Book Review:   Bibliography- Spiegelman, A. (1986). Maus I: a survivor's tale: my Father bleeds history . Pantheon Publishing. ISBN 039474232   Plot Summary- This book is not just a story, it is a brutally moving work of art. Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the Spiegelman’s father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving Spiegelman’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history's most unspeakable tragedies. It is a heart wrenching story of survival and takes a serious look at the legacy of trauma.   Critical Analysis- This two-part novel traces the journey of Vladek Spiegelman, a father and Holocaust survivor. Through a series of personal interviews, by his son Art, Vladek recounts his journey of survival though a chronological series of stories. Art consistently alternates between n...

  Book Review:   Bibliography- Krosoczka, J. J. (2018). Hey, kiddo . Graphix Publishing. ISBN 0545902487   Plot Summary- The powerful, unforgettable graphic memoir from Jarrett Krosoczka, about growing up with a drug-addicted mother, a missing father, and two unforgettably opinionated grandparents. In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka's teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett's family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett's life. His father is a mystery, Jarrett doesn't know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents, two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along. Jarrett goes through his childhood trying to make his non-normal life as normal as possible, finding a way to express himself through drawing even as so little is being sai...

Book Review:   Bibliography- Ogle, R. (2021). Free lunch . Norton Young Readers. ISBN 1324016949   Plot Summary- Instead of giving him lunch money, Rex’s mom has signed him up for free meals. As a poor kid in a wealthy school district, better-off kids crowd impatiently behind him as he tries to explain to the cashier that he’s on the free meal program. The lunch lady is hard of hearing, so Rex must shout. This is the story of Rex’s efforts to navigate his first semester of sixth grade, who to sit with, not being able to join the football team, Halloween in a handmade costume, classmates and a teacher who takes one look at him and decides he’s trouble, all while wearing secondhand clothes and being hungry. His mom and her boyfriend are out of work, and life at home is punctuated by outbursts of violence. Halfway through the semester, his family is evicted and ends up in government-subsidized housing in view of the school. Rex lingers at the end of last period ev...

  Bibliography- Condie, A. (2011). Matched . Penguin Books. ISBN 9780142419779   Plot Summary- Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate. Until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.   Critical Analysis- In the book Matched , Condie uses conflict to teach the reader that society doesn’t know what...

  Bibliography- Barron, T. (2013). Tree girl . Puffin Books. ISBN 014242708X   Plot Summary- Rowanna's stern caretaker has warned her again and again not to go near the trees that surround their seaside cottage. But Rowanna is drawn to the forest, especially the High Willow on its faraway hill. Are the trees really forest ghouls, as Mellwyn says? Or could they possibly hold the secret to Rowanna's past and the mother she can hardly remember? If only she could get near the High Willow, Rowanna feels certain she would understand.    Critical Analysis- Although this is not a typical sci-fi/fantasy story, it is still relevant to today’s middle school students. Questions about heritage, belonging, and existence, usually come up around middle school. Some students will be able to relate explicitly to Anna's problem of not knowing her mother, but others will be able to relate more to the feeling of not getting along with parents, or just wanting to know ans...

  Bibliography- Chee, T. (2017). The reader . Speak Publishers. ISBN 0147518059   Plot Summary- Sefia knows what it means to survive. After her father is brutally murdered, she flees into the wilderness with her aunt Nin, who teaches her to hunt, track, and steal. But when Nin is kidnapped, leaving Sefia completely alone, none of her survival skills can help her discover where Nin’s been taken to, or if she’s even alive. The only clue to both her aunt’s disappearance and her father’s murder is the odd rectangular object her father left behind. An object she comes to realize is a book, a marvelous item unheard of in her otherwise illiterate society. With the help of this book, and the aid of a mysterious stranger with dark secrets of his own, Sefia sets out to rescue her aunt and find out what really happened the day her father was killed and punish the people responsible.   Critical Analysis- I enjoyed this book for its graceful writing, thoughtful detail...