Textbook Analysis Chart

Click on the link below to view the Textbook Analysis Chart completed for the LSSL 5385 over the textbook Making The Match by Dr. Teri Lesesne.

Textbook Analysis Chart

Reality Boy

King, A. (2013). Reality boy. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers.  

Summary: When Gerald Faust was five, his family was in a reality TV show called Nanny Network. Gerald's anger escalated to the point of his defecating in inappropriate places (on the kitchen table, in shoes, at stores, and even spreading feces on walls) in order to get attention, thereby earning his nickname "The Crapper". The show continued for several seasons, when during the final episode Gerald punched the "fake" nanny in the nose, all broadcast on national TV. It was clear his oldest sister Tasha had been very abusive to both Gerald and their sister Lisi, but no adult would help. Tasha dropped out of college, and then lived at home in the basement with her boyfriend, continuing to abuse the entire family.  His father retreated into his work and alcohol.  Lisi withdrew by staying in her room reading and smoking pot, and then went to college in Scotland.  Gerald had no friends and hated his life, fully expecting to end up in jail or dead, and found his escape in imaginary days he called "Gerdays". His mother placed him in a special education class for being "retarded", and he eventually realized she was so consumed by Tasha that she could not love anyone else.  At the age of sixteen, Gerald met Hannah while they both worked in a concession stand, and soon found out her life as the daughter of a junkman and mentally ill mother was as bad as his. They fell in love, and "kidnapped" each other during a trip to Florida. They came home six days later after his father promised to move out with Gerald, and Hannah's family agreed to get help. Gerald finally resumes his education in regular classes and is looking forward to graduating and pursuing college with the hope of eventually marrying Hannah and having a normal life.

Commentary: Gerald is the first person narrator using current events during high school along with flashbacks to episodes of the reality TV show when he was a child.  He uses trances to remove himself from difficult circumstances through his extra "Gerdays" and talks Snow White and other Disney characters to help guide him, often transitioning between reality and fantasy as a coping mechanism.  From the outside, he is sometimes envied for his new car, big home in a gated community, nutritious meals, and fame.  But he actually has an extremely dysfunctional family controlled by his psychopathic sister and enabling mother, who is more concerned with keeping up appearances than loving her children. The plot is somewhat predictable, but leads to an uplifting conclusion of healing, acceptance and hope. The book is appropriate for middle school to high school. Even though there is some violence and sex, it is not graphically described, so the book could be enjoyed by younger adolescents.  It certainly presents the negative side of reality television with the understanding that it is not a true reflection of life at all.

Connections: Everybody Sees The Ants by A. S. King, I Crawl Through It by A. S. King, and Ask The Passengers by A. S. King

Winger

Smith, A. (2013). Winger. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  

Summary: Ryan Dean West is a fourteen-year old at a boarding school who plays on the rugby team, and is nicknamed Winger for his wing position speed.  He is also academically gifted and has skipped two grades making him the youngest member of his junior class.  After stealing a teacher's cell phone, he is sent to the dorm for troublemakers and assigned to room with Chas Palmer, another rugby player who Ryan Dean initially despises.  Ryan Dean has a crush on his best friend, Annie, but she is two years older and thinks of him as just an adorable little boy. He then starts a secret relationship with Chas' girlfriend Megan, all the while trying to woo Annie, creating a love triangle. Ryan Dean's best friend is Joey, who has admitted to being gay. After a rugby game, Kevin, another player on the team, is stabbed by Mike who was seeking revenge on Joey for dating his brother.  Ryan Dean eventually tells Megan he can no longer see her, and arranges a date with Annie to convince her that she can love him.  They all attend a Halloween party, and Joey announces that Casey, one of the bullies in school, is gay.  The next day they cannot find Joey, and a search party is sent out whereby Joey is found in the woods beaten to death. Casey and his roommate Nick are found to be the murderers. In the end, Ryan Dean, Chas and Kevin are friends, and while Ryan Dean is still young, he realizes how much he has matured during the year and that love is what matters in life.

