Roller Girl

Bibliography
Jamieson, V. (2015). Roller girl. New York: Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. ISBN: 9780803740167

Plot Summary 
Astrid has done everything with her best friend, Nicole. But when Astrid’s mom take them to a roller derby bout, their relationship begins to change in ways that Astrid isn’t a fan of. Now she has to learn how to be by herself and make new friends in a strange new setting.

Critical Analysis 
Astrid is the typical, selfish, 12-year-old girl. She’s a tomboy whose favorite color is black, as depicted by her dark clothing throughout the book. Her best friend, Nicole, on the other hand, likes the color pink, boys, and ballet.

Jamieson uses the graphic novel format to convey Astrid’s story. The drawings of all of the characters present the reader with a wide range of emotions. Onomatopeia is used throughout the book for the whistles and other objects. The representation of Astrid's tiredness is entertaining as you are able to view the couch and then blackness.

At the beginning of the book, Astrid is selfish. She only wants to do what she wants to do, and she doesn’t consider Nicole or her feelings. Nicole wants to go to ballet camp, not roller derby camp. Instead of talking it out with her best friend, Astrid ghosts Nicole and doesn't speak to her for weeks. So Nicole finds a new friend in Rachel, a bully to Astrid. Astrid’s selfishness is further conveyed with her new friend Zoey. Astrid spends a lot of time working on being a jammer, and when her new friend Zoey is chosen instead, Astrid does not react well. By the end of the book, Astrid is shown to have grown considerably and respect the decisions of those around her. She makes peace with Nicole and Rachel and goes out of her way to support Zoey in her new role.

Astrid must also learn how to deal with her own failures. She constantly falls down and can’t hip check anyone, but she continues to preserve. She refuses to give up because this is her new dream. Even though she is intimated by the size and experience of the other girls, she doesn’t let that dissuade her.

Throughout the book, the reader witnesses Astrid’s growth during the same transitional phase between fifth and sixth grade. She quietly rebels against her mother. She walks and rollerblades home from roller derby camp and dyes her hair blue in an attempt to be strong. This rebellious phase is short-lived but sure to come out more intensely as time goes out. Also during this time, Astrid learns that it’s okay for everyone to not like the same thing. It’s okay to be friends with someone and not do everything with them. Everyone has different interests and that’s okay.

Review Excerpt(s) 
Newbery Medal Nominee (2016)
Texas Bluebonnet Award (2017)
Maine Student Book Award (2017)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2017)
Oregon Spirit Book Award for Graphic Novel (2015)
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee for Best Publication for Kids (ages 9-12) (2016),
Bluestem Book Award (2018)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2018)
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW - “This spiky, winning graphic novel captures the bittersweetness of finding a new passion and saying goodbye to your former, more uncertain self.”
KIRKUS -  "Jamieson captures this snapshot of preteen angst with a keenly decisive eye, brilliantly juxtaposing the nuances of roller derby with the twists and turns of adolescent girls' friendships...Full of charm and moxie—don't let this one roll past."
HORN -  "Jamieson’s dialogue captures coming-of-age…so authentically"—Horn Book, starred review

Connections
Show clips from the movie Whip-It: https://youtu.be/RQGPdXnb2Gg and Derby, Crazy, Love documentary: https://youtu.be/jcetd17-x3s
Invite people from Houston Roller Derby to speak to students about roller derby: https://www.houstonrollerderby.com/
Writing Prompt: What transitions have been difficult for you from fifth to sixth grade?
Writing Prompt: Who is someone you look up to other than your mom, dad or grandparent? If you could write to them for advice, what would you write them? Write a letter to someone you admire, asking for advice.
A physics lesson regarding how an object in motion stays in motion, or about movement. Such as, Astrid is moving at so many miles per hour, etc.
What would your roller derby name be? Think of one and create the back of your own shirt (using a paper template or an actual shirt) with it.
Have students create their own graphic novel about a time when they had to learn something new and felt like they failed at it. At least two pages and use panels from the novel as a template.

