Mrs. Plato's Summer Reading Series: Gossamer and Penny from Heaven

I finished Gossamer over the weekend. What a great book! For students interested in reading it, the Lexile is 660 and it has an eight-point Reading Counts! quiz. Throughout the book, you find yourself rooting for Littlest and pulling together various story lines to make one, great plot.

I began Penny from Heaven by Jennifer L. Holm after ending Gossamer. So far, I like it very much. It has a Lexile of 730 and a 13 point Reading Counts! quiz.

The setting of the book takes place in the 1950's. Penny is a girl whose father died when she was a baby. So far, she is recounting events that have happened as she interacts with both sides of her family: her mother's side with whom she lives and her father's side whom she visits frequently.

Penny has some underlying social problems that the book has not yet fully addressed. Sounds like she's being bullied by a girl who used to like Penny. She also struggles to get information about her father from her relatives who are not forthcoming and often try to avoid the conversation.

Mrs. Plato's Summer Reading Series: Gossamer

I just started reading Gossamer by Lois Lowry. I have to say, the first Lois Lowry book I read, Number the Stars, remains one of my favorites. Since Number the Stars is historical fiction, I didn't realize that she was more of a fantasy author. Last summer, I read The Giver and that was strange and slightly futuristic (actually a little scary based on what's happening in the world today). Gossamer is starting very similarly.

My twelve year old read it in less than 2 days, so I imagine it will be a quick read. So far I have picked up that there is a character, Littlest One, who is just learning how to gather information about people so as to eventually bestow their dreams on them. Littlest, for short, is very inquisitive about everything, and is thus driving some of the others crazy. It seems like, of this "being," Littlest is somewhat transparent. As they age, the "beings" become more opaque. I am inferring that they are very small, but I am not 100% sure of that. Can't get the image of Tinkerbell out of my mind. :)

I also read Stone Fox in anticipation of reading it with my fourth graders this coming year. Great, quick read, and so many good themes! I won't write too much about that here. I don't want to spoil the ending.

Mrs. Plato's Summer Reading Series: Black Duck

I just finished reading the story Black Duck. I wasn't sure if I would like it, based on its summary. My son picked it out. We also got its accompanying audio book from the library so we could read/listen in the car on a long trip last Monday.

I must say audiobooks make me sleepy! Who knew! Now I know the hard time some of my students had staying awake while I read aloud to them. It's really tough some days, especially if we read/listened in the late afternoon.

Black Duck has a Lexile of 790 and a 14-point Reading Counts! quiz, for students who might be interested.

Historical fiction pulls me in if there is a good plot. This story was based on the illegal "rum-running" that took place during the 1920's and early 1930's in the Northeast. These were the days of Prohibition: alcohol was illegal in the US. The Black Duck was a boat that transported illegal alcohol from ships outside of US jurisdiction to beaches and towns on the coast. People still bought and used alcohol, but it was much more difficult and costly once it was outlawed. The US saw an increase in violence and mob warfare during this time.

The story was a flashback through the eyes of Ruben Hart. Ruben is being interviewed by a soon-to-be ninth grader who thinks he would like to be a journalist. Little does he know the story that is about to unfold as Ruben tells his tales of what it was like to be an adolescent during the Prohibition. Ruben and his best friend, Jeddy Mackenzie, eventually parted ways because of the moral dilemmas caused by a town steeped in breaking the law.

This book has several good, universal themes/questions:
-What cost would you pay to tell the truth at all times?
-Is doing wrong still wrong when everyone else seems to be doing it?
-Love the sinner. Hate the sin.

In the end, I did like the book a great deal. What I particularly liked was how the author gave clues that allowed you to predict some of the plot, and also left some things "hanging" for the reader to infer. We find out that the Black Duck really existed, even though the story in the book was somewhat fictitious. Several parts of the story were based in fact.

Mrs. Plato's Summer Reading Series: Letters from Wolfie Chapters 18-26

Chapters 18-26: Mark stages a protest in his hometown in hopes of gaining attention to the cause of dogs used in war, specifically Wolfie. He is nervous about the protest and thinks that ten to twenty people will show. Because so many protesters wanted to join any protest against the war in Viet Nam, the protest turns into a huge demonstration. As the protest begins, Vietnam Veterans Against the War shows up and takes the lead in the march. Mark's mom helps a veteran in a wheelchair, and her participation in the march sparks a tough time in her marriage. Mark's dad does not oppose the war.

Mark continues to receive letters from Tucker as Wolfie. These letters describe more about conditions than the letters of Mark's brother Danny. Mark's mom believes Danny was trying to spare them worry.

Danny returns home after an injury that cost him part of his leg. He has changed significantly, and really doesn't fit the happy-go-lucky brother that Mark knew before Danny left. He came back angry and embittered. This is hard for Mark and his family to handle. Mark starts to isolate himself from others, particularly Claire.

Finally, the sad news comes that Wolfie was shot and killed by a sniper. Wolfie was protecting the men he was with from the sniper, jumping toward him and thus getting shot. Tucker and a few of the other men write to Mark about their wonderful memories of Wolfie and how grateful they were to have him.

The novel ends six years later with the fall of Saigon. Mark, now a college student, writes a letter to Wolfie describing the events that have occurred recently, and that the war has officially been declared over. He describes the anger of some of the soldiers that the army considered the dogs "equipment," so they had to be left in crates or set free in Viet Nam (most likely to be eaten). Mark's letter ends with Mark writing that he would use what he knew about Wolfie and his life to grow to be the best person he could be, and that he would never forget Wolfie.

Mrs. Plato's Summer Reading Series: Letters from Wolfie Chapters 12-17

Summary of Chapters 12-17: While the letters from "Wolfie" continue and are quite detailed about what Tucker and Wolfie are going through, the letters from Danny remain short and guarded, sparing his family the "gory details." Wolfie and Tucker are in Viet Nam, described by "Wolfie" as very hot, very humid, and a place of distrust. The country of Viet Nam is torn, and simply by living in a geographical area does not guarantee a person supports that government. Tucker explains that he and some of the other soldiers are happy to sleep by Wolfie, as they know he would warn them if someone tried to harm them in their sleep.

In these chapters, we also learn that Mark's worries have affected his grades. His history teacher speaks to him about it and realizes that the issues with Wolfie are really weighing on Mark. For extra credit to get his grade up, he suggests that Mark write a letter to people who might be able to help with Wolfie's situation: congressmen and army officials. Mark writes a lengthy letter and sends off copies.

Sadly, Mark receives one phone call and several other letters in response. They sound like form letters and do not sound like anyone is going to reach out to help the situation. Mr. Casey and Mark discuss the right to protest. Mark decides that a protest will be his next step.

He enlists the help of his friend, Claire, and her mother, both of whom have some experience with organizing protests. When he finds out he needs money for a budget, he speaks with the Humane Society where he got Wolfie. They finance part of the protest. He schedules the protest for the middle of February.

A sad Christmas is described in these chapters. Without Danny and Wolfie, it is hard on Mark's family. He also learns that his friend, Rick, struggles in his family with a father who is an alcoholic. Rick feels he needs to protect his little brother from his father, who is mean when drunk. Rick seems a little uncomfortable that he shared this information with Mark.