Genre 3 Book Reviews - LS 5603

 1. The Llama Who Had No Pajama

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Hoberman, Mary Ann. 1998. The Llama Who Had No Pajama -- 100 Favorite Poems. by Fraser, Betty. Boston, Mass. : Sandpiper. ISBN 0152001115

B. PLOT SUMMARY

The Llama Who Had No Pajama does not have a plot or a protagonist guiding a narrative. It is a series of one hundred poems that are an ode to the joys and discoveries of childhood. Many of the poems are focused on animals, which delightfully include many different kinds of animals such as tapirs and praying mantises, and an entire counting poem created around bugs. There are poems dedicated to the weather, to sibling relationships, to school, and to colors, all common experiences for children to learn about and share in.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The poems employ a standard typewriter font across all poems which makes for easy readability. It is also an old fashioned sort of font that lends to the timelessness of the poetry. Times change but children relate to the same concepts of animals, colors, plants, weather, and school.

Many of the poems are arranged in a standard column but just as many interact directly with the illustrations. The illustrations become part of many of the poems. "When I Need A Real Baby" depicts a child playing with her dog as if he were her baby and she were his mother. The illustrations appear to be watercolor and they are interspersed between each line, serving as punctuation instead of the traditional kind as they depict the action of each sentence. The illustrations are kept as small little icons on the white page so that they do not visually overwhelm the reader. These illustrations are also a sequel to the previous two pages on the previous page, "Excursion" and "Cookie Magic" which shows the same little girl character dressing her puppy up in a baby bonnet and riding him around in a carriage. This interplay of the soft watercolors and the text of the poems is a constant throughout the book which provides an engaging experience that demonstrates the connection between an illustration and text. Each illustration in the book by Betty Fraser looks to be either watercolor or gouache, all done in soft colors.

Only a few of the poems employ traditional rhymes, as in the entire poem having matching sounds. Ms. Hoberman favors shorter staccato phrases in her poems that lead to short rhythms with many sharp consonants to give the poems a pointed texture. This texture helps the poems leave an impression on the reader. Some of the poems are long form but for the most part these are intended to suit the attention span of the average kid, which is not terribly long. The figurative language of each piece is understated but simple, and each is paired with a suitable illustration.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

• Best Children's Books of the Year, 1999, Special Interests Poetry

• Books to Read Aloud to Children of All Ages, 2003, Poetry and Verse

• Children's Books of Distinction, 1999, Poetry

• Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, 2001

• Children's Literature Choice List, 1999, Poetry
  

• Children's Literature, Jan Lieberman:

  • Mary Ann Hoberman has charmed us for years with her singable, readable, factual, fantastical poems. Now we have a collection of 100 of her favorite poems in The Llama Who Had No Pajama, stylishly illustrated by Betty Fraser. Whether writing about animals or insects, e.g. "O Mrs. Mosquito, quit biting me please! I'm happy my blood type with your type agrees..." or about the human condition as in "Changing"--I know what I feel like; / I'd like to be you/ And feel what you feel like/ And do what you do..." or chanting an ode to the letter O--"O is open/ O is round/ O's a circle/ O's a sound..." her musicality sparkles.

• Kutztown, Dr. Lynn Milet:

  • This is a collection of 100 whimsical poems for every mood and interest. There are poems about applesauce, climbing trees, swinging on swings, growing up, the changing seasons, bugs on the ground and many other commonplace things, places, and issues. The books is an excellent poetry collection for beginning or experienced readers. The illustrations are bright, colorful and inventive. Reading this book will definitely spark interest in poetry for the young reader.

E. CONNECTIONS

• Other books Mary Ann Hoberman

Miss Mary Mack by Mary Ann Hoberman. ISBN 9780316537346

A House Is A House For Me by Mary Ann Hoberman. ISBN 9780142419564

Whose Garden Is It? by Mary Ann Hoberman. ISBN 9780152026318

The Tree That Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science, and Imagination by Mary Ann Hoberman. ISBN 9781402225178

• These poems would make for good introductions to animals, unique plants, the alphabet, and social situations for a wide range of grade levels, ages, and classroom subjects (such as science and literature.)