Smile

Bibliography
Telgemeier, R. & Yue, S. (2010). Smile. New York, New York: Graphix. ISBN: 9780545132053

Plot Summary 
During her sixth grade year, Raina falls and knocks out her two front teeth. This sets forward a journey of dentistry and self-discovery. This story chronicles the next four and a half years of Raina’s life as she deals with her teeth, friends, and finding out who she really is.

Critical Analysis 
Everyone has a horror dentist story to share. Author Raina Telgemeier shares hers in the form a graphic novel.

Each panel of the comics has a corresponding background. Most if not all panels are colorful and only muted when the tone of the story calls for it. There are a couple of panels that seem a bit off, such as when Raina is going to her orthodontist appointment and wonders if the sixth-grade boy she likes was trying to ask her out on page 79. Raina and her mom both have an umbrella, but there is an odd shade of black, possibly to represent the shadow the umbrellas cast over them. It just looks odd, especially over Raina’s mother. Another panel shows Raina after she’s gotten her braces and she states “My whole HEAD hurts so much!” (pg 45). Her father is holding a mug of coffee and the aroma lines stretch above the mug and behind Raina. That seems odd.

The events in this book take place in the late 80s and early 90s, reflected by the cinematic release of The Little Mermaid. The reader is given a hint early on about the time period at the beginning of the book when Raina is recovering from knocking out her two front teeth and her sister is constantly loosing at Super Mario Brothers on the Nintendo. Younger readers may not catch this reference or that of the release of The Little Mermaid but the very end of the book clearly states that the sophomore dance Raina helps decorate will be on October 7, 1992.

The format of this novel isn’t the only thing to take notice of. The plot itself doesn’t only focus on the dental journey Raina must endure, but that of puberty itself. Raina transitions from the sixth grade to seventh, eighth and ninth grade throughout the course of this book. And in that time, she has to deal with acne, peer pressure, and boys. She has to learn that even though you may have been friends in elementary school or junior high, that doesn’t mean you have to stay friends. She may not get the guy, but she eventually finds a group she relates to and can be herself with.

Students of a middle grade and high school setting will enjoy the real-life experiences Raina Telgemeier shares in this memoir-graphic novel. There is something all readers will be able to relate to.

Review Excerpt(s) 
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2012)
Iowa Children's Choice Award (2012)
Boston Globe-Horn Book Award Nominee for Nonfiction (2010)
Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Publication for Teens (2011)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (2013)
KIRKUS - "Irresistible, funny and touching."
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW - "It hits home partly because there is nothing else out there like it."

Connections
Have an orthodontist come and speak to the class or do a Skype visit to explain how braces work.
Writing Prompt: What are things you need to have when you are sick? (Teacher example: chicken noodle soup, yellow Gatorade, and TV). Why do these things make you feel better?
Use this book to introduce the concept of graphic novels. Have students investigate the parts that make up a graphic novel - panels, colors, pictures, word bubbles, etc.
Use this book to introduce memoirs. This book is about an experience the author had that they shared with the world through a memoir.
Writing Prompt: Write about a time where something embarrassing happened.
Writing Prompt: Write about your own dentist visit gone wrong. If you haven’t had one, think about a time you went to the regular doctor and something may have gone wrong.
Students can use one of the writing prompts to create their own two page comic about their experience using the panels in the novel as a template.

Savvy

Bibliography 
Law, I. (2008). Savvy. New York Boston, Mass: Dial Books for Young Readers Walton Media. ISBN: 9780803733060

Plot Summary
Something strange happens to the Beaumont family on their thirteenth birthday. Her brother, Fish, created a hurricane on his thirteenth birthday. Her other brother controlled electricity!

Days before her thirteenth birthday, Mississippi “Mibs” Beaumont’s father is in a horrible car accident and falls into a coma. Her mother and brother go to be with him while the rest of her family stays behind. But on her thirteenth birthday, Mibs is convinced that she can help her father. All she needs to do is make it to him. With the help of a pink bus and the preachers' children, Mibs makes her thirteenth birthday one to remember.

Critical Analysis 
This fantasy novel gives Mibs one thing that most fantasy novels don’t: a family. Her mother, a perfectionist by savvy, a non-savvy father, a groundbreaking grandfather, and three brothers and one little sister. The story kicks off when her family life is threatened. Her father has been involved in a 10 vehicle pile up, falls into a coma, and no one knows if he will survive or not.

