Module 9: Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?

Summary: Binky works the robbery detail out of the Pinecone Division where he ends up investigating the untimely death of Humpty Dumpty. When Pig suddenly sees an upswing in his omelet inventory, Binky suspects that he may have something to do with the crime. Binky also investigates the death of witch by Hansel and Gretel, Snow White's poisoning, and other famous fairy tale cases.

Citation: Levinthal, David, and John Nickle. Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries. New York: Schwartz & Wade, 2012. Print.

Impressions: I love fractured fairy tales and this one deftly combines those with crime noir. Each story is a different case. The illustrations are fun and colorful.

Reviews: 

Gr 1-4 -- These open-and-shut cases of nursery-rhyme mysteries are narrated by Officer Binky, a toad with a manner reminiscent of Joe Friday's on the old Dragnet TV show, with his typical "Just the facts, Ma'am" style. In the first of five short stories, the officer gets a call from Mrs. Bear, who is upset because someone broke into the family home, ate their porridge, sat in their chairs, and slept in their beds. Based upon the evidence-a blond hair and an empty bowl, a piece of blue material caught in a chair that has seen better days, and a disheveled quilt on a bed -- Officer Binky deduces that it "could only be one dame: Goldilocks!" When questioned, she admits to being the intruder. The intrepid cop assures readers that "they'll feed her three meals a day where she's going, and she'll have plenty of time to rest." Hansel and Gretel, Humpty Dumpty, Snow White, and Jack and the Beanstalk are all similarly treated in eight pages or less with the police officer quickly solving the mysteries behind the well-known tales. Illustrations are presented in a variety of sizes and set off by frames in different colors. At the end of each segment, a red stamp reading 'CASE CLOSED' is superimposed over Nickle's richly colored acrylic artwork. The tongue-in-cheek telling of tales will tickle the fancies of children familiar with the originals. -- Maryann H. Owen, Racine Public Library, WI.

Owen, Maryann H.1. "Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty?: And Other Notorious Nursery Tale Mysteries." School Library Journal 58.9 (2012): 118. Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). Web.  2016. 

Library Use: I think this book lends itself to a Readers Theater production. You could do it as a live action show or a puppet show depending on your resources.

Module 8: Artemis Fowl

Summary: Artemis Fowl may be a millionaire, genius, criminal mastermind but when he steals an ancient fairy book and kidnaps a fairy, he unknowingly declares war on the entire underworld. While he is planning on stealing fairy gold, the agents of LEPrecon are closing in on him with an agenda which does not include leaving any human involved alive. As the kidnapped fairy, Captain Holly Short, regains her powers, they find a way for everyone to walk away from the situation unscathed.

Citation:

Colfer, E. (2001). Artemis Fowl. New York: Hyperion Books For Children.

Impressions: Judging from the reviews I read, I think this book suffered from post-Harry Potter syndrome where every book with a young male protagonist involving magic was compared to J.K. Rowling's masterwork. I personally thought the book was inventive, fun, and had a new take on old legends such as leprechauns and fairies. I loved the idea that leprechauns were actually magical police agents who tried to keep the underworld from seeping into the human realm. I love Artemis and really didn't see many parallels between him and Harry Potter. Colfer's writing always reminds me of the late Douglas Adams. It's very tongue-in-cheek and balances humor with action.