2. Planet Middle School

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grimes, Nikki. 2018. Planet Middle School. New York: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books. ISBN 9781619630123

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Planet Middle School follows the protagonist Joylin during her first year of middle school, using free verse poetry. She starts the year with her friends Jake and KeeLee, playing basketball and enjoying sports. She resists anything that might be stereotypically "girly," even when her friend KeeLee begins trying out different clothes and looks. Her father appreciates Joylin's skill at sports (though he does bemoan her lack of girlishness to her mother at one point) but struggles to understand his son's artistic skills. Despite Joylin's sense of foreboding, puberty comes for her too, and she has to go through the embarrassing changes to her body as well as face down the prospect of her first crush. This leaves her friend Jake less than impressed as she tries to impress the new boy, Santiago. It finally resolves when Santiago moves on to a new crush of his own and Joylin is reminded of what is important when her friend Jake is caught in a traffic accident. She begins finding her new style that suits her as a person and becomes closer to Jake and KeeLee as they unite in navigating the muddy waters of puberty together.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

There are no illustrations in Planet Middle School except for the cover, which is a beautiful rendering of the protagonist implied to be created by her younger brother Caden in the poem "Artiste." Otherwise the poetry is simple free verse text.

The lines of each poem are short and to the point, with words chosen for their crisp length. This makes them very readable and easy to consume, and the plain verse is a perfect fit for the point of view of a young woman entering this new stage of her life. The language of each poem is similar in its straight forward portrayal of Joylin's experiences: the description of her expanding chest has well drawn and to the point without being creepy (“two weird mounds ruining/the perfect flatness/of my chest”).

This unassuming style makes the emotional battles Joylin must fight similarly poignant, such as when KeeLee first notices a red haired ninth grade boy, much to Joylin's recognizable chagrin. Who among us did not suffer second hand embarrassment at the sight of our friends falling over for their first crush? And then as the story progresses, we too suffer similar second hand embarrassment as Joylin makes her first attempts at attracting her own crush's attention, accidentally grinding her other friendship to a near-pulp along the way. All of this rolls along with fluidity and precision.

Planet Middle School is a poignant portrayal of a difficult time that we all experienced as we grew up. Children attending middle school would find this book imminently relatable and we adults can easily see ourselves in Joylin's journey as she discovers new elements of her individuality and reaffirms her friendships.

D. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• African-American Interest Young Readers' Titles, 2011-2012 Bloomsbury Children’s Books

• Choices, 2012 Children's Fiction

• School Library Journal Book Review Stars, 2011

• School Stories: Selected K-12 Literature about the School Experience, 2014 Fitting In

• Garden State Teen Book Award, 2014; Fiction Book

• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award, 2012 - 2013 ; Grades 6-8

• Reading Olympics Booklist, 2017; Middle School

• Reading Olympics Booklist, 2013; Middle School

• Young Adult Reading Program, 2013 - 2014 ; Middle School
  
  

• CCBC

  • Joylin is a basketball-loving tomboy whose best friend KeeLee has suddenly become boy crazy at the start of middle school. Joy doesn t understand the sudden interest in girly things and resents the changing dynamic of their friendship. But then Joy develops a crush on a boy named Santiago, and it all begins to make sense. She still loves playing basketball with the guys, but when she starts wearing skirts and using makeup, they begin to treat her differently. Even Joy s long-time friend and basketball buddy Jake criticizes her changing behavior, yet doesn't think twice about making his own appreciative comments about the appearance of other girls. Written in verse, the novel is accessible and right on target for young readers, examining gender roles and expectations within a realistic and entertaining story about an African American girl.

• SoundCommentary, Alyson Grossman

  • Planet Middle School is a terrific name for this short story of Joylin Johnson s life, related through poems. Listeners entering or in middle school and experiencing the awkwardness of finding her place and figuring out who she is, how to fit in, and why her body is changing may well feel like she is on another planet. Joylin starts noticing her friends are no longer interested in playing basketball with the boys but are more interested in checking out the boys. Although she usually wears baggy jeans and t-shirts, she too begins experimenting with miniskirts and makeup. Listeners are introduced to Joylin s family where Dad would prefer his son play basketball instead of drawing. Joylin teaches her younger brother that it is ok to not play sports and to be proud of the talents you have.