The idea of a savvy, a sort of magical power, is not new. The same year Savvy was released,  Kristin Cashore’s Graceling hit the shelves. Everyone is born with a grace, just as everyone is born with a savvy. The difference between the two novels is that a savvy is bestowed upon you on your thirteenth birthday. Two days after her father is hospitalized, Mibs celebrates her thirteenth birthday with a party she didn’t ask for.

Mibs and her family are considered outcasts in the small town they live in. Actually, the Beaumont family lives on the border of Nebraska and Kansas. The family moved to this landlocked area to help Fish, one of Mibs’s brothers’, “scumble” his savvy of creating hurricanes. Scumble is a term in the novel to mean “control”. This plays a major role in the novel as, during their travels, the band of misfits tends to find themselves near large bodies of water.

One major issue with the story is that Mibs becomes convinced that her savvy is to wake up those that don’t want to wake. Even after there are multiple events that prove otherwise. Such as Lester, the nervous bible selling bus driver, and his tattoos on his arms that keep speaking to each other. Or Bobbi, the preacher’s daughter, who has a tattoo of an angel with a devil’s tail that keeps speaking to Mibs. The most telling piece of evidence of all is when Mibs draws a sun on the hand of the preachers' son, Will Junior, and the sun begins to speak to her. After all of this, she still insists on attempting to wake a homeless man lying on the side of the street. While the author attempts to convey Mibs hopefulness that she will be able to help her father, it falls flat considering the mounting evidence to the contrary.

The book is full of creative descriptions, odd names, and crazy adventures for the characters. The savvy Mibs has inherited is very creative. She can hear other peoples thoughts or feelings through the ink on their skin, whether it is permanent or not. Mibs learns that she cannot run away from what she is, no matter how hard she may try.

The ending of this book riles up several issues though. The father seems to have some memory issues. The accident left him with pieces missing, and only Mibs can truly communicate with him through the mermaid tattoo on his arm. During the very last chapter, it is revealed that he has been home almost a year.
          “He recognized me that day. That was good. After coming home from Salina Hope Hospital, Poppa couldn’t always remember what day of the week it was or whether or not he liked blueberries in his pancakes. He couldn’t recall if we lived in Nebraska or in Kansas and didn’t understand that we lived in both, or how that had come to be” (pg 335-336).
After the reader learns this about the father of the family, the reader also learns another piece of somewhat disturbing information. The mother of the family thinks she may be pregnant again. An interesting end to an interesting tale. Hopefully, Scumble the sequel to Savvy will answer some unanswered questions.

Review Excerpt(s) 
Newbery Medal Nominee (2009)
Mythopoeic Fantasy Award Nominee for Children's Literature (2009)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2010)
Iowa Children's Choice Award Nominee (2012)
Andre Norton Award Nominee (2008)
Judy Lopez Memorial Award for Children's Literature Nominee (2009)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2011)
KIRKUS - “Law displays both a fertile imagination...and a dab hand for likable, colorful characters...[a] marvel-laden debut.”
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY - “Law's savvy? She's a natural storyteller who's created a vibrant and cinematic novel that readers are going to love.”
BOOKLIST - “Law's storytelling is rollicking, her language imaginative, and her entire cast of whacky, yet believable characters delightful...wholly engaging and lots of fun.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - “With its delightful premise and lively adventure, this book will please a wide variety of audiences, not just fantasy fans...Definitely an author to watch.”

Connections
Rocket can control electricity, the grandfather claims to have created Idaho, and Fish can create hurricanes. Students can break off into groups to study the actual cause of these events. How do we have electricity? How do hurricanes form? How did Idaho become a state?
Students can track the characters progress from Hebron to Bee to Wymore to Manhattan to Salina. Use the website https://www.distance-cities.com/distance-hebron-ne-to-salina-ks to track the distance from Hebron to Salina. This could be used to create math problems.
Discussion question: What sort of savvy do you think you would have? Why? What sort of problems could this create? How could you use it for good?
The author uses a lot of similes. Have students track similes as they read.
The author uses a lot of alliteration when they are describing things. “Bobbi stuck out her tongue with a sour and shimmying shudder, squirming away…” (pg 242). Try using words that mean the same thing with the same beginning letter.
Book 2: Law, I. (2010). Scumble. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
Book 3: Law, I. (2015). Switch. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) LLC.
For older readers: Cashore, K., Mathison, J. & Riggs, C. (2008). Graceling. Orlando, FL: Harcourt.

