1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
O’Dell, Scott. 1960. ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company. ISBN 0395536804
2. PLOT SUMMARY
On the Island of the Blue Dolphins, a small village called Ghalas-at was located and populated by natives, one of which was Karana. Karana’s father was the Chief Chowig, until a fleet of Russian otter-hunters came and killed many of the village men. The new Chief Kimki decides to secure the villagers with a new home in a country that he visited as a boy. He leaves and is gone a long time before a boat was sent to rescue the islanders. Karana, not finding her brother on the boat, jumps off and swims to shore. The boat sails on, leaving the two siblings behind.
Eventually, Ramo, Karana’s brother becomes brave and leaves by himself to fetch a canoe on the other side of the island. He never makes it to his destination. Karana vows revenge against the dog pack that killed her brother, nearly succeeding. When she finds the leader of the dog pack wounded by her spear, instead of killing him, she nurses him back to health and names him Rontu.
Karana and Rontu live for many years on the island together. Eventually, the Aleut, who killed her father and many of the other men on the island, returned. She befriended one of the Aleut women, which made her realize how lonely she had been. Soon, a ship came to rescue Karana and she went with them to Santa Barbara, where she lived out the rest of her days.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Island of the Blue Dolphins is an Island off the coast of California called San Nicolas Island. The story is told in third person with Karana being the protagonist. The reader gets the opportunity to watch Karana grow and mature from being a young girl to a self-reliant woman during her 18 year stay on the island.
O’Dell’s characterization of Karana was amazing. He was showing her strengths as well has her vulnerabilities. We see her strength and pride in her home and her desire for human companionship. We understand her fears and cherish her accomplishments.
The language O’Dell uses is fairly easy to read and includes an interesting dialect, most likely used on San Nicolas Island. The novel includes several beautiful full-color illustrations by Ted Lewin depicting various scenes from the book.
This story is a true testament to pride, maturity, survival, and self-identity.
4. AWARDS WON AND REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Newbery Metal Award
AMAZON.COM: “A gripping story of battling wild dogs and sea elephants, this simply told, suspenseful tale of survival is also an uplifting adventure of the spirit.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL Starred Review: “A haunting and unusual story based on the fact that in the early 1800s an Indian girl spent eighteen years alone on a rocky island far off the coast of California . . . A quiet acceptance of fate characterizes her ordeal.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students may research San Nicholas Island and the story that this book was based on.
*Students may discuss how they would react to being on an island by themselves. How would they feel, what would they do, etc.
*Look for these other works of interest:
O’Dell, Scott. THE BLACK PEARL. ISBN 0440411467
Konigsburg, E.L. FROM THE MIXED-UP FILES OF MRS. BASIL E FRANKWEILER. ISBN 1416949755
O’Brien, Robert C., MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH. ISBN 0689710682
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
WHEN MY NAME WAS KEOKO by Linda Sue Park
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Park, Linda Sue. 2002. WHEN MY NAME WAS KEOKO. New York, NY: Clarion. ISBN 0618133356
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kim Sun-hee and Kim Tae-yul were siblings growing up in Japanese-occupied Korea during World War II. Sun-hee was an intellectual girl who did well in school and was top of her class in kanji, the Japanese art of writing. Tae-yul was her older brother who would much rather work on something mechanical than study. They each have a unique view on their fading Korean culture.
The Japanese takeover came with many rules, and added more as needed. The flag, language, and daily culture were all required to be Japanese. The Korean citizens were even required to change their names to Japanese names, an act that the Kims reluctantly obliged. All Rose of Sharon trees were to be pulled up and burned, and replaced with Cherry trees. Any hint of Korean culture was stripped from every household.
Sun-hee was not very resistant of the changes, preferring some of the Japanese customs over her Korean ones. Tae-yul wanted his family to be proud of him. He joined the Kamikazes to help support his family. He often sent coded messages to his sister for her to decipher. The last message he wrote his family told them about his final mission and that he would not be returning home. Devastated, they accepted his sacrifice. He, later, was able to return home, unharmed.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
When My Name was Keoko tells the story of Korea during World War II. Park uses the voices of two siblings, Sun-hee and Tae-yul to describe the daily life in Japan-occupied Korea. Each sibling takes turns telling a section of their story. We see each event through both sets of eyes. Through the interwoven telling of these two siblings, we see the true pride in Korean culture from two unique views.
