BIBLIOGRAPHY
Frost, Helen. 2020. ALL HE KNEW FarrarStrausGiroux. ISBN 9780374312992
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This story is based on true events. In this text, we have Henry who is deaf, and decides that by the time he turns six, he no longer believes it is safe to speak to people. He is smart, and aware of the language but when he begins school he is labeled as “unteachable”. His family has little to no money, and feeling inadequate to support him they decide to send him to Riverview and an institution where he is not treated nicely, he is still misunderstood. We later see that Victor comes into Henry's life and is able to see him for who he is, brave, clear and at times mischievous. With Victor's care, Henry starts seeing a better version of himself.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Frost does an excellent job at telling this story of hope, and resilience. I really enjoyed how the story was broken into four parts, unteachable, change and home. The names really resemble the story's breakdown, beginning by seeing how Henry's first years were with his family and how he lost his hearing. Frost does an amazing job at depicting Henry's feelings throughout the story. We can see how authentic to his age and time period of this story that takes place. She structures the book in such a way that we get a glimpse of what is coming by reading the subtitles, and it maintains the readers captivated to just want to continue to read it all unfold. While reading we can see how she correlates the window illustration to the writing, Henry feels safe there and can see all the things that are taking place while still keeping his distance.
Overall, this book was an easy to follow read. It was very captivating and thought provoking, it also allows for people to empathize with him, and anyone going through some of the challenges that our main character faced.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Kirkus Reviews
“Frost depicts one grim reality of deaf/Deaf life in mid-20th-century America in a way that is approachable for readers as she explores the rarely discussed story of conscientious objectors in World War II. The story is told in discrete poems, creating an episodic narrative that highlights poignant moments and delves into characters’ thoughts. All the characters are presumed white. However artful, the book is not without flaws. Characters repeatedly suggest that Henry’s institutionalization is particularly unjust because he is " smart," an implicit comment on intellectual disabilities that is not adequately explored. The author’s note detracts from the story itself, raising questions that wouldn’t need to be asked otherwise, such as why the author gave Henry the ability to speak when the man he is based on could not. A sequence of poems by the author’s mother-in-law that inspired the novel are included and contain an outdated portrayal of disability that is presented without context or commentary for readers.An engaging, emotional read that tells an important story with caveats.”
Horn Book (8/1/20)
“In free-verse poems, Frost tells the story of Henry, deafened by disease in 1937 at age four. Because Henry is deemed "unteachable" by the School for the Deaf, his family is pressured to consign him at age six to a residential institution for the "feeble-minded," a dumping ground for those with a variety of cognitive and physical issues. Through his own intelligence and good nature, Henry makes friends and survives this place of scarcity and lovelessness. And once the United States enters World War II, a compassionate conscientious objector joins the staff, bringing hope for Henry's return to his family. Frost's short poems sketch Henry's story through clips of his experiences, conveying his limited understanding of what is going on around him. But she also frames his experience within a larger context -- of the family that is too poor and cowed to care for him, and of the role conscientious objectors played during the war. This is a quick read, full of historical richness and glimpses of the cruelty and abuse so common in the institutions of the era. Frost's interpretation is softened by the hopeful conclusion of Henry's return home and his introduction to American Sign Language. Deirdre F. Baker”
ALA Booklist (7/1/20)
“A bright lad who survived a childhood illness but lost his hearing, Henry is six years old in 1939, when he arrived at Riverview, a residential facility staffed by loutish attendants. Considered "unteachable," the boys are provided with substandard food and living conditions but ample punishments for small infractions. Henry makes two friends there. Still, he longs for home. Living in poverty, his family can rarely afford bus fare to visit him. In 1942, a young conscientious objector named Victor was assigned to Henry's ward. He treats the boys kindly, recognizes Henry's intelligence, and begins a correspondence with his family. In 1944, Henry returns home, where his older sister Molly begins teaching him sign language and helping him adjust to their community. Inspired by her mother-in-law's poems based on family memories and included in an appended section, this moving story unfolds in a novel written in third person, creating interwoven narratives in free verse and sonnets expressing Henry's, Molly's, and Victor's points of view. Frost brings Henry's experiences sharply into focus through her spare, evocative storytelling.”
