The BFG by Roald Dahl

"The Big Friendly-Giant picked Sophie off the table and carried her to the cave entrance. He rolled the huge stone to one side and said, 'Peep out over there little girl, and tell me what you is seeing.'" 

The BFG's protagonist, Sophie, peered out of the window and discovered tall, dark, and gruesome beasts that prey upon the bones of peoples from all over the world. Roald Dahl created Sophie to be an eight-year-old orphaned girl who awakes one evening to giants scurrying through the night. Fortunately for Sophie, the giant that picks her from her slumber happens to be the one giant who desists from eating children. The BFG is the runt of the pack of giants, and immediately befriends the young girl. As soon as Sophie discovers the menacing traits of the other giants, she is appalled by their violence. The reader quickly discovers that the BFG captures dreams from children all over the world. He uses these dreams out of the kindness of his heart to promote his love for all creatures. The plot frantically evolves as Sophie plots to end the giants reign of terror on the world. The plan devised is to travel all the way to London and meet the Queen. After impregnating the Queen with a carefully concocted dream, she will awake to discover the plea of a young girl with her giant friend. The end of Dahl's tale closes as the Queen and the Royal Air Force take their battle to the sleeping giants, seeking peace amidst the global unrest. The infectious bond between the young girl and the gentle giant is persuasive to the Queen's wishes, and justice is finally serviced to the wrong-doers. 

A wonderfully written tale of an unimaginable friendship, The BFG documents the larger than life story of an orphaned girl with a beautiful heart. The beast of the tale, measuring 24 feet tall, is just as sweet as Sophie. Their partnership is at first a tense bond. The BFG tells Sophie that she will never be able to return to her home, for fear that the girl will expose him. Even more frightening, Sophie believes that she may be gobbled up at any moment by the larger giants that can hear the slightest murmur of a human heartbeat. I was very tense during the quiet moments in the giant's house when the larger giants were searching the space for the existence of human flesh. Dahl is not afraid of painting a gruesome picture of this fictional world for his reader. The world of the giants is far from a fairy-tale land with poppies and lush fields of green. I was taken aback by the nasty descriptions of the beasts that Dahl eloquently described as being a part of the giant community. I found the investigations of the dream jars to be one of my favorite scenes from the book. Dahl's imagination runs wild with vivid descriptions of dreams intended for boys. I identified immediately with the dream of turning invisible. I had many dreams as a child that involved this super ability. I also thoroughly enjoyed the description of the Queen's reception breakfast for the girl and giant. The humorously put together furniture intended to accommodate the giant was a fun picture. The business of the Queen's headquarters, along with the journey in London, is definitely written by an author who has spent some time in the English city. I think that The BFG is an appropriate story for any reader who is willing to take the plunge into a fantasy world. Although the characters of Dahl's story exist in an unreal setting, the humanistic characteristics of the protagonists are relatable to the conditions of all of our lives. The evils of the world need not remain hidden behind fear. Real life heroes, if they find the right courage, can bring attention to even the Queen of England for assistance. 

Check out the Dahl museum next time you are in England: http://www.roalddahlmuseum.org/

"The Graveyard Book" by Neil Gaiman

Illustrated by Dave McKean

Face your life

Its pain, it's pleasure, 

Leave no path untaken

These words mark the beginning of Bod Owens' life amongst the living, and the close of his childhood in a solemn graveyard. The Graveyard Book is the story of a young boy who, at the age of 2, is orphaned after the tragic murder of his entire family. Narrowly escaping the grips of a man known as Jack, the young boy escapes to a nearby graveyard. He is saved by a dark figure that lacks a shadow. His savior's name is Silas and he was born hundreds of years ago. The boy is adopted by two ghosts named Mr. and Mrs. Owens. Nobody Owens is the name given to the boy for secrecy. 

