Around the World Literature with Children's Books: Reviews

Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match Marisol McDonald No Combina by Monica Brown 1. Bibliography: Brown, Monica. Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match Marisol McDonald No Combina . Ill Sara Palacios. Children’s Press Book. New York: 2011. ISBN: 978089292353 2. Plot Summary: Marisol loves to miss match in what she wears, eats, paints, writes, and play. The people around her continually tell her she does not match. One day she decides to match and fit in like everyone else. At the end she finds what is best for her.  3. Characters: This story is told in the first-person point of view Marisol. Marisol has a unique way of expressing herself with the way she mixes different things in her life. With this view point it displays the positive sentiment feeling towards life, and creates a feeling that some children can relate to being themselves. Mrs. Apple is a minor character that becomes a dynamic character in the story. She positively changes Marisol’s by a simple gesture ...

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart 1. Bibliography: Lockhart, E. We Were Liars . Ember. New York. 2014. ISBN: 9780385741279 2. Plot Summary: Cadence Sinclair, Cady for short is a part of a very wealthy family. Her family owns Beechwood island near Martha’s Vineyard. She retells apart of her life from 15-17 years old. In those times an accident happens to her and her regaining her memory. 3. Characters: Cady is the protagonist in the story. She has conflicts not only with herself, but with the constant bickering of material possessions. Cady dynamic character does change her with the events in the story. She was once okay with her material possessions to giving everything away. All of these stems from the fire. The littles and aunties are flat characters that do not develop in the story. They just grow older, and think Cady is a drug user. Yet that is all that is left of her cousins.  Grandfather is a stereotype character. He is all about his material poss...

Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World by Ashley Herring Blake 1. Bibliography: Blake, Ashley Herring. Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World . Little Brown and Company. New York: 2018. ISBN: 9780316515474 2. Plot Summary: Ivy and her family have a rough year. It all started when the tornado destroyed their house. Ivy tries to find herself during this hard time. To make it more difficult she has to do this with her family living in a motel room, and someone has stolen her notebook. The notebook that has her hopes and secrets in form of drawings. Several of those drawings are one of her holding hands with another girl. 3. Characters: Ivy is the protagonist and is fighting to find herself. She struggles not only with herself but with friends and family. June is a flat character that does not develop to a deep level. She is an important character because she is the focus of Ivy. Taren is the antagonist by wanting Ivy to talk to her. She takes desperate measures in ord...

In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III 1. Bibliography: Marshall, Joseph. In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse . Ill. by James Yellowhawk. Amulet Books. New York: 2015. ISBN: 9781419707858 2. Plot Summary: Jimmy is a Lakota Native American. He gets picked on because he has light skin and has blue eyes. He feels that he does not fit in with the other Lakota boys. During a school break, Jimmy’s grandfather takes him on the path of an important Lakota hero, Crazy Horse. Going in chronological order, this journey, Jimmy learns the import impact Crazy Horse had on Lakota history and American history. 3. Characters Jimmy’s character is developmentally appropriate for a young person. He expresses the feelings of what it is like to be picked on. As the story line continues, he displays sentiment for both parties of the battles. This shows the reader he is a sensitive and caring person. The character development of Crazy Horse is so important throughout the...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie 1. Bibliography: Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian . Ill. Ellen Forney. Little, Brown and Company. New York: 2007. ISBN: 9780316013680 2. Plot Summary: Junior lives on a Spokane Indian Reservation. He makes a decision to go to school off the reservation. Going to school off the reservation, he is made to feel as a traitor with his best friend and his Native American community. This is a snapshot for one year of his life and how he became strong to become the person he is today. 3. Characters: Junior is the protagonist. He finds himself in conflicts with his family, friends, community, and himself. He finds the strength to leave and better himself in ways he knows how to do it. Rowdy is the antagonist. He starts off as Junior’s best friend, but that soon changes. He becomes the enemy towards Junior on the court, and in his community. Even though he is in conflict...

A Boy Called Slow by Joseph Bruchac 1. Bibliography: Bruchac, Joseph. A Boy Called Slow . Ill. Rocco Baviera. The Putnam and Grosset Group. New York: 1994. ISBN: 9780698116160 2. Plot Summary: A Young boy wants to earn a different name. In his culture you are named for your actions. He is called Slow. He received his name because he thinks before her reacts to a situation. As the years pass, he finally earns a new name. The new name is named after he displayed bravery, and determination; Sitting Bull. 3. Characters: Slow has a unique way of expressing himself with a slow, but well thought out before he reacts. He listens and learns from people have told him. This helps him in the long run to develop his character. Being a dynamic character, he changes the course of his own story by taking the lead for his tribe. 4. Setting: Lakota Sioux tribe is supported by hunting of buffalo that roamed the land they lived on. The Lakota Sioux used the buffalo for foo...