Hale, Shannon. 2008. RAPUNZEL’S REVENGE. New York: Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children’s Books. ISBN 139781599900704
In this graphic novel we find Rapunzel living a lonely life in a beautiful villa. Rapunzel has dreams of a man and woman holding her as a young child and “didn’t understand then why (she) felt the way (she) did.” Rapunzel’s only friend is Mason a guard. “He taught (her) tricks when he thought Mother wasn’t looking.” It was on Rapunzel’s twelfth birthday that she discovered what was on the other side of the wall. It was then she discovered the oppressive and dreary conditions and the secret of her life. She found her real mother and her dreams became clear to her at that time. This made her step mother, “Gothel” angry for not appreciating all she had, Rapunzel was taken deep in the woods and locked in the top of tree. Rapunzel lived imprisoned in the tree for four long years. She dreamed of escaping and finding her “real” mother. She read books and entertained herself with her extremely long hair. Making it into a swing and doing the rope tricks she had learned from Mason. Then the day came when Gothel had enough and left her to die in the tree. Rapunzel quickly took action to escape using her long, long hair. She quickly meets up with Jack and they go together to find the Gothel’s Villa and her real mother. Rapunzel “had a thought to teach Mother Gothel that she can’t be a bully.” Rapunzel has her hair and Jack has a goose that lays golden eggs and the two of have a plan or several plans. Rapunzel uses her hair to fight off others to get her, Jack and his goose, out of trouble. Jack uses his quick wit and experience from being on the run to help along the way. The two face one obstacle after another. The reader finds that girl power can be very useful. In the end Jack uses his magic bean to destroy the Villa. (You knew there had to be a bean somewhere.) Mother Gothol is destroyed b and y her own magic and Rapunzel is reunited with her mother and learns the details of her life. As the story ends , Rapunzel cuts her hair and the goose lays a golden egg and Jack gets the girl. It is a” happily ever after” ending.
Rapunzel’s Revenge is a graphic novel that has a Wild West fairy tale theme. The characters are familiar to all who have read fairy tales. Rapunzel and her long hair and Jack of Jack in the Beanstalk are a great pair. Rapunzel even as a young girl knew what had happened was wrong and wanted to right the wrong. She not only wants to find her mother but teach Mother Gothol a lesson. If Rapunzel succeeds in her quest to” teach Mother Gothol that she can’t be a bully” then it means she has accomplished a lot more. There was magic involved with Mother Gothol and her “growth magic spells”, a goose that lays golden eggs, and the magic bean. As the wonderful illustrations reveal there are huge beasts in the forest another example of magic. The illustrations were so bright and vivid in the detail and action. The emotions of the characters were further explained through the details in the facial expressions the use of color. The gray of the jail, the browns used in the saloon and the sepia look when Old Man Jasper reveals he is the town witch all let the reader know these are important events in Rapunzel and Jack’s quest to find Gothol Villa. There is a happy ending with Mother Gothol being “ swallowed upby her own magic”, Rapunzel brings back the mines and color to the land, she has her mother back and of course Jack gets the girl. This story has all the wonderful things that fairy tales are made of.
Reviews & Awards
Booklist 09/01/08 Publishers Weekly starred 08/04/08
Horn Book 04/01/09 School Library Journal starred 09/01/08
Horn Book starred 11/01/08 Kirkus Reviews
Library Media Connection starred 11/01/08
Booklist (September 1, 2008 (Vol. 105, No. 1))- Grades 5-8. This graphic novel retelling of the fairy-tale classic, set in a swashbuckling Wild West, puts action first and features some serious girl power in its spunky and strong heroine
" Booklist -Rich with humor and excitement, Rapunzel's Revenge is an alternate version of a classic that will become a fast favorite of young readers."
Publisher's Weekly, STARRED REVIEW * "With its can-do heroine, witty dialogue and romantic ending, this graphic novel has something for nearly everybody."
School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW * "The dialogue is witty, the story is an enticing departure from the original, and the illustrations are magically fun and expressive. Knowing that there are more graphic novels to come from this writing team brings readers their own happily-ever-after."
Kirkus Reviews "A dash of typical fairy-tale romance, a strong sense of social justice and a spunky heroine make this a standout choice for younger teens."
