Module 13: Maus

Spiegelman, A. (1986). Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History. New York: Pantheon Books.

Summary
This is a tale about surviving the Holocaust as well as the story of a difficult father-son relationship between Art and his dad Vladek, a Holocaust survivor. Part 1 of this tale takes readers through Vladek's experiences in Poland leading up to his imprisonment with his wife in a concentration camp. Part 2 relates Vladek's time in the concentration camp and his eventual release.

My Impressions
This is a powerful and moving book with eloquent cartoons that depict Jews as mice and Nazis as cats. In fact each different nationality and type of person is depicted as animal characters in this tale. This is definitely a comic book for older, younger adult readers and even adults. The complexity of the father-son relationship that is told in present time with flashbacks to Vladek's experiences under the Nazi regime, make this a rich and complex book with no definitive heroes. Detailed illustrations make the comic panels come alive. I ended up reading both part 1 and part 2 because I wanted to know Vladek's full story. I would recommend that readers check out the complete volume as part 1 leaves us right at the beginning of Vladek's time in the concentration camp.

Professional Reviews
YA Told with chilling realism in an unusual comic-book format, this is more than a tale of surviving the Holocaust. Spiegelman relates the effect of those events on the survivors' later years and upon the lives of the following generation. Each scene opens at the elder Spiegelman's home in Rego Park, N.Y. Art, who was born after the war, is visiting his father, Vladek, to record his experiences in Nazi-occupied Poland. The Nazis, portrayed as cats, gradually introduce increasingly repressive measures, until the Jews, drawn as mice, are systematically hunted and herded toward the Final Solution. Vladek saves himself and his wife by a combination of luck and wits, all the time enduring the torment of hunted outcast. The other theme of this book is Art's troubled adjustment to life as he, too, bears the burden of his parents' experiences. This is a complex book. It relates events which young adults, as the future architects of society, must confront, and their interest is sure to be caught by the skillful graphics and suspenseful unfolding of the story. --School Library Journal, Rita G. Keeler, St. John's School , Houston, 1987. (Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Maus-Survivors-Father-Bleeds-History/dp/0394747232/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1291738164&sr=8-1)

Suggested Use in Library
This would be a great book to recommend to students that come to the library looking for books on the Holocaust and concentration camps. It gives teens a more visually engaging and modern take on a historical time period that can oftentimes be overwhelming to read about in non-fiction form. This would also be a good book to use for a teen book talk. Definitely if this book is recommended, the librarian will have to highlight that the subject matter is quite serious and that the use of animals to depict different races is used to highlight the prejudices of the time period.

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SLIS 5420/Module 13
Graphic Novels and Series Books
November 15-20, 2010

Module 12: Harvesting Hope

Krull, K. (2003). Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez. San Diego: Harcourt Inc.

Summary
Cesar Chavez's life comes alive in this biography about how he fought for the rights of migrant farm workers. Geared for younger children with illustrations by Montes, this book tells Chavez life story from when he was a child to an adult advocate for rights. Readers see that though Chavez was shy, he still stood up and spoke out for what he believed in.

My Impressions
I loved this book. I didn't know much about the life of Cesar Chavez before I read this book, which is what motivated me to pick up this biography. Not only is it beautifully written and illustrated, but the book is both educational and interesting. You are rooting for Chavez to win in his fight for better rights. The fact that he was able to start the National Farm Workers Association, a union that helps promote the rights of farm workers, is both impressive and understandable after reading this biography.