Commentary: Ryan Dean is the narrator of this fictional story using believable if somewhat crude juvenile dialog and humor, weaving current and past events together.  The book contains comic drawings, sketches and diagrams by Ryan Dean to help visualize the events in the story and his inner thoughts.  The plot was stereotypical of teenage boy's life up until the unexpected murder of his best friend, ending the book with a shock factor.  This book is written for the 9^th to 12^th grades, and boys in particular should like it for its realistic and humorous descriptions of boyhood sexual desires, the sports theme, and machoism. This book should not be recommended for younger than high school due to the profanity and violence. There is a good lesson about self-esteem and acceptance.

Connection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux35quSH4lk

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda (#1)

Angleberger, T. (2012). The strange case of Origami Yoda. London: Amulet.  
Summary: Tommy, a sixth grader at McQuarrie Middle School, is curious if Origami Yoda is posses real powers due to the fact that he gives very wise advice but he is a paper finger puppet on not-so-wise, Dwight’s finger. Determined to get to the bottom of this dilemma, Tommy takes it into his own hands and interviews everyone who has received advice from Origami Yoda, what their experience entailed, and to create a case file of the evidence. Advice asked varies from what to do when water from the water fountain is sprayed on your pants to how to ask out a girl to the school dance. Tommy’s investigation is interrupted when Harvey, a boy that has always been mean to Dwight, imposes on their study. Throughout the study, Tommy gains a respect he previously didn’t have for Dwight and for Origami Yoda. The results end happily and all are friends until they have another adventure to embark on!

Commentary: The style of this book is immediately humorous due to the engaging drawings and comical commentary. The fact that the pages look crumpled and some of the text looks hand written makes this novel be more appear more realistic and plausible that a middle school boy actually wrote these case studies. This realistic fiction book definitely gives an insight into a middle school student’s world and the questions that arise or problems they are faced with. All of the characters are truly richly developed and well thought out for the setting and age that they are conveying. They do not act beyond their years but they do act appropriate for a sixth grade boy with a peaked curiosity. This book had me laughing out loud as I was flipping through the pages. I can’t wait to pick up the sequels to this novel. 

Connection: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney

Staying Fat For Sarah Byrnes

Crutcher, C. (1993). Staying fat for Sarah Byrnes. New York, N.Y.: Greenwillow Books.  Summary: Eric Calhoune and Sarah Byrnes have been best friends since middle school as the fat boy and ugly girl with burn scars on her face and hands. In eighth grade they create the Crispy Pork Rinds, an underground newspaper ridiculing the bullies in the school, including the principal. Eric joins the swim team as a freshman, and loses much of his excess weight, but continues to overeat so Sarah Byrnes will like him until she tells him to stop. In the last semester of their senior year, they enroll is a class taught by Ms. Lemry called Contemporary American Thought where the class debates issues such as religion, child abuse, racism and abortion. Jody, Eric's new girlfriend, discloses to the class that she was convinced to have an abortion the previous year by her then boyfriend Mark, who then attempts suicide.  Sarah Byrnes falls into a catatonic state during class one day, and ends up a mental ward.  Eric discovers she is actually just there for protection from her father who purposely burned her on a wood stove when she was three years old.  Ms. Lemry hides Sarah and then takes her to Reno in search for the mother, while the father, Virgil Byrnes, attacks and stabs Eric. Carver Middleton, a Vietnam Vet who dates Eric's mother, breaks into Virgil's house, and severely beats him in self-defense. While Carver spends a little time in jail and is on probation for his vigilante justice, Virgil Byrnes is convicted for a multitude of violent offenses and is sent to prison for 20 years or more. The Lemrys adopt Sarah the day before her 18^th birthday, so she can finally drop the "Byrnes" from her name, and they enjoy the summer together looking forward to a hopeful future without fear.