Reviews:
Meet Artemis Fowl, Harry Potter's Irish evil twin. A twelve-year-old criminal mastermind, Fowl brings the fairy folk to their knees when he steals their sacred book (translating it on his computer), and kidnaps one of their own, demanding gold for a ransom. Yet while the Harry Potter series exposes the magic tucked within the mundane, Artemis Fowl goes the opposite route. These fairies opt for technological gadgets over pixie dust and, if their dialogue is any indication, seem au courant with our cheesy action movies ("Freeze, Mud Boy"). In fact, Colfer informs us, leprechauns aren't the knicker-wearing, shamrock-waving creatures humans think they are. They are actually "an elite branch of the Lower Elements Police," a.k.a. LEPrecon unit. The self-conscious revisioning of the fairy world as a sort of wisecracking police force with friction among the ranks occurs throughout the novel, stealing focus from the one truly intriguing character, Artemis himself. It is a relief to see fleeting chinks in Artemis's James Bond--style cool, as when he thinks about his mother, who has become severely depressed and delusional since the disappearance of Artemis's father. Still, the long stretches devoted to the fairy world's maneuverings, which only readers fond of technical detail will find appealing, overwhelm these moments. There's a lot of invention here, but it's not used enough in service to the story, and may well be deployed to better effect in the feature film slated for next year.

Heppermann, C. M. (2001, July). Artemis Fowl (Book Review). Horn Book Magazine, 77(4), 449-449. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). 

Library Use: I personally used this for me STEM program LEPrecon science so I can see this being used in a science class or as part of a book club. I think it would be useful to talk about the Harry Potter comparison and discuss how the two books differ.

Module 7: Eleanor and Park

Summary: When Eleanor first boards the bus looking for a seat, Park views as nothing more than a nuisance. He is not one to call attention to himself and Eleanor can't help but call attention to herself. Through their mutual love of music and comics, they move from friends to actual boyfriend and girlfriend. Along the way, Park discovers the courage to be himself and stand up for himself and Eleanor and Eleanor finds a safe space away from her neglectful mother and cruel stepfather. When her stepfather discovers her relationship with Park, Eleanor realizes that she is in danger and asks Park to help her escape to her uncle's house in Minnesota.

Citation:

Rowell, R. (2013). Eleanor & Park. New York, NY: St. Martin's Griffin.

Impressions: As a teen in the 1980's, I found the time and the setting for this story very realistic. I was a lot like Park so I could definitely relate to his character. Like many other readers, I was rooting for a happy ending but I think Rowell gave us the ending the story deserved because anything less than that would be unrealistic. I liked the alternating points of view and think she did a good job conveying each character's feelings.

Reviews:
Half-Korean sophomore Park Sheridan is getting through high school by lying low, listening to the Smiths (it's 1986), reading Alan Moore's Watchmen comics, never raising his hand in class, and avoiding the kids he grew up with. Then new girl Eleanor gets on the bus. Tall, with bright red hair and a dress code all her own, she's an instant target. Too nice not to let her sit next to him, Park is alternately resentful and guilty for not being kinder to her. When he realizes she's reading his comics over his shoulder, a silent friendship is born. And slowly, tantalizingly, something more. Adult author Rowell (Attachments), making her YA debut, has a gift for showing what Eleanor and Park, who tell the story in alternating segments, like and admire about each other. Their love is believable and thrilling, but it isn't simple: Eleanor's family is broke, and her stepfather abuses her mother. When the situation turns dangerous, Rowell keeps things surprising, and the solution--imperfect but believable--maintains the novel's delicate balance of light and dark. Ages 13-up. Agent: Christopher Schelling, Selectric Artists. (Mar.)


Eleanor & Park. (2012, December 10). Publishers Weekly, 259(50), 62-63. Retrieved March 5, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson).

Library Use: I think this would definitely open up dialog about abuse and neglect and how to see the warning signs in other people. I think it's also an excellent example about how music plays such an important part in people's lives.

Module 7: Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things

Summary: Alvin Ho can't talk at school which makes finding friends a bit of a chore. Luckily, Alvin is an expert on planning everything from escaping a fire in the school cafeteria to surviving show and tell so planning to find a friend should be easy. Between escapades such as bringing his father's prized Johnny Astro toy to school (which results in its inevitable destruction) to dealing with his supposedly evil piano teacher, Alvin discovers that his annoying, strange neighbor Flea is really the best friend he could ever need.