E. CONNECTIONS

• Other books by Nikki Grimes:

Legacy: Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance by Nikki Grimes. ISBN 9781681199443

Poems In the Attic by Nikki Grimes. ISBN 9781620140277

A Dime a Dozen by Nikki Grimes. ISBN 9780803722279

• This book would make an excellent introduction into African American culture studies for American students as well as an introduction into African American literature.

3. Diamond Willow

A. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Frost, Helen. 2011. Diamond Willow. New York: Square Fish. ISBN 9780312603830

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Diamond Willow follows the protagonist, known to her family as Willow, as she cares for her sled dog Roxy. Like many young adolescents, Willow struggles to fit in and sticks to close to her sled dogs for support while trying to avoid being picked on at school. Roxy is blinded in an accident during an outing into the wilderness and Willow is faced with the prospect of her dog being put to sleep so she does not suffer from a bad quality of life. However, Willow fights back on Roxy's behalf, and takes Roxy out to prove she can pull the sled again. Through out the course of this journey Willow discovers she had a twin sister, Diamond, who passed away when they were babies. As Willow goes on a survivalist journey with Roxy it becomes clear that her ancestors (including her sister Diamond as Roxy) have reincarnated as animals and that they are with her as they help her home.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The book does not bear any illustrations except for the design of the poems themselves. The poet deliberately shaped each poem to resemble a diamond, as per the irregular patterns found on diamond willow. This is a reoccurring theme in more ways than one: diamond willow must have its bark stripped and be polished in order to reveal the beautiful pattern.

The words in each poem is arranged so that they form a diamond pattern. No two poems are shaped precisely the same, as is true with diamonds and the diamond willow pattern in real life. Words through out each poem are set in bold font to form a second message that contains the underlying message of the poem it is set inside. The verse is free form and does not follow any particular rhyme or meter, but is very lyrical thanks to the soft vowels and consonants that Ms. Frost favors. It makes for an engrossing read and is easy to consume.

Thematically the protagonist herself resembles her namesake, Diamond Willow. As a twelve year old who is growing up into a big world, she is similarly covered in emotional bark that will require polishing to reveal the beautiful pattern underneath. Willow goes through a classic hero's journey where she strikes out on her own, bites off more than she can chew resulting in her paying a price, and thus she begins the painful journey of growing up. Willow learns first and foremost that it is possible for her to deeply hurt the people she loves despite her best intentions, but that her family will still love her regardless. This loyalty and love of her family is symbolized by the sled dogs, notable even among canines for their extreme loyalty to their humans as well as their intelligence and resilience. The love and loyalty of a dog is comparable to the love and loyalty of a human family member, and this symbolism within the story underlines the importance and value of these connections.

Willow begins growing into her own when she advocates for Roxy, imploring her family not to have her put to sleep just because of their personal worries about Roxy's quality of life. At this point Willow is let in on a secret that the reader suspected but that Willow did not: Willow was born with a twin sister, Diamond, who passed away. Thanks to the prose interjections from Willow's spirit-bound ancestors, we know that her sister was reincarnated as Roxy and this is one of the reasons why Roxy is so loyal to her. Diamond's love for Willow was so profound that she came back as a sled dog, an expression of deep love and loyalty to her sibling.

Willow completes her hero's journey when she takes her sled team out into the wilderness so that Roxy can learn how to pull the sled despite being blinded in the accident at the beginning of the tale. The descriptions of Roxy re-learning how to pull the sled with the help of her sled mate Cora is a poignant description of re-learning a skill after suffering from an accident that leaves one disabled in some way. Willow survives the journey through the wilderness with her sled team, coming out with Roxy once again an able sled puller and herself polished into a diamond. This is done with the spiritual assistance of her ancestors, who like her flesh and blood relatives, never abandon her to her fate.

Diamond Willow is a very poignant story about growing up, accepting the responsibility of hurting someone you love, and learning to move on while learning from the painful lessons of the past. This is certainly a story that any one from any age or demographic can enjoy.

D. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

• 50 Books about Survival, 2012 In the Eye of the Storm

• Best Children's Books of the Year, 2009 Ages (9 to 12)

• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens, 2009 Ages (10-14)

• Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens, 2010

• Choices, 2009 Children's Fiction

• Pure Poetry, 2008

• Sense of Place, Sense of Self, 2009 Middle School

• Alaska Battle of the Books, 2012; Grades 5-6

• Alaska Battle of the Books, 2017; Grades 5-6

• Alaska Battle of the Books, 2019; Grades 5-6

• Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, 2009; Grades 4-6

• Bluestem Award, 2019; Children's

• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award, 2009 - 2010 ;

• Georgia Children's Book Award, 2010 - 2011 ; Grades 4-8

• Iowa Children's Choice Award, 2010 - 2011 ;

• Keystone to Reading Book Award, 2009 - 2010 ; Intermediate

• Lone Star Reading List, 2009;

• Louisiana Young Readers' Choice Award, 2011; Grades 6-8

• Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award, 2012 - 2013 ; Grades 3-5

• Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award, 2012 - 2013 ; Grades 6-8

• Nene Award, 2011;

• North Carolina Children's Book Award, 2010; Junior Books

• Read On Wisconsin, 2013 - 2014 ; Grade 5-9

• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, 2011;

• Sasquatch Reading Award, 2011;

• William Allen White Children's Book Award, 2010 - 2011 ; Grades 6-8

• Wisconsin Battle of the Books, 2010 - 2011 ; Senior

• Booklist, Hazel Rochman

  • Set in a remote part of Alaska, this story in easy-to-read verse blends exciting survival adventure with a contemporary girl's discovery of family roots and secrets. Middle-schooler Willow's dad is Anglo, and her mother is Athabascan. The girl longs to spend more time with her traditional Indian grandparents even though she knows she will miss computers and other things that are a part of her life. When her beloved dog, Roxy, is blinded in an accident (partly Willow s fault), and her parents want to put the dog down, Willow tries to take Roxy to Grandma and Grandpa. The two are caught in a raging blizzard, and Willow is saved by the spirits of her ancestors, who live on in the wild animals around her. Frost, who spent years teaching in Alaska, blends the young teen s viewpoint with a strong sense of place and culture. The casual diamond shape of the poems reflects how precious jewels of wisdom can grow around painful scars. Willow s bond with Roxy is the heart of the tale. Give this to fans of dog stories and to readers who liked Gary Paulsen s Hatchet (1987).

• Kirkus

  • Diamond Willow, a young Alaskan of Athabascan and European descent, doesn't have many friends; she's happiest when she's sledding her father's dogs and visiting her grandparents. When her first solo dogsled trip to her grandparents ends with a terrible crash that blinds her father's favorite dog, Roxy, she sets to making sure that Roxy will live out her days with care and not undergo euthanasia a decision that leads to an amazing revelation about her family. Frost presents her story in a series of poems in Willow's voice, using a form inspired by the marks on a diamond willow stick; roughly diamond-shaped and no two exactly alike, each contains a "hidden message" printed in boldface that spans several lines and encapsulates the poem. It's a novel idea, and largely works quite well. Less effective are interstitial narratives in the voices of the characters' ancestors, who take part in the story as animals. This device, although integrated into the narrative as a whole, serves to distract the reader from the quiet power of Willow's story. Flawed, but not fatally so.

E. CONNECTIONS

• Other books by Helen Frost:
  

  Monarch and Milkweed by Helen Frost. ISBN 9781416900856

  Keesha's House by Helen Frost. ISBN 9780312641276

  The Braid by Helen Frost. ISBN 9780374309626

• Survivalist fiction
  

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. ISBN 9781509838790

Tracker by Gary Paulsen. ISBN 9780590440981

Julie of the Wolves by Jean Craighead George. ISBN 9780064400589

Julie's Wolf Pack by Jean Craighead George. ISBN 9780062884329

Shipwreck by Gordon Korman. ISBN 9780439164566

The Call of the Wild: White Fang by Jack London. ISBN 9780785839897