Thursday, December 4, 2014
Ship Breaker
Bacigalupi, Paolo.
2010. Ship Breaker. New York: Little Brown and Company. ISBN 0316056219
The author has created a fantasy story that seems to be a
real. A page turner with twist and turns, the story
is full of mystery and suspense. With
life- like characters, who seemingly, try to survive horrible living and
working conditions, the events unravel to reveal hope. Life
is hard. The main character, Nailer,
transitions from insecurity to finally holding his own. Nailer's identity is vague because he seems
emotionally lost because of his circumstances.
The plot of the story revolves around looking for copper wiring from abandoned
ships. This job is particularly
difficult but Nailer is up for the challenge.
Working to survive, is their motto. Nailer
, the daydreamer, imagines himself in different circumstances, wanting
something more. The setting is dreary,
sobering, and filled with hardships, as the story describes working and living
conditions. The Gulf Coast is the place
where the story is formed. From the description of work ethics, to the challenges,
the overall theme reflects the importance of making good decisions to benefit
oneself. The life of a scavenger means,
everyone for themselves. The style is
engaging because the story seems, as if, it took place in real life. Nailer's loyalty is with his crew until he
finds a girl in one of the ships?
Nailer's inner conscious is tested?
What will he choose to do? The
author has written a wonderful story that anyone can understand. The events that transpire, are great topics
of conversation for child, to examine.
Excerpts
From School Library
Journal
"With an interesting mix of fact and fantasy, this
title offers excellent potential for conversations on international child
welfare issues."
Wysocki, Barbara1. 2011. "Ship Breaker." School
Library Journal 57(3): 78-79.
From Library Media
Connection
"While slightly post-apocalyptic, this title is still
very realistic and will have cross-over appeal for both science fiction readers
and adventure readers."
Bergin, Melissa. 2010. "Ship Breaker." Library
Media Connection 29(1): 80.
From Horn Book
Magazine
"This thriller will grab and keep readers' attentions
as Nailer and Nita "crew up" in their fight to survive."
Ritter, Cynthia K. 2010. "Ship Breaker." Horn
Book Magazine 86(4): 98-99.
From Publishers
Weekly
"Bacigalupi's cast is ethnically and morally diverse, and the
book's message never overshadows the storytelling, action-packed pacing, or
intricate world-building."
2010. "Ship Breaker." Publishers Weekly
257(16): 54.
From Booklist
"Vivid, brutal, and thematically rich, this captivating
title is sure to win teen fans for the award-winning Bacigalupi."
Rutan, Lynn. 2010. "Ship Breaker." Booklist
106(18): 50.
Awards
Michael L. Printz Award 2011
Locus Award for Best Young Adult Book
Top Ten Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults 2011
Connections
other Paolo Bacigalupi books
The Doubt Factory ISBN 0316220752
The Windup Girl ISBN 1597801585
The Drowned Cities ISBN 0316056227
The Water Knife: A novel ISBN 0385352875
Activities
Ask children to think about how life on a scavenger ship
would be.
What would they try to salvage from the ship?
Personal Response
I believe the story touches base on loyalty to
family whether immediate or the scavenger crew.
The story shows how one can hope for better circumstances in order to
break free from difficult situations.
Nailer, a true dreamer, always hopes for better living and working
conditions. His life is not easy but
everyone has their own circumstances in life.
A great lesson for children is to learn about working, maybe not a ship
yard but in school. The hope to educate
themselves to further their careers. Another
lesson for children to learn is about making good decision
Babymouse: Heartbreaker
Holm, Jennifer L., and Matthew Holm. Babymouse: Heartbreaker. New York: Random House, 2006. ISBN 0375837981
The main character is Babymouse, who is looking for
love, on Valentine's Day. She is a
hopeless romantic and a dreamer. Children
can identify with the awkward social expectations of being different and
finding their first love. The story begins, as Babymouse, is daydreaming about
romance and love. Babymouse's mission,
is to locate, a dance partner for the
Valentine's Day dance. Readers can see a
familiar setting because it parodies famous movie lines, and follows fairy
tales to a certain extent. Babymouse
transitions between movie lines and fairy tales into different scenes, to
showcase her quest to find true love, or at least someone to dance with on
Valentine's Day. The comic strip, style
of writing, shows an informal format that children can comprehend. Each page number is encased, in a pink heart,
to further emphasize the Valentine's theme.
