Chains

Bibliography

Anderson, Laurie Halse. 2008. Chains. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1416905851.

Brief plot summary

Set during the American Revolution, Chains tells the story of thirteen-year-old Isabel and her sister Ruth, young slaves who expect to be freed when their owner, Miss Finch dies. Instead, they are sold to a cruel New York City couple, Mr. and Mrs. Lockton, who are British Loyalists. When Isabel meets Curzon, a slave with ties to the Patriots, he encourages her to spy on her owners. Although reluctant at first, Isabel realizes that her loyalty is available to whoever can provide her with the promise of freedom.

Critical analysis

Written from the first-person point of view, Chains is a gripping historical thriller that tells the parallel stories of Isabel’s fight to gain her personal freedom and a young nation’s fight for freedom from the tyranny of England. The characters are skillfully drawn and Isabel’s emotional story is thought provoking. Slave masters are accurately depicted and Isabel gives insight into the experiences, feelings and opinions of slaves.

Anderson’s love for research is apparent throughout the book. Readers will feel as if they have been transported to 1776 through the detailed descriptions and rich imagery. The themes of power, freedom and the sources of human strength keep this engrossing story moving ahead at full speed from the first page through the last words. The epigraphs at the beginning of each chapter are well chosen and add to the authenticity of the story.

An appendix addresses many questions about history that readers will appreciate. This is the first book in a trilogy. The sequel, Forge, is already available and the final book Ashes is expected in Fall 2012.

Review excerpts

“Anderson explores elemental themes of power, freedom, and the sources of human strength in this searing, fascinating story.” – Booklist, Starred Review

“Readers will care deeply about Isabel….” – Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“The characters are well developed, and the situations are realistic. An author's note gives insight into issues surrounding the Revolutionary War and the fight for the nation's freedom even though 20 percent of its people were in chains. Well researched and affecting in its presentation, the story offers readers a fresh look at the conflict and struggle of a developing nation.” – School Library Journal

“Anderson (Speak; Fever 1793) packs so much detail into her evocation of wartime New York City that readers will see the turmoil and confusion of the times, and her solidly researched exploration of British and Patriot treatment of slaves during a war for freedom is nuanced and evenhanded, presented in service of a fast-moving, emotionally involving plot.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Anderson's novel is remarkable for its strong sense of time and place and for its nuanced portrait of slavery and of New York City during the Revolutionary War.” – Horn Book

“Engrossing . . . a heart-racing story.” – Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

“Chains offers a perfect springboard for classroom discussion and history lessons. But don't dismiss it as academic fodder. Battle scenes and politics, heroic acts and secret plots fill its pages, making it as exciting for readers who prefer action (as do many boys) as it is inspiring for those more drawn to stories about people and relationships (as girls often are).” – Christian Science Monitor

Awards / Best Books

Cybil Award Winner, 2009

National Book Award Finalist, 2008

Parents’ Choice Award Gold, 2008

School Library Journal Battle of the Kids Books Nominee, 2009

Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction Winner, 2009

School Library Journal Battle of the Kids’ Books Nominee, 2010

ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 2009

Amazon Editors’ Picks: Top 10 Books, 2008

Booklist Best Books for Young Adults, 2009

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books, 2008

School Library Journal Best Books, 2009

Teachers’ Choices, 2009

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2009

Classroom Connections

 Schedule a Skype visit with Laurie Halse Anderson. The current fee is $300 for a 45-60 minute long session with Ms. Anderson. Students can hear the author talk about the book and ask her questions. Visit http://madwomanintheforest.com/teachers/skype/ for more information.

Students view “Liberty in the Air” episode of Slavery and the Making of America (PBS).  Students will examine the life of Titus, a runaway slave from New Jersey who led a band of guerilla soldiers for the British, and explore why and how African Americans fought during the Revolution. Students will then have the opportunity to visit online interactive resources. As a culminating activity, students creatively write journal entries from a variety of historical perspectives, including slave, runaway slave, slave owner, and British soldier. Full lesson plan can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/teachers/lesson1.html.

Students view “Liberty in the Air” episode of Slavery and the Making of America (PBS).  Students will examine Thomas Jefferson’s complex and contradictory relationship with slavery. Through an examination of a variety of online primary source documents, students will examine his attitude toward slavery and how he addresses it in the Declaration of Independence. Students will rewrite portions of the Declaration of Independence to more accurately reflect Jefferson’s views and the views of contemporary American society. Full lesson plan can be found at http://www.pbs.org/wnet/slavery/teachers/lesson2.html.

