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1972
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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIHM by Robert C. O'Brien ($13.60, Atheneum, fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0689206518. |
The Medalist A group of mice who underwent mysterious experiments in a high-tech lab come to the rescue of a mother rat, who is worried about the health of one of her offspring. In some ways, this book was ahead of its time, dealing with the topic of genetic mutations. The mice are super-intelligent, comparable to humans, and show an adventurous side that would do James Bond proud. Kids will enjoy the book as an adventure story about little creatures fighting against big ones (hint, hint). Teachers can take the discussion to a higher lever with connections to science. You can of course drag in the movie version, too. |
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Incident at Hawk's Hill by Allan W. Eckert ($12.76, Little Brown & Co., fifth-grade level). ISBN: 0316219053 |
Honor Book A shy little boy becomes separated from his family and lost in the Canadian prairie yet falls under the protection of a fierce badger. This doesn't sound like much of a story line, but in Eckert's hands it becomes a detailed and highly engaging look at nature. I raced through this book, engrossed in the details of prairie life. There are dozens of books to link this too, including Hatchet, Julie of the Wolves, the My Side of the Mountain, etc. |
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The Planet of Junior Brown by Virginia Hamilton ($14.40, Simon & Schuster, seventh-grade level). ISBN: 002742510X. |
Honor Book A fat black boy and his homeless friend end up living on the street. This is a wonderful story, extremely well-written. Hamilton is at her best, providing the reader with incredibly complex imagery about art and its subconscious source. She makes rather pointed comments about homelessness and absentee black fathers. Oddly enough, the story contains elements of Peter Pan. Most kids will miss 90 percent of what is going on. |
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The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin ($14.40, Atheneum, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0689316844. |
Honor Book The wizard Ged nearly dies in a labyrinth but escapes with the aid of a priestess, who helps him steal a secret amulet of power. This is Book II in the Earthsea trilogy. Not much for action buffs. Lots of philosophy and tons of imagery about a girl coming of sexual age (prudes need not worry about any graphic details). |
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Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles ($13.56, Little Brown & Co., fourth-grade level). ISBN: 0316571172. |
Honor Book A Native-American girl learns how painful it is to cope with the impending death of a beloved grandmother. This is really a picture book and should have been passed over to the Caldecott folks. However, the author does a good job of showing the complexities of the mourning process. |
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The Headless Cupid by Zilpha Keatley Snyder ($17, Atheneum, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0689206879. |
Honor Book A girl moves in with her mom's new family and disrupts the relationships because of her anger and her febrile obsession with the supernatural. Excellent characterization of all the children. Heavy display of the havoc inherent in broken (divorced) families. Angry, confused children and adults who can't solve the kids' problems. This is the first of the Stanley family novels, and by far the best. |
Copyright David Ross 2003