The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain
By: Peter Sis
This graphic novel allows children to understand the impact of living in Czechoslovakia under Soviet rule. The author recalls the feeling of seeing the police in their staunch suits being ruthless to the people of the city. The book takes the reader from Sis's infancy to his adulthood. This book has an incredible way of showing his life by using very little color and enhancing the reader's experience by using sharp black and white images. The reader is able to view his world through a series of maps, journal excerpts and pictures. Sis is born under communist rule, but soon discovers the Western world. He is fascinated by the Beach Boys, rock n roll, and grows his hair long. This is a great book for middle school children to read. It shares a bit of history with them, and they might even want to expand their knowledge and research more about this time period.
2008 Geisel Award
There is a Bird on Your Head!
by Mo Williems
This another wonderful product written and illustrated by Mo Williems. The pictures are reminiscent of Williems' pigeon books. I really enjoyed the illustrations and short story line. This book is excellent for beginning or emergent readers. Children will definitely enjoy reading this book on there own or have it read to them.
2008 Schneider Family Award
Kami and the Yaks
by: Andrea Stenn Stryer
This wonderfully illustrated book is set in the Himalayas and tells the story of Sherpa. Sherpa is a young deaf boy who tries to help his father and brother look for the family's yaks. Sherpa decides to looks for the yaks on the opposite side from where his brother and father are at. He is able to locate them, but he has a problem releasing one from a rock. I really enjoyed reading this book and the illustrations. I love that the main character is deaf. This allows children to understand that even though a person may have a disability, they are still able to do everyday things. This wonderful tale of young Sherpa is sure to be an excellent addition to any library.
Reaching for Sun
by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer
When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect because it is entirely written in poetry. The main character, Josie, who is a seventh grader with Cerebral Palsy, is able to share her voice through the poetry. Through he poems we are able to understand how lonely she feels, until she meets a new friend, Jordan. It it also interesting to see how she relates to her family members. This book is pretty interesting, even though it is written using poetry, I myself am not a big fan of poetry. I can see this being used in the classroom, not only because it is a pretty easy read, but because of the disability that Josie has. Children will become aware of how it is to live with a disability. I would definitely recommend this book to middle school and high school students.
Hurt Go Happy
By Ginny Rorby
This book caught me absolutely by surprise, this book has some difficult issues. For example, the main character Joey is deaf, but she became deaf after a horrible beating from her father. Her mother doesn't want her to learn sign language, thus she lives in an isolated environment. Joey comes in contact with a monkey and his owner. The monkey actually knows sign language and Joey learns despite her mother's wishes. The writing in this book is impeccable and very easy to read. The minute you pick up the book, you are brought into Joey's world that is difficult to stop reading. I am sure that there are students who can relate to this kind of abuse and family situation.
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