Rules

Bibliography 
Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York, NY: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780439443821

Plot Summary
Life is governed by a list of rules. Not everyone needs them written down to be reminded of them. Catherine’s brother, David, needs more rules added every day. He also needs to be reminded of them constantly. This is because David has autism. And all Catherine wants is some semblance of normalcy.

But what happens when the rules Catherine made for her little brother begin to seep into her own life? How normal can her life really be?

Critical Analysis
Rather than focus on the person living with autism, Cynthia Lord writes from the perspective of the person’s sibling. The book opens with Catherine attempting to learn about the new neighbors moving in with her brother David. Within the first five pages, the reader is introduced to several of David’s eccentricities. He must have an umbrella outside, a promise must be kept, and rules make the world go round.

One device that Lord uses well in this novel is the power of words. Catherine is an artist, and she offers to create new words for Jason’s communication book. Many of the words convey her frustrations. Many of the words she gives Jason are negative. Words such as unfair, cruel, hate, ruined, tease, and embarrassed. These words often come to her after an episode with David. 

Catherine worries about people staring at David. When he begins to shriek or do something Catherine deems weird, she worries about judgment. This may contribute to her lack of friends other than Melissa, who is away for the summer. The same worry affects her friendship with Jason, a paraplegic boy that communicates with a book of notecards with words and phrases. Once again, she worries about people judging her for not fitting into a box of normalcy, and she refuses to spend time with him outside of occupational therapy.

It doesn’t take long for the reader to see that Catherine uses the rules she has created for her brother David to navigate her own life. And this causes problems. Not to mention the fact that her parents don’t ever see her, or so it feels. Catherine is used as a live-in babysitter. Her father cannot deal with the reality of his home life, so he spends more time at work and takes his son out to the video store out of a combination of guilt and fatherly duty. In order for Catherine to get something that she wants, she has to pull a stunt that pulls him out of work. It isn’t until then that he realizes how upset his oldest child really is about the treatment of her. “Maybe he does need you more than me, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need anything at all!” (pg 187). 

Review Excerpt(s) 
Newbery Medal Nominee (2007)
Schneider Family Book Award for Middle School Book (2007)
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2008)
California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Middle School/Junior High (2009)
Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2009)
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "Catherine is an endearing narrator who tells her story with both humor and heartbreak. . . . A lovely, warm read, and a great discussion starter."

Connections
Think about your younger brother or siblings. If you don’t have any, imagine that you do. What are 5 rules you would give them to live by? Why would you give them these rules?
Catherine uses the word cards to express some of her emotions. Jason has to use them in order to communicate. Create 10 of your own communication cards. These will be used to communicate with all day tomorrow. You will be unable to use your words. Chose wisely.
Further Reading: Baskin, N. (2009). Anything but typical. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Choldenko, G. (2004). Al Capone does my shirts. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Connor’s Life with Autism: http://oomscholasticblog.com/sites/default/files/ACT_1216_0117-ConnorArcher.pdf

Willow Run

Bibliography

Giff, P. R. (2007). Willow Run. New York: Yearling. ISBN: 9780440238010

Plot Summary

The war has changed thing for Meggie and her family. Her brother is serving, her father get a job as a foreman of a bomber plane factory, and her grandfather becomes a target because of his German blood. Meggie must choose between fitting in and family. Which is more important?

Critical Analysis

The author Patricia Reilly Giff presents a different perspective of time in America during World War II. Automobile factories were converted to help create plans for the war effort. Since Meggie’s father cannot see well, he cannot fly the planes, but he can work as a foreman to help build them. So the family moves from New York to Michigan, leaving behind Meggie’s grandfather.