Citation:

Look, L., & Pham, L. (2008). Alvin Ho: Allergic to girls, school, and other scary things. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Impressions: My favorite part of this book is the way most of the characters in this book treat Alvin, who is obviously not neurotypical. It is interesting to see neurodiverse characters being treated respectfully and like any neurotypical child. Additionally, I loved the episodic nature of the story and the illustrations.

Reviews:
 Fearful second-grader Alvin Ho has never, not once, said a single word in school. His voice works at home, in the car, on the school bus. "But as soon as I get to school... I am as silent as a side of beef." Like the author's Ruby Lu chapter books (Ruby Lu, Brave and True; Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything, rev. 5/06), this one acknowledges kids' troubles while lightening them in a funny yet respectful way. For instance, Alvin plays cards with the psychotherapist he sees for his anxiety. When he realizes she's letting him win, he says his first words to her -- swear words he's learned from his dad. But they're Shakespearean swear words ('Sit thee on a spit, then eat my sneakers, thou droning beef-witted nut hook'), so she's impressed. There's no miracle cure for Alvin's missing voice, and the book nicely focuses more on his need for friends. At the end, he's still afraid of school, scary movies, etc., but he's made a friend -- and it's (yikes!) a girl. Generously illustrated short chapters include laugh-out-loud descriptions of Alvin's attempt to grow taller (his siblings leave him hanging from a tree branch where he remains forgotten until his mother spots his empty seat at dinner), his fateful decision to bring his dad's beloved childhood Johnny Astro toy for show-and-tell, and his brief membership in a not-so-tough neighborhood gang. Readers will hope Alvin has enough fears to fill yet another small but hugely amusing chapter book.


Brabander, J. M. (2008). [Alvin Ho]. Horn Book Magazine, 84(4), 453.

Library Use: I think this is a good discussion started for issues surrounding children who are neurodiverse like Alvin or eccentric like Flea.

Module 6: Doug Unplugged

Summary: Doug, the robot boy, is supposed to be downloading facts about the city but when he spies a pigeon outside his window, he unplugs himself and forgoes the virtual world for the real world of humans. Along the way, he rides the subway and discovers all the joys the city has to offer including a new human friend.

Citation:

Yaccarino, D. (2013). Doug unplugged. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Impressions: With all the talk about kids being plugged into electronics all day, I thought this book made a good point about unplugging and experiencing life first hand without being preachy. I adore the retro illustrations and bright colors.

Reviews:

A little robot boy goes on an urban adventure. Each morning, Doug's parents plug him in so that he can download lots of facts and become "the smartest robot ever." On the second spread, Doug sits atop a stool, plugged into a computer that looks like ENIAC, with the goal of learning all about the city. He waves goodbye to his parents as they walk off the verso, briefcases in hand, presumably headed off to work. The next page opening has the appearance of a circuit board or retro video game screen, with a tiny picture of plugged-in Doug in the upper-left corner. The spread is designed like a map through everything he is to learn that day, complete with a yellow line highlighting his planned path to various points, with facts about taxis, fountains, skyscrapers, pigeons and so on. When Doug sees a real pigeon on his windowsill, he decides to unplug and venture out to learn about the city in person. He encounters everything from the screen, but the best part of his adventure comes when he befriends a boy in the park. They play together until the boy realizes he doesn't know where his parents are, and then Doug helps reunite them--only to decide he wants to go home, following the classic home-away-home story arc. Yaccarino's retro palette and style suit this robot tale to a T. A lively, colorful celebration of unmediated living. (Picture book. 3-5)


Doug unplugged. (2013, January 15). Kirkus Reviews, 81(2), 47-47. Retrieved February 27, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson).

Library Use:  This would be a great way to kickoff an electronics free event at a school or library. I can envision using it for a storytime with an emphasis on creative ways to avoid electronic overload.

Module 5: One Crazy Summer

Summary:  Delphine, Vonetta and Fern are being forced to spend the summer with their estranged mother Cecile in Oakland, California. It's a summer of unrest in Oakland and Cecile's friendship with members of the Black Panthers puts her and her children in jeopardy. While attending a Black Panther summer camp, Delphine and her sisters begin to learn the reason behind the unrest and begin for form an uneasy bond with their mother. Slowly, Delphine discovers why her mother abandoned them and finds a voice to her anger.

