Fantasy and Science Fiction ~ Weetzie Bat

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Weetzie-Bat/Francesca-Lia-Block/e/9780060736255/?itm=1&usri=weetzie+bat, accessed October 23, 2009.

Bibliography

Block, Francesca Lia. 1989. WEETZIE BAT. New York: Harper and Row Publishers.

ISBN 0060205369

Critical Analysis

When I first read Weetzie Bat I closed the book and said to myself, "that was weird." So, I read it again. This book is one of the few that I have read that I really wasn't sure what to make of it, except that I liked it.

The heroine in the book is Weetzie Bat. Weeizie's parents, Charlie and Brandy-Lynn Bat, are unhappily divorced and often retreat into a world of booze and drugs. We find out early on that Weetzie's best friend Dirk, is gay. "I'm gay," Dirk said. "Who, what, when, where, how--well, not how," Weetzie said. "It doesn't matter one bit, honey-honey," she said, giving him a hug. To which Dirk replies, "But you know I'll always love you the best and think that you are a beautiful, sexy girl." "Now we can duck hunt together,"Weetzie said, taking his hand. Together the two friends weave an outrageous web of Hollywood illusion and stuanch reality, but the one thing they both wish for most is someone to love. The book is full of magic, from the genie, who grants Weetzie's wishes, to the vicious witch Vixanne, who visits the family three times. There are beauties and beasts, castles and Cinderella-like transformations. Through these adventures Weetzie and Dirk manage to fall in love, Dirk with Duck, and Weetzie with My Secret Agent Lover Man, move in together, and have a baby. "I don't know about happily ever after......but I do know about happily," Weetzie Bat thinks at the end of the story.

The author of WEETZIE BAT, Francesca Lia Block, grew up in Los Angeles where she and her friends were enchanted by Hollywood. One day while driving through Laurel Canyon with friends in a blue vintage Mustang convertible, they passed a "punk princess with spikey bleached hair, a very pink 50's prom dress, and cowboy boots." This image stuck in her mind as the "spirit of Los Angeles," and later when she spotted another blonde pixie wearing big pink Harlequin sunglasses and driving a pink Pinto with the license plate "WEETZIE" her character was born. The book WEETZIE BAT was written in 1989. The subject matter it deals with, sex, homosexuality, drugs, and the unconventional family, are all familiar in the YA genre, but are told in such a way that you feel as if you are hearing it for the first time. The book won the Phoenix Award in 2009, which is given to a book that failed to win a major award at it's publication 20 years before.

Review Excerpts

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "A brief, off-beat tale that has great charm, poigancy, and touches of fantasy, Weetzie, now 23, is a child of hollywood who hated high school, but loves the momories of Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin, plastic palm tree wallets, and the roller-skating waitresses at Tiny Naylor's.....Nobody understands her, least of all her bi-coastal divorced parents, until she meets Dirk, who takes her slammdancing at the hot clubs in L.A. in his red '55 pontiac. When he tells her he's gay, they decide to go "duck hunting" together."

Fantasy and Science Fiction ~ Among the Hidden

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Among-the-Hidden/Margaret-Peterson-Haddix/e/9780689817007/?itm=3, accessed Dec. 3, 2008.

Bibliography

Haddix, Margaret Peterson. 1998. AMONG THE HIDDEN. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0689824750

Critical Analysis

In the book AMONG THE HIDDEN, by Margaret Peterson Haddix, families are forbidden from having more than two children. There is a government agency called “The Population Police” that enforce this law among its citizens. The hero of the story is Luke, a third child, or shadow child as they come to be known, who is hidden in his farmhouse attic. At the beginning of the story thick woods surround his farm so he is able to play outside, work in the garden, and roam the house freely, but when the government buys the land next to his family’s farm in order to build new houses, he has to stay hidden in the attic to keep from being seen by the outside world. One day, after being caught in the kitchen by his father, Luke is upstairs looking out through the vents in the attic when he sees a child’s face in the window of a house where he knows two other children already live. He finally gets up enough courage to run next door, where he meets Jen, a shadow child like himself. Jen is unlike any other child he has ever known and is willing to risk everything to come out of the shadows and be free. Jen wants Luke to join her on a dangerous plan to free all of the shadow children, but will Luke have the courage to do so?

In this frightening and exceptional novel, Haddix envisions a near future where a tyrannical United States limits families to only two children. Focused on government policies and the Internet, the plot development is sometimes hard to believe but the disturbing, thought-provoking premise will keep readers hooked from the first page. Students will sympathize with Luke’s character for how he handles each new situation he is thrust into. The question of if he should obey his parents wishes and stay out of trouble or help Jen on her dangerous quest for freedom, will be a topic of discussion among all who read this story. As in other books by Haddix, the underlying theme is loss of freedom, that brings us a dramatic and compelling story of one young person’s journey of defying those in power to make a difference in the world. Readers will have a new sense of appreciation for the freedoms that we are all afforded in the world in which we live.

