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1994

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin, $12, eighth-grade level). ISBN: 0395645662.

The Medalist

In a distant time in the future, one boy rebels in a society that has eliminated all color, emotion, turmoil, hills, and past and future from the world to ensure that its inhabitants are at peace.

This is a powerful story, rich in philosophical discussions and implications. It reminds me of the futuristic segment of H.G. Well's Time Machine. Although the reading level could land it in middle school (junior high), I know of one 12th-grade English teacher who uses it when teaming with a government teacher on a thematic project.

The boy and the little child he takes with him evoke strong connections to Christ. The boy, as the selected repository of society's painful memories of the past, also evokes a symbolic kinship to mythological scapegoats. Joseph Campbell would have a field day with this book.

This book will challenge your deepest thinkers and best readers. Students of less ability or interest will stumble.

Crazy Lady! by Jane Leslie Conly (HarperCollins, $18, sixth-grade level) .ISBN: 9992967692.

Honor Book

A boy becomes deeply involved in the lives of a retarded boy and his eccentric, alcoholic mother.

There are lots of things going on in this superficially simple book. How about these topics? Life in a neighborhood of urban decay. Peer pressure and learning disabilities. Views toward the mentally handicapped. The morality of turning parents into the youth authorities for legal or moral violations - or sheer incompetence. The trials of friendship.

I would enjoy pairing this book with Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli's Newbery medalist from 1991.

Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep (HarperCollins, $12.76, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0060229713.

Honor Book

The prequel to Dragonwings describes the harsh conditions a Chinese boy and his father experience while carving a train tunnel through the Sierras as part of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Yep, who focuses most of his writing on the experiences of Chinese immigrants to California, demonstrates the racism the Chinese were exposed to even while they were helping link the United States together in the mid-1800s.

In some ways this is an archetypal novel of the immigrant experience.

Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman (Clarion, $14.36, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0899198627.

Honor Book

This is a wonderful biography. It has pathos and truth and honesty and presents a wonderful portrait of an incredible woman.

I'm convinced that FDR was the greatest president in U.S. history. However, he wouldn't have been as successful if it weren't for his wife, who carved out a political career of her own while functioning as his eyes, ears and legs. As his health declined, her importance grew.

In describing Eleanor and her achievements, Freedman takes us on a detailed tour of one of the most important eras in U.S. history.

Copyright David Ross 2003

The Giver by Lois Lowry (Houghton Mifflin, $12, eighth-grade level). ISBN: 0395645662.	The Medalist In a distant time in the future, one boy rebels in a society that has eliminated all color, emotion, turmoil, hills, and past and future from the world to ensure that its inhabitants are at peace. This is a powerful story, rich in philosophical discussions and implications. It reminds me of the futuristic segment of H.G. Well's Time Machine. Although the reading level could land it in middle school (junior high), I know of one 12th-grade English teacher who uses it when teaming with a government teacher on a thematic project. The boy and the little child he takes with him evoke strong connections to Christ. The boy, as the selected repository of society's painful memories of the past, also evokes a symbolic kinship to mythological scapegoats. Joseph Campbell would have a field day with this book. This book will challenge your deepest thinkers and best readers. Students of less ability or interest will stumble.
Crazy Lady! by Jane Leslie Conly (HarperCollins, $18, sixth-grade level) .ISBN: 9992967692.	Honor Book A boy becomes deeply involved in the lives of a retarded boy and his eccentric, alcoholic mother. There are lots of things going on in this superficially simple book. How about these topics? Life in a neighborhood of urban decay. Peer pressure and learning disabilities. Views toward the mentally handicapped. The morality of turning parents into the youth authorities for legal or moral violations - or sheer incompetence. The trials of friendship. I would enjoy pairing this book with Maniac Magee, Jerry Spinelli's Newbery medalist from 1991.
Dragon's Gate by Laurence Yep (HarperCollins, $12.76, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0060229713.	Honor Book The prequel to Dragonwings describes the harsh conditions a Chinese boy and his father experience while carving a train tunnel through the Sierras as part of the Transcontinental Railroad. Yep, who focuses most of his writing on the experiences of Chinese immigrants to California, demonstrates the racism the Chinese were exposed to even while they were helping link the United States together in the mid-1800s. In some ways this is an archetypal novel of the immigrant experience.
Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery by Russell Freedman (Clarion, $14.36, sixth-grade level). ISBN: 0899198627.	Honor Book This is a wonderful biography. It has pathos and truth and honesty and presents a wonderful portrait of an incredible woman. I'm convinced that FDR was the greatest president in U.S. history. However, he wouldn't have been as successful if it weren't for his wife, who carved out a political career of her own while functioning as his eyes, ears and legs. As his health declined, her importance grew. In describing Eleanor and her achievements, Freedman takes us on a detailed tour of one of the most important eras in U.S. history.