Module 9: The Dollhouse Murders

Book Summary:  Amy is visiting her Aunt Clare at a home owned by her great grandparents and discovers an old dollhouse that is an exact replica of the home itself.  Every time Amy sees the house the dolls inside the house, who represent her relatives, have moved.  Amy keeps telling her aunt that the dolls are trying to tell her something, but her aunt says they are not.  Amy begins to research at the local library and soon discovers the family secret which has been hidden for generations.  Her grandparents were murdered.  Amy’s mentally challenged sister, Louann joins her at her aunt’s house and together they unravel the mystery and Amy begins to accept her sisiter for who she is.  

My Impressions:  This book instantly grabbed my attention and kept my interest in a one sitting read.  Although I found it a little scary for the younger reader, I felt that the pacing and characterization were wonderfully done. 

Professional Review:  Gr 4-7 – Amy arranges to spend a few days alone with her Aunt Clare in the home once owned by her great grandparents.  She is particularly relieved to have some time for herself, free of having to care for her retarded sister, Louann.  When she discovers an exquisite dollhouse in the attic, an exact replica of the family home, her aunt is unenthusiastic about her find and furious when she sees the placement of the dolls; years ago her grandparents had been murdered and the figures are now where the police found them the night of the crime.  She accuses her niece of insensitivity in reproducing the scene, but the girl denies responsibility for moving the dolls.  An emergency at home means Louann must also stay at Clare’s and at first Amy is angry at having her plans to be alone shattered, but then the two girls discover the solution to the terrible crime.  The comination of a beautiful, fascinating dollhouse, dark family secrets, ghostly events, danger and suspense are sufficient to make this a likely choice for escape reading. 

Library Uses:  The Dollhouse Murders could be used in a library to allow students to build their own replica dollhouse.

This book could also be used in a genre study to teach elementary students the components of a good mystery novel.  This book has the components of realistic characters, the reader is able to follow the clues and make predictions throughout the story, the plot is engrossing.  The reader wants to read to the end to find the truth.

Wright, B.  (1983). The Dollhouse Murders, New York: Apple Paperbacks.

Harris, K., & Gerhardt, L.N. (1983).  The Dollhouse Murders

          [Book Review].  School Library Journal, 30 (3), p84.

Module 8: James and the Giant Peach

Book Summary:  James has to go live with his two mean aunts after his parents are killed in an accident.  James is very unhappy there until he meets a man who gives him some magic tongues from crocodiles.  That begins a domino effect of events when James drops the tongue; it turns into a giant peach.  A centipede, an earthworm, a ladybug, a grasshopper, a spider and a glow worm live inside that peach.  James decides to join these creatures and they begin to travel the world until they land in an ocean where sharks attack until James catches a seagull to carry the peach away.  They end up in New York City where they become famous and find jobs for themselves.  James makes many friends and becomes happy with his life.

My Impressions:  This book begins very slowly and was very difficult to get into.  The aunts were so cruel, locking James in the basement, not allowing him to attend school, to play with other children and were denied food.  However, when James becomes friends with all of the insects in the peach the book begins to get more intriguing.  I love Dahl’s word play throughout the book including “But don’t forget to sprinkle them with a pinch of grime.”

Professional Review:  Horn Book starred (September, 1996)

The text in this new edition remains unchanged, but the book is updated with Smith's black-and-white pencil sketches. His interpretation of the fantasy -- which contemporary young readers will recognize from Disney's film version -- is not quite as magical as Burkert's delightful renderings in the original edition. The new edition will suffice, but readers shouldn't skip the first. 

Library Uses:  Dahl does a great job with word play.  A librarian could do an ongoing lesson on idioms using the book James and the Giant Peach. 

Dahl, R.  (1961).  James and the Giant Peach, New York: Puffin

          Books. 

Parrish, O.  (1996, September) Book Review for James and the

       Giant Peach.  [Review for the book James and the Giant Peach by

       R. Dahl].  Horn Book 72 (5), p 75.

Module 7: Because of Winn-Dixie

Book Summary:  Opal, who is ten years old and the daughter of a pastor, comes home with a stray dog which she names Winn-Dixie.  At this time many things began to change in the town of Naomi.  Winn-Dixie and Opal make friends with many people that are outcasts in the town.  The theme that revolves around these friendships is not to judge people, but to accept them for who they are.  Opal has to apply this to her own mother, who had abandoned her. 

My Impressions: This book can make you laugh and bring tears to your eyes in the very real storyline.  It is a very deserving winner of the Newbery Honor award.  The theme is something that we frequently need to revisit with this generation and manages to get that point across very clearly. 