I thought this book was funny and wonderfully written. I love the fairy tale characters and the Wild West theme that Shannon Hale used. The character of Rapunzel had spent her life very sheltered but when it came to survival and getting the revenge she wanted her “girl power” kicked in. She was smart and resourceful. Making her hair work for her and then in the end giving it up sent a subtle message I thought. Use what you have but it is your intelligence and heart (knowing right from wrong) that sometimes carries you through the difficult times in life not your hair. As a first grade teacher I would show this book as an example of a graphic novel. Graphic novels are a new genre for first grader, and for me. I would do a shorten re-tell of the book ( practice story telling) and highlight how the author took fairy tale characters from another fairy tale and paired them together. I would have older students explain why they think that Shannon Hale choose Jack. I found her web- site, http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_rap.html to be very good. Shannon Hale’s web-site has many suggestions for bringing this graphic novel alive. She also discusses the importance of graphic novels.
The illustrations are so bright and action packed that I think my students would enjoy just looking at the pictures. This is a great way to hook a reluctant reader.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Shannon Hale- Princess Academy
Hale, Shannon. 2005. PRINCESS ACADEMY. New York: Scholastic. ISBN: 139780439888110
Miri is a fourteen year old girl that spent her whole life on Mount Eskel living with her loving father and sister, Marda. Miri’s mother had died one week after giving birth to her and although Miri had no memory of her mother “she thought of that week when she held by her mother as the precious thing she owned.” Miri grew up wondering why her father would not let her work in quarry like the other children and her sister. She felt there must be something wrong with her. The quarry workers had a special talent called “quarry- speech” and Miri wanted so much to know how it worked. Miri and the other girls in the village were informed by a messenger of the king that Mount Eskel would be the “home of his future bride” of the prince. All the girls of the village between the ages of twelve and seventeen will be taken to the academy “for the purpose of preparing the potential young ladies” in the event they were chosen as the princess. It is at the academy that Miri finds her purpose in life. She finds through hard work she can learn and use “quarry- talk” to help the other girls. She finds strength in learning to read. She finds that being a princess is not her dream, but staying on the mountain and bringing her dream of opening an academy for anyone in her village who wants to learn. Miri is like the delicate mountain flower that she is named after –“a tiny pink flower that bloomed out of the cracks in the rocks.” Miri had so many doubts and obstacles to overcome to see herself as an asset to her family and village.
Shannon Hale does a wonderful job in describing the characters. She is able to express a mother’s love for their child when she describes how her “mother would not let go of her tiny baby.” The quarry-speech being like “singing “to a friend working near in the mines gives the reader an understanding of how Miri hears the talk. As Miri lay on the floor far away from the fire we are invited to share in “her dreams of becoming academy princess” and how they “wrapped around her and eased the chill.” All these ways that show the reader that Miri had a special quality about her that enabled her to rise above the cruel and harsh treatment that the “mountain” girls were receiving. Miri would sit and twirl the miri flower and think “What would she wish for?” “She looked to the east, where the yellow green slopes and flat places of Mount Eskel climbed into the gray blue peak. To the north a chain of mountains bounded away into forever- purple, blue, then gray.” It paints a beautiful peaceful picture. You can see why Miri has a hard time thinking about what to wish for. The linder is such a critical element in the setting of this story and yet you feel as the people must have felt it was just a part of their life and nothing more. The girls have the same group dynamics as girls still today. There is the jealousy, friendships, mean-spirited, and underlying admiration and a feeling of survival they all share.
Miri was able to truly find what made her happy and did not compromise her happiness just to be a “princess.” She put hurt feelings aside to help all the girls when needed and in the end by being true to her all the girls got what they wanted. THE PRINCESS ACADEMY is a fantasy story that has so much to teach the reader. It is almost like quarry- talk if you are willing to really listen.
Reviews & Awards
Booklist 06/01/05 Newbery Medal/Honor 01/23/06
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 09/01/05 Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/06
Horn Book 04/01/06 School Library Journal starred 10/01/05
Kirkus Review starred 07/15/05
Booklist (June 1, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 19)- Strong suspense and plot drive the action as the girls outwit would-be kidnappers and explore the boundaries of leadership, competition, and friendship.
Horn Book (Spring 2006)-When the royal priests of Danland divine the prince's future bride will be from remote Mount Eskel, a princess academy is established to prepare the candidates. Miri, short in stature, soon proves herself to be a natural leader. Hale's writing is clear and her descriptions vivid. Her imaginary world, peopled by strong yet vulnerable characters, is quietly memorable.