Neil Gaiman documents the development of Bod Owens from an infant to the age of fifteen. Bod is given the ability to roam freely in the graveyard. His conversations with men and women who died many years ago serve as educational tools. Mrs. Lupescu, Bod's instructor, teaches Bod to Fade, Haunt, Dreamwalk, and open portals to ghoulish dimensions. At the age of 5, Bod befriends a young girl named Scarlett. This friendship is the only living human friendship that Bod discovers in the graveyard, for his other friends are all most surely deceased. One such presence is named Liza, a supposed Witch. Liza was buried in unholy ground for her living actions and lacks a headstone. Eight-year-old Bod believes that she is deserving of such a necessity, and therefore gets into mischief out of the goodness of his heart to give Liza what she has always wanted. As Bod grows, he develops the ability to fade amongst the living and move between objects in the graveyard. This ability proves helpful upon early excursions into the living town nearby. Bod eventually goes to a local school and gains unwanted attention after being bullied. The development of Bod continues as he begins to question the tragedy of his living family. After reuniting with Scarlett, the girl from his youngest memories, the two discover that the house where his family was murdered is located nearby. Scarlett then learns that the adult man who has begun a courtship of her divorced mother may not be who he claims to be. The tale of Bod Owens reaching a gripping conclusion when violence erupts as the men who could not finish the job of killing Bod when he was 2 return to seek closure. Bod's dead friends step in give a helping hand as peril ensues. After the violence is resolved time passes and Bod loses the ability to walk amongst the dead. At the age of 15, Bod must go out into the world and begin life with the living. 

"Bod said, 'If I change my mind can I come back here?' And then he answered his own question. 'If I come back, it will be a place, but it wont be home any longer.'"

Gaiman's The Graveyard Book is an overwhelmingly heartfelt tale of a young boy who is raised by the dead. "The living have the opportunity to change the world," are the encouraging words of Bod's mentors. Bod Owens is a hero because he fights for the opportunity to live a life that was taken from his late family. His relationships with the non-living are incredibly fascinating. Many of the non-living characters in the book bring different historical events to light for the reader. Gaiman includes several characters who use ancient languages and diverse dialects. Worthy of the Newbery award Gaiman won in 2009, The Graveyard Book is excitement from the very beginning. Gaiman's lively tale is so cleverly written amidst the tombs of the long deceased. I was not able to put this book down after I was introduced to the characters. For any child or adult that was once a child, The Graveyard Book is a wonderful treat for this Fall season. 

An insight into the childhood of Neil Gaiman, from his 2009 acceptance speech for the Newbery Medal:

"When I was a boy, from about the ages of eight to fourteen, during my school holidays I used to haunt my local library. It was a mile and a half from my house, so I would get my parents to drop me off on their way to work, and when the library closed I would walk home. I was an awkward child, ill fitting, uncertain, and I loved my local library with a passion...I wanted books and made no distinction between good books or bad, only between the ones I loved, the ones that spoke to my soul, and the ones I liked." 

"Out of the Dust" by Karen Hesse

Scholastic, 1997

"Red's the color I've stayed ever since," proclaims Billy Jo in the opening poem of Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust. Billy Jo is caught in the dust of the Oklahoma panhandle amidst a trying time in our nation's history. The daughter of a farmer, Billy Jo and her mother rely on the success of her father's wheat farm to survive. Rain is sparse for the Joyce City family and dust is described by Hesse as covering everything. Billy Jo's mother is still exemplifies humility in these trying times, telling her daughter to return the two extra pennies that were given as change from a corrupt grocer. The color red appears again when Billy Jo recounts his time in France during the World War. Red poppies were present on the headstones of fallen soldiers, Billy Jo's father tells his family. A terrible accident occurs when Billy Jo accidentally burns her mother. Billy Jo suffers from burns to her hands, while her mother is almost destroyed by fire. The death of her mother and newly born brother create a strong silence in the household of dust between Billy Jo and her father. As time passes and missed opportunities for harvests come and go, Billy Jo's father remains hopeful of success. Billy Jo's once prosperous and lucrative piano playing declines after her hands were badly burned from the accident. The end of the novel tells of Billy Jo's partner in music, Mad Dog, making a new life outside of the dust at a radio station. Billy Jo continues to suffer from guilt and despair over the loss of her mother and brother as her father begins to show signs of skin cancer. An urge to truly breathe outside of the dust provokes Billy Jo to hop on a train and ride away from her old life. Billy Jo returns after the realization that she cannot truly escape and she returns to her father. Her father and Billy Jo begin to speak again when he starts to fall for a new woman. After accepting this new woman, Billy Jo sits down to play the piano again with her healed hands.

