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About Jeff Kinney
From the Back of the Book"Whatever you do, don't ask Greg Heffley how he spent his summer vacation, because he definitely doesn't want to talk about it. As Greg enters the new school year, he's eager to put the past three months behind him ... and one event in particular. Unfortunately for Greg, his older brother, Rodrick, knows all about the incident Greg wants to keep under wraps. But secrets have a way of getting out ... especially when a diary is involved." WeaknessesThe title of the book and the deep, dark secret that is mentioned on the back of the book are both misleading. Rodrick rarely holds the secret's threat over Greg's head, so it's hard to really make known that Rodrick's rule over Greg is really that monumental. I forgot there was even this mysterious, no-one-needs-to-know event until the end of the book when it is revealed. In the "Weaknesses" section of the first book in the series review, I pointed out the overuse of the sentence starter "so." It was continuously used in the second installment, as well. So, there may be no hope for Kinney in that regard. I also noticed, in both books, Kinney's incorrect use of "me" instead of "I." Let's review (Thanks, Canada!): Here are two examples that I found from Rodrick Rules that I found error with:
Strengths
RecommendationI would recommend this book to elementary and middle school students with an older sibling or close in age cousin. As we began to see at the end of the first book, Rodrick and Greg are forced to interact. In Rodrick Rules, their forced interactions have multiplied and neither are happy. Most kids can relate to the pain and agony of having to hang out with a sibling or cousin that they just don't want to on any given day whether they are the older or younger one. I think this book would evoke a lot of laughs and "oh yeahs!" from kids recalling memories or events with their siblings and/or cousins. Why Did I Read This Book? As I expand my Diary of a Wimpy kid knowledge, I continue to pick up on the strategies and nuances Kinney is using. The power of the pictures are important and the character building is subtle, but there. All of these notes are added to my brain as I continue to plan for my Red Cedar Writing Project Spartan Writing Camp session on creating your own Diary of a Wimpy Kid adventure.
I am also able to count it for the following reading challenges:
About Jeff Kinney
From the Back of the Book"Being a kid can really stink. And no one knows this better than Greg Heffley, who finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. In Diary of a Wimpy Kid, author and illustrator Jeff Kinney introduces us to an unlikely hero. As Greg says in his diary: Just don't expect me to be all 'Dear Diary' this and 'Dear Diary' that. Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won't do and what he actually does are two very different things." StrengthsWhen I picked up this book, I noticed that on the cover it read, "a novel in cartoons." This little line explained the premise of the book and series. I think the cartoons in the book help to establish who was who with consistent and unique characteristics of each character. Another strength of the book's cartoons were how they drove the plot. In some instances a cartoon would provide details that the text did not. For example, Greg tried out for the school play and a portion of the tryout was singing: "Mrs. Norton, the music director made everyone sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" so she could hear our singing voices. I did my singing tryouts with a bunch of other boys whose moms made them come, too. I tried to sing as quietly as possible, but of course I got singled out, anyway. I have no idea what a 'soprano' is, but from the way some of the girls were giggling, I knew it wasn't a good thing" (97-98). The text breaks with Greg telling the reader he gets singled out. The cartoon shows how he was singled out, and then the text picks back up and adds commentary for the situation. This nuance is important because it always readers to read (and analyze) a different type of text. Also, struggling readers may not know what a soprano is, but they would be able to relate to Greg because he does not know either. The book has a lot of these instances. I think they are extremely important because the cartoons add a variety of text development that a regular novel does not have. WeaknessesWhile I realize that Kinney is writing from a middle school student's perspective and trying to be authentic, I don't think that Kinney realizes the consequences of this choice. Students often write in similar ways and styles of that that they read. Recently, my middle school students ended a short story unit. As I conferenced with each student on their writing, I noticed that a lot of them were beginning a majority of their sentences with the word "so." Despite my efforts to correct and teach sentence variety, my students were continuing this practice. I asked myself time and time again, "WHY?" After reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid, I know why. Kinney begins a majority of his sentences with the word "so." Here are several examples from the book. I have purposefully looked for them around every 25 pages.
