Hello! I am a middle-high school librarian in New York. These book entries serve as a reading diary and an easy reference for teachers and students. They are not necessarily new titles, but ones I see my students reading, support the curriculum, or others that merely catch my attention. Please check out the sidebar for more lists. Book summaries are given credit. Comments in the entries are my own. Eleanor Funk Schuster
Monday, October 22, 2018
Monday, October 08, 2018
SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL by Patricia MacLachlan
Historical Fiction, Blended Families, Pioneers, Farm Life, Westward Expansion.
58 pages
From the Publisher
58 pages
From the Publisher
"This beloved Newbery Medal-winning book is the first of five books in Patricia MacLachlan's chapter book series about the Witting family.
Set in the late nineteenth century and told from young Anna's point of view, Sarah, Plain and Tall tells the story of how Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton comes from Maine to the prairie to answer Papa's advertisement for a wife and mother. Before Sarah arrives, Anna and her younger brother Caleb wait and wonder. Will Sarah be nice? Will she sing? Will she stay?
This children's literature classic is perfect for fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, historical fiction, and timeless stories using rich and beautiful language. Sarah, Plain and Tall gently explores themes of abandonment, loss and love.
Read the rest of the Sarah books by Patricia MacLachlan: Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance."
My Comments
Timeless. simply written with beautiful imagery, MacLachlan successfully conveys feelings of loss, courage, acceptance, and love. Consider this book for small reading groups, English Language Learners, or historical fiction collection for middle grades.
Monday, October 01, 2018
AMAL UNBOUND by Aisha Saeed
Realistic Fiction, Multicultural, Courage, Resistance, Family
226 pages
From the Publisher
"Saeed's timely and stirring middle-grade debut is a celebration of resistance and justice."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when--as the eldest daughter--she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens--after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.
Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal--especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.
The compelling story of a girl's fight to regain her life and dreams after being forced into indentured servitude.
Life is quiet and ordinary in Amal's Pakistani village, but she had no complaints, and besides, she's busy pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher one day. Her dreams are temporarily dashed when--as the eldest daughter--she must stay home from school to take care of her siblings. Amal is upset, but she doesn't lose hope and finds ways to continue learning. Then the unimaginable happens--after an accidental run-in with the son of her village's corrupt landlord, Amal must work as his family's servant to pay off her own family's debt.
Life at the opulent Khan estate is full of heartbreak and struggle for Amal--especially when she inadvertently makes an enemy of a girl named Nabila. Most troubling, though, is Amal's growing awareness of the Khans' nefarious dealings. When it becomes clear just how far they will go to protect their interests, Amal realizes she will have to find a way to work with others if they are ever to exact change in a cruel status quo, and if Amal is ever to achieve her dreams.
My Comments
Love, love, absolutely love this one. Accessible for a wide reading level, great discussion points, and educational. Winner all the way!
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