Among the Hidden

Haddix Peterson, M. (2000). Among the hidden. (First ed.). New York, NY:

 Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

 

 

Among the hidden is a fantasy, science fiction novel that details the life of a boy named Luke Garner who has to hide from the government because he is a third child. The novel fits the fantasy genre because of the amount of control the government has over the people. Never before in American history has the government restricted the number of children that a house hold can have. Luke’s mother and father have three sons, which is illegal. Since Luke is a third child he has to hide from society and his family members that do not reside in his house. Luke’s life in hiding fits the genre of fantasy because it is not reality. The only people that he has ever had a conversation with are his two brothers, Matthew and Mark, and his parents. He doesn’t get to go to school like other kids. He doesn’t have neighborhood friends. He can’t talk on the phone or get on the computer. He is confined to his family’s attic. When the woods behind his home are cut down and new homes are built, Luke’s living situation only gets worse because he has to eat dinner on the stairs and stay confined to the attic. His parent’s paranoia is extremely troubling. As Luke goes through his daily life the reader is so uncomfortable and on edge thinking he is going to be discovered at any minute.  

I immediately connected to Luke because of the relationship he has with his siblings. Since he is the youngest and a third the older brothers tease him and alienate him. It reminded me of how I picked on my younger brother growing up. They make jokes about the population police being at the front door. This isn’t funny to Luke because his biggest fear is that the population police will come and take him away from his family. The conflict in Among the hidden is person vs. self. Luke feels like he is a burden on his family. As Luke begins to read about the causes for population control he starts to eat less because he feels that his birth is adding to the problem of food shortages. Luke beats himself up because he doesn’t want to be a problem for his parents. Another conflict present in the story is person vs. society. The strict governmental laws affect Luke’s family the most because they are poor. The government tore down the woods behind Luke’s house to build expensive homes. This made Luke’s family lose money from farming. The government also prohibited Luke’s family from raising hogs.

 This progressive plot takes a turn when Luke spots a person in a neighbor’s house after all of the people living there have left for school and work. Luke spends most of his days looking out the vents in his attic because he isn’t allowed downstairs. When he sees the blinds flick up then down Luke becomes fixated on the sport’s family house. When Luke gets enough courage he goes to the house and is opened up to a whole new world that he never knew existed. He finds out that the country is full of third children in hiding.

The best part about this story is Luke’s naivete.  He really didn’t think other thirds existed until he saw one with his own eyes. He and his family believe everything the government says. But even though he is naive, his pure spirit drives him to make decisions that are best for his life and his family. The relationship that Luke develops with the neighbor’s rebel daughter Jennifer drives the rising action. As Jen plans and sees out her rally against the population police Luke stays true to his character and doesn’t succumb to peer pressure. I could not have predicted what would happen next in Luke and Jen’s lives.

This book is a great read for middle school students because they can make many connections with Luke. They can also put themselves in Luke’s shoes to realize that their freedoms shouldn’t be taken for granted. Among the hidden is a great book to teach the ideas of totalitarianism societies.  Among the hidden had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn’t wait to see what would become of Luke Garner. He drives the plot. In my opinion his character development made the story more intriguing. The plot’s twists and turns at the climax also made the book a fabulous read.

Big Idea Questions:

 What if our government developed a population law, how would your life change?

If you were Luke Garner, how would react and feel if the population police busted in your front door?

Ackerman , K. (2003). Song and dance man . New York : Dragonfly Books.
 