Gripping in language and narrative, Hesse crafts the feelings of a young heroine with free verse poetry. The rhythm of verse in Out of the Dust is very captivating. Hesse's story creates a character out of the dust that consumes the lives of Billy Jo's family. A hyperbole of dust, fire takes the lives of Billy Jo's mother and newly born brother, whom she names Franklin. The loss of Ma is definitely one of the novel's greatest tragedies, and this loss influences Billy Jo to contemplate her relationship with her father. I was shaken by the brutal realities faced by an ordinary American family caught in the draught of post-war resources. Truly worthy of the Newbury Medal for Excellence, analyzing such a dense work is daunting. Out of the Dust is an enormously heartfelt story.

Scholastic provides a discussion guide for teaching this novel: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/lesson-plan/out-dust-discussion-guide

"Lily Renée, Escape Artist" by Trina Robbins, Anne Timmons, and Mo Oh

Lerner Publishing Group, 2011

Lily Renée, Escape Artist was written by Trina Robbins and illustrated by Anne Timmons and Mo Oh. This historical narrative is a graphic novel about the true story of Lily Renée Wilheim. The novel is documents the incredible journey of a young girl born in Vienna beginning in 1938. The story opens with pages detailing the extravagant lifestyle of a privileged girl with wealthy parents. Lily attended an art school, participated in cultural events, and was a member of the upper crust of Vienna. The story quickly changes when the unification of Germany and Austria begins. Lily is given the chance to travel to England, where she will be sponsored by an English family for the duration of conflict. This historically accurate program was offered to children 17 or under who were identified Jews. After traveling to England, Lily is immediately shocked by the treatment of her sponsor family. The family housekeeper is rather prejudiced towards Lily because of Lily's status in society. Lily eventually runs away from this household and joins the Red Cross as a nurse. War marks the end of communication between Lily and her parents, and she begins to fear for their livelihoods. Lily's character is tested when she is identified by the English government as an "enemy alien." Any immigrant from Austria that was living in England during this time was identified as an enemy alien because they were suspected spies. Women like Lily were forced to check in with the police on a weekly basis. After receiving news that her parents had escaped to America, Lily becomes extremely anxious to leave England. Lily is heartbroken when she learns that her title may prevent her from leaving the country, and possibly live in an internment camp. Guilt directs Lily to turn herself in to the police after several weeks avoiding check-ins. The police respond unexpectedly with wonderful news. Her parents have sent for her departure and she may leave the country immediately for New York. Lily finds herself in New York and sees her parents for the first time in several years. The three family members rejoice momentarily, but are quickly taken by the natural hardships of American life during the war. Lily eventually takes a job as a cartoonist, editing pencil lines made by the primary artists. Her own work blossoms as she takes on new assignments, working on comic books where heroes defeat the Nazis. Comics quickly better the lives of the Wilheim family and Lily pursues a life-long career in illustration. 