5. CONNECTIONS (This book is geared more for a middle school audience)
This book would be great as a book club read, and understanding those with diverse abilities
Connecting this book to real life and personal experiences on how to overcome situations in adversity
Connection to determination no matter the obstacles in which society often feeds into.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Yelchin,Eugene. 2011. BREAKING STALIN'S NOSE SquareFish. ISBN 9780805092165
2. PLOT SUMMARY
This story begins with a young boy named Sasha, who absolutely loves and is devoted to his father, their nation and its beliefs. His father is very hard working and is respected among his soviet communist peers. The boy has been raised with a strong sense of pride when it comes to his country, and their beliefs. However, one night everything takes a turn for the worst; his father is arrested leaving Sasha to fend for himself, since his aunt does not want to take on for his care in fear that she too may be arrested. When an incident in school arises as something seen as betrayal symbolized by the breaking of Stalin's nose, he is worried that he will be arrested and will not be able to continue his journey as a pioneer if anyone finds out it was him. Through all of these experiences he goes through he soon reflects and is on a self discovery journey to think about all of the unsettling truths behind communism and doesn’t know if he wants to be a part of something that does not stand by family and what is morally right.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This was a very captivating story, it really stuck out to me just how devoted the son was to his father, he really idolized him. This reminds me of what as children we sometimes think about our parents, and as we grow up we can see some flaws starting to pop up. That is the self-discovery that Yelchin was able to write about. We learn alot about how during this time period things were when it comes to his country, their beliefs and how together their family was. Yelchin uses illustrations that at times resemble propaganda characters when looking at certain illustrations, and I think this is because Yelchin wants to stay as authentic to his story as possible, by giving us an inside look as to how it all probably started with his strong beliefs for his country. We quickly learn that just like our main character our writer has gone through this and is wanting to tell his story, unafraid and willing to expose what he can to stand on his truth.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book
“Ten-year-old Sasha Zaichik loves Stalin and the Communist party. He's especially proud of his father, a member of the secret police. Sasha's worldview shifts after his father is arrested. Although the story takes place over just two days, it is well paced, peeling off the layers of Sasha's naivety. Appropriately menacing illustrations add a sinister tone.”
School Library Journal (8/1/11)
“Gr 5-7 Velchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin. Sasha Zaichik, the 10-year-old son of a member of the secret police, is bursting with pride because he is ready to become a Young Pioneer. He is equally excited that his father will be officiating at the ceremony. But then he watches as his father is taken away to prison, turned in by a neighbor vying for bigger living quarters. Sasha joins his peers in taunting Borka Finkelstein, their only Jewish classmate, even though readers sense that he doesn't really want to do it. The question of who is a good Communist underlies much of the plot. The book's intriguing title refers to Sasha accidentally breaking the nose off a bust of Stalin. Borka, desperate to see his imprisoned parents, confesses to the action, with the hope that he will be taken to prison, too. Sasha does not admit his own guilt. Eventually disillusionment overtakes homeless Sasha as he waits in line to visit his father. Velchin's illustrations are filled with pathos and breathe life into the narrative. Though there are many two-dimensional characters, mostly among the adults, Sasha and Borka are more fully drawn. While the story was obviously created to shed light on the oppression, secrecy, and atrocities under Stalin's regime, Sasha's emotions ring true. This is an absorbing, quick, multilayered read in which predictable and surprising events intertwine. Velchin clearly dramatizes the dangers of blindly believing in anything. Along with Ruta Sepetys Between Shades of Gray (Philomel, 2011), this selection gives young people a look at this dark history. Renee Steinberg, formerly at Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ”
Kirkus Reviews
“There's no place for the likes of you in our class," Sasha Zaichik's teacher tells him, and that seems to be the motto of the whole Stalinist nation. Yelchin's debut novel does a superb job of depicting the tyranny of the group, whether residents of a communal apartment, kids on the playground, students in the classroom or government officials. It's the readiness of the group to create outsiders—bad ones, "unreliables," "wreckers"—by instilling fear in everyone that chills. Not many books for such a young audience address the Stalinist era, when, between 1923 and 1953, leaving a legacy of fear for future generations. Joseph Stalin's State Security was responsible for exiling, executing or imprisoning 20 million people. Sasha is 10 years old and is devoted to Stalin, even writing adoring letters to Comrade Stalin expressing his eagerness at becoming a Young Pioneer. But his mother has died mysteriously, his father has been imprisoned and Sasha finds he has important moral choices to make. Yelchin's graphite illustrations are an effective complement to his prose, which unfurls in Sasha's steady, first-person voice, and together they tell an important tale. A story just as relevant in our world, "where innocent people face persecution and death for making a choice about what they believe to be right," as that of Yelchin's childhood. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-12)
