Module 8 - Inkheart by: Cornelia Funke

Summary:
A secret hidden so long from Meggie is about to fall into her world without her even being aware. As she and her father make their way through the an adventure full of characters from books and the real world their own character is challenged. An interesting selection of allies and enemies appear throughout the story until finally one of Meggie's lifelong problems is solved.

Bibliographic Citation:
Funke, C. (2003). Inkheart. New York, NY: Scholastic.

My Impression:
Well I should start of by saying that Inkheart the book was MUCH better than Inkheart the movie. There is just too much imagination to capture the true creativity of this story in a movie. From the first few pages I was enthralled in this story and it's characters and the conflicts and resolutions that occur throughout the plot. Although the book is clearly fantasy Cornelia Funke left me wondering what if... What if I could truly read the characters out of story, who would I choose, and would it be worth the risk of losing someone to the story??

Reviews:
Cornelia Funke, popular author of The Thief Lord, creates an astonishing magical world in this novel. When a mysterious stranger suddenly appears at Meggie's door, the quiet life she has led with her father, Mo, vanishes. This stranger is linked to her father's past, and Meggie discovers that Mo has been keeping a secret that involves the disappearance of her mother, a sinister man named Capricorn, and Meggie herself. As she and her father flee from their home, Meggie learns that when her father reads aloud, he is able to bring characters out of the pages and into their world. However, Mo's gift has a terrible price: every time something comes out of a book, something must go into it, even if it is something he loves. Now Capricorn wants to use Mo for his own nasty deeds and decides to use Meggie as bait. Hidden away, Meggie must wait for her father to save her from Capricorn and his hideous plan to bring an indestructible evil to Earth. In this magical world, Meggie has to discover that all actions have consequences and that sometimes the things we long for most are right in front of us. Beginning each chapter with a quote from a famous book, Funke gives the reader ample foreshadowing and creates a false feeling of what is to come. For example, when Dustfinger betrays Meggie to Capricorn, the quote for that chapter comes from C.S. Lewis' novel The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe: "The reason there's no use looking, said Mr. Beaver, we know already where he's gone! Everyone stared in amazement. Don't you understand? said Mr. Beaver. He's gone to her, to the White Witch. He has betrayed us all." This novel would be excellent for use in the classroom to assist with the task of teaching foreshadowing, though it is also a wonderful coming of age story in which the female protagonist has to find the courage to survive in the magical world in which she found herself. 2003, The Chicken House/Scholastic, $16.95. Ages 10 to 15.
Tiffany Burgess (Children's Literature)

How to use this book in your library:
This book is too long to read aloud, but many portions of it could be used for creative writing exercises. Of course that would probably be more appropriate in a school library, but in public library discussion of the questions I asked above would be a great way to gets kids talking about other books and sharing some of their favorites with you and other kids.

Module 7 - The Penderwicks by: Jeanne Birdsall

Summary:
When four singles and their father spend the Summer in a rented country cottage, they had no idea what the Summer would entail. As the sisters live their adventures and each grow in their own way through an interaction with a bull, an exciting friendship with a mysterious boy, and an intriguing crush on an older boy, the sisters soon realize that while they may make friends and share their experiences with others their father and the four of them are what really matter most in life.

Bibliographic Citation:
Birdsall, J. (2005). The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy. New York, NY: Yearling.

My Impression:
The Penderwicks is an incredible story that you will find yourself laughing out loud at throughout the entire story. The true beauty of this story, however, is the way real issues are seriously dealt with in a lighthearted story. The woes of adolescent girls is a struggle, and each of the Penderwick sisters have their own personality and problems. Jeanne Birdsall does an incredible job of helping these sisters through their struggles in a realistic way and encompassing the positive joy of life that is always present despite the tears a girl may have when she gets knocked down. I don't think boys would typically enjoy this story, but girls of many ages will love it, including adults, because sometimes we need to find the girl in ourselves all over again.