I was originally under the impression that this graphic novel was a historical fiction, but this incredible journey is the true account of an actual comic artist. Lily Wilheim illustrated many comics during WWII that inspired nationalistic community by introducing characters that resisted the tyranny of Hitler. Trina Robbins was a member of the Underground Comics Movement in the 1960's and is the illustrator of Wonder Woman. She is undoubtedly drawn to Lily Wilheim because of the powerful female role that she played in an industry consumed by male artists. With the help of Timmons and Oh, Robbins segments the life of Wilheim by dividing her story into concise chapters. I feel that the pacing of the novel is far too accelerated. The reader is left with predigested fragments of Lily's journey with very little transitional cues. For this reason, I found the story to be slightly monochromatic. Each chapter begins with bad news, and ends with a near miracle. The end result of this story is undoubtedly a wonderful victory, yet I was humorously entertained by the way the everything worked out for each character. Information relating to the actual tragedies of the war were contained in the last text bubble in each chapter. I wish that Robbins would have shown this information visually to the reader. I can not imagine attempting to write a story from WWII without a certain macabre or somber tone. Interestingly, the color palette used by Timmons and Oh was appropriately augmented to highlight this feature of the story. The beginning of the novel is sculpted through the use of light to represent a bright atmosphere. The middle passages are darker in color and emotion. The back of the book contains an appendix with additional information about Lily's life. There is information about high tea in England, internment and concentration camps, and the comics of Lily's professional career in America. 

Lily Renée, Escape Artist is a quick read for a graphic novel detailing an incredibly influential and powerful female comic book artist. The choice to illustrate this story in a graphic novel is a wonderful technique. I feel that many readers will be drawn to the compelling story line, but I would not place this text on my top-ten list. I think that this text would serve as a wonderful representation of story mapping. An extension to this text would be to have students depict their own stories and introduce key features of a comic book. The National Council of Teacher of English published an article in the Council Chronicle about the use of graphic novels in the English Curriculum: http://www.ncte.org/magazine/archives/122031

"Freak The Mighty" by Rodman Philbrick

Freak the Mighty was written by Rodman Philbrick in 2001 and published by Scholastic Press. Philbrick introduces the relationship of two young boys in middle school. During a time when even the most mainstream of children face bullying, these two boys encounter a world of prejudices. Max is a mentally challenged boy of grandiose proportions. Max is also the narrator of the story. Much larger than other boys of his age, Max faces discrimination from his classmates who call him terrible names. The other boy is named Kevin, a very small, physically handicapped, and brilliant individual. The two boys meet in eighth grade, after not seeing each other since day care. Max, the reader comes to learn, is from a torn family. His father ended the life of his mother in a horrific murder. As the novel progresses, the reader learns that Max's grandparents fear that Max also contains part of his father. The summer of the following year is filled with adventure from the two friends. Named Freak the Mighty, Kevin sits on the shoulders of Max and they rescue helpless maidens all over town. The two boys attribute their strength to the combination of their talents. Max is the strength of the operation, while Kevin acts as the brain power. After rescuing a friend of Max's newly released father, Max's father kidnaps Max and holds him hostage in an abandoned house. Kevin heroically rescues his friend by claiming to have a squirt gun full of acid. The two friends escape from danger and are relieved. Several days later, Kevin suffers from a stroke and passes away. Before Kevin passes, he gives Max a book without any pages. Kevin asks Max to fill the pages with the story of their adventures. This wish becomes the journey that the reader comes to learn is the story of Freak the Mighty. In a hear wrenching final chapter, Max expresses his grief over the loss of his best friend.

I rediscovered this book after reading it originally in high school. While technically realistic fiction, the adventures of these two friends are almost fantastical. The description of friendship is almost magical. I found the second reading of this text to be just as heartfelt as the first. Our current education system is at war with bullying. A buzzword in every school, the insults that occupy a modern elementary or middle school are insidious. As the digital landscape shapes the hatred that students project at one another, a story of genuine friendship between two disadvantaged students is a call for peace. Philbrick introduces very mature scenes of suspense and fear, perhaps not appropriate for elementary audiences whatsoever, as an explicit representation of what bullied children go through everyday. The hardships that these two fictional characters faced are present in the classrooms that we see everyday. Philbrick includes particular language and situations that I feel are inappropriate for perhaps all elementary students. I think that if this text was introduced shortly after matriculation into middle school with careful rehearsal for possibly tough questions, the story may captivate many readers and challenge the actions and words that they throw around so carelessly to students that may be different. My development as a young man was generic in many senses. I have maintained average health and grew up in a safe environment. I can recall feeling remorseful for students who were given a hard time for something beyond their control. Hatred and misunderstanding is contagious in a middle school with developing characters. I recommend this novel for teachers who desire to highlight the victories of two individuals who truly overcame all expectations.