5. CONNECTIONS
Connections with father and son (Family dynamics)
Finding of self, after a loss/absence (this can be a conversation you can have within morning meetings)
Historical and Social Issues, how this is still relevant today
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Wiles, Deborah. 2017. REVOLUTION. ScholasticBookServices. ISBN 9780545106078
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this story, we follow a 12 year old girl named Sunny, whose town is being taken over, or that is at least what the adults in the community are saying. All Sunny knows is that people from up north are coming to help people register to vote. All the while, Sunny can't help but feel like her house is being taken over too. She has a new stepmother, a new brother, and a new sister bombarding her life, giving her little room to breathe. And things get even trickier when Sunny and her brother are caught sneaking into the local swimming pool where they end up meeting a mystery boy who will soon be tangled into their lives. They figure out how to stand up for themselves and fight for what's right.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In this novel we can see Wiles, exploring the themes of friendship, courage and the fight for equality. Wiles does an excellent job at depicting the time period of when this story took place, through some of the propaganda shown in the book, it’s real life images we can really take it all in and see the story unfold with real life examples.
Overall this story is able to captivate its readers and captures the Civil Rights movement in a way that readers anywhere can keep up with this story and bring on the change needed.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Booklist starred (August 2014 (Online))
Grades 6-9. “ Several voices narrate, but the story belongs to Ray and, mostly, Sunny, whose confusion, dismay, fear, and bravery will resonate strongly with readers. Occasionally the family issues threaten to overwhelm the engrossing scenes of a society-altering summer. For the most part, though, Wiles does an excellent job of entwining the two plot strands and seamlessly integrating her exhaustive research, which is detailed at the book’s conclusion. She also grew up in the South and brings an insider’s authenticity. As in Countdown, the outstanding period artwork, photographs, snippets of sayings, and songs interspersed throughout bring a troubled time close.”
Kirkus Reviews starred (April 15, 2014)
“When trained volunteers for the Council of Federated Organizations--an amalgam of civil rights groups--flood the town to register black voters and establish schools, their work is met with suspicion and bigotry by whites and fear and welcome by blacks. In this companion to Countdown (2010) (with returning character Jo Ellen as one of the volunteers), Wiles once again blends a coming-of-age story with pulsating documentary history. Excerpts from contemporary newspapers, leaflets and brochures brutally expose Ku Klux Klan hatred and detail Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee instructions on how to react to arrest while on a picket line. Song lyrics from the Beatles, Motown and spirituals provide a cultural context. Copious photographs and sub narratives encapsulate a very wide range of contemporary people and events. But it is Sunny and, more briefly, Raymond who anchor the story as their separate and unequal lives cross paths again and again and culminate in a horrific drive-by shooting. A stepmother to embrace and equal rights are the prizes--even as the conflict in Vietnam escalates. Fifty years later, 1960s words and images still sound and resound in this triumphant middle volume of the author's Sixties Trilogy. (author's note, bibliography) (Historical fiction. 11-15)”
School Library Journal (May 1, 2014)
Gr 5-8- “While Sunny's experiences receive a slightly deeper focus than Raymond's, readers are offered a window into each community and will see both characters change and grow over the course of the summer. Inclusion of primary source materials, including the text of a real and vile pamphlet created by KKK members, does not shy away from the reality and hurtful language used by bigots during this time period. For those looking to extend the story with a full-sensory experience, the author has compiled YouTube clips of each song referenced in the book on a Pinterest board (http://ow.ly/vBGTc). With elements of family drama and coming-of-age themes that mirror the larger socio-political backdrop, Revolution is a book that lingers long after the last page.-Kiera Parrott, School Library Journal (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.``
5. CONNECTIONS