Research and learn more about Colonial-era slavery or the American Revolution in New York City.

Other related books:

• Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson – ISBN 978-1416961444
• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson – ISBN 978-0689848919
• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume 1: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson – ISBN 978-0763636791
• The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves by M.T. Anderson – ISBN 978-0763646264
• Eyewitness: American Revolution by Stuart Murray – ISBN 978-0756610593
• George vs. George: The American Revolution As Seen from Both Sides by Rosalyn Schanzer – ISBN 978-1426300424
• George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War by Thomas B. Allen – ISBN 978-1426300417

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

Bibliography

Kelly, Jacqueline. 2009. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate. New York: Henry Holt. ISBN 978-0805088410.

Brief plot summary

Calpurnia Virginia Tate (Callie Vee) is an inquisitive eleven-year-old growing up in a small Texas town in 1899. She is the only girl in a family of seven children. Her mother is trying to prepare her for her life as a wife and mother by ensuring that she learns the domestic arts—knitting, tatting, cooking and playing the piano; however, Callie is more interested in exploring the natural world around her. During the closing months of 1899 Callie forms a deep relationship with her Granddaddy, who kindles her interest in natural science and encourages her to use the scientific method in her quest for answers about the natural world.

Critical analysis

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate is that rarest of books that draws in readers who would not ordinarily turn to science. It makes a romance of the most mundane of scientific tasks as it embraces an early 20^th century Texas girl’s coming of age and the struggle to find one’s identity in a society with strict gender expectations.

Callie’s story of self-discovery is told through lively first-person narrative that includes sly humor and rich details that breathe life into the well-defined characters and settings. The culture and social life of the early 20th century is accurately depicted in Calpurnia’s family and the community. Fact and fiction are well balanced as historical details are carefully woven into the story, adding to its authenticity. Each chapter begins with an epigraph taken from Charles Darwin’s The Origin of Species. These chapter headings not only provide a hint about what is occurring in Calpurnia’s life, but also provide the reader with a direct connection with Calpurnia, who is reading The Origin of Species.

The book’s themes of science, family life, and working toward a future dream should resonate with its audience. The story ends with a new century dawning and the reader is left rooting for Callie Vee to challenge traditional roles and expectations for the women of her times and to realize her dream of becoming a scientist.

Review excerpts

“Kelly, without anachronism, has created a memorable, warm, spirited young woman who’s refreshingly ahead of her time.” – Horn Book, Starred Review
“Interwoven with the scientific theme are threads of daily life in a large family—the bonds with siblings, the conversations overheard, the unspoken understandings and misunderstandings—all told with wry humor and a sharp eye for details that bring the characters and the setting to life. The eye-catching jacket art, which silhouettes Callie and images from nature against a yellow background, is true to the period and the story. Many readers will hope for a sequel to this engaging, satisfying first novel.” – Booklist, Starred Review

“Readers will finish this witty, deftly crafted debut novel rooting for "Callie Vee" and wishing they knew what kind of adult she would become.” – Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review
“A charming and inventive story of a child struggling to find her identity at the turn of the 20th century… there’s no uncertainty over the achievement of Kelly’s debut novel.” – School Library Journal, Starred Review
“Callie’s transformation into an adult and her unexpected bravery make for an exciting and enjoyable read. Kelly’s rich images and setting, believable relationships and a touch of magic take this story far.” – Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Each chapter of this winning…novel opens with a quotation from ‘On the Origin of Species’—a forbidden book that her own grandfather turns out to have hidden away.  Together they study Darwin’s masterpiece, leading to a revolution in Callie’s ideas of what she might accomplish on her own.” – The New York Times Book Review

Awards / Best Books

Indies Choice Book Award Honor Book, 2010

John Newberry Medal Honor Book, 2010

School Library Journal Battle of the Kids’ Books Nominee, 2010

ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 2009

Amazon Editors’ Picks: Top 10 Books, 2009

Booklist Top 10 Historical Fiction for Youth, 2010

Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Books, 2009

School Library Journal Best Books, 2009

Teachers’ Choices, 2010

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2010

Classroom Connections

Each chapter begins with an epigraph from Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species. Students take any given chapter and connect the significance of the epigraph to the theme of that chapter.

Calpurnia is fascinated with Charles Darwin and his book The Origin of Species. Students can research Charles Darwin’s life and the book that made him famous. What was his basic premise? How does it link to Callie’s observations about the green and yellow grasshoppers?