There are many references to the war effort and how things are being sacrificed. At the beginning of the book, it is mentioned how there is a shortage of rubber and leather. If your car needed new tires, you may be out of luck. A couple of times, Meggie mentions how she is tired of the war and what they must do for the war effort.

The majority of the book focuses on Meggie and her relationship with her grandfather. She has always felt that he prized her older brother, Eddie, over her. She is also ashamed that he is from Germany, even though he helped his country during the last war and has a medal to prove it. The beginning of the novel has two teens desecrating her grandfather’s house by painting a Nazi symbol on his window. Meggie takes her time to vigorously scrub the sign away and never tells anyone.

By the end of the book, Meggie has come to accept her grandfather for the way he is. She even starts going by her given name, Margaret. A name she often told her grandfather not to call her. But she was named after her grandmother.

Reilly Giff does an excellent job describing the ramshackle conditions Meggie’s family comes upon after their move. Buildings were created hastily for families to move into in order to have more people building airplanes. The walls were extremely thin. Thin enough that the first night, Meggie ends up knocking on the wall after hearing the family next to her arguing. They hear her and begin banging ruthlessly.

This is a short, entertaining novel of life in American during the second World War.

Review Excerpt(s)

BOOKLIST - “Tough and tender, this [book] is an excellent addition to World War II shelves.”

Connections

Have students study the shortages Americans faced during World War II. How would this affect industry?

Why did factories such as car factories adjust their product? How did this assist in the war effort?

Have students study the Battle at Normandy. How many soldiers went missing in action or were killed in action?

Meggie’s father is from Germany. Have students interview their grandparents about if and where they immigrated from and why. Or have students ask their parents why their grandparents/great grandparents immigrated. Where did they immigrant from? Do they do anything embarrassing like Meggie felt her grandfather did (example: talking during films)

Show students a newsreel from the movies like Meggie watched.

The Loud Silence of Francine Green

Bibliography

Cushman, K. (2006). The loud silence of Francine Green. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 9780618504558

Plot Summary

There is a new scare after World War II and that is Communism. The Red Scare began promptly after the war. Americans feared Russia bomb the United States and takeover. Anyone considered a sympathizer would be blacklisted.

Francine Green is not one to speak up. She’d rather daydream about being in the movies and knowing exactly what to say. She prefers to stay under the radar, doing what she is told. But when Sophie Bowman starts going to Francine’s Catholic school, Francine begins to question everything she has been taught so far about Communism and equality and the right to speak up.

Critical Analysis

This book is split up into months of the year. It begins in August of 1949 and ends in June of 1950. Francine’s burgeoning friendship with the wild Sophie Bowman has opened her eyes to the world around her. This provides some much needed character development on Francine’s department. She is sort of a wet rag compared to her friend, wanting to only do the good thing, worrying about the repercussions if she doesn’t conform, etc. Sophie is the polar opposite of Francine. She speaks up for what she believes in. She refuses to accept what society has deemed normal if it feels unfair.

By the end of the book, Francine become bolder. Author Karen Cushman makes Francine so bold, even, that she begins to doubt her faith in the Catholic church. Francine seeks guidance, only to be told to complete Hail Mary’s and an Act of Contrition.

The author does a good job at revealing how Francine had become as docile as she is throughout much of the book. Her family often tells her to be quiet, not to question things, and force to to complete jobs around the house such as babysitting. At school, students are expected to take what they are told at face value and not to question anything. It isn’t until Sophie comes around that Francine begins to see what she has been taught all along may not be right.

Many may argue that Sophie’s disappearance was too vague or not tidy enough for their liking. However, during this time period when people were blacklisted, they often had to leave in the middle of the night. That or leave it up to more extreme measures as another character commits in the middle of the book.

Cushman offers a time period not often seen in historical fiction. Much historical fiction in young adult or middle grade literature focuses on the time during World War II and not much after. With this book, the author emphasizes the importance of speaking up during injustice. Because if you don’t then who will?    