Professional Review:  "He was a big dog. And Ugly. And he looked like he was having a read good time. His tongue was hanging out and he was wagging his tail. He skidded to a stop and smiled right at me. I had never in my life seen a dog smile, but that was what he did. He pulled back his lips and showed me his teeth. Then he wagged his tail so hard that he knocked some oranges off a display, and they went rolling everywhere, mixing in with the tomatoes and onions and green peppers."
Because of Winn-Dixie, 8
And, that is just how ten-year old India Opal Buloni meets this dog for the first time in a Naples, Florida, supermarket -- a dog who will change her life forever. Because of Winn-Dixie is a heartwarming and unforgettable story of family, friendship, feelings, change, summertime, the South, and, of course, a very special dog.
Published in 2000 and written by Kate Dicamillo, Because of Winn-Dixie was named a 2001 Newbery Honor Book for distinguished writing (Candlewick Press, 184p. ISBN 0763607762). Many techniques to connect with this outstanding book for young people follow.

Library Uses:  This book could be used in a variety of ways in the library setting;

·       Discussions about the writer’s craft and DiCamillo’s use of vivid language including similes and the images they evoke.

·       Character sketches to display in the library could be made by dividing the class and having them choose different characters within the book.

·       As a group or individually letters could be written to Opal’s mother describing all that had happened throughout the summer “Because of Winn-Dixie.”

DiCamillo, K. (2000).  Because of Winn-Dixie. Somerville,

          Massachusettts, Candlewick Press.

Brodie, C.S.  (2007, March) Book Review for Because of Winn-Dixie.
     Review of the book Because of Winn-Dixie by K. DiCamillo]. 
     School Library Media Activities Monthly23 (7), p55-56.

Module 7: Stargirl

Book Summary:  Stargirl had been homeschooled for most of her life and lacks the trends of modern teenagers.  She is extremely kind to all and becomes instantly popular in her new school.  However, the differences which kept everyone so interested in her soon become the very things that turn her friends against her.  Stargirl soon has a boyfriend (the narrator) and he likes her the way she is, but hates the pressure from his friends.  He asks her to change.  She tries, but it does not change the way that people treat her. After she wins a huge contest and people do not show up to congratulate her she goes back to her old ways.  Leo no longer speaks to her and does not invite her to a dance.  She goes and once again wins people over.  Then, Stargirl disappears or “vamooses”.

My Impressions: I think many of the issues faced in the book are faced by students today.  Today’s society has a very high mobility rate.  Students are new to a school every day in our country.  I am not sure that many of them are as absolutely determined to stand out as Stargirl seemed to be.  In every school there is a “mean kid” who is determined to make other students miserable.  Spinelli uses figurative language that gives the reader great mental images.

Professional Review:  Jerry Spinelli Stargirl 186 pp. Knopf 8/00 isbn 0-679-88637-0 15.95 (g) Library edition isbn 0-679-98637-5 17.99 (Intermediate, Young Adult)

Cynics might want to steer clear of this novel of a contemporary Pollyanna, whose glad-game benevolences include singing Happy Birthday to her classmates, dropping change in the street for children to find, and--to her downfall--joining the cheerleading squad and rooting for both teams. High school junior Leo is at first nonplussed by Stargirl's not-so-random acts of kindness, but he really loves her from the start. After Stargirl is shunned for her disloyal cheerleading, Leo persuades her to go along with the crowd, and she even reclaims her birth name, Susan. Predictably, this doesn't work for Stargirl; on the author's part, it occasions much heavy-handed moralizing about conformity. While it is true that we are meant to see Stargirl as larger-than-life ("She seems to be in touch with something that the rest of us are missing"), there are no shadows to contour her character, and thus her gestures seem empty. While Spinelli's Maniac Magee was on the run for a reason and Pollyanna needed something to be glad for, Stargirl has nothing to lose. But as a story of high school outsiders and light romance, this will find an audience, and the book does bear many strong similarities to Maniac Magee, offering a charismatic female counterpart.

Library Uses:  In the library Stargirl could be used for bringing together new students in the form of a book club.  Those students would build a support group, a group of friends who are new to a school.  The book will encourage these students to be true to themselves and not give in to the peer pressures of fitting in at a new school. 

Spinelli, J. (2000).  Stargirl. New York: Harper Trophy.

Sutton, R.  (2000, July/August) Book Review for Stargirl. 

          [Review of the Book Stargirl, by J. Spinelli].  Horn Book

          Magazine 76 (4), p465-466.