Kirkus Review starred (July 15, 2005)- There are many pleasures to this satisfying tale: a precise lyricism to the language ("The world was as dark as eyes closed" or "Miri's laugh is a tune you love to whistle") and a rhythm to the story that takes its tropes from many places, but its heart from ours.
Publishers Weekly (August 8, 2005)-Readers enchanted by Hale's Goose Girl are in for an experience that's a bit more earthbound in this latest fantasy-cum-tribute to girl-power.
I really liked this book. The way Shannon Hale developed the character of Miri , from a tiny baby almost giving us the feeling of sickliness to a young woman who makes important changes to her village. She is an inspiration to a child who might be struggling with feeling like an outsider and not knowing where she fits in. The story has such a strong message of how a young girl can rise above the pettiness of others, the cruel and harsh behavior of adults and be the light that makes a difference. It is a fantasy that holds so many real emotions and examples of being strong and depending on you for inner strength. I like the message that education makes a difference and shows the importance of learning even when we do not see why or how it will help.
My connection for this book is once again having a recommendation for an older student that might open dialogue and start to make a difference through “talking about a book we read. The fourth grade through high school student can get something from this book. It would be interesting to have students find the events in Miri’s life that are like the events that can happen today.
Miri is a fourteen year old girl that spent her whole life on Mount Eskel living with her loving father and sister, Marda. Miri’s mother had died one week after giving birth to her and although Miri had no memory of her mother “she thought of that week when she held by her mother as the precious thing she owned.” Miri grew up wondering why her father would not let her work in quarry like the other children and her sister. She felt there must be something wrong with her. The quarry workers had a special talent called “quarry- speech” and Miri wanted so much to know how it worked. Miri and the other girls in the village were informed by a messenger of the king that Mount Eskel would be the “home of his future bride” of the prince. All the girls of the village between the ages of twelve and seventeen will be taken to the academy “for the purpose of preparing the potential young ladies” in the event they were chosen as the princess. It is at the academy that Miri finds her purpose in life. She finds through hard work she can learn and use “quarry- talk” to help the other girls. She finds strength in learning to read. She finds that being a princess is not her dream, but staying on the mountain and bringing her dream of opening an academy for anyone in her village who wants to learn. Miri is like the delicate mountain flower that she is named after –“a tiny pink flower that bloomed out of the cracks in the rocks.” Miri had so many doubts and obstacles to overcome to see herself as an asset to her family and village.
Shannon Hale does a wonderful job in describing the characters. She is able to express a mother’s love for their child when she describes how her “mother would not let go of her tiny baby.” The quarry-speech being like “singing “to a friend working near in the mines gives the reader an understanding of how Miri hears the talk. As Miri lay on the floor far away from the fire we are invited to share in “her dreams of becoming academy princess” and how they “wrapped around her and eased the chill.” All these ways that show the reader that Miri had a special quality about her that enabled her to rise above the cruel and harsh treatment that the “mountain” girls were receiving. Miri would sit and twirl the miri flower and think “What would she wish for?” “She looked to the east, where the yellow green slopes and flat places of Mount Eskel climbed into the gray blue peak. To the north a chain of mountains bounded away into forever- purple, blue, then gray.” It paints a beautiful peaceful picture. You can see why Miri has a hard time thinking about what to wish for. The linder is such a critical element in the setting of this story and yet you feel as the people must have felt it was just a part of their life and nothing more. The girls have the same group dynamics as girls still today. There is the jealousy, friendships, mean-spirited, and underlying admiration and a feeling of survival they all share.
Miri was able to truly find what made her happy and did not compromise her happiness just to be a “princess.” She put hurt feelings aside to help all the girls when needed and in the end by being true to her all the girls got what they wanted. THE PRINCESS ACADEMY is a fantasy story that has so much to teach the reader. It is almost like quarry- talk if you are willing to really listen.
Reviews & Awards
Booklist 06/01/05 Newbery Medal/Honor 01/23/06
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 09/01/05 Notable/Best Books (A.L.A.) 01/01/06
Horn Book 04/01/06 School Library Journal starred 10/01/05
Kirkus Review starred 07/15/05
Booklist (June 1, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 19)- Strong suspense and plot drive the action as the girls outwit would-be kidnappers and explore the boundaries of leadership, competition, and friendship.
Horn Book (Spring 2006)-When the royal priests of Danland divine the prince's future bride will be from remote Mount Eskel, a princess academy is established to prepare the candidates. Miri, short in stature, soon proves herself to be a natural leader. Hale's writing is clear and her descriptions vivid. Her imaginary world, peopled by strong yet vulnerable characters, is quietly memorable.