Reviews:
Starred Review* The Penderwick sisters, who made a splash in their first eponymous novel (which won a  2005 National Book Award) return in another warm family story. An opening chapter, which might bring a tear to the eye, tells how the girls’ mother died right after Batty’s birth. Now, some four years later, Aunt Claire presents the girls’ father with a letter from his late wife, telling him it’s time to start dating. Rosalind, Skye, Jane, and Batty beg to differ and come up with a harebrained scheme to thwart Mr. Penderwick. But the girls aren’t just focused on their father. Rosalind has her own romantic entanglements; and Skye and Jane write compositions for each other, which leads to myriad problems. Meanwhile, little Batty has become enamored of the widow and her baby son who live next door. There’s never much suspense about where all this is going, but things happen in such touching ways that the story is hard to resist. As in the previous book, Birdsall seems to get inspiration from books like Sydney Taylor’s All-of-a-Kind Family and the movie Meet Me in St. Louis—just the sort of cozy fare that’s missing in today’s mean-girl world. Grades 4-7
Ilene Cooper (Booklist, May 1, 2008 (Vol. 104, No. 17))

How to use this book in your library:
Because The Penderwicks is set in Summer this book could be great start for an older audiences Summer Reading program. Summer adventures can be had by all, not just those who vacation to a country cottage, encourage children in your library to create adventures like Skye, perhaps by writing a book, or by dressing up like Batty. When the sun is shining and school is out the possibilities are endless.

Module 7 - Because of Winn-Dixie by: Kate DiCamillo

Summary:
Opal is new in town and when her father, the Preacher, sends her to the grocery store for a few things she finds more than she ever could have bargained for in a large dog whom she names Winn-Dixie on a whim. Opal slowly meets new people and mingles in the past searching for answers and an emotional calmness about her mother who abandoned she and her father. By the end of the story Opal again finds far more than she ever could have imagined and all because of Winn-Dixie.

Bibliographic Citation:
DiCamillo, K. (2001). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

My Impression:
I have always heard incredible things about Because of Winn-Dixie, but I hadn't read it until now and I certainly regret that I missed out on this story for so many years. Because of Winn-Dixie is a story, it is a story that so many people could relate to because of secrets they have in their heart and head- to be able to relate to the characters within this book and the transformations they all go through is part of what give a book its magic and Kate DiCamillo's story certainly has magic. Despite the fact that the main character is a girl, unlike many books of this type or genre, I think boys reading this would be able to find themselves in this story as well. Over all I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone of any age or gender!

Reviews:
The quick beginning, an essential feature of well-written children's books, carries Because of Winn-Dixie forward quite effectively. The stage is set in the first sentence: "My name is India Opal Buloni, and last summer my daddy, the preacher, sent me to the store for a box of macaroni-and-cheese, some white rice, and two tomatoes, and I came back with a dog." Ten-year-old Opal then proceeds to tell the funny story of a stray dog found in the produce department of the Winn-Dixie grocery store, where she calls him as if he were her own in order to save him from the pound. Because of Winn-Dixie is indeed a dog story, but it is also the story of a child, lonely yet resourceful, who has just recently moved to Naomi, Florida, with her father. It is the story of a motherless child, who longs for the love and comfort that a mother could provide. It is the story of a character finding her way in the world, a character seemingly tentative, yet as starkly defined as her red hair and the big, ugly, smiling stray dog she takes home, washes, and makes her own. And it is the story of Opal's developing friendships with distinctive, well-drawn characters--old Gloria Dump, who is almost blind; the librarian, Miss Franny Block; shy Otis at the pet store--encounters made possible, one way or another, because of the dog, Winn-Dixie. In twenty-six short chapters, DiCamillo has crafted a fine, economical story told in the authentic voice of a child, using regional language and vivid description in a clear, straightforward way. There is immediacy of feeling in this book, perfectly expressing the secret inner life that every child knows. Because of her resourcefulness, demonstrated in the opening chapter and throughout the book at every turn, Opal develops and grows as a character, in both her inner and her outer life. All of this is accomplished through a story worth telling. Children will enjoy Opal's abiding humor and Winn-Dixie's disarming and endearing ways, and the funny and important things that happen when the two of them get together. 2000, Candlewick, $15.99. Ages 9 to 12.
Kathie Krieger Cerra (The Five Owls, November/December 2000 (Vol. 15, No. 2))

How to use this library in your book: 
I think the best way to use this book would be to read it aloud. It is a quick and easy read, and could be read to children very easily. It would be a great book to kick off a Summer reading program, or to help kids in an after school program who deal with some of the issues of loneliness the characters struggle through.