Professional Reviews
Gr. 2-4. When Cesar Chavez was 10 years old, drought forced his family to leave its Arizona ranch and move to California. The family became migrant workers, poorly paid and badly treated. As an adult, Chavez organized a nonviolent revolt, culminating in a 300-mile protest march that produced the first farmworkers' contract. Krull's language demonstrates a poetic sensibility (The eighty acres of their ranch were an island in the shimmering Arizona desert, and the stars were all their own. ), but the vocabulary will challenge young children, and a few socio-cultural details aren't made clear: some kids will wonder about the White Trade Only signs and why Chavez couldn't speak Spanish in school. But Morales' gorgeous paintings, with their rounded, organic forms and lush, gemstone hues, more than make up for glitches as they draw children deeply into an inspiring picture-book account of a young boy who grew up to change the world. --Booklist; Traci Todd; 2003. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Gr 3-6-The dramatic story of Chavez's 340-mile march to protest the working conditions of migrant farmworkers in California is the centerpiece of this well-told biography. Readers meet Chavez at his grandparents' home in Arizona where he lived happily amid a large extended family. His childhood was cut short when, due to financial difficulties, the family was forced to move to California to seek employment. After years of laboring in the fields, Chavez became increasingly disturbed by the inhuman living conditions imposed by the growers. The historic 1965 strike against grape growers and the subsequent march for "La Causa" are vividly recounted, and Chavez's victory-the agreement by the growers granting the workers better conditions and higher pay-is palpable. While sufficient background information is provided to support the story and encourage further research, focusing on one event makes the story appealing to younger readers. The text is largely limited to one side of a spread; beautifully rendered earth-toned illustrations flow out from behind the words and onto the facing page. A fine addition to any collection. --School Library Journal; Sue Morgan, Tom Kitayama Elementary School, Union City, CA; 2003. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Suggested Use in Library
Because I live in California, we have a state holiday on March 31st which is Cesar Chavez Day. This book would be great to include in a library display to celebrate this holiday and commemorate the life of Chavez. It's also a wonderful book to read at a story time about great leaders or even a story time in honor of Cesar Chavez Day. This book may also lead to more discussion about the life and times of Chavez and his importance in California history.

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SLIS 5420/Module 12
Biography and Autobiography
November 8-14, 2010

Module 11: George Washington's Teeth

Chandra, D. & Comora, M. (2003). George Washington's Teeth. New York : Farrar Straus Giroux.

Summary
Narrated in verse, this tale tells of Washington's life-long struggle with his teeth. Over the years, Washington loses all his teeth and must deal with the embarrassment and pain of tooth decay as well as the discomfort and ill-fit of dentures made without modern technological advancements. This book is beautifully illustrated with an annotated timeline at the end of the story that shows Washington's tooth loss as well as excerpts from his letters and diaries. The timeline also shows pictures of his dentures.

My Impressions
I actually had no idea that Washington struggled with this problem throughout his life and leadership. Maybe this was something that we talked about briefly in history class, but it wasn't highlighted and this is definitely an interesting side to Washington. I really liked the historical facts at the end of the story verse. It was very interesting to read about how much money Washington spent on his dental woes throughout his lifetime and how it affected his diet and health. The pictures of the dentures he wore were also fascinating to look at and really showed the lack of dental technology in the past and how far we have come to not only combat tooth decay but to alleviate pain and fit people with more modern dentures today.

Professional Reviews
K-Gr 5-In 28 rhymed, four-line stanzas, Chandra and Comora tell the sad story of George Washington's teeth. Beginning with the onset of the Revolutionary War, the countdown takes poor George from just about a mouthful of painful, rotten teeth to a state of complete "tooflessness"-and then to a pair of entirely successful dentures. Cole's watercolor cartoon illustrations are just right, giving comic vent to George's despair, hopelessness, fevered attempts at finding his teeth, and final triumphant, toothy strut at a ball. A beautifully illustrated four-page time line shows portraits of the dentally challenged first president and photos of his homegrown, incredibly uncomfortable-looking dentures, made of gold and hippopotamus ivory. (Contrary to legend, Washington never had wooden ones.) Given that his death was probably hastened by an untreated infection from old root fragments in his gums, this is not only a historical treatise, but also a great lesson in dental hygiene. Paired with Laurie Keller's antic Open Wide: Tooth School Inside (Holt, 1998), it could be used as a real-life example of the havoc wreaked by bad teeth. With 17 sources listed as contributing to the art and dental information on the time line, this accurate and intriguing slice of history should find a place in any elementary library collection. --School Library Journal; Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA; 2003. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