Kirkus Review starred (July 15, 2005)- There are many pleasures to this satisfying tale: a precise lyricism to the language ("The world was as dark as eyes closed" or "Miri's laugh is a tune you love to whistle") and a rhythm to the story that takes its tropes from many places, but its heart from ours.
Publishers Weekly (August 8, 2005)-Readers enchanted by Hale's Goose Girl are in for an experience that's a bit more earthbound in this latest fantasy-cum-tribute to girl-power.
I really liked this book. The way Shannon Hale developed the character of Miri , from a tiny baby almost giving us the feeling of sickliness to a young woman who makes important changes to her village. She is an inspiration to a child who might be struggling with feeling like an outsider and not knowing where she fits in. The story has such a strong message of how a young girl can rise above the pettiness of others, the cruel and harsh behavior of adults and be the light that makes a difference. It is a fantasy that holds so many real emotions and examples of being strong and depending on you for inner strength. I like the message that education makes a difference and shows the importance of learning even when we do not see why or how it will help.
My connection for this book is once again having a recommendation for an older student that might open dialogue and start to make a difference through “talking about a book we read. The fourth grade through high school student can get something from this book. It would be interesting to have students find the events in Miri’s life that are like the events that can happen today.
The First Part Last- Angela Johnson
Johnson, Angla.2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. NewYork: Simon& Schuster Children’s. ISBN: 068984922
Angela Johnson’s novel,THE FIRST PART LAST, is a great example for young people of how the best laid plans can change forever in the blink of an eye or a moment in the night. Bobby went from a typical high school boy “(skipping) school with (his) running buddies, grabbing a couple slices of pizza and catching a matinee” to celebrate his sixteenth birthday to hearing he is going to be a father in less than 12 hours. Bobby’s girlfriend, Nia tells him the news and nothing is ever typical or carefree again. Bobby and Nia were the couple that was responsible and looking forward to a future that included college. Their future became doctor visits and decisions about the future of their unborn child. Bobby is with Nia every step of the way. Listening to others and making decisions that sixteen year olds should not have to make. Bobby and Nia do come to the decision to put the child up for adoption and try to move forward with their plans. Decisions made, life settled until tragedy strikes and life changes again. Bobby is home with his “daughter “who is eleven days old and he is a single father. He names the child “Feather” and holds on to what he has left of his lost love “Nia.”
The story is told in an alternating “now” and “then” format. Bobby lets the reader know how life has changed for him now and how he got there from “then.” The ending was unexpected. Complications during childbirth are a reality but not one that many teens consider as a possibility. Teen pregnancy affects many young people. Bobby and Nia are characters that are believable and the decisions they have to make are part of the reality of an unexpected pregnancy. Angela Johnson reveals the male point of view and allows the reader to see how a young man can deal with the consequences of a night and the tragedy that occurred. When Bobby is faced with the decision of giving up his child the one living reminder of the girl he loved he makes a decision that changes his life forever. When Bobby is asked “Do you know what raising a baby entails?” his answer is the moment he goes from being a boy to a father. Bobby says “No, I don’t know anything about raising a kid. I’m sixteen and none of those people on the wall look like the kind of family me and Feather’s gonna be. But I’m doing it.” This book is a must read for high school children and possibly even in middle school aged children. It is written in their language and in a young person’s reality. Hanging out, skipping school, knowing you should use birth control and looking to your future are all things middle- school to high school kids can relate to. The book is thought provoking and can create dialogue between male and female students in a way that a teacher or a parent could not. The story leaves the reader wanting Bobby to succeed in all he does in his life and in Feather’s life.
Reviews & Awards
Book Links (A.L.A.) 01/01/09 Publishers Weekly starred 06/16/03
Booklist starred 09/01/03
Coretta Scott King Award/Honor 01/12/04
Horn Book 10/01/03
Booklist starred (September 1, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 1))
Gr. 6-12. Bobby, the teenage artist and single-parent dad in Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winner, Heaven (1998), tells his story here.
Horn Book (July/August, 2003)
While this prequel to the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Heaven isn't bereft of humor (Nia's parents' home is "so neat and clean you could probably make soup in the toilet"), what resonates are the sacrifices Bobby makes for Feather's sake.