For other Philbrick titles: http://www.rodmanphilbrick.com/

"Pictures of Hollis Woods" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Pictures of Hollis Woods, written by Patricia Reilly Giff, was published by Yearling Press in 2004. Giff's portrayal of a young artist received the Newbury Honor. Set in both upstate New York (Branches), and Long Island, Giff writes of a young girl who struggles with identifying where she belongs. Hollis Woods, orphaned at a young age, approached early life with resentment. Giff writes that Hollis displayed serious behavioral problems that paralleled her immediate disapproval of new foster parents. The reader finds Hollis at the start of the book describing images that she has created of a boy named Steven, a woman named Izzy, and a male figure simply called Old Man. The reader discovers through the descriptions of these images that these characters are members of Hollis' last foster home. Steven, the son of Izzy and Old Man, is described in Hollis' pictures as a lost partner in her scattered life. The book begins with internal, hypothetical conversations between Hollis and this past family. As a reader, one is unaware of why this relationship came to an end.

Hollis Woods finds herself placed in the home of an elderly woman, named Josie Cahill. Hollis is immediately drawn to Josie because she is also an artists. Josie creates wood carvings on the surfaces of tree branches from her backyard garden. Josie is very poor, and is best friends with a woman called Beatrice that operates a movie theater in town. Beatrice and Josie immediately recognize the talent of the young girl, and the three enjoy many meals and adventures. Amidst this picture perfect scenario, Hollis recalls, in fragments, the pictures of the family that she left behind when she last ran. While Josie begins her depiction of Hollis on a tree branch, Hollis records her surroundings as they are influenced by her experiences. The character of Josie's cat, Henry, and the interactions with Beatrice inform the compositions that Hollis creates. Hollis' temperament is influenced, however, by the sadness of her lost family.

The fragments of her past family are revealed as the book continues. The reader learns that the Old man and Steven argued over minute details of family life. The mother, Izzy, the reader learns is completely taken by Hollis' character exclaiming, "I have always wanted a daughter." The relationship of Steven and Hollis was a true partnership. Giff decides to reveal this relationship as an emotional friendship, rather than a romance. The last segment of the novel reveals the past and informs the future relationship of Hollis and Josie. The two travel to Branches to the old house of Steven, Izzy, and Old Man. With the family gone, the two break in to the house and live during the christmas holiday. The end of the book reveals the tragic accident that led Hollis to run away from the previous family. Giff also beautifully describes the continued relationship between Josie and Hollis during the holiday. The fate of Hollis' family membership is decided as Josie ages.

Pictures of Hollis Woods is a magnificent story for dissecting family dynamics and addressing the hardships of an orphan. The relationship of Josie and Hollis is beautifully crafted because both characters are on the same plane. Giff describes Josie as being a mentor and an influence in Hollis' life, just as Hollis gives guidance to Josie. The inventory of history that Hollis collects and recalls from her previous journeys is a wonderful way to document Hollis' development throughout the text. I do, however, find it surprising that there are no images in the text. Perhaps wishing to not explicitly address these images, Giff leaves out the opportunity for the reader to view Hollis' craft.

I am fortunate to have both a mother and a father. My experiences as a developing child were almost entirely privileged. As a young reader, I would have struggled in identifying with a twelve year old character that takes a bus across the state alone and is unsure of whether or not she will have a meal at the end of the day. A child with a potentially disadvantaged upbringing may access this text is a completely different manner. I feel that the challenges Hollis encounters are life-like in many ways. The severity of one's obstacles is undoubtedly varied in comparison to the challenges that Hollis faced, yet the themes of care and friendship that Giff explores are more than accommodating to all audiences.