Review Excerpt(s)

ALAN REVIEW: “Although the denouement is swift and tidy, the fully realized setting, honest characters, and fast paced plot combine for a suspenseful tale of two youngsters fighting for their very existence.”

VOYA: “This is an easily understood, younger reader's 1984 or Brave New World, presenting a chilling vision of a possibly not-too-distant future.”

KIRKUS REVIEWS: “Haddix offers much for discussion here, by presenting a world not too different from America right now. The seizing of farmlands, untenable food regulations, and other scenarios that have come to fruition in these pages will give readers a new appreciation for their own world after a visit to Luke's.”

Connections

Have the students discuss the possibility that anything like this could really ever happen. Research how some other countries (ex. China) have started to try and control their population and the laws that are already in place. Discuss their findings in class.

Fantasy and Science Fiction ~ Ender's Game

Book Cover Photo Source: Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Enders-Game/Orson-Scott-Card/e/9780812550702/?itm=2&USRI=enders+game, accessed October 22, 2009.

Bibliography

Card, Orson Scott. 1977. ENDER'S GAME. New York: Tor Books. ISBN 0812550706

Critical Analysis

“He’s too malleable. Too willing to submerge himself in someone else’s will.”
“Not if the other person is his enemy.”
“So what do we do? Surround him with enemies all the time?”
“If we have to.”
“ I thought you said you liked the kid.”

Ender’s Game is a story about a boy named Andrew ‘Ender’ Wiggin. He is the third child of Mr. and Mrs. Wiggin. Being the third is not a gift, it is a curse, for in Ender’s world Parents are not allowed to have more than two children. But Ender is different. In many ways large and small, Ender differentiates himself from his brother Peter, his sister Valentine, his friends and his schoolmates at the Battle School.

The World is at war with an Alien race called the buggers. In a desperate attempt to end the war the military begins a secret campaign to find the world’s greatest General in the children of today. The best and the brightest are sent to a space station called the Battle School. There they learn the fundamentals of fighting in zero gravity. Ender’s two brilliant siblings Peter and Valentine are each considered for the school, but it is Ender who is ultimately chosen to attend. There under the watchful eye of General Graff, Ender begins his transformation to become more than Ender and General Graff Can imagine.

Though Ender and his friends are ultimately successful in defeating the Buggers, what the reader comes to understand is that it is not the alien race that proves to be Ender’s enemy, but the cadre of handlers who keep Ender isolated, over worked, and fearful of the impending alien invasion that are the real enemy. Told from a variety of perspectives, this story engages the reader in a psychological drama that has many twists and turns on multiple levels.
Published in 1977, and winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, Ender’s Game will be an intense and riveting read for young adult readers. The story is rich in detail and the plot keeps the reader engaged. The novel asks the reader to think about leadership and what it takes to lead others in the face of self doubt.

Review Excerpts

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "The buggers have invaded Earth twice. The last time mankind survived only because of the brilliance of Mazer Rackham, commander of the International Fleet. Years later, a third invasion is feared and a new commander is sought. Ender Wiggin is only six years old when he is plucked to succeed Rackham and sent to the space station Battle School. He is isolated, ridiculed, bullied, and persecuted-but he survives and thrives. Using his astonishing intelligence, the boy learns to be a top-notch solider and, despite his youth and small stature, is quickly promoted up the ranks. By the age of 12, Ender learns the art of command and earns the respect and fear of his fellow soldiers. "

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Ender is portrayed as just a pawn in the larger game being played by the I.F., and readers will alternately sympathize with his exploitation and cheer when he is able to make friends in spite of the tremendous forces working to isolate and dehumanize him. The political and philosophical material at the novel's end may get too heavy for some readers, but for the most part, this novel will deservedly reach a new generation through this new edition."

Adventure, Sports and Mystery ~ The Killer's Cousin

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Killers-Cousin/Nancy-Werlin/e/9780142413739/?itm=1&USRI=the+killer%27s+cousin, accessed October 10, 2009.

Bibliography:

Werlin, Nancy. 1998. THE KILLER'S COUSIN. New York: The Penguin Group.
ISBN 9780142413739

Critical Analysis:

Set in Cambridge, Massachusetts, THE KILLER'S COUSIN tells the story of David Yaffe, a seventeen-year-old from Baltimore, who was recently aquitted of killing his girlfriend, Emily. His uncle has agreed to take him in, which will allow David to repeat his senior year at a private Catholic School nearby. When the story begins, you are not told the specifics of how Emily died, or any of the other details of David's affluent family, what you are told is that the story is about Lily.