Commentary: The book is told by Eric during his Senior Year in High School, using flashbacks to earlier years establishing his friendship with Sarah Byrnes. The characters are fully developed as we understand the physical attributes and emotions of Eric, Sarah, their classmates, teachers and parents. Many controversial subjects are addressed, including bullying, family violence, abortion, and religion.  The book is appropriate for ages 12 and up, and leaves several wonderful messages of empathy for the disabled and disadvantaged, loyalty toward friends and love ones, and individual courage and self-esteem.

Connections: Chinese Handcuffs by Chris Crutcher, Stotan! by Chris Crutcher, and Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

The Field Guide (The Spiderwick Chronicles #1)

Black, H., & DiTerlizzi, T. (2003). The field guide. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.  

Summary: When Jared Grace finds himself getting into fits and trouble, his mom decided to move him, his twin brother Simon, and older sister Mallory their great-aunt Lucinda’s old Victorian house. As soon as they get there, they realize the large eerie home has spooky things happening, not to mention, Aunt Lucinda is currently in a mental asylum. Once moved in, the kids start to hear noises that sound like a squirrel in the walls. As Jared investigates and finds a dumbwaiter that takes him to a hidden sealed-in library and locates a poem indicating that the house has special secrets and Jared finds a message that says “beware.” In the coming days, Mallory and Simon both wake up with bruises all over their body and the house in chaos. Immediately, their mom believes the damage has been caused by Jared and the fact that he might be going mad. Jared travels back to the library and locates a book called The Field Guide that describes faeries and creatures that lurk in the house. After studying the book, Jared and his siblings finally come across a creature called a boggart who tells them to beware and that there will be consequences if The Field Guide is not destroyed.

Commentary: In this first book of the Spiderwick Chronicles Series, Jared has found himself in a bit of a predicament. He has gotten in enough trouble in the past for his mother to automatically blame any issues that arise in the house on him. This is conflict between him and his mother continues throughout the entire book. The book is also written in a 3^rd person style so the reader can see what is happening from an onlooker’s viewpoint. They are able to experience the in-depth features of the house and surroundings, which is important to all fantasy stories. The creepy and eerie house sets the mood for the reader before the strange events even start happening. The readers must use their temporary suspension of disbelief to really allow themselves fully to the story. The plot has so many unexpected surprises that make the reader want to jump into the next book.  

Connection: The Search for WondLa Series by Tony DiTerizzi

When You Reach Me

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. Wendy Lamb Books.  

Summary: Miranda is a middle school girl who struggles to keep a steady set of friends throughout the book. The first friend she loses is Sal who was randomly punched in the face by a boy named Marcus while Miranda and Sal were walking home from school. After this incident, Sal does not come around anymore. Miranda then finds a friendship with Annemarie and then Collin helps get them a job at a local sandwich shop. All while this is happening, Miranda starts to find anonymous notes at home, at the sandwich shop, and in her jacket pocket that mention future events that all end up coming true. She doesn’t know who these notes are coming from until she sees Sal come face to face with Marcus again. When he turns to run away, he is about to be hit by a truck when a homeless man, The Laughing Man, pushes him out of the way and is hit instead. Miranda notices that the man is wearing a pair of shoes from her home and then finds the forth and final note on him. The note helps her come to the conclusion that the Laughing Man is actually an older version of Marcus who has traveled back in time.

Commentary: This novel is written from the point of view of Miranda. It is written this way so the author can understand the personal struggles that Miranda faces as the plot begins to twist and turn. The reader sees her confusion and fear turn to intrigue and curiosity as the notes continue to appear. This fantasy novel is laced with elements of time travel throughout the book and includes references to the popular book titled A Wrinkle in Time. If the reader has previously been exposed to this book, it immediately sparks an interest and helps the reader to make a connection. Miranda is a relatable character because of the struggles she faces such as living with a single mom, losing and gaining friends, and finding a place to fit in. The unique plot of this book definitely keeps readers guessing and wondering what will happen next.

Connection: Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead and Liar & Spy by Rebecca Stead