To remain updated on news from Patricia Reilly Giff, her webpage can be found on the Random House Books website: http://www.randomhouse.com/features/patriciareillygiff/

"My Parents Think Im Sleeping" poems by Jack Prelutsky

My Parents Think Im Sleeping is a wonderful collection of short poems crafted by Jack Prelutsky with illustrations by Yossi Abolafia. Each poem explores the inverse qualities of day and night from the eyes of a young boy. The main character has a relationship with light and dark because during the dark hours of the night he is falling asleep. His experiences are written from the imaginative perspective of a child who views the night as an explorer. Yossi Abolafia illustrates the stories using charcoal with ink wash. Charcoal has the ability to create wonderful gradients of color. Applied heavily, this material can create a matte finish. Using a brush or a finger, one can remove charcoal to create an almost smoky effect. Interestingly, the illustrator only uses ink wash for the characters and immediate surrounding within the bedroom. The night sky, our stage, is left very dark in anticipation of its audience.

One poem titled The Clouds I Watched this Afternoon begins, "The clouds I watched this afternoon were flocks of silent sheep, but now they've turned to smoky wolves that watch me while I sleep." The night sky fills the top half of the two-page poem depicting the intersection between white sheep and dark wolves. The sheep are the negative spaces between the menacing wolves, and the wolves are in pursuit of the sheep. When the main character rises, the poem continues, "then once again white fleecy sheep will float across the skies."

A Spooky Sort of Shadow explores the fear that occurs when a shadow of unknown origin appears on the wall in the middle of the night. I find this connection to be personally significant. "...its a creature that I've never seen before, it's creepy, and it's eerie, and so positively tall, that it stretches from the ceiling to the floor" The poem continues as the boy reacts to the scary, needle like teeth that appear on the wall. This fear leads the boy to cry out, "I hope it's had enough to eat today." The poem closes with a revealing image that places the boy as the creator of this beast upon the wall. The boy is holding two combs in his hands and smiling at the wall. Prelutsky leaves the ending subjective, since the reader is unaware of whether or not the boy is truly scared or is playing a scary game with shadow. Many adult readers of this poem may immediately recall similar feelings when trying to fall asleep as a youth. I know that I battled for many years to get over the fear of what laid beneath my bed. Yet during the day, the bed was a safe and uneventful place. Once night ensued, however, the bed transformed into a different place of unknown territory.

Chocolate Cake documents the midnight hunger pain. "I am lying in the darkness with a smile upon my face, as I'm thinking of my stomach, which has got an empty space..." We learn immediately after this declaration that there is a piece of chocolate cake waiting to eaten in the kitchen. The boy then believes that he can surely have this cake tonight if he is able to sneak past his sleeping parents. The noise of snoring will inform him of whether or not they are asleep. "...and if I'm really careful, I will have that cake tonight." As the poem closes, the illustration shows the boy tiptoeing into the kitchen with a look of shock on his face. Before him in the kitchen, his father is eating the cake. The illustration beautifully captures this moment before dialogue between a hungry father and son.

Each poem in this collection is written with very colorful and exciting language. The rhythm of each poem would serve as a powerful read aloud for any age group. I think that for younger elementary students, these fears and misconceptions about the night would be daily experiences. Personally, I could identify with this text when I was very young. My mother read these poems to me when I was little, my name is printed on the front cover of the book. They each bring such tactile memories to my childhood, and I know they would contribute to the lives of any young audience who is mesmerized by just how different the night time can seem.

Here is a wonderful link on the properties of light and energy. One may wish to introduce a science topic after this read aloud to investigate why things really do appear differently at night. http://www.explainthatstuff.com/light.html