This colorful, exciting book written by Ackerman was illustrated by Stephen Gammell. Song and dance man is a fun book about a grandfather who shares his memories of his days performing on the vaudeville stage with his grandchildren. The illustrations are life like and show the inside of a house that has details that help show the time period in which the book was set. The floor model television and dated furniture tell the reader that the house probably belongs to the grandfather. The illustrator shades the pictures with what looks like colored pencils. This creates a child like atmosphere that helps sell the mood that the author creates by having the grand father take the children upstairs in to the attic to reminisce about the good old days. The grandfather's trunk is filled with hats and clothing. They all play dress up together and the grandfather seems to have a flashback in time. He sets the scene by shading the lamps and puts on his tap shoes to perform the best show of his career. The author's description allows the reader to almost hear the song and dance man as he performs. Although the characters are just in the attic, the illustrations and splatter of colors that surround the grandfather as he performs make it seem like he is at a celebration. If the reader isn't already smiling from ear to ear the grandfather begins to perform magic tricks for his grandchildren. I love the part where the kids laugh so hard that they start to have hiccups. The song and dance man isn't finished though. He moves, glides, shuffles, and spins. When he finishes the grandchildren clap and run to embrace him. This book makes you want to go to your own grandfather's house and spend some time talking about the past. 
The illustrator does an excellent job of making the attic and performance turn into something bigger and brighter than just a drab attic. The use of double spread also assist with making the performance bigger than life. The kids dance and move along to the song and dance man's rhythm. This Caldecott honor book would be a great read for any young reader. I think it will have the same affect as a movie about dancing. It will make everyone want to stand up and tap their shoes against the hard floor. When the grandfather glances back up the stairs to the attic, the reader feels the nostalgia that the grandfather embodies. 

Big Idea Question: Why do you think the song and dance man looks back up the stairs to the attic? 
How do you think the song and dance man feels when he is dancing?

Howitt, M. (2002). The spider and the fly. New York: Scholastic Inc.
 

The spider and the fly picture book is based on the poem written by Mary Howitt in 1829. The Caldecott honor book was illustrated by Tony Diterlizzi. This dark spooky poem creates the mood of uneasiness because of the dialogue between the spider and the fly, and the illustrations. The poet uses rhyme to tell the story of a spider who diligently tries to entice the female fly to come into his parlor.  The entire book is illustrated in black and white. The illustrator magnificently used shading to create the grim gloomy scene of the setting which is inside a large mansion under a dark foggy night sky. 
The words in the story are written in white over the black pages. The illustrator uses double spread on some of the pages. Some of pages are also framed by what looks like a picture frame with flies on the four corners. The visual elements that help set the mood was not only the darkness depicted but the spider web used behind the white words in the center of the pages that were framed.
While wearing a tuxedo the strange, eerie spider approaches the female fly on the street to invite her to his parlor. He tries to lure her by making the parlor seem like it is the most wonderful place to be in the world. At their first meeting the reader feels off put by the spider's scary daunting approach. At this point the fly seems pretty with it and doesn't seem gullible enough to fall for the spiders advancements. She even mentions that if she goes into the parlor she will never come out. The spider continues to beg and the fly seems to avoid what she earlier mentioned would be her end. 
 The spider's character is able to trick the fly by complimenting her looks. At first she didn't seem gullible but by the end the antagonist makes her look like a fool. The illustrator used a tomb stone to teach the reader that one must not listen to evil people. I think there are other themes present such as don't be vain. The fly falls into the spider's trap when his compliments go to her head. This book seems like it could spook a timid reader. It left me with an eerie feeling. The illustrations of Diterlizzi complimented the poets words to help create this dismal scene.


Big Idea Questions: Why does the tomb stone say,  "Unto an evil counselor, close heart and ear and eye?" 
Why would one need to follow this advice?

Introduction

My name is Shakira Harris. I am a 7th grade English Language Arts and social studies teacher. This is my first year teaching ELA and will admit that it has been a struggle. This is my third year at Crawford Middle School. I am pursuing my masters to be a reading writing specialist. However I aspire to work with discipline in the future. 
I am planning my wedding for August 2012. I have one 5 year old son with my fiance.  
In my spare time I enjoy surfing the internet. I also enjoy singing and dancing. I obtained a theater degree from the University of Kentucky in 2004. I became certified to teach in 2009 through the Eastern Kentucky University.  I hope to learn creative ways to integrate literature into both my ELA and social studies classroom. 