Review Excerpt(s)
BOOKLIST - “... Sure to provoke lively class discussion, this will easily absorb independent readers in search of a rich, satisfying story about early adolescence."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL - "Cushman creates another introspective female character who is planted firmly in her time and who grows in courage, self-awareness, and conviction.”

Connections

Compare Americans and their turning in of neighbors to that of German people turning in Jewish neighbors. Why did Americans think this was all right to do?

Have a blacklisting experiment in class. Decide on a factor and let everyone in class but the ones that have been blacklisted know. Have a discussion about how it felt, why did others turn so quickly, etc.

Why does Francine become disillusioned with Hollywood and the movies? What happens in the book to contribute to this change of heart?

Show students a clip of a movie with Montgomery Clift. How have celebrities/movies changed from the 1950s?

Create a pamphlet or sign like the ones Francine saw at the Flag Day celebration but promoting peace and equality.

Our Only May Amelia

Bibliography

Holm, J. L. (2000). Our only May Amelia. New York: HarperTrophy. ISBN: 9780064408561

Plot Summary

May Amelia Jackson was the first girl born along the Nasel River in Washington in the 19th century. With seven older brothers, she makes for a poor girl indeed. How is she supposed to be a proper young lady when there are no other girls to model after? Maybe the baby Mamma is expecting will help keep her out of trouble.

  

Critical Analysis

A map of the Nasel River Settlement is provided at the beginning of the book to help the reader understand the small community and May Amelia’s frequent haunts. Before each chapter is a picture that somehow goes with the contents of the section. Chapter Five, Grandmother Tries Our Patience, has the picture of a stern older woman wearing all black. This is quite the interpretation of Grandmother Patience, who moves in with the family.

The setting of the Nasel River settlement is original. May Amelia’s family is Finnish, as well as many of the settlers in this part of Washington. Farming and logging are the major industries of this time period. The logging portion is depicted in an interesting fashion when people are warned of the dam being let out while they are on the river. The author mentions many different Finnish foods that May Amelia eats with her family. The only time she eats something that isn’t Finnish in origin is when she visits her aunt in Astoria.

One item of note in this book is the lack of quotation marks. The reader must be paying close attention to who is speaking and who is not while reading. This could also be there to reflect May Amelia’s lack of education. It is mentioned multiple times that she is not often able to make it to school because of the distance and because of the help needed on the farm. Important words or phrases, such as how Amelia is referred to as “A Miracle” are also randomly capitalized. This could be to highlight their importance.

Author Jennifer L. Holm creates an atmosphere along the Nasel in 1899 that definitely is not conducive to being a proper young lady. Since May Amelia is the youngest with so many older brothers, and her mother spends the majority of the book pregnant or cooking, it is hard for May Amelia to know what a proper young lady is supposed to look or act like. The mother does little to correct May Amelia which begs the question: is the mother demonstrating the family’s expectation of their only daughter? The answer is more no than yes considering how many times May Amelia gets herself into trouble.

The crushing blow of the death of the Baby Amy upends May Amelia. She leaves the Nasel to stay with her aunt and one of her brothers in Astoria. During this time, the reader can conclude that May Amelia is utterly devastated and guilty about the loss of her little sister. This loss has also shaken something inside of her that is tired of being constantly wrong. Her father is always yelling, her grandmother is nagging, and she just doesn’t feel as though she is doing anything right anymore.

The arrival of her twin brothers contributes to May Amelia’s healing process. The two are heartbroken that she refuses to come home which helps her realize that she is valued back home. May Amelia’s character development is not grand the scheme of things, but this is where the reader can clearly sense a shift in our May Amelia.

In her author’s note, Holm informs the reader that most of the inspiration from this novel was based on family history, her grandmother to be precise. The events within the pages of the book were taken from oral family histories that helped shape May Amelia. The pictures provided at the beginning of each chapter do not have references, so it is hard to check their validity.  

Review Excerpt(s)

Newbery Medal Nominee (2000)

Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2001)

“An unforgettable heroine narrates Holm’s extraordinary debut novel. May Amelia’s spunky narrative voice gives the novel its immediacy and potency. Not to be missed.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The voice of the colloquial first-person narrative rings true and provides a vivid picture of frontier and pioneer life in Washington State in 1899.”   (Horn Book)

“The robust characterizations captivate, the lilting dialogue twangs, and the sharply individual first-person narrative gives the material authority and polish.” (Kirkus Reviews)

Connections

Study the major influences of settlers moving to this Washington territory.