When David arrives at his uncle's house, he finds a family on the edge of collapse. His Uncle Vic and Aunt Julia's oldest daughter Kathy, died four years earlier, and her death seems to have destroyed the lives of not only his aunt and uncle, but also his eleven-year-old cousin, Lily. Lily was seven at the time of her sister's death, and seems to be mentally unstable at best. She displays odd behavior and David finds himself unnerved by her actions. When he finds Liliy going through a box of his things and asks her to leave, Lily replies "Tell me something," she said, as if casually. "How did you feel when she went down?"......"Tell me. Did you feel.....powerful? Were you glad? Even....just for a minute?" After this alarming encounter, David starts school, begins filling out college applications and even manages to make a friend, all the while knowing that something is terribly wrong with Lily. He tries talking to his aunt and uncle, but is met with denial that there is a problem with Lily. David wakes up many nights hearing a humming noise in his small apartment. At first he thinks that it is Emily, trying to talk to him in some way, but he soon realizes that it is Kathy. Over time, the humming intensifies and he begins to see the fuzzy outline of a person. It is then that he begins to understand that Kathy is trying to tell him to help Lily. As David learns more about Kathy and her death, he is convinced that Lily is responsible.

The author's vivid descriptions of Harvard Square, row houses, and the Brattle theater give readers a glimple of what Cambridge is actually like and the climactic ending will allow them to learn the whole truth about David and Lily and the secrets that they keep.

Winner of the Edgar Award

Review Excerpts:

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Many secrets bubble just beneath the surface of this skillful thriller narrated by a high-school senior who has been accused--and acquitted--of murdering his girlfriend," said PW in a starred review. Ages 14-up.

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: "David Yaffe, 18, having recently been acquitted of murdering his girlfriend, is sent to live in Cambridge, MA, with his aunt Julia, uncle Vic, and cousin Lily to repeat his senior year of high school. Lily, 11, is resentful of his presence; she feels that her dead sister Kathy's room is rightfully hers, and that he should not be staying in it. Lily taunts and torments David until he begins to doubt his own sanity. His emotional fragility is compellingly revealed as he works through the loss of his girlfriend and the complicity he feels over her death."

Classroom Connections/Discussion Questions:

1. At the end of the story Lily tells David that she killed her sister. Do you think she really killed her or she just thinks she did? Does she deserve to be punished if she did?
2. Do you think that Kathy's was in David's mind or do you think she really appears to him as a ghost?
3. Did you feel differently about the title of the book once you had read it?
4. When did you first suspect that Lily had something to do with her sister's death?
5. After the fire, David says that saving Lily had somehow given him hope that he would find ways to atone in the future. Do you think David will ever forgive himself?
6. The author skillfully resolves many of the puzzles but leaves a few questions. What are some of these? How do you feel about what she accomplished by doing this?

Adventure, Sports and Mystery ~ I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Id-Tell-You-I-Love-You-but-Then-Id-Have-to-Kill-You/Ally-Carter/e/9781423100034/?itm=3&usri=i+d+tell+you+i+love+you+but+then+i+d+have+to+kill+you, accessed October 10, 2009.

Bibliography:

Carter, Ally. 2006. I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423100034

Critical Analysis:

"I suppose a lot of teenage girls feel invisible sometimes, like they just disappear. Well, that's me-Cammie the Chameleon. But I'm luckier than most because, at my school, that's considered cool."

In Roseville, everyone thinks that the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is nothing more that a snobby boarding school. But in reality, it's an undercover, all-girl school for geniuses that teaches the latest methods in espionage. The curriculum includes "Advanced Encryption" and "Covert Operations," not to mention how to speak fourteen different languages. Cammie Morgan attends the school along with her best friends Liz and Bex. Her mom also happens to be an ex-CIA operative and the headmistress of the school. This fall there is also a hunky new teacher on the grounds. His name is Joe Solomon and he does things his way. When the girls go out for their first Covert Operations field experience, things go wrong and Cammie ends up separated from the rest of her classmates. The town, which resembles Mayberry in terms of quaintness, is holding it's town carnival and Cammie finds herself smack dab in the middle of dunking tanks, carnival rides and funnel cake stands with no place to hide. On her way home she meets Josh, a regular boy whose few words to Cammie during their encounter sweep her off her feet. Back at school, she confesses to her friends what happened and the girls go on a mission to find out all they can about Josh and his family, while trying to figure out the biggest enigma of all-BOYS! Keeping her true identity under wraps, Cammie continues to meet Josh through a series of messages left behind a stone in the gazeebo in town square. When she finally figures out a way to go on a real date and her cover is blown, Cammie must make a choice between what she knows she loves and who she thinks she might. The characters in the story are captivating and the relationships real, making it especially appealing to young adult females. Told in an easy-to-read, conversational tone, this book will have it's readers impatiently waiting for the next installment of this engaging series.