This book is littered with "so" beginning a sentence. It was difficult to select just one example every 25 pages. And, while it is not against any grammar rules to begin a sentence with "so" or "and" or "but," it can get redundant and unoriginal. RecommendationFirst and foremost, I would recommend this book to educators who teach upper elementary and middle school. Rather than scoff at the title, like I originally did, dig in and see what your students are reading. This book was an eye opener for me, as mentioned above. It is extremely important to know and understand what our students are reading. I would also recommend this book to struggling middle school and even high school readers. The content of this book is easy to understand and the pictures that accompany the text make the plot and characters come to life. Reading this book or a book in the series would provide that struggling reader with a sense of accomplishment that they can read! Why Did I Read This Book?The main reason why I read this book is because I am an instructor for Red Cedar Writing Project's Spartan Writing Camps this summer. I am in the process of creating a writing camp curriculum centered on having students in grades 6-8 write their own adventures that are based on Jeff Kinney's format of the series.
I also read this book because I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. As my students and I participate in Reading Roll Call each week, I hear the Diary of a Wimpy Kid titles constantly. Last week, when I announced that I was reading the first DoaWK (my shorthand of the titles), one student said to me, "You can't read that book." I reminded the student and his classmates that we can read any book we want as long as it is 150 pages or longer. I also said that there is not a filter on a book anyone can read. One of my big goals this school year has been to diminish reading stereotypes in my classroom and encourage lifelong reading. I am also able to count it for the following reading challenges:
From the Book Jacket
"Set over the course of one school year, this is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds - smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try." WeaknessesMost of the novel is focused on the relationship formed between Eleanor and Park during the 1986-1987 school year. Because I was born a few years after and was a teenager fifteen to twenty years later, I found it hard to relate to some of the pop culture references (Joy Division, XTC, Esprit) and the lack of technology that Eleanor and Park experienced (cell phones, tapes, Walkmans). The novel opens with Eleanor as the new girl riding the bus to school. Seats on the bus were not assigned, but everyone had their predetermined seat based on the pecking order. After Eleanor gets on the bus and realizes this, she was told by the bus driver to find a seat and sit down. As Eleanor searched for an open seat, one of the main antagonists, Tina, badgered Eleanor at every open seat she found because someone else sat there. Park finally intervened in a not-so nice way: "'Sit down,' he said. It came out angrily. The girl turned to him, like she couldn't tell whether he was another jerk or what. 'Jesus-fuck,' Park said softly, nodding to the space next to him, 'just sit down.' The girl sat down. She didn't say anything - thank God, she didn't thank him - and she left six inches of space on the seat between them" (9). Park's outburst and swearing was extremely rude, but it turned out to be very uncharacteristic. His actions opened a door of communication and kindness by "saving" Eleanor from embarrassment and awkwardness, something that many teenagers face daily and loathe. This introduction between the two characters led to a very strained and slow "getting to know each other" phase. I felt that this dragged on and on causing me to become bored and wonder if and when they would finally fall for each other. After they fell in love, I thought that the book ended abruptly and unexpectedly. I'm not one to provide spoilers, but I was disappointed in the ending. StrengthsI've noticed that I have become very attuned to the layout of a book. Eleanor & Park had chapters that began with either "Eleanor" or "Park", but then, within each chapter, had mini chapters where the third person perspective would change within that month, event, or experience that the characters were going through. Most of the events that are highlighted in each chapter are easy to pick out. This is because they focused on the "firsts" that teenagers and relationships experience as they are getting to know each other, such as holding hands for the first time, their first kiss together, or being alone. Some of the perspectives of either Eleanor or Park could be pages long, and some were simple and short, like the following two columns:
Another strength to the text that I hope is obvious from the two examples above is the amount of pop culture and colloquial language that Rowell provides to build deep characters that are relatable and funny. The first page has a character utilizing "fuck" twice to get his point across. Let's be real: Teenagers swear. If all of the dialogue and internal thoughts of Rowell's characters left these types of words out, it would not be an accurate or relatable story for readers to read. RecommendationThis book is a love story no matter how you slice it. I would recommend it to people, more specifically teenagers, who enjoy those types of books. High school girls who enjoy falling in love stories would thoroughly enjoy this book. I also felt that the characterization and internal perspective had more emphasis on Eleanor over Park. It was difficult for me to relate to Eleanor as a male and her home life was nothing like I ever experienced. Why Did I Read This Book?I was first introduced to Eleanor & Park last spring during #BookBracket2015. Enough students nominated it to the bracket, and I remember reading the synopsis to my students when Eleanor & Park opened against Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Regardless, it piqued my interested and I picked it up in November.