Civil Rights & Social Justice, connecting this text to the ongoing issues we have today with human rights, racial equality, the activism around it and how can we support these issues and be an advocate
Youth Activism, this is a great book to empower young people to want to advocate for what they believe in, and what they value and feel is important to them.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
BRADLEY BRUBAKER, KIMBERLY. 2019. THE WAR THAT SAVED MY LIFE. ThorndikePress. ISBN 9780803740815
2. PLOT SUMMARY
In this story, we have our main character Ada, a ten year old girl who has not come out of her one room apartment because her own mother is humiliated by her twisted foot. Her brother Jaime is being shipped to escape from the war, and she doesn’t waste any time in second thought and sneaks on the ship with him. Later on a woman Susan Smith becomes responsible for the both of them and there Ada becomes more confident in herself, and learns new things while being with Susan that she begins to trust and feel safe with her. However the war brings challenges, and Ada is faced with either staying with Susan, or the harsh reality of going back with her cruel mother.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
When beginning this book, it tugs at the heartstrings. The first chapter was such a raw, and real depiction of what our main character was going through. She begins to question if she is turning into the same thing that she is afraid of, her mother. Bradley does a great job in letting us see the raw situation unfold, and touches on the topic that might be more usual than not, she doesn’t lose the focus in this story at all though. Bradley still makes sure to have her readers empathize with her main character, and learn just as Ada that the road to self discovery is never linear, and there will be obstacles that get in the way of her journey. We are able to see themes such as family, and the impact of war throughout her writing style.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
School Library Journal (1/3/23)
Gr 4-6 Bradley turns her keen historical eye from Monticello ( Jefferson's Sons , Penguin, 2011) to the British home front during World War II. Ada isn't exactly sure how old she is; for as long as she can remember, she's been a virtual prisoner in her mother's third floor one-room apartment. She was born with a clubfoot and her mother uses her disability as an excuse to abuse her both emotionally and physically. Ada watches the world through the narrow confines of the apartment window, waves to neighbors in the street, and carefully gauges the danger of being beaten during each encounter with her hateful mother. She envies the freedom of her little brother, Jamie, who goes to school and generally roves the neighborhood at will. When her mother prepares to ship Jamie out to the countryside with other children being evacuated from London, Ada sneaks out with him. When the two fail to be chosen by any villagers, the woman in charge forces Susan Smith, a recluse, to take them in. Though Susan is reluctant and insists that she knows nothing about caring for children, she does so diligently and is baffled by the girl's fearful flinching anytime Ada makes a mistake. Though uneducated, Ada is intensely observant and quick to learn. Readers will ache for her as she misreads cues and pushes Susan away even though she yearns to be enfolded in a hug. There is much to like here-Ada's engaging voice, the vivid setting, the humor, the heartbreak, but most of all the tenacious will to survive exhibited by Ada and the villagers who grow to love and accept her. Brenda Kahn, Tenakill Middle School, Closter, NJ
Horn Book (1/3/23)
Ten-year-old Ada, abused by her cruel, ignorant mam due to an unrepaired clubfoot, has never been outside her squalid London flat. With WWII imminent, her brother, Jamie, is evacuated to the countryside, and Ada determines to go with him. The emotional content feels completely true, especially in recognition of how far Ada's journey will be to both physical and mental health.
ALA Booklist (1/3/23)
When word starts to spread about Germans bombing London, Ada's mother decides to send her little brother, Jamie, to the country. Not 11-year-old Ada, though he was born with a crippling clubfoot, and her cruel mother treats her like a slave. But Ada has painfully taught herself to walk, so when Jaime departs for the train, she limps along with him. In Kent, they're assigned to crotchety Susan, who lives alone and suffers from bouts of depression. But the three warm to each other: Susan takes care of them in a loving (if a bit prickly) way, and Ada finds a sense of purpose and freedom of movement, thanks to Susan's pony, Butter. Ada finally feels worthy of love and respect, but when looming bombing campaigns threaten to take them away from Susan, her strength and resolve are tested. The home-front realities of WWII, as well as Ada's realistic anger and fear, come to life in Bradley's affecting and austerely told story, and readers will cheer for steadfast Ada as she triumphs over despair.
5. CONNECTIONS
Disability and self-acceptance, discussions on inclusion, social awareness and disability rights can be discussed through this book
Historical relevance to today's day in age, even if this is taking time in a different period in time, we can still make connections in how this is still relevant today
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