K^-Gr. 3. Second only to kids' curiosity about George Washington and the cherry tree may be their interest in his teeth. Did the prez wear wooden dentures? Chandra and Comora set the record straight with wit, verve, and a generous amount of sympathy for poor Washington and his dental woes. Unfurling smoothly against a backdrop of Washington's career as soldier and president, the tale goes forward in sprightly, read-aloud rhyme that never falters: "Poor George has two teeth in his mouth / The day the votes came in. / The people had a President /But one afraid to grin." And illustrator Cole is at his absolute best here, totally at ease with human gesture and expression. Each spread is a tableaulike scene (or scenes) filled with costumed characters busily engaged in humorously visualizing the actual history. The color palette and energy of the art harks back to Cole's Buttons (1999), but there's much more detail and movement in these pictures, which work well as amusing preparation for the more sedately illustrated, annotated time line of George's dental decay that precedes a full roundup of historical sources the authors used in telling the tale. This is history for youngsters that will stick; it's wild and fun and factual, without a trace of mockery. --Booklist; Stephanie Zvirin, 2003. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

In a clever approach to history, Chandra and Comora string together spry stanzas describing the dental difficulties that plagued George Washington. Rhyming verse explains how the general's rotten teeth gradually fall out during the Revolutionary War: "George crossed the icy Delaware/ With nine teeth in his mouth./ In that cold and pitchy dark,/ Two more teeth came out!" Cole complements this verse by rendering a sly watercolor twist on Emanuel Leutze's famous painting George Washington Crossing the Delaware, in a full-spread treatment: Washington still stands in quiet dignity, but the boatmen are grinning. By the time Washington is elected president, just two teeth remain in his mouth. Kids will love the details, such as the way Washington uses a pair of his molars to fashion a mold from which the dentist makes a set of dentures (these are carved from hippopotamus ivory, and even shown, in a photograph in the afterword). Infusing his bustling watercolor vignettes with comic hyperbole, Cole easily keeps pace with the lighthearted narrative. One especially funny image shows the president sprawled on the floor, legs in the air, after viewing a newly painted portrait ("George stood up to have a look-/ He fell back on his fanny./ `It doesn't look like me!' he roared./ `It looks like Martha's granny!' "). An annotated timeline at the end includes quotes from the leader's letters and diaries chronicling his relentless efforts to hide his dental problems and the extent to which they caused him chronic pain and embarrassment. A highly palatable historical morsel. All ages. --Publishers Weekly, February 2002. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Suggested Use in Library
This book is a great lesson in the importance of dental hygiene and how this kind of pain can affect a person's life. Written for a young audience, I think this book would be well suited for a story time on either presidents' lives or the importance of teeth. I could also see this book being used to tell the story of George Washington to honor the Presidents Day holiday.

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SLIS 5420/Module 11
Informational Books
November 1-7, 2010

Module 10: Devil's Arithmetic

Yolen, J. (1988). The Devil's Arithmetic. New York: Viking.

Summary
Hannah, cynical about the tales of the Holocaust that survivors in her family tell, is magically transported back in time during a Passover celebration in 1988. She somehow ends up in 1942 Poland to find herself transformed into Chaya. As Hannah/Chaya she experiences life in Poland where she is captured by Nazis and lives in a concentration camp. She begins to lose her memories of Hannah's life and feels more and more like Chaya. She learns how to survive in the concentration camp but makes a decision at the end to spare her friends life by stepping forward into the gas chamber in her friend's stead. As she opens the door to her doom, she travels back to her humdrum Passover celebration that she now sees with new eyes of appreciation. Hannah now has a new understanding of the suffering of Holocaust victims and how lucky she is to have survivors in her family.