The author has done a marvelous job of showing real life situations such
as Babymouse encounters. She is rejected
to a dance by the first person she asks, and is not discourage by the
situation. The overall theme is to
follow your heart, and don't give up on the slightest deviation. Babymouse, prevails,
as she finds a dance partner on Valentine's Day.
Excerpts
From Horn Book Magazine
"As in the previous books, the text and
illustrations successfully differentiate between reality and daydreams, and
there's a good amount of humor injected into both (the banter between Babymouse
and the disembodied narrator is especially entertaining)."
Flynn, Kitty. 2007. "Babymouse: Heartbreaker." Horn
Book Magazine 83(1): 67-69.
Awards
CBC Awards and Honors
Connections
Other Holm books Babymouse series
Babymouse: Queen of the World! ISBN 0375832297
Babymouse: Rock Star ISBN 0375832327
Babymouse: Skater Girl ISBN 0375839895
Activities
for Children
Children can be asked to write a Babymouse storyline
using a comic strip format.
Personal
Response
Babymouse: Heartbreaker was a wonderful book that I
would highly recommend to parents and children simply because there was a
profound message. Babymouse was rejected
to a school dance and as heartbreaking as that may be, it is a great way to teach
children that lesson. The character
shows courage to stand alone and find her true love. She wasn't afraid to ask others to the
dance. Children can learn about
following their dream as Babymouse did.
Rules by Cynthia Lord
Lord, Cynthia.
2006. Rules. New York: Scholastic
Inc. ISBN 0439443830
The story revolves around a young girl named
Catherine who struggles to cope with an autistic brother named David. Catherine's dilemma, is to try to get to her
brother to act normal, whatever that means.
She sets up, Rules for David, so that he can become independent without
having a constant companion to look after him.
Catherine's inner struggles comes from loving her brother, as she tries
to protect him, from the outside world. The
author has clearly shown the audience that families may be different but still
have the same issues such as babysitting siblings. She wants David to understand how society
makes judgments and not everyone is nice.
She wants a "normal life."
The setting jumps from several places including Catherine's house to
occupational therapy where she meets another patient named Jason. The relationship between Catherine and Jason
is a deep friendship, which helps her to understand her brother's condition. She shows her
compassion by helping Jason communicate through cards on his communication
board. She begins to write words and
corresponding pictures for comprehension.
People can relate to this situation, as many of us, are visual
learners. Catherine helps Jason break free from his silence,
to improve his communication skills and in turn she discovers, she is the one
who broke free, from her way of thinking.
The realization of coping with a disabled family member can be difficult
for everyone. The style of the story shows various emotions evolving from
frustration, happiness, stress, understanding and compassion. Catherine
evolves, as a character, to show inner growth.
The author examines the family dynamics through the eyes of Catherine. She shows that, disabilities, affect the
entire family. The story is filled with
humorous lines, to break the seriousness and challenges, of having a child with
autism. The story is believable and families with
autistic children can relate to the story.
Excerpts
From
Library Media Connection
"The first-person narrative is very engaging,
and readers will identify with Catherine's struggles and cheer for her at the
end. This is a great book to help
students gain some understanding about autism, while also providing a good
read."
2006. "Rules." Library Media Connection
25(2): 70.
From Publishers
Weekly
"In the able hands of the author, mother of an
autistic child, Catherine's emotions come across as entirely convincing,
especially her alternating devotion to and resentment of David, and her guilt
at her impatience with him."
2006. "Rules." Publishers Weekly
253(16): 188.
From School
Library Journal
"Lord has candidly captured the delicate dynamics
in a family that revolves around a child's disability. Set in coastal Maine, this sensitive story is
about being different, feeling different, and finding acceptance."
Burns, Connie Tyrrell. 2006. "Rules." School
Library Journal 52(4): 142.
From Booklist
"A heartwarming first novel."
Dobrez, Cindy. 2006. "Rules." Booklist
102(12): 98-99.
Awards
Newberry Honor Medal
Schneider Family Book Award
ALA Notable Children's Book
Mitten Award (Michigan Library Association)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award (Vermont)
Great Stone Face Award (New Hampshire)
Connections
Other Cynthia Lord books
Half a Chance ISBN 0545035333
Touch Blue ISBN 0545035325
Hot Rod Hamster ISBN 0545035309
Activities
for Children
Draw a card for Jason's communication book.
Write a book report on "Frog and Toad are
friends"
Ask students to create their own rule book.
Personal
Response
I believe the story is relatable, as many families
know the challenges, of raising an autistic child. Catherine's viewpoints show how autism
effects family members in different ways. It is not always easy, but the support of a
good family, helps.
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