Citation:

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Amistad.

Impressions: I found myself draw into this story from the beginning and even though I knew a little about the Black Panthers, I found seeing them through the eyes of a child to be quite enlightening. Delphine's innocence contrasted with her mother's world weariness in a way that left both characters changed for the better. 

Reviews:
Gr 4-7-It is 1968, and three black sisters from Brooklyn have been put on a California-bound plane by their father to spend a month with their mother, a poet who ran off years before and is living in Oakland. It's the summer after Black Panther founder Huey Newton was jailed and member Bobby Hutton was gunned down trying to surrender to the Oakland police, and there are men in berets shouting "Black Power" on the news. Delphine, 11, remembers her mother, but after years of separation she's more apt to believe what her grandmother has said about her, that Cecile is a selfish, crazy woman who sleeps on the street. At least Cecile lives in a real house, but she reacts to her daughters' arrival without warmth or even curiosity. Instead, she sends the girls to eat breakfast at a center run by the Black Panther Party and tells them to stay out as long as they can so that she can work on her poetry. Over the course of the next four weeks, Delphine and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, spend a lot of time learning about revolution and staying out of their mother's way. Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility. With memorable characters (all three girls have engaging, strong voices) and a powerful story, this is a book well worth reading and rereading.

Markson, T. (2010, March). [One Crazy Summer]. School Library Journal, 56(3), 170-170. Retrieved February 19, 2016, from Book Review Digest Plus (H.W. Wilson). 

Library Use: This would be a perfect book to use for African American History Month. The Black Panthers were an important part of history that is often ignored in children's books because they were so controversial. With the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, I think this book would be a perfect way to bring the history of the black power movement to life in a library program. 

Module 5: The First Last Part

Summary: Bobby is a teenage single parent trapped between the past and the future. When his girlfriend Nia becomes pregnant, they debate whether to put the baby up for adoption or keep it. Then tragedy strikes and Nia falls into a coma. Bobby decides that he can't let their baby, Feather, go and plans on raising her himself.

Citation:

Johnson, A. (2003). The first part last. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: I think this is one of the few books that I read in one sitting. It was raw and compelling but also sweet and gentle. Bobby's love for Feather and Nia is so beautiful and even though he knows this won't be an easy job, he want to be a good parent to Feather. There are so few stories told from the point of view of a teenage single father and I found this one to be very honest. I liked the way the story moved between the past and the present so you slowly discovered how Bobby became a single father.

Reviews:

Gr 7 Up-- Angela Johnson's Printz Award-winning novel (S & S, 2003) is perfectly suited to the audiobook medium, and Khalipa Oldjohn narrates this first person tale with poignant authenticity of tone and pacing. At 16, Bobby struggles to be a father to his newborn daughter while keeping up with school, maintaining his boyhood friendships, and trying to live up to his parents' expectations. Told in alternating passages of "Now" and "Then," the back-story that has brought Bobby to this point falls steadily but deliberately into place, with the revelation of why Bobby is a single father arriving only near the very end. In spite of its brevity, the story is complex and satisfying. Bobby is both boy and man, responsible and overwhelmed, near panic and able to plan an intelligent and loving future for Feather, the daughter he adores and nurtures. In audio format, this story can readily be shared in just a class period or two and will grab listeners immediately, making it an ideal subject for class discussion. It will also be instantly popular for leisure reading outside of school.


Goldsmith, F., & Mandell, P. L. (2005). The First Part Last. In School Library Journal (Vol. 51, p. 77). Media Source. Retrieved February 17, 2016, from Academic Search Complete.

Library Use: Teenage pregnancy is a touchy topic and I think this book is a good way to create a discussion about the issue especially about the obligations of teenage fathers.