Analyze the different Native American groups in the area. Compare them.  

Compare the length of the Nasel River to the Mississippi River.

Play a recording of a lesson in Finnish. Have students reflect on the language barrier they may have encountered. What was hard about the lesson? What was easy?

Write a letter to May Amelia from Baby Amy. What would Baby Amy want May Amelia to know?

Compare Finnish immigrants to Irish immigrants. Why would May Amelia’s father be so opposed to Mattie marrying an Irish girl?

Dash

Bibliography

Larson, K. (2014). Dash. New York: Scholastic Press. ISBN: 9780545416351

Plot Summary

After the events of Pearl Harbor, life has changed for Mitsi Kashino and her family must adapt to a new United States. “All persons of Japanese descent” are required to evacuate to incarceration camps. It wouldn’t be so bad if Mitsi were allowed to bring her faithful companion, Dash. But when her request is denied, Mitsi has to adjust to her life without Dash and learn to lean on her family and others.

Critical Analysis

American reactions to Pearl Harbor against Japanese people are revealed slowly. It is obvious that Mitsi is almost unaware of the world’s reaction to her because she feels that she is as American as the rest of her friends. Girls that Mitsi once thought of as friends no ignore her and are leaving nasty notes in her desk. Author Kirby Larson has created a believable young protagonist who feels that her dog is her best friend. Who doesn’t understand completely what is happening to her family because she feels more American than she does Japanese.

Larson’s descriptions of the internment camps, especially that of Camp Minidoka in Idaho, help express the helplessness Japanese-Americans felt at this time. “Mitsi’s throat was raw from the dust, and the ringing in her ears was driving her crazy…” (pg 193). This is quite the departure for Misti, who grew up in Oregon.

Mitsi’s experience at Camp Harmony and Minidoka prove a rough transition but with the help of Dash’s letters, she learns to appreciate what she has. Her experience at the internment camps seems easier than what others may have experienced in comparison. The letters from “Dash” symbolize hope for her which keeps her going during this tough time of change. And her brother, Ted, reflect what could happen if they were to succumb to what others thought of Japanese Americans. He begins hanging out with the wrong crowd and seems perfectly fine to sneak out, smoke, and even steal. But the weight of his guilt eventually shows him the error of his ways.

As far as character development goes, this book shows very little. Mitsi can’t help but judge the mailman at Camp Harmony, and she remains oblivious to the troubles her new friend, Debbie, is experiencing trying to help her father. Mitsi’s only goal and connection to the outside world is her dog, Mitsi, and the person taking care of Dash. Other than learning to not judge others based on their outward appearance, Mitsi doesn’t really grow in this book.

One of the most redeeming qualities of this book was the Author’s Note at the end. Mitsi is based off an actual person that wanted to bring their dog to an internment camp after Pearl Harbor. She is also denied, so a family friend kept a “diary” of the dogs day to day activities. This helped humanize Mitsi for me. Larson also Densho.org in her acknowledgements. The website has testimonials from people at the different internment camps, drawings, and maps of the area which helps the reader imagine the different places Mitsi went to during her stay.

Review Excerpt(s)

Scott O'Dell Award (2015)
California Young Readers Medal Nominee for Intermediate (2018),

Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2018),

The Magnolia Award Nominee for 3-5 (2016)

"Historical fiction at its best." -- School Library Journal

"Emotionally satisfying and thought-provoking." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

Connections

Imagine that you have to leave home for a while but couldn’t take the family pet. Write a letter that your family pet would leave you for the day you had to depart.

Compare the camps the Japanese had to stay in to those of the Jewish people in Germany.

Draw a map of Camp Harmony based off the text provided.

Use Densho.org to pair the events mentioned in Dash to those that occurred after Pearl Harbor.

Create a timeline for Japanese Americans starting with Pearl Harbor and the Japanese surrender in 1944.