2012 VRC for Middle School
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Transcript of 2012 VRC for Middle School
2012 VRC for Middle School
Sabrina CarnesiCrittenden Middle School
Newport News, VA
Genre: Juvenile NF 636
Setting: Zambia Meaning of Bulu
◦ (Bantu)= wild dog◦ (Northwest Africa) =
Serious-minded, responsible, and stable
Main Characters:◦ Steve & Anna Tolan◦ Bulu
Bulu: African Wonder Dogby Dick Houston
Problem: ◦ Steve was in an accident◦ He and Anna sold everything and moved from
England to Zambia to live and work in wildlife conservation.
◦ Warned not to get a dog if they were living in the bush / adopted Bulu / Runt of the litter break their hearts dogs were eaten by predators died from diseases
Themes:◦ Jack Russell
Known as Big Dog in Tiny Body Bulu cared for the orphaned animals
Monkeys, warthogs, baboons, and elephants Protected them from lions, cheetahs, floods, etc..
◦ Dog / Pet Care / Regional & Ethnic Views on household pets
◦ STARK CONTRAST – ELEVATED REALITY – LIFE OF DOG / LIFE OF HUMANS Human deaths by AIDS in Zambia and orphaned
children Anna insisting Bulu be seen immediately by vet
•Author’s Book Site http://buluafricanwonderdog.com/
Study Guide available for download:http://www.randomhouse.com/book/83299/bulu-african-wonder-dog-by-dick-houston#reader'sguide
http://www.ifaw.org/af/solr-search/pets%20in%20africa
Animal Rights Blog
http://www.ifaw.org/af/solr-search/pets%20in%20africa
Animal Rights Website
"There is darkness on the water. There is darkness on the land. There is darkness all around us, but I will hold your hand.
You are safe, my precious child. You are safe now, you are home.
We have found you and we love you. You will never be alone."
—All the Broken Pieces, PP. 11-12
All the Broken Pieces a novel in verse by Ann E. Burg
Genre: Fiction – Quick Read- has been compared to Hesse’s Out of the Dust
Setting: 2 years post Vietnam War…late 70s
Main Character: ◦ Matt Pin 12 years old / air
lifted out of Nam
Problem: ◦ Vietnamese birth / abandoned by Am.
Soldier dad ◦ Brought to USA for a better chance at age
10 (story starts 2 years later)◦ Although he learns piano and plays
baseball…the past haunts him and◦ Nightmares◦ School kids bully him
Rob blames Matt for his brother’s death Matt fears that if his adoptive parents really
knew what he did, they will not want him anymore
Theme◦ PTS Post Traumatic Stress◦ Conflict / Peer mediation◦ Points of View (POV) of Vietnam War from
Vietnamese perspective◦ Immigration◦ Suicide Bombing
http://www.adoptvietnam.org/adoption/babylift-index.htm
Genre: Fantasy Fiction – Quick Read
Setting: ◦ Modern day Noble Green,
PA◦ “The Safest Town on Earth”
Main Character: ◦ Daniel Corrigan
12 years old tween sleuth (Sherlock
Holmes is his idol
Powerless by Matthew Cody
Problem: ◦ Daniel moves to PA to care for his
ailing grandmother.◦ the superheroes in Daniels town
are plagued with loosing their powers once they turn 13. No memory of super life or super
friends◦ Daniel is asked to solve the
puzzle◦ Super power REPRESENTED
IN THE BOOK: STENCH – FLY – INVISIBILITY – MANIPULATE ELECTRICITY – STRENGTH – HEIGHTENED SENSES
Powerless by Matthew Cody
Author’s Website http://matthewcody.com/
The ultimate list of superheroes and villains in the comic book universe www.comicvine.com/characters/
Superhero Database: superheroes, villains, teams, and powers www.superherodb.com/
The Superheroes Quiz…Which Superhero are you http://www.thesuperheroquiz.com/
Chapter 1 is onlinehttp://www.matthewcody.com/Powerless_ChapterSampler_PDF_WEB.pdf
Genre: SyFy ◦ Quick Read◦ 1st Person◦ Humor that appeals to children and adults
Setting: mostly on the 1st civilian ship to space as it journeys around the moon
Main Character: ◦ Liam
12 years old Extra Tall Facial Hair Looks thirty / Often mistaken for a grown-up
◦ Florida Kirby Liam’s friend (daughter)
Problem◦ He enters a contest as a "dad" and wins a trip with his
"daughter" (friend, Florida) to a new theme park/thrill ride. When he and Florida arrive, they find out they're in China with three other dads and their sons; the object is to test drive a new top secret rocket
Cosmicby Frank Cottrell Boyce
Theme◦ Walking in someone else’s shoes◦ The game “War craft”◦ Manned Space flights / NASA / ◦ Father / son relationships / Parenting◦ Gravity◦ Technology today and in the future
Critique◦ Technology mentioned in book could possibly date it◦ Comparative language is used to allow his readers to
immerse themselves in Liam’s adventure since they will never have the same opportunity to experience such an exotic journey. “She shouted so loud that you could hear her words moving away from us over the dunes. Then we heard something that sounded like God hovering the world. It was the wind. A wind that threw sand at our legs and arms so hard it felt like we were being stabbed with a billion nano-knives” (p. 132).