I am also able to count it for the following challenges:
From the Back of the Book"Zack Delacruz is unnoticed at his middle school - and that's just the way he likes it. But a school assembly, a typhoon of spit, and an uncharacteristic moment of bravery are all it takes to change everything. Suddenly Zack is in charge of the class fund-raiser. Worse, his partner is the school's biggest bully! If they don't sell enough chocolate bars, there will be no dance for the sixth grade. Zack never wanted to be a hero, but with his classmates' hopes on the line, can he save the day?" WeaknessesIn the opening chapter, Anderson makes it clear that Zack is an outcast and constant victim of bullying. He is made fun of because of how he looks, "'Enrique Potter'", and the clothes he wears, "'Did you see his pants? That little boy needs to shop in the toddler's section next time'" (2). Zack's coping mechanism is through is humor, which took me a while to get on board with it. Initially I took it as being pessimistic and negative. For example, after being berated by his classmates for looking for a seat at an assembly, he finds refuge next to the wall and claims it as a respectful ally. "Walls never kick you or insult your clothes, and they always support you. In fact, I could lean on Gym Wall, and I did" (3). Humorous? Yes. A little sad and weak? Yes. (Also a strength. Keep reading!) I also could not relate to Zack being a child of divorced parents. The divorce was still fresh for Zack as he was still coping with the changes."I navigated the crumbling asphalt as I headed across the street to Dad's new AD apartment. (AD was short for 'after-divorce.' It was like BD, 'before divorce.' My entire family life was forever separated by BD and AD)" (36-37). The weekly switching between parents is something that I have not experienced, so that constant change between locations and rules and expectations is not known to me and, therefore, I cannot relate. StrengthsDespite being unable to relate to Zack initially, the character grew on me. I feel that his whininess and lack of self confidence was an important building block to his overall development. Zack blossomed into a leader who put caring thought into his actions and responses. I feel that Anderson also captured moments that every middle or high schooler could relate to, in some capacity, such as: Not wanting to answer a teacher's question. "'Who can pronounce this exquisite word?' Mrs. Darling cooed, ... 'Anyone?' Her green eyes widened, like a low budget horror film" (11). Being volunteered for something by a teacher, parent, or coach. "'I didn't volunteer, I was volun-told," José reminded her" (25). Knowing that friend or classmate constantly quote lines from movies or TV shows. "'Nobody puts Baby in a corner'... Janie stood in the corner and whispered to herself, 'Dirty Dancing, nineteen eighty-seven, starring Mr. Patrick Swayze'" (66-67). Doing something you know you're not supposed to do, and having a "strong" reason why you did it. "I powered up Dad's computer, even though I wasn't supposed to go online when he wasn't there. But it was an emergency. He'd want to help me if I ever told him my problem. But I couldn't let Dad down. I had to fix my problem on my own" (81).
Why Did I Read This Book?I received this book from Jeff Anderson at the National Council of Teachers of English annual conference in November, so it was a must-read from that moment. I also have a copy in my classroom library, and am looking forward to recommending to my students when I return to school from holiday break. I also read this book for the reading challenges I am participating in:
RecommendationsI would recommend Zack Delacruz: Me and My Big Mouth to two groups of people.
