Last night I finished reading my first Newbery award winner, Missing May by Cynthia Rylant. This book was a recommendation by a fellow teacher and school librarian. In this book, a young girl, Summer, goes to live with her Aunt May and Uncle Ob after the loss of her mom and the disarray of being shuffled around through several relatives who did not want her. May and Ob give Summer a warm and inviting trailer home where she feels loved. Unfortunately, six years later, Aunt May also passes away. Uncle Ob and Summer mourn this tragic loss and suffer through a difficult time of uncertainty in their lives together.A young boy in Summer's class, Cletus Underwood, enters into their lives and tries to find out exactly what Ob and Summer need to bring happiness back into their home. With the help of Cletus, Uncle Ob decides to go to Putnam County to meet "Bat Lady" in an attempt to reconnect with May's spirit during school vacation. Once the family arrives to the Spiritualist church, they quickly find out Reverend Young is no longer alive. Ob feels like his only hope of ever reconnecting with his wife has been lost. Hopeless and depressed, the three get back in the car to head home.
On the way home, Ob passes the West Virginia state capitol because of his disappointment. He believes he is too down to stop and visit. However, shortly down the road, Ob quickly turns the car around to head back to the destination. This part of the story is where the characters experience a life changing moment. It is at this point that Uncle Ob realizes that although May is gone, he has two children worth living for.
I loved reading this book for many different reasons. First, I believe it tells the story of a courageous young girl who learns to cope with the loss of a loved one. Many children can relate to Summer's feelings and learn from her story. Second, the book truly portrays the love and support a family can give one another through tough times. At the end of the book, the reader most certainly feels that Ob and Summer will be able to regain some happiness in their lives because of May's inspiration. I love that this book leaves you with a warm fuzzy feeling after a tragic start. I enjoyed this book and I feel it should have a place in all elementary school libraries. However, because of the mature content in this book, it may need to be offered to older children so they can fully understand the book's message.
For my second Newbery Award winner, I chose the book, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This work of historical fiction tells about the relocation of Danish Jews during the Holocaust. This story is set in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1940's. A young girl, Annemarie Johansen is the main character with her family (mom, dad, little sister, brother-in-law, and uncle) playing a vital role in the book as well.
Annemarie's family risks their own lives to take in Ellen, a young Jewish girl and Annemarie's best friend from school, to protect her from the German soldiers. During this time, Ellen pretends to be Annemarie's older sister, who passed away in a car accident during her work with a resistance group. One of the most suspenseful parts of the book is when the soldiers break into the Johansen apartment to look for the Rosen family. Before the soldiers make their way into the bedroom, Annemarie quickly breaks Ellen's Star of David necklace off her neck to hide it and her identity from the soldiers. The soldiers began to question Ellen's appearance and hair color because it was different from the Johansen family. Mr. Johansen pulls out a picture of his oldest daughter Lise to show she has dark hair just like Ellen. Once the mystery of the dark-haired child is solved, the soldiers leave the house and everyone is safe at least for the moment.
To seek safety, Mom and the girls go to visit Uncle Henrik in Gilleleje. While there, the family experiences the fake funeral of Great Aunt Birte. Although, this relative is not real, Peter and Henrik have other plans on how the casket will be utilized to help the Jewish families. Once again, Nazi soldiers come in the house, but leave empty handed. Ellen and her family along with other Jewish families leave with Peter and Uncle Henrik to find safety across the water in Sweden.
Annemarie realizes that Mr. Rosen has dropped the important package that Henrik needs for the trip. Therefore, she makes a special trip to the harbor to deliver the package. Needless to say, the trip is not an easy or pleasant one. She encounters cruel soldiers and malicious dogs. Despite her troubles, she finds the courage to continue on and makes it to the dock to end up saving her best friend's life. To remind her of this, she repairs Ellen's necklace and wears it until the Rosens come back home.
Over the past two years of teaching Social Studies, I have gained a new love and appreciation of historical fiction. I have always enjoyed reading stories about the Holocaust and particularly enjoyed this book. I loved this story because it helps young children understand this important time in world history by actually creating characters in which they can connect with. This close connection allows the reader to feel the pain and hurt just like the characters in the book. It has such a suspenseful plot, that most readers would not be able to put it down. Lowry does a wonderful job of expressing the seriousness of the Holocaust without adding too many horrific or tragic details within this text. The story also portrays such a loving relationship between two young girls and the courage and bravery one is willing to show to save the other's life. This book should be a part of every elementary school's library!
For my second Newbery Award winner, I chose the book, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry. This work of historical fiction tells about the relocation of Danish Jews during the Holocaust. This story is set in Copenhagen, Denmark in the 1940's. A young girl, Annemarie Johansen is the main character with her family (mom, dad, little sister, brother-in-law, and uncle) playing a vital role in the book as well.Annemarie's family risks their own lives to take in Ellen, a young Jewish girl and Annemarie's best friend from school, to protect her from the German soldiers. During this time, Ellen pretends to be Annemarie's older sister, who passed away in a car accident during her work with a resistance group. One of the most suspenseful parts of the book is when the soldiers break into the Johansen apartment to look for the Rosen family. Before the soldiers make their way into the bedroom, Annemarie quickly breaks Ellen's Star of David necklace off her neck to hide it and her identity from the soldiers. The soldiers began to question Ellen's appearance and hair color because it was different from the Johansen family. Mr. Johansen pulls out a picture of his oldest daughter Lise to show she has dark hair just like Ellen. Once the mystery of the dark-haired child is solved, the soldiers leave the house and everyone is safe at least for the moment.
To seek safety, Mom and the girls go to visit Uncle Henrik in Gilleleje. While there, the family experiences the fake funeral of Great Aunt Birte. Although, this relative is not real, Peter and Henrik have other plans on how the casket will be utilized to help the Jewish families. Once again, Nazi soldiers come in the house, but leave empty handed. Ellen and her family along with other Jewish families leave with Peter and Uncle Henrik to find safety across the water in Sweden.
Annemarie realizes that Mr. Rosen has dropped the important package that Henrik needs for the trip. Therefore, she makes a special trip to the harbor to deliver the package. Needless to say, the trip is not an easy or pleasant one. She encounters cruel soldiers and malicious dogs. Despite her troubles, she finds the courage to continue on and makes it to the dock to end up saving her best friend's life. To remind her of this, she repairs Ellen's necklace and wears it until the Rosens come back home.
Over the past two years of teaching Social Studies, I have gained a new love and appreciation of historical fiction. I have always enjoyed reading stories about the Holocaust and particularly enjoyed this book. I loved this story because it helps young children understand this important time in world history by actually creating characters in which they can connect with. This close connection allows the reader to feel the pain and hurt just like the characters in the book. It has such a suspenseful plot, that most readers would not be able to put it down. Lowry does a wonderful job of expressing the seriousness of the Holocaust without adding too many horrific or tragic details within this text. The story also portrays such a loving relationship between two young girls and the courage and bravery one is willing to show to save the other's life. This book should be a part of every elementary school's library!
No comments:
Post a Comment