The language is fairly easy to follow and Park takes time in pointing out the meanings of Japanese and Korean words. Hints of culture are on every line, describing everything from food to expected gender roles. Park even includes many comparisons of the Japanese and Korean cultures.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Readers will come away with an appreciation of this period of history and likely a greater interest in learning more about it.”
AMAZON.COM REVIEW: “This well-researched historical novel is accompanied by a thoughtful author's note that explains what happened to Korea and families like the Kims after WWII and a bibliography to entice interested young readers into learning more about a topic largely unknown to American audiences.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students could be lead in discussion about World War II, Japanese culture and Korean culture
*Students could compare and contrast the two predominant cultures in this book
*Look for these other books of interest
Choi, Sook Nyul. YEAR OF IMPOSSIBLE GOODBYES. ISBN 0440407591
Park, Linda Sue. A SINGLE SHARD. ISBN 0440418518
Jiang, Ji-li. RED SCARF GIRL: MEMOIR OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. ISBN 0061667714
Park, Linda Sue. 2002. WHEN MY NAME WAS KEOKO. New York, NY: Clarion. ISBN 0618133356
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Kim Sun-hee and Kim Tae-yul were siblings growing up in Japanese-occupied Korea during World War II. Sun-hee was an intellectual girl who did well in school and was top of her class in kanji, the Japanese art of writing. Tae-yul was her older brother who would much rather work on something mechanical than study. They each have a unique view on their fading Korean culture.
The Japanese takeover came with many rules, and added more as needed. The flag, language, and daily culture were all required to be Japanese. The Korean citizens were even required to change their names to Japanese names, an act that the Kims reluctantly obliged. All Rose of Sharon trees were to be pulled up and burned, and replaced with Cherry trees. Any hint of Korean culture was stripped from every household.
Sun-hee was not very resistant of the changes, preferring some of the Japanese customs over her Korean ones. Tae-yul wanted his family to be proud of him. He joined the Kamikazes to help support his family. He often sent coded messages to his sister for her to decipher. The last message he wrote his family told them about his final mission and that he would not be returning home. Devastated, they accepted his sacrifice. He, later, was able to return home, unharmed.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
When My Name was Keoko tells the story of Korea during World War II. Park uses the voices of two siblings, Sun-hee and Tae-yul to describe the daily life in Japan-occupied Korea. Each sibling takes turns telling a section of their story. We see each event through both sets of eyes. Through the interwoven telling of these two siblings, we see the true pride in Korean culture from two unique views.
The language is fairly easy to follow and Park takes time in pointing out the meanings of Japanese and Korean words. Hints of culture are on every line, describing everything from food to expected gender roles. Park even includes many comparisons of the Japanese and Korean cultures.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY: “Readers will come away with an appreciation of this period of history and likely a greater interest in learning more about it.”
AMAZON.COM REVIEW: “This well-researched historical novel is accompanied by a thoughtful author's note that explains what happened to Korea and families like the Kims after WWII and a bibliography to entice interested young readers into learning more about a topic largely unknown to American audiences.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Students could be lead in discussion about World War II, Japanese culture and Korean culture
*Students could compare and contrast the two predominant cultures in this book
*Look for these other books of interest
Choi, Sook Nyul. YEAR OF IMPOSSIBLE GOODBYES. ISBN 0440407591
Park, Linda Sue. A SINGLE SHARD. ISBN 0440418518
Jiang, Ji-li. RED SCARF GIRL: MEMOIR OF THE CULTURAL REVOLUTION. ISBN 0061667714
THE GREEN GLASS SEA by Ellen Kages
1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670061344
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Klages writes an intriguing novel about two girls lives that intertwine during World War II. Dewey Kerrigan is the daughter of a scientist working on a special ‘gadget’ that will help the United States end the war for good. She is very interested in building gadgets of her own and spends her days at the junkyard finding parts, making her a social outcast with her peers, especially Suze. Suze Gordon constantly seeks the approval of her friends, who see her as desperate for attention. Suddenly, Suze finds herself sharing her room with the dreaded ‘Screwy Dewey’. After a few growing pains, the two misfits become friends.
Los Alamos is a strange place to grow up. Everything is a secret. They had no telephones and all of their outgoing mail is read by strangers. The children have little idea what their parents do and they are not allowed to ask too many questions.