The first being middle school readers looking for something new and refreshing rather than, say, a Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. Anderson's writing style and good natured humor brings out the best in his characters and showcases valuable life lessons. I would also recommend this book to middle school teachers looking to diversify their own reading and their classroom libraries. Jeff Anderson's trusted rapport with teachers is now extended into the genres of realistic fiction and young adult literature. New Format: I have made changes to my book reviews to provide a more critical and comprehensive review. I hope you enjoy! If you have any questions, have feedback, or want me to review a book, feel free to contact me. At a GlanceFrom the Back of the Book"19 Katherines and counting ... When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact. On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun - but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship and avenge Dumpees everywhere, and may finally win him the girl." About John Green
StrengthsA strength in An Abundance of Katherines was the use of footnotes. Usually we associate footnotes with boring citations and longwinded explanations to an unknown word or event the author is alluding to. John Green did provide actual definitions of unknown words and/or historical events, but in a humorous way. He also gave the reader explanations to inside jokes between characters and funny anecdotes. An excellent example of Green's footnote use happened on page 46 of the book in a conversation between one of the many Katherines and Colin. Please excuse my makeshift footnotes. Colin was explaining to one of the Katherines, "Because its important to know things. For an example, I just recently learned that Roman Emperor Vitellius once ate one thousand oysters in one day, which is a very impressive act of abligurition, (^21) ..." Later, Colin contemplated, "Why had Ovid lived in Ancient Rome in 20 BCE (^22) and not Chicago in 2006 CE? …" _____ (^21) An actual, if very obscure, English word, which means “the spending of too much money on food.” (^22) One no longer says AD or BC. It’s just not hip anymore. These days, one says either CE (for Common Era) or BCE (for Before Common Era). Another strength the book had was John Green capturing colloquial language between characters. This "everyday language" showed Green's strong development of characters that made them relatable to the reader because of the language they used. For example, Colin and Hassan often say the word "fug" instead of "fuck". On page 119, Colin says, "I'm fugging exhausted from staying up half the night reading a fugging book about the invention of the television ..." Lindsay questions the use of "fug" with, "Hey, why the fuck do you and Hassan say fug all the time?" Colin goes on to explain the origin of the word "fug" was from American novelist, Norman Mailer. When Mailer wrote The Naked and The Dead, he littered the original manuscript with the f-word, and the publisher turned down the work because of it. Mailer, in turn, replaced all the f-bombs with "fug" and the work was published in 1948. Colin was reading Mailer's "fug" filled book when he met Hassan. He shared the replacement word with Hassan, they came to the conclusion that they could "say it in class without getting in trouble" (120), and the word "fug" became a part of their vernacular. WeaknessesI found Colin to be an annoyingly stubborn character. I know, the book is about self discovery and that takes a while to develop, but this plot line was too drawn out for me. Colin was constantly stuck on solving his theorem, the Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, and was missing out on new adventures with Hassan and his new friend, Lindsey in Gutshot, TN. I also found myself skipping over portions of the book that had charts, graphs, bell curves, and math equations. I'm not much of a math person, so this part was confusing. I still got the gist without reading all of the math jargon, and you can too, if math confuses you, too. Why Did I Read This Book?During an interview for an English teaching position, I was asked, "What young adult book have you recently read AND enjoyed?" I had just finished Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak and did not like it, and had been only reading my required texts for #RCWP2015. I did not have an answer. I told the hiring panel about Speak and then told them about my long list of YA books from #BookBracket2015, but knew that I needed to read more YA. When I got home from the interview, I started An Abundance of Katherines because I realized I needed to be reading more YA as a teacher of English to both enjoy and recommend to my students. I also read An Abundance of Katherines because it counted towards a category in the Spring/Summer Goodreads Reading Challenge that I am participating in. I earned 15 points for reading a book that did not have an "L" in the title and the author's name. The category originates from "No 'L' Day" which is celebrated on December 25th every year. If you read that fast enough, you would have noticed its a pun on the word "Noel." RecommendationYou should read An Abundance of Katherines if you are looking for a fun and engaging YA book that just so happens to be about self discovery. I think anyone could find a "way in" and connect with this book.
Also, if you consider yourself a John Green fan and have only read The Fault in Our Stars, you need to expand your knowledge of the John Green canon and read An Abundance of Katherines. |
The Avalanche of Books
As an educator and avid reader, I am constantly hearing about books. I feel like I am being chased by a giant, rolling avalanche of titles and authors. Rating System
5 books - New fave! Read it now!
4 books - Shelf worthy 3 books - Quality read, but ... 2 books - Borrow it 1 book - Skip it Archives
December 2017
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