Black Out by John Rocco

 
The Black Out by John Rocco

Rocco, J. (2011). Blackout. (1 ed., Vol. 1). New York: Disney Hyperion Books.

        John Rocco's, Black Out is a Caldecott Honor book that will speak to many families all over the world. In this creative colorful story we see the modern family who is too consumed with their priorities to take time to play a board game with the youngest son. The protagonist of the story walks around toting his board game but is rejected by his sister and parents, because they are either cooking the perfect gourmet dinner or chatting on the internet and phone. The author uses the literary device onomatopoeia to add voice to the story.

      The illustrator creatively uses white trim around the scenes, which makes it seem like a comic book.When the page bleeds right as the story reaches the climax the suspense rises. The illustrator creatively blacks out most of the pages when the lights go out all over the city. There is even a page of complete darkness that bleeds into the scene where the main characters yells in big letters, mom!  This fits with the title perfectly and adds to the change in the mood.  After the lights go out the family gathers at the kitchen table with the flashlights and candles. The family then migrates to the roof top where many families were gathering. The dialogue then switches from third person to third person. The main character begins to tell what the family did next.The words and phrases in the story are short and too the point. The family then migrates to the street and are amazed at the party going on. The illustrations show the people doing all of the traditional fun things that people used to do in the streets of New York in the summer time. 

     As the family begins to bond, while enjoying ice cream, the light comes back on. As they walk back inside the reader may think that the family is going to go back to their normal activities. The protagonist then does the unthinkable and turns the lights out. 

    This story would be great to use in social studies classes when studying the ancient civilizations who did not have electricity. Some civilizations would even sleep outside on rooftops when the summer nights were too hot. This is a great story that realistically shows what goes on in modern households. 

     I enjoyed the shadows that the illustrator created throughout the story. It was very powerful when the lights went out and the dad made the puppet rabbit figure on the wall that scared the cat away. The use of light and darkness really made the story realistic. 

Big Idea Question: How would each member in your family react, and what would you all do to pass the time if the electricity went out for hours? 

Ben's Trumpet

Ben's Trumpet

        Mojorano, R. I. (1979). Ben's trumpet. New York: Greenwillow books.

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                 Ben's Trumpet, by Rachel Majorano gives off the vibe of funk and soul. The black and white illustrations and images take me to a place where I have never been. As I flip the pages I imagine the Harlem Renaissance, a time when jazz and blues could be heard playing in the background while walking up and down the streets of New York. The setting of story is vividly depicted with out the use of color. The building's architectural features paint pictures that are as cool as the author's words. The illustrator dramatically used negative space to illustrate the musicians and their instruments   The costumes used on the characters also add to the hip, suave culture that is being depicted.  

                 The author tells the story of young Ben who is convinced he is playing his imaginary trumpet. When Ben isn't playing his trumpet to his family, he listens to the music from the band at the Zig Zag Jazz Club.The conflict arrives when the kids in the neighborhood laugh at Ben because he doesn't really have a trumpet. You see a transformation in Ben's character as he abandons his trumpet and sits solemnly with his head down.  As the reader you connect to Ben although he uses very little dialogue. This story could be used in a music class to teach students that they should be committed to their instruments. One lesson that I learned was that a child's imagination shouldn't be tampered with. Although Ben doesn't have a real instrument, he is devoted to his love for music. His devotion showed that if given a real instrument he would spend the right amount of time and energy developing his craft. In the end of the book Ben is given the opportunity to play a real instrument. The reader is left with finishing Ben's story. 
                 I enjoyed the style used in the illustrations. The illustrator used double spread on many of pages which helped show the great large scenes. I felt like I was looking at a set on a theater stage. The story was told in third person which added to the mood. I read the story to my five year old son. He thought that Ben really had a trumpet the entire time. The illustrations of Ben playing his trumpet are so believable that you don't even notice that he is mimicking the real trumpet players. 

Big Idea Questions:
Why do you think Ben stopped playing his trumpet when the kids told him he didn't have a trumpet?
What would happen to Ben's dreams if he never got to play a real trumpet?