Everyone, including Dewey and Suze or their parents who have been working on this project for years, are not prepared for the effects of the ‘gadget’. Though many signed on for this project with optimistic ideals, they are forced to rely on their patriotism when ethics get in the way.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is mostly told through the eyes of Dewey and Suze, two outcast girls living in a secret base in New Mexico during World War II. Klages uses natural language to express the thoughts and expressions of these prepubescent girls as they try to make sense of their lives in this strange community. Children often have questions about what is going on around them and Klages gave these girls a voice when they were not allowed to verbalize their thoughts. “If the government really wanted them to be happy, why did they read her mail? Why did they have barbed-wire fences and guards, sirens and passes?”
The characters she uses are real and relatable. Dewey is a young girl who loves science and gadgets. She stays in her own world and has very little in common with her peers. Suze is the girl that always wants attention and falls short when attempting to impress the other kids at school.
The setting is Los Alamos, a secret city in the hills of New Mexico that only allows access with special passes. It is a military base where scientists from all over the country are working side by side on a special ‘gadget’ that will help stop the war. Klages did an amazing job with her research to find out what life must have been like during this operation. Due to her detailed account of daily life, the reader gets pulled into the details and mystery of what is going on in Los Alamos.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way”
BOOKLIST: “The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*This is a book could lead to class discussions about the ethical concerns of the Atomic Bomb, World War II, or the many historical events that surround this time period.
*Students may compare and contrast their life to the lives of Dewey or Suze
* Other books of interest may include:
Zindel, Paul. THE GADGET. ISBN 0440229510
Davies, Jacqueline. WHERE THE GROUND MEETS THE SKY. ISBN 0761451870
Taylor, Theodore. THE BOMB. ISBN 0152061657
Klages, Ellen. 2006. THE GREEN GLASS SEA. New York, NY: Viking. ISBN 0670061344
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Klages writes an intriguing novel about two girls lives that intertwine during World War II. Dewey Kerrigan is the daughter of a scientist working on a special ‘gadget’ that will help the United States end the war for good. She is very interested in building gadgets of her own and spends her days at the junkyard finding parts, making her a social outcast with her peers, especially Suze. Suze Gordon constantly seeks the approval of her friends, who see her as desperate for attention. Suddenly, Suze finds herself sharing her room with the dreaded ‘Screwy Dewey’. After a few growing pains, the two misfits become friends.
Los Alamos is a strange place to grow up. Everything is a secret. They had no telephones and all of their outgoing mail is read by strangers. The children have little idea what their parents do and they are not allowed to ask too many questions.
Everyone, including Dewey and Suze or their parents who have been working on this project for years, are not prepared for the effects of the ‘gadget’. Though many signed on for this project with optimistic ideals, they are forced to rely on their patriotism when ethics get in the way.
3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is mostly told through the eyes of Dewey and Suze, two outcast girls living in a secret base in New Mexico during World War II. Klages uses natural language to express the thoughts and expressions of these prepubescent girls as they try to make sense of their lives in this strange community. Children often have questions about what is going on around them and Klages gave these girls a voice when they were not allowed to verbalize their thoughts. “If the government really wanted them to be happy, why did they read her mail? Why did they have barbed-wire fences and guards, sirens and passes?”
The characters she uses are real and relatable. Dewey is a young girl who loves science and gadgets. She stays in her own world and has very little in common with her peers. Suze is the girl that always wants attention and falls short when attempting to impress the other kids at school.
The setting is Los Alamos, a secret city in the hills of New Mexico that only allows access with special passes. It is a military base where scientists from all over the country are working side by side on a special ‘gadget’ that will help stop the war. Klages did an amazing job with her research to find out what life must have been like during this operation. Due to her detailed account of daily life, the reader gets pulled into the details and mystery of what is going on in Los Alamos.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “Many readers will know as little about the true nature of the project as the girls do, so the gradual revelation of facts is especially effective, while those who already know about Los Alamos's historical significance will experience the story in a different, but equally powerful, way”
BOOKLIST: “The characters are exceptionally well drawn, and the compelling, unusual setting makes a great tie-in for history classes.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*This is a book could lead to class discussions about the ethical concerns of the Atomic Bomb, World War II, or the many historical events that surround this time period.
*Students may compare and contrast their life to the lives of Dewey or Suze
* Other books of interest may include:
Zindel, Paul. THE GADGET. ISBN 0440229510
Davies, Jacqueline. WHERE THE GROUND MEETS THE SKY. ISBN 0761451870
Taylor, Theodore. THE BOMB. ISBN 0152061657
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