Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Module 5 - Historical Fiction

 Module 5 – Historical Fiction 

 

1. BREAKING STALIN’S NOSE by Eugene Yelchin 


  1. Bibliography 

Yelchin, Eugene. (2013). Breaking Stalin’s Nose. Square Fish/Henry Holt and Company. 


  1. Plot Summary 

Breaking Stalin’s Nose is the story of a boy’s disillusionment. Sasha is ten years old and idolizes Joseph Stalin. He wants more than anything to be a Young Pioneer and to serve his country like his father does. The story begins with Sasha’s handwritten letter to the “great” Joseph Stalin, pledging his loyalty. He and his dad enjoy benefits that others around them do not. Sasha’s focus is narrow and selfish. His anticipation for the Pioneer’s rally, where he will be officially inducted into the Young Pioneers, builds. His daydreaming gets the better of him and there is an accident. He spends the rest of the story on the run, hiding out. Along the way, he begins to see people and places in a new light. In the end, Sasha finds himself not as a Young Pioneer, but as powerless as the masses.  


  1. Critical Analysis 

This book received the Newberry Honor in 2012. Yelchin does an excellent job immersing the reader in 1930’s Soviet Russia. Sasha has a distinct voice. The story is told through a child’s naive eyes. The layers of his innocence peel away with each encounter, and soon Sasha senses the hypocrisy that the author has led the reader to discern.   


The setting comes alive with details of the “snow-white streets” and the giant statue of Stalin that is taller than any building in Moscow. Sasha’s descriptions of his school (particularly in regards to his teacher and classmates) and communal apartment, in addition to the menacing artwork, give the reader a distinct impression of what life was like under Joseph Stalin’s rule.    

   

  1. Review excerpts 

- School Library Journal: “Velchin skillfully combines narrative with dramatic black-and-white illustrations to tell the story of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin.” 
- Publisher’s Weekly: “Readers will quickly pick up on the dichotomy between Sasha's ardent beliefs and the reality of life under Stalinism...” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Explore Sasha’s Russia at breakingstalinsnose.com 

- Use the discussion guide on the MacMillan website to help your students process the information in the novel. 

 


2. DEAD END IN NORVELT by Jack Gantos 


  1. Bibliography 

Gantos, Jack. (2013). Dead End in Norvelt. Square Fish. 


  1. Plot Summary 

Dead End in Norvelt is the hilarious story of a boy’s summer vacation, set in 1962. Jack is looking forward to enjoying himself, and then his mother spoils his hopes by grounding him. He spends his days reading history books and helping his parents with chores, but he longs for a phone call from his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker. She writes obituaries and a short history column for the local newspaper. She struggles to type them, due to her arthritis, so she tells Jack’s mother that she needs his help. She dictates and he records. Soon a pattern emerges, and a devious plot is uncovered. In the end, Jack has more adventures than he imagined and learns to see his world, and the people in it, with a new appreciation.    


  1. Critical Analysis 

This book won the Newberry Medal and the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2012. Jack Gantos’s main character, Jack, is given a clear voice. Readers get to know him through his hilarious inner dialogue, various escapades and interactions with others. The opening line of the book, “School was finally out and I was standing on a picnic table in our backyard getting ready for a great summer vacation when my mother walked up to me and ruined it.” is an immediate hook for the reader and sets the tone for the rest of the book. The reader gets absorbed in Jack’s thoughts and worries as the story progresses. When Jack is worried about his nose bleeding, so is the reader. The awkward moments, like his interactions with Mertie Jo or when Miss Volker has the hot poker up his nose, are laugh-out-loud hilarious.  


Gantos sprinkles subtle details, like pushing a button on the dashboard to drive Miss Volker’s car and Mr. Huffer complaining about the new cremation craze, on top of the obvious WWII references and bomb shelters to create its historical setting. The descriptions of Jack’s house, his bedroom, the kitchen, and the yard outside, all give the reader a clear picture of his world.  

 

  1. Review excerpts 

- Horn Book Guide starred: “This is a richly layered semi-autobiographical tale, an ode to a time and place, to history and the power of reading.” 
- Publisher’s Weekly: “...wildly entertaining meld of truth and fiction...” 
- School Library Journal: “A fast-paced and witty read.” 
- Booklist: “Gantos, as always, deliver bushels of food for thought and plenty of outright guffaws...” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Further reading: From Norvelt to Nowhere by Jack Gantos 

- Organize a Book Club with the reading guide on the MacMillan website. 
Invite students to write a fictional tale based off of their own summer vacations.  

