. The main characters stand out as inventive intelligent kids, written fully dimensional, and certainly believable. Minor characters are quirky and interestingly written. The plot pulls us along with suspense and hints of horror and delivers us craftily to a happy, satisfying ending. This fast-paced adventure, written by the author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, is a good addition to an elementary or middle school library.

Professional Review

Black has created protagonists who readers will care about, and amusing secondary characters, like a pink-haired librarian and a crazy bus passenger who seems to be able to see Eleanor. This novel is a chilling ghost story, a gripping adventure, and a heartwarming look at the often-painful pull of adulthood. Black-and-white illustrations actually tone down the scare factor a little, making this a perfect starter story for budding horror fans.

Laferriere, M. (2013, June). Doll bones. [Review of the book Doll bones, by H. Black]. 

     School Library Journal, 59(6), 112. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

Doll Bones comes in several formats: print, CD, and Ebook. It could be used in the library for reluctant readers. Reluctant readers could read along as they listen, completing the book on a schedule, and then work with a group to discuss the book. The book is very exciting, and even the most reluctant reader would be enticed to learn what happens in the end.

Module 4: Ruby Holler

Book Summary

Dallas and Florida are orphans being raised in the cold and unloving environment of a children’s home. They have been sent for adoption and returned to the orphanage too many times. They have never known kindness, and so when they are sent to an older couple in the beautiful, forested Ruby Holler, they don’t trust the intentions of the couple and plan to run away when they are able. The children and the old couple have many adventures - including the attempted theft of the couple’s buried riches by the orphanage proprietor, foiled by the kids’ true father - and grow to love each other. But when the old couple’s children fly in to visit, they are overheard telling their parents that the kids need to go back to the orphanage. Dallas and Florida start to leave, but change their minds and determine to stay in Ruby Holler. The narrative comes to a close leaving loose ends, which are hopefully explained in a sequel.

APA Reference of Book

Creech, S. (2002). Ruby holler. New York, NY: Harper Collins

Impressions

Told in a country style with some dialog written in dialect, Ruby Holler is a sweet tale for upper middle and middle school kids. The characters are fairly two-dimensional but serve the plot. The proprietors of the children’s home are drawn meanly enough that the reader can fully understand why the orphan girl, Florida, is so angry and why the boy, Dallas, constantly dreams of a better life. The pacing is exciting as the child pair enter new situations and have dangerous adventures. The reader comes to care about the feelings of the children and is gratified to learn that the couple does love and care for the two, as the theme "love conquers all" plays out.

Professional Review

While the plot is predictable, the story weaves in an interesting mix of mystery, adventure, and humor, along with age-old and modern problems. Creech does a fine job of developing the unique personalities and the sibling relationship, and the children's defense mechanisms ('s dreamy escapism and 's aggression) figure prominently in the interplay among the characters. The text is lively and descriptive with an authentic, if somewhat mystical, rural ambiance. This entertaining read from a first-rate author will not disappoint Creech's many fans.

Vandenbroek, R. R. (2002, April). Ruby Holler. [Review of the book Ruby Holler, by S. 

     Creech.] School Library Journal, 48(4), 142. Retrieved from www.slj.com

 

Library Uses

Sharon Creech has written so many excellent titles, a librarian could host an author study with her books. She could treat it like a literature circle, where students read the Creech book of their choice, discuss the elements when they come back to class in the library, and then create some kind of display for the book they read, be it a poster, a book display, or using Web 2.0 technology. The librarian could use this as an opportunity to teach a selected technology where the students could share and collaborate with each other through the school’s website.

Module 4: Eleanor & Park

Book Summary

Eleanor and Park are awkward teenagers thrown together on a school bus. Eleanor’s home life is pure misery, with a step-father that abuses the entire family, but particularly Eleanor’s mother. Park is half-Asian but is spared the cruelty of the mean kids because he grew up with them and used to date their ring leader. Eleanor is new and so faces bullying at school as well as at home. The teenagers slowly get to know each other and fall in love just as the step-father spins into a rage of abuse. Eleanor flees to her aunt’s and uncle’s with the help of Park. It appears that the two lovers will be parted forever, but in the end readers are given the hint that they will reunite.

APA Reference of Book

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York, NY: St Martin's Press.

Impressions

This is a sweetly written teen love story written for today’s youth. It is filled with 80s musical references and includes language and situations that may concern adults, but certainly not teens. The characters, even the bullies, are well developed with both good and bad traits. The plot reads like the lives of so many teens, filled with insecurity, abuse, and a sense of hopelessness. The overriding questions are typical teen angst: who am I, why is life so horrible, what did I do to deserve this, I’m a loser, no one can love me, etc. Park and Eleanor answer each other’s questions. Bullies reveal they have a heart. Dog-eat-dog is understood as self-defense. Well-paced, the reader is taken on a roller coaster of emotions, but the story ends with hopefulness.

Professional Review

The friendship between the teens is movingly believable, but the love relationship seems a bit rushed and underdeveloped. The revelation about the person behind the defacement of Eleanor’s textbooks is stunning. Although the narrative points of view alternate between Eleanor and Park, the transitions are smooth. Crude language is realistic. Purchase for readers who are drawn to quirky love stories or 1980s pop culture.

Schultz, J. (2013). Eleanor & Park. [Review of the book Eleanor & Park, by R. Rowell.] 