Review Excerpts:

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "Cammie is a sophomore at the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women a place that lives up to its name, as Cammie knows 14 languages and is a skilled killing machine. Of course, Gallagher girls become the most elite spies, and Cammie fires ahead on that career track (as was her mother, now the school's headmistress) until romance with an ordinary guy, no less threatens to derail her progress. Despite any shortcomings, aficionados of this burgeoning fiction genre will be tempted to give this title a go." Ages 12-up.

CHILDREN'S LITERATURE: "Everyone in the town of Roseville thinks the Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a regular boarding school for snobs. But it is actually an undercover, all-girl spy training school, and Cameron Morgan is both a sophomore and the daughter of the headmistress. The curriculum for these high school girls includes "Covert Operations," "Culture," and "Assimilation." Students are expected to speak one of the fourteen languages they know during lunch in the Great Hall. There are lots of other fun spy-related details in the story, which will have most readers chuckling."

Classroom Connections/Discussion Questions:

1. Do you think that there could really be someplace like the Gallagher Academy for Girls?

2. If so, would it be a place you would be interested in attending?

3. How would the story been different if Cammie had told Josh the truth from the beginning?

4. How do you think Cammie's father dying changed her character?

5. Did you like the ending of the book? Why or why not?

Adventure, Sports and Mystery ~ Inside Out

Book Cover Photo Source, Barnes and Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Inside-Out/Terry-Trueman/e/9780064473767/?itm=6&USRI=inside+0ut, accessed October 10, 2009.

Bibliography:

Trueman, Terry. 2003. INSIDE OUT. New York: HarperCollins Children's Books.
ISBN 9780066239637

Critical Ananlysis:

This story begins with Zach, a 16 year-old schizophrenic, sitting in a coffee shop waiting for his mother to bring him his medication. When two teenage boys attempt to rob the shop, Zach is one of seven people held against their will. All of the other people in the coffee shop start to panic. Zach does not. Because of his illness, Zach has a hard time differentiating between what is real and what is imagined. He has two imaginary "psychokiller enemies," Dirtbag and Rat, who murmur evil thoughts in his head when he doesn't take his medication. It is the voices whom he truely fears. "Hey, Wasteoid, time to die," Dirtbag whispers. Rat laughs and screams, "Yeah, time to die, Wasteoid!" Compared to the voices, the two robbers do not seem threatening at all and when the situation escalates, Zach finds himself volunteering to become their hostage. When this happens, we start to find out more about the desperate situation the brothers are in. Their mother has cancer and little money to pay for care, and the boys see the robbery as a way to help her. The gun they have has no bullets and as the story progresses we see them as basically good kids who have gotten in way over their heads. An unusual bond begins to form between Zach and the brothers, and when one of them is wounded by a stray police bullet, it is Zach who aids in ending the standoff. Ultimately the boys surrender and Zach is reunited with his mother and given his much needed medication. Narrated by Zach, the reader gets a sense of the bewilderment and silent struggle which take place in the schizophrenic mind on a daily basis. The book is disturbing, especially the ending, but it is riveting nontheless. Young adults will without doubt come away from this read with a stronger appreciation for those who battle mental illness.

Review Excerpts:

PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: "While a 16-year-old battling schizophrenia waits in a coffee shop for his mother to arrive with his medication, two boys attempt to rob the cafe and take hostages. PW called this "a vivid story of three desperate teens that recalls Robert Cormier, with its dark, disturbing theme and narrative shifts in rapid-fire succession." Ages 14-up.

VOYA: "Sixteen-year-old Zach suffers from schizophrenia. He hears two voices in his head, Dirtbag and Rat, whenever he needs to take his medicine. Those voices tell him to kill himself. If this condition was not enough to live with, Zach now finds himself in the middle of a holdup at the coffee shop after school. The two robbers are around Zach's age, and Zach tries to talk to them through the veil of his disease. Although his doing so tries the patience of the robbers and confuses the police outside, Zach is able in his own way to help work things out for everyone, except possibly for himself. Trueman is a master of point of view, as shown in his award-winning novel Stuck in Neutral (HarperCollins, 2000/VOYA December 2000). His research into the disease really helps make Zach's warped thought patterns believable to the reader. Every reader will have sympathy and new understanding of this devastating illness."

Classroom Connections/Discussion Questions:

1. Before reading this book, what did you know about schizophrenia? Was the portrayal of this diasese different that what you thought it would be?
2. Was the plot of the story plausible to you?
3. If the boys mom hadn't been sick, how would the story have been different?
4. How are the two brothers and Zach the same? How are they different?
5. Why do you think that Zach is so afraid of Rat and Dirtbag, but not of Joey and Alan.
6. Why do you think the author included exerpts of the letters between Dr. Curtis and Zach's mom in the story?
7. What do you knoe about suicide? How have your feelings changed after reading this book?