Callie longs to be a scientist. Have a discussion about how unusual this was for a girl growing up at that time. Students can research and write about the social or cultural obstacles Calpurnia might face in pursuing this goal and the possibility that she will be able achieve her goal?

Compare this book with Albert Marrin’s book Flesh & Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy, another book that deals with women’s rights at the turn of the century.

Other related books:

• Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman – ISBN 978-0805087215
• Charles Darwin: Naturalist by Margaret J. Anderson – ISBN 978-0766027947
• DK Biography: Charles Darwin by David C. King – ISBN 978-0756625542
• Lifelines: Charles Darwin by Alan Gibbons – ISBN 978-0753462515
• Evolution: How We and All Things Came to Be by Daniel Loxton – ISBN 978-1554534302
• The True Adventures of Charley Darwin by Carolyn Meyer – ISBN 978-0152061944
• Monkey Town: The Summer of the Scopes Trial by Ronald Kidd – ISBN 1416905723
• Who Was Charles Darwin? by Deborah Hopkinson – ISBN 978-0448437644

Lily's Crossing

Bibliography

Giff, Patricia Reilly. 1997. Lily’s Crossing. New York: Delacorte Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0385321426.

Brief plot summary

Lily Mollahan spends the summer of 1944 at her family’s summer beach house in Rockaway, as she has for as long as she can remember; but World War II has changed everything. Her father goes overseas to war and her best friend, Margaret, has moved to a wartime factory town. Left without her best friend, Lily feels alone until she meets Albert, a refugee from Hungary. Over the summer they develop a friendship, sharing adventures and secrets.

Critical analysis

Lily’s Crossing is a moving story set during World II that will give young readers an idea of what it was like to grow up during that time and an understanding of how the war affected people on the home front. As the plot and characters develop the reader will be challenged to think about the meaning of family, dealing with guilt, separation and loss, the consequences of dishonesty, and the rewards of honesty–themes readers will easily identify with through the characters of Lily and Albert.

Giff tells a compelling friendship story that includes believable main characters, well drawn and clearly presented. Poppy is the exception—he seems to lack dimensionality. The narrative gives insight into Lily’s private thoughts that ultimately result in her decisions and actions. We are able to experience Lily’s growth as she moves beyond her self-centered childhood and navigates her way into adolescence. The historical details are accurate and non-intrusive, providing the setting for an appealing, realistic and relevant story.

Review excerpts

"Details...are woven with great effect into a realistic story." – Horn Book, Starred Review
"With wry comedy and intense feeling...Giff gets across a strong sense of what it was like on the home front during World War II...The friendship story is beautifully drawn." – Booklist

“…Nonfiction writing at its best. Essential for WWII collections as well as teaching units on conformity, peer pressure and resistance.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The developing friendship between Lily and Albert, and Albert's plan to swim to Europe to find Ruth, will grab readers' attention and sustain it to book's end. Despite convenient plot twists to reach a happy ending, Giff's well-drawn, believable characters and vivid prose style make this an excellent choice.” – School Library Journal
"Exceptional characterizations and a robust story line...this has all the ingredients that best reward readers." – Publishers Weekly

"Brilliantly told." – The New York Times Book Review

Awards / Best Books

Newberry Medal Honor Book, 1998

Boston Globe–Horn Book Honor Book, 1997

ALSC Notable Children’s Books, 1998

Teachers’ Choices, 1998; International Reading Association

Classroom Connections

Explore the ThinkQuest student project, HomeFront (http://library.thinkquest.org/15511/), about life in the US during World War II. Students can create timelines showing what might have been happening in Lily's life, in the US, and in other parts of the world during each year of the war.

Albert comes from Hungary. Students can research Hungary and how it was involved in World War II.

Students research how and why World War II ended and create a news story about the end of the war.

After finishing the novel listen to an episode of Portia Faces Life (http://www.otrcat.com/portia-faces-life-p-49242.html). Assign groups of students portions of Lily’s Crossing and have them develop an episode of a radio soap opera based on the novel. Each group records their episode adding sound effects and music. They also develop a commercial as part of the episode.

Other related books:

• DK Eyewitness Books: World War II by Simon Adams – ISBN: 978-0756630089
• The Good Fight: How World War II Was Won by Stephen E. Ambrose – ISBN: 978-0689843617
• Stepping on the Cracks by Mary Downing Hahn – ISBN 978-0547076607
• Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff – ISBN: 978-0440238010