Kirkus Review (June 1, 2003)
. By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy. The somewhat pat ending doesn't diminish the impact of this short, involving story. It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy. (Fiction. YA)
This book is written for grade 7 and up. I am not able to use it directly in teaching first grade but as a teacher I am asked by parents about books for their older children more often than I realized. After reading this book I found myself recommending it to our librarian and her teenage daughter. She in turned told her circle of friends and they read it also. The problem of teen pregnancy is not going away and the uncomfortable times parents have in talking to their children are not going away either. This book allows dialogue between parents and children and peer to peer. I can see this book being used in middle-school and above to bring in a male’s perspective and lessons on character. I do believe this is a must read for our older children who will be facing the choices that “growing up” presents.
Angela Johnson’s novel,THE FIRST PART LAST, is a great example for young people of how the best laid plans can change forever in the blink of an eye or a moment in the night. Bobby went from a typical high school boy “(skipping) school with (his) running buddies, grabbing a couple slices of pizza and catching a matinee” to celebrate his sixteenth birthday to hearing he is going to be a father in less than 12 hours. Bobby’s girlfriend, Nia tells him the news and nothing is ever typical or carefree again. Bobby and Nia were the couple that was responsible and looking forward to a future that included college. Their future became doctor visits and decisions about the future of their unborn child. Bobby is with Nia every step of the way. Listening to others and making decisions that sixteen year olds should not have to make. Bobby and Nia do come to the decision to put the child up for adoption and try to move forward with their plans. Decisions made, life settled until tragedy strikes and life changes again. Bobby is home with his “daughter “who is eleven days old and he is a single father. He names the child “Feather” and holds on to what he has left of his lost love “Nia.”
The story is told in an alternating “now” and “then” format. Bobby lets the reader know how life has changed for him now and how he got there from “then.” The ending was unexpected. Complications during childbirth are a reality but not one that many teens consider as a possibility. Teen pregnancy affects many young people. Bobby and Nia are characters that are believable and the decisions they have to make are part of the reality of an unexpected pregnancy. Angela Johnson reveals the male point of view and allows the reader to see how a young man can deal with the consequences of a night and the tragedy that occurred. When Bobby is faced with the decision of giving up his child the one living reminder of the girl he loved he makes a decision that changes his life forever. When Bobby is asked “Do you know what raising a baby entails?” his answer is the moment he goes from being a boy to a father. Bobby says “No, I don’t know anything about raising a kid. I’m sixteen and none of those people on the wall look like the kind of family me and Feather’s gonna be. But I’m doing it.” This book is a must read for high school children and possibly even in middle school aged children. It is written in their language and in a young person’s reality. Hanging out, skipping school, knowing you should use birth control and looking to your future are all things middle- school to high school kids can relate to. The book is thought provoking and can create dialogue between male and female students in a way that a teacher or a parent could not. The story leaves the reader wanting Bobby to succeed in all he does in his life and in Feather’s life.
Reviews & Awards
Book Links (A.L.A.) 01/01/09 Publishers Weekly starred 06/16/03
Booklist starred 09/01/03
Coretta Scott King Award/Honor 01/12/04
Horn Book 10/01/03
Booklist starred (September 1, 2003 (Vol. 100, No. 1))
Gr. 6-12. Bobby, the teenage artist and single-parent dad in Johnson's Coretta Scott King Award winner, Heaven (1998), tells his story here.
Horn Book (July/August, 2003)
While this prequel to the Coretta Scott King Award-winning Heaven isn't bereft of humor (Nia's parents' home is "so neat and clean you could probably make soup in the toilet"), what resonates are the sacrifices Bobby makes for Feather's sake.
Kirkus Review (June 1, 2003)
. By narrating from a realistic first-person voice, Johnson manages to convey a story that is always complex, never preachy. The somewhat pat ending doesn't diminish the impact of this short, involving story. It's the tale of one young man and his choices, which many young readers will appreciate and enjoy. (Fiction. YA)
This book is written for grade 7 and up. I am not able to use it directly in teaching first grade but as a teacher I am asked by parents about books for their older children more often than I realized. After reading this book I found myself recommending it to our librarian and her teenage daughter. She in turned told her circle of friends and they read it also. The problem of teen pregnancy is not going away and the uncomfortable times parents have in talking to their children are not going away either. This book allows dialogue between parents and children and peer to peer. I can see this book being used in middle-school and above to bring in a male’s perspective and lessons on character. I do believe this is a must read for our older children who will be facing the choices that “growing up” presents.
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