     School Library Journal, 59(2), 113. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

Inspired by posters on Pinterest, teen angst books like Eleanor and Park could be used to get teens to create posters using the themes, mood, setting, and characters from the books. The posters would essentially be a way for teens to work through their own issues, as well as an elements chart for a book. The posters would also help to sell the books to other readers. 

Module 3: Where Things Come Back

Book Summary

Lily, Arkansas is like thousands of other small towns all over the country - not much happens there and kids just want to leave as soon as they get out of high school. But the town and our hero, Cullen Witter, are suddenly visited by fame and tragedy. A species of woodpecker long believed to be extinct is spotted in the town and brings a flurry of national attention. At the same time, Cullen's cousin dies from drug abuse and his younger brother disappears. Separately, a story of two college roommates across the country is told. For most of the book, the inhabitants of Lily try to cope with the breakdown of their lives while at the same time one college roommate copes with the suicide of the other. Slowly the connection of the two stories is revealed and Cullen's younger brother returns home.

APA Reference of Book

Whaley, J.C. (2011). Where things come back. New York, NY: Atheneum Books

Impressions

This story is told at the pace of a drawling southern accent. Some of the language used could be found offensive, but it is necessary to portray the lives in a small town with limited expectations. The character of Cullen, the narrator of the story, is well drawn with accurate dialog and thoughts for someone of his age as he over-thinks and imagines scenario after scenario to understand the disappearance of his brother. In general, characters are well drawn and faceted. As the plot weaves characters in and out of each other's lives, trails emerge that eventually lead to the solution of the little brother's disappearance, but it doesn't feel natural or believable. The end may feel contrived, but the philosophy of the acceptance of life shared throughout the book is the book's redemption.

Professional Review

Cullen Witter, 17, lives in dull, dreary He is desperate to escape his small town but is fearful that, like so many others, he’ll never do so. His world is turned upside down by a flurry of activity and interest that the sighting of a supposedly extinct Lazarus woodpecker brings to his town, by the devastating and unexplained disappearance of his 15-year-old brother, and the death of his drug-addicted cousin.  Simultaneously, Benton Sage, a young missionary, jumps to his death while searching for the meaning of his life. The lives of Cullen and his roommate, Cabot Searcy, collide and meld into one well-crafted narrative; however, it will take patience on the part of readers to find out how the stories and characters are connected. The powerful plot elements allow readers to have empathy for the Witter family and understand their painful ordeal. The characters’ reactions are palpable as their grief deepens and yet they continue to hope for Gabriel’s return.Cullen is an eloquent, thoughtful narrator, and, solemn as it is, the book is not without humor. The pacing is deliberate, but the ending is worth the wait, making a promising statement about faith and taking one day at a time: “We don’t have to be anxious about everything. We can just be. We can anticipate that the day will probably have some good moments and a few bad ones, and then we deal with it.” 

Alexander, K. (2011, July). Where things come back. [Review of the book Where 
       things come back, by J.C. Whaley.] School Library Journal, 57(7), 110. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

This somewhat edgy book should be used in a book talk with other realistic fiction titles to get both male and female students interested in reading more fiction with messages. Use book trailers to begin a discussion of each book. Next, give the students a handout of resources with which they could make their own trailers and show them links to a subject guide on making book trailers on the school's web page.  After discussing several titles along with their themes and messages, students would choose which book to read. When the class returned to the library, there would be a showing of the trailers. Some of the trailers could be posted on the school's web page.

Module 3: The Westing Game

Book Summary

Thirteen-year-old Turtle Wexler and a group of what seem to be randomly chosen people - both adults and children - are gathered together to compete for a multi-million dollar inheritance after an eccentric millionaire is murdered in his mansion. The unlikely participants must name the murderer using clues given to them by the murdered millionaire. As the complicated plot unravels, we learn the fascinating connection between all of the people and discover that the murder was a hoax perpetrated by the eccentric, game-loving millionaire.

APA Reference of Book

Raskin, E. (1978). The Westing game. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Impressions

Though this story is written in a language that is easily accessible to students reading on a third-grade level, the plot is fast-paced and quite complicated. If the reader can juggle all the characters and their stories, in which many clues to the mystery are given, then they will enjoy this entertaining plot with all its twists. The characters are written to fit the plot and aren't very well developed; even our heroine, Turtle, is left out of the story for long stretches. Still, the plot winds together in the end for a satisfying conclusion.

Professional Review

Readers may solve the initial puzzle sooner than the characters, but the central mystery holds until the end. The heroine is 13-yar-old Tabitha-Ruth "Turtle" Wexler, and she's the only character that's given more than one dimension - though most are wittily conceived and all serve admirable for this genre. Young readers will be satisfied that Turtle turns out to be the real winner and they will enjoy the process by which she learns and earns her reward.

Dorsey, M.A. (1978, April). The Westing game. [Review of the book The Westing game, 
       by E. Raskin]. School Library Journal, 24(8), 87. Retrieved from www.slj.com

Library Uses

This and other murder mystery stories could be used in the library to host a murder mystery game for upper elementary or middle school students. Groups could be assigned to read the same murder mystery book; each group would have a different book. Next the groups could plan a clue type game for others to solve based upon the ideas presented in the book they read. If successful, the school could host a murder mystery night, thus promoting the library to the community. The culminating activity would be for each student to then write their own murder mystery. Revealing the entire series of events to the students would engage them to read the books and understand the way the characters, settings, and plots are woven together to create tension and excitement.

Book Trailer: Because of Winn-Dixie

by Kate DiCamillo

Book Trailer: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

by E. L. Konigsburg

Book Trailer: The Westing Game

by Ellen Raskin