Cosmicby Frank Cottrell Boyce
Private Craft Soars into Space July 14, 2004 http://articles.cnn.com/2004-06-21/tech/suborbital.test_1_test-pilot-mike-melvill-spaceshipone-burt-rutan?_s=PM:TECH
Virgin Galactic: Civilian Spaceship December 7, 2009 http://articles.cnn.com/2004-06-21/tech/suborbital.test_1_test-pilot-mike-melvill-spaceshipone-burt-rutan?_s=PM:TECH
YouTube Video of SpaceShipOne (1st Civilian Spaceship) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29uQ6fjEozI
Update on Civilian Space Travelhttp://moonandback.com/2011/09/03/the-virgin-galactic-story-the-future-of-civilian-space-travel/
Genre: Fiction – Quick Read – emotional realism
Setting: ◦ Modern day suburbs of Las Vegas
Main Character:◦ Ella Cartwright – Bullied because
she’s of mixed race and discoloration of skin
◦ Zachery – suffers from a mental illness that causes escapism into a fantasy world
◦ Bailey James – likes to be the center of attention – spins situations to make it look like he’s on top – only other black in Ella’s school
Camo Girlby Kekla Magoon
Problem: ◦ a main character with
self-esteem issues due to her mottled coloration of her face
◦ another character who at first comes across as funny/quirky & later is discovered to have a mental illness and need of professional help
Theme:◦ Mental Illness◦ Bullying◦ Camouflaged reality◦ vitiligo
Author’s website: http://keklamagoon.com/
Mental Health Issues in Youth Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLMhBrcxwWU
Identifying mental health issues in teens http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/711264_3
The National Vitiligo Foundation, Inc. http://nvfi.org/index.php
Vitiligo Support International http://www.vitiligosupport.org/
Here’s what vitiligo looks like:
Genre: Historical Fiction Setting:
◦ 1941 ◦ WWII, Women’s Airforce
Service Pilots (WASP) Main Character:
Ida Mae Jones (Jonesey) Problem:
◦ Jonesey is a light skinned white that passes for black in order to be a pilot in the Air Force. This forces her to live a lie concerning her family and friends.
Flygirlby Sherri L. Smith
Theme: At what risk do you take to fulfill your dreams?
◦ Stay true to yourself◦ Preferential treatment outside and
within a race her best friend observes that she is
“Little Miss Pretty Hair [with:] Creamy White Skin” (p. 9)
◦ Female pilots◦ WWII◦ How the home front helped
Ration cards / saving bacon fat for ammo and medicine
◦ Jim Crow Laws / segregation◦ Career choices for women in the
40s◦ 2010 Congressional Medal of
Honor to WASP program members
Flygirlby Sherri L. Smith
Women’s Airforce Service Project http://wingsacrossamerica.us/wasp/
Will Latinos become the next group to pass for white? http://www.newstaco.com/2012/03/07/are-latinos-going-to-start-passing-as-white/
Anita Florence Hemmings passed for white to get acceptance into Vassar in 1893. http://panachereport.com/channels/hip%20hop%20gallery/PassingForWhite.htm
Genre: Fiction Setting:
◦ Young Oaks AFB, North Carolina
Main Character: ◦ Bo – son of base commander◦ Gari – Bo’s cousin from
Seattle◦ Ms. Loupe DOD teacher who
uses improv techniques with 6th graders to work through skills development and remediation
Operation YESby Sara Lewis Holmes
Problem:◦ Sibling rivalry among cousins◦ Miss Loupe becomes distant and loses
enthusiasm after her brother is MIA in Afghanistan
◦ In an effort to bring Ms. Loupe back to normal, the students stage a production for their base community to help them to cope with the unexpectedness of war tragedies
• Theme Department of Defense Schools(DOD) Modern Day Military Base Living and
employment Sibling rivalry Behavior expectations at school The war in Iraq and Afghanistan Working with others Stepping out of your comfort zone
◦ Personal Critique Slightly construed characteristics of
teaching methods and situations
Department of Defense Schools in Europe http://www.eu.dodea.edu/
The Use of improv theatrical technique for urban classrooms http://www.eastsideinstitute.org/Education_assets/The%20Developing%20Teachers%20Fellowship%20Program-%20Use%20of%20Improv%20Theatre.pdf
There actual is a technique for using improv to teach skills in K8 classrooms!
