Irene Gach Lá

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Holm, Jennifer and Matthew 2005. BABYMOUSE QUEEN OF THE WORLD. New York, NY: Random House Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-375-93229-1 2. PLOT SUMMARY Felicia Furrypaws slumber party is afoot and Babymouse is worried she will not be invited. Felicia is the most popular girl in school, but always leaves Babymouse feeling like she does not measure up. Babymouse must decide if she will remain loyal to her best friend, Wilson the Weasel, or will she join the popular crowd of Felicia’s minions? 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS Off the bat, the first thing you notice are the illustrations. They are simple, yet eye-catching. They will make you want to take pencil to paper and try the drawing of Babymouse. The illustrations are clever, swapping from the real world of Babymouse, illustrated in black-and-white, to her daydream world, illustrated in bold pink and black. The contrast in the colors will help young kids keep track of which storyline is taking place--rea...

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Gaiman, Neil 2008. THE GRAVEYARD BOOK. New York, NY: Harper Collins. ISBN 979-0-06-053092-1 2. PLOT SUMMARY This is a fantasy book about Nobody Owens, nicknamed Bod, who was the sole survivor of the heinous murder of his family. He finds sanctuary in a graveyard, whose ghostly inhabitants raise and protect him as their own. The cemetery becomes the backdrop of Nobody’s childhood adventures. As he grows, we learn of the man Jack, who killed his family and is still hunting for him. When they finally meet, Jack earns Bod’s trust, but when he attempts to murder him, Nobody uses his own supernatural powers to fight him and his accomplices, the Jacks of All Trades. In the end, Nobody defeats the Jacks and finally embarks on his life outside the graveyard. 3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS It’s easy to root for Bod. He is the innocent toddler who survives lifes most horrific event, the murder of his own family. Immediately, Gaiman brings to life an intense desir...

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY Anderson, Laurie Halse 1999. SPEAK. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux. ISBN 0-374-37152-0 2. PLOT SUMMARY Thirteen-year old Melinda Sordino attends a high school party the summer before her freshmen year. At the party, popular Andy Evans rapes her in the woods. In shock, she calls 911, which breaks up the party and angers the other kids. Like the others, she runs home when the police are on their way and never tells her story. Once school begins, she is shunned by the student population, including her best friend Rachel, for breaking up the party. Melinda falls into a deep depression and is selectively mute throughout the story. She is befriended by a new girl, Heather, who abandons her for a more popular group. Melinda learns to trust her lab partner, David, who champions her right to speak for herself. She develops a love of art and trust of her art teacher, Mr. Freeman, who exhibits tremendous compassion toward all his students, but especially Melinda....