My Impressions
This was an amazing book. You really felt like you were living in Poland and experiencing what Hannah/Chaya did during her travels to the concentration camp and her brief time there. I found it a bit unsettling to never understand how the whole time travel/dream montage happened. But despite this unanswered question, Hannah's perspective on the Holocaust-- which initially consisted of a modern girl's cynical apathy and then changed to a real respect for the experience-- brings the history of the Holocaust to life.

Professional Reviews
Gr 4-8 In this novel, Yolen attempts to answer those who question why the Holocaust should be remembered. Hannah, 12, is tired of remembering, and is embarrassed by her grandfather, who rants and raves at the mention of the Nazis. Her mother's explanations of how her grandparents and great-aunt lost all family and friends during that time have little effect. Then, during a Passover Seder, Hannah is chosen to open the door to welcome the prophet Elijah. As she does so, she is transported to a village in Poland in the 1940s, where everyone thinks that she is Chaya, who has just recovered from a serious illness. She is captured by the Nazis and taken to a death camp, where she is befriended by a young girl named Rivka, who teaches her how to fight the dehumanizing processes of the camp and hold onto her identity. When at last their luck runs out and Rivka is chosen, Hannah/Chaya, in an almost impulsive act of self-sacrifice, goes in her stead. As the door to the gas chamber closes behind her, she is returned to the door of her grandparents' apartment, waiting for Elijah. Through Hannah, with her memories of the present and the past, Yolen does a fine job of illustrating the importance of remembering. She adds much to children's understanding of the effects of the Holocaust, which will reverberate throughout history, today and tomorrow. --School Library Journal; Susan M. Harding, Mesquite Public Library, Texas; Library Journals LLC, 2010. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

The Holocaust was so monstrous a crime that the mind resists belief and the story must be made new for each individual. Yolen's book is about remembering. During a Passover Seder, 12-year-old Hannah finds herself transported from America in 1988 to Poland in 1942, where she assumes the life of young Chaya. Within days the Nazis take Chaya and her neighbors off to a concentration camp, mere components in the death factory. As days pass, Hannah's own memory of her past, and the prisoners' future, fades until she is Chaya completely. Chaya/Hannah's final sacrifice, and the return of memory, is her victory over the horror. The book's simplicity is its strength; no comment is needed because the facts speak for themselves. This brave and powerful book has much it can teach a young audience. Ages 10-14. --Publishers Weekly, October 1989. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Suggested Use in Library
I think this would be a great book to use for a childrens book club. It is mature subject matter but handled in a way that lends itself well to discussion. I think with an adult's feedback and explanation this would be a great book to talk about in the context of the Holocaust to make the material come alive for children that may not be interested in reading historical non-fiction books about the subject matter. I would also recommend this book to a child who was looking to learn more about that time period in history. This book would do well when used in conjunction with some other powerful fictional holocaust tales like Lowry's Number the Stars and Zusak's The Book Thief.

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SLIS 5420/Module 10
Historical Fiction
October 25-31, 2010

Module 9: The Face on the Milk Carton

Cooney, C. (1990). The Face on the Milk Carton. New York: Bantam Books.

Summary
Janie sees a milk carton in the school cafeteria and recognizes her face as the missing toddler on the back of the carton. This leads her to a path of discovery about her past and where she comes from. She is the missing girl on the milk box and discovers that the people she thought were her parents are actually the grandparents of a woman who kidnapped her and then disappeared. Janie must choose whether to contact her real family and worries about the consequences to those she loves from this decision.