The Second City Guide to Improv in the Classroom: Using Improvisation to Teach Skills and Boost Learning. ISBN 9780787996505. Wiley, 2008.
Genre: Historical Fiction ◦ Based on the story of
the 1st Japanese to come to the USA
Setting: 1843 Japan and New England
Main Character: Nakahama Manjiro◦ Age 14◦ poor
Heart of a Samuraiby Margi Preus
Problem: Nakahama wants to be a samurai, but due to rank
this will never happen… Works as a fisherman Is shipwrecked w/4 others and saved by an
American whaling ship in 1841 Japan tainted all citizens that mixed w/outsiders
(barbarians)◦ Nakahama was the only fisherman that mingled with
the Americans…because he was sooo fascinated by the art of whaling and the English language & comes to America w/the captain
◦ Lives in usa for about 10 years and attends school◦ Earns money in the Gold Rush / returns to Japan / and
is then arrested as a spy until policies shift & Japan makes efforts to communicate with the outside world
◦ Earns rank of samurai for credit of helping Japan to overcome 250 years of isolation to enter into a relationship with the USA
Theme Elements of natural history, whaling, sailing, prejudice, politics, courage and determination America and Japan pre Civil War years
Heart of a Samuraiby Margi Preus
The 4-Tiered Class System of Feudal Japan: farmers / peasants, artisans, merchants, Samurai class http://asianhistory.about.com/od/japan/p/ShogJapanClass.htm
Heart of a Samurai Cliff Notes available for a fee on line - http://www.enotes.com/heart-of-a-samurai
Background Information on storyline is available on author’s website
Genre: Fiction – Raw Adventure
“…I had four fingernails split all the way down the middle. It felt like some had set them on fire.“
Setting: New York City & Tibet Main Character:
◦ Peak Marcello Age 14 Addicted to extreme climbing
◦ Joshua Woods Peaks famous mountain climbing dad
Peakby Roland Smith
Problem: ◦ Peak is arrested for climbing a sky scraper in New York,
where he lives. ◦ Given the option to go to juvie hall or live with
biological dad in Thailand.◦ Dad encourages Peak to be the youngest person to
climb Mt. Everest…but it has to be done before his 15th birthday
Critique: I learned three main things from this book... ◦ 1) "...what makes a story unique is not necessarily the
information in the story but what the writer chooses to put in or leave out. (pg. 146-147)"
◦ 2)"You don't have to be alone to feel alone. (pg. 154)" ◦ 3) Sacrifice. Think of others before yourself.
Theme◦ Mountaineering Climbing Safety Techniques◦ Dangers & thrills from extreme sports…”frozen dead
bodies litter the paths to the summit”◦ Father / son relationships◦ Geography of Tibet and Mt. Everest◦ Selfishness (a trait of those that are intensely single-
minded
Study Guide for Roland Smith books available to the public!http://rolandsmith.com/curriculum/index.htm
This is a site that has info on mountain climbing schools that teaches you how to tie ropes, etc. http://santiamalpineclub.org/mountain/climbing/schools/instruction/
Real life 13 year old American, Jordan Romero, reaches the summit of Mt. Everest in May of 2010 (CBS News World) http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-202_162-6508878.html
Climb Mt. Everest (National Geographic)
http://www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com/expeditions/nepal-everest-basecamp-trek/detail?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NGExpeditions&utm_content=General
Price needed to climb Mt. Everest in the tens of thousands –Equipment alone is between $8,000 to $15, 000 – Airfare between $2,500 to $8,000.
http://outdoors.whatitcosts.com/mt-everest.htm
Mount Everest Fact Sheet http://www.mnteverest.net/history.htm l
Genre: Space and Time (Science?) Fiction
Elements of “A Wrinkle in Time”
Setting: 1970s New York City
Main Character: Miranda ◦ 6th grader – age 12 –
introvert and single child syndrome
Sal ◦ Miranda’s best friend
When You Reach Meby Rebecca Stead
Problem: ◦ Miranda starts getting notes that tells her
about things that are going to happen in the future
◦ As she tries to solve the clues, she is drawn out of herself and becomes more aware of the needs of others around her
◦ The puzzle gradually comes together on the last day
Theme: ◦ Rehabilitation in prisons◦ $20,000 Pyramid◦ Homelessness◦ Racism◦ Single mothers◦ Dead-end jobs◦ Self esteem \ self awareness◦ Friendship◦ NYC neighborhoods
Author’s Website: http://www.rebeccasteadbooks.com/
Discussions Questions at LitLovers: http://www.litlovers.com/reading-guides/15-young-adult-fiction/1136-when-you-reach-me-stead?start=3
Study Guide available for purchase: http://www.novel-ties.com/estore/product/LGLS3813I/