 

 

3. ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia 


  1. Bibliography 

Williams-Garcia, Rita. (2010). One Crazy Summer. Amistad. 


  1. Plot Summary 

One Crazy Summer is a story of an eleven-year-old girl and her two younger sisters. Their mother left the family when her youngest sister was in diapers. Now, the three girls are flying across the country to spend their summer with her in Oakland, California. Their mother is not prepared to care for them, nor has the interest to, so they spend much of their time at a summer camp run by the Black Panthers. Delphine tries to square what her father and grandmother have raised her to think with what she sees in front of her. Her grandmother is proved right about her mother as often as circumstances also prove her wrong. In the end, Delphine and her sisters re-establish a connection with their mother again.  


  1. Critical Analysis 

This book was given the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction, a Newberry Honor, and the Coretta Scott King Author Award in 2011. Williams-Garcia writes about the relationship between the sisters in a very authentic way. The fights between the younger two sisters are relayed with a personal knowledge. The oldest and the youngest share a bond, with the middle sister always out to be the center of attention, yet the three of them are bound together by their mother’s abandonment. The roles that each sister plays resonates with readers who can readily find a sister to identify with.   


The historical setting is framed by many details of what Delphine sees and hears. As they are flying into Oakland, they pass the Golden Gate Bridge, which she catches a glimpse of through the smog. When she sees her mother for the first time she is wearing “A pair of man’s pants.” not regular pants. Delphine wears a Timex watch on her wrist to keep track of the time. She sees many people walking around with afros, dressed as hippies with flowers, and hears cops referred to as “racist pigs”. Her mother’s house is green stucco with a short palm tree, which doesn’t fit in. The Black Panthers are referred to as “Brothers” and “Sisters”.   


  1. Review excerpts 

- School Library Journal: “Emotionally challenging and beautifully written, this book immerses readers in a time and place and raises difficult questions of cultural and ethnic identity and personal responsibility.” 
- Horn Book Guide starred: “Williams-Garcia writes vividly about that turbulent summer through the intelligent, funny, blunt voice of Delphine, who observes outsiders and her own family with shrewdness and a keen perception.” 

 

  1. Connections 

- Have students research the Black Panther movement. 

- Further reading: P.S. Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama by Rita Williams-Garcia 
Use the discussion questions from the Scholastic website. 

 

 

4. KENT STATE by Deborah Wiles 


  1. Bibliography 

Wiles, Deborah. (2020). Kent State [Audiobook]. Retrieved from https://www.audible.com/pd/Kent-State-Audiobook/1338636359?qid=1658330537&sr=1-1&ref=a_search_c3_lProduct_1_1&pf_rd_p=83218cca-c308-412f-bfcf-90198b687a2f&pf_rd_r=WF7KAKC07NZPYEWGWS0B  


  1. Plot Summary 

Kent State tells the story of the tragic killing of four students at Kent State University in 1970. The story is told from multiple perspectives: students, protestors, townspeople, and guardsmen. Parallel narratives of black students at other universities are woven in. The audiobook is powerfully narrated by multiple voices. The story begins on Friday, May 1st, to set the stage for the tragedy. It then goes day-by-day through the shooting of the students and protestors, ending with reflections and closing remarks from the different viewpoints.  


  1. Critical Analysis 

Deborah Wiles captures the confusion and tension of the moment with her storytelling style. The performance of the narrators in the audiobook is at once heartbreaking and captivating. It feels more like a reader’s theater rendition of the book than a traditional audiobook. It is compelling to listen to. The different voices convey their viewpoints with feeling and authenticity, which the subject matter deserves.  


The audiobook of Kent State won the Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production in 2021. The book begins with historic background and a lament about the tragedy. It wraps up with an extensive note from the author about the research and writing of the book. Finally, it closes with “credits” as the many narrators’ names are read aloud along with publishing and copyright details.   


  1. Review excerpts 

- Library Media Connection: “Entertaining and enlightening reading, this book is for junior and senior high students, and adults who want to know more about this amazingly human individual.” 

- School Library Journal: “Fleming is honest, respectful, and astute throughout, addressing both successes and controversies with balance.” 

 

  1. Connections 

*This book is for grades 9-12* 

- Have students do research on the Vietnam War and the shooting at Kent State.  

 

 

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