My Impressions
While I enjoyed the premise of this book, I felt like Cooney's resolution was a convenient cop-out in handling a difficult problem. Part of the conflict in this novel was whether Janie should turn in her parents for kidnapping her even though she loved them. She felt connected to her home but also compelled by the life she could be leading and the family she never knew. By creating the character of a long-lost daughter in a cult who had kidnapped Janie and then left her with the unknowing grandparents, Cooney conveniently sidesteps this moral controversy and creates a loophole in the storyline that grants Janie permission to love everyone. I felt tricked as a result of this fancy footwork and though I would like to know what happens to Janie, I don't feel compelled to finish this series because of some distrust of the author. It's an interesting subject to think about, I just left this book wishing that the resolution to Janie's dilemma was more compelling. On an interesting side note, this book has faced banning challenges due to sexual content and the questioning of authority figures. I didn't find the sexual content to be in any way prominent and was surprised that this book would be challenged.

Professional Reviews
Gr 7-10-- The message on the milk carton reads, "Have you seen this child?'' Three-year-old Jennie Spring was kidnapped 12 years earlier, but Janie Johnson, looking at the photo, suddenly knows that she is that child. Fragments of memory and evidence accumulate, and when she demands to know about her early childhood years, her parents confess what they believe to be true, that she is really their grandchild, the child of their long-missing daughter who had joined a cult. Janie wants to accept this, but she cannot forget Jennie's family and their loss. Finally, almost against her will, she seeks help and confides in her parents. Her mother insists that she call the Spring family, and the book ends as she calls them. Many young people fantasize about having been adopted or even kidnapped, but the decisions Janie must face are painful and complex, and she experiences denial, anger, and guilt while sorting her way toward a solution. Janie's boyfriend--sensible, funny, with problems of his own--is an excellent foil for her intensity. Their romance is natural and believable. Cooney again demonstrates an excellent ear for dialogue and a gift for protraying responsible middle-class teenagers trying to come to terms with very real concerns. A good choice for readers of Norma Fox Mazer's Taking Terri Muller (Morrow, 1983). --School Library Journal; Tatiana Castleton, Stockton-San Joaquin County Public Library, CA; 2010. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Up to her fifteenth year, the most Jane Johnson had to worry about was her boring name. She loved her parents, despite their overly cautious approach toward her growing up; had friends; and generally liked herself. Then the picture of a missing child on a school milk carton triggers flashbacks to long-buried memories of Jane as a child--the milk carton child, in fact. Is she the missing Jennie Spring, snatched from her family years before? Or is she simply Jane, who doesn't like her name? There's a good bit of melodrama in the plot (a cult-influenced mother and a pair of nervous grandparents hiding from the Hare Krishna), as well as a sort of half-baked romance. But Cooney does not give in to facile resolutions, and her depiction of Jane's personal quandary, while not rendered with depth, seems real enough as it follows the girl's struggle to make sense of what's happened and to balance her feelings for the couple she knows as her parents with her curiosity about the family to which she once belonged. Gr. 7-10. --Booklist; Stephanie Zvirin, Accessed 2010. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

The picture of a missing child printed on a milk carton attracts the attention of 15-year-old Jane Johnson. A glimpse of the girl's polka-dot dress causes memories to surface, and Jane begins to review her past and question her true identity. It is nearly impossible for Jane to perceive her loving parents as kidnappers; the task of gathering evidence and drawing conclusions proves less difficult than confronting the undeniable truth. As the novel ends, Jane has found the courage to contact her real parents, but Cooney cleverly leaves the events that follow to readers' imaginations. Although the book's plot is based largely on coincidences, Cooney's skilled writing makes even the most unlikely events seem plausible. The roller-coaster ride Jane experiences with her emotions is both absorbing and convincing. Strong characterizations and suspenseful, impeccably-paced action add to this novel's appeal. Ages 12-up. --Publishers Weekly; March 1990. (Retrieved from http://catalog.lapl.org/carlweb/)

Suggested Use in Library
This book might be recommended to a teenager who enjoys mysteries and comes to the library looking for more recommendations. I'm not a huge fan of this book but would not discount it entirely as a part of Reader's Advisory. The good thing is that if a teenager enjoys this book, they can continue reading about Janie's story in three subsequent novels.

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SLIS 5420/Module 9
Mystery
October 18-24, 2010