LS 5623 Book Review
Adventure, Sports & Mystery
Bibliography
Feinstein, John. 2006. LAST SHOT: A FINAL FOUR MYSTERY. New York : Random House, Inc. ISBN 9780553494600.
Plot Summary
Stevie Thomas wants to be a sports reporter, so when he wins a contest to be a sports reporter for the Final Four college basketball games Stevie thinks he has got it made. Unfortunately, when Stevie and the other contest winner, Susan Carol, are exploring the dome they overhear someone blackmailing Stevie's favorite player, Chip Graber. Can two aspiring journalists find out what's going on before the last game in two days?
Critical Analysis
The strength of LAST SHOT is that the author is obviously intimately acquainted with the setting of this book, the Final Four in college basketball. For anyone not as familiar with the setting, the details explain rather than overwhelm the reader. For example, "There must have been ten thousand people watching inside the massive Dome, and he had been sitting a few feet from the court watching the Final Four team practice. Even if Weiss had insisted it wasn't a real practice, it had looked pretty real to him - especially the dunking contest the players had put on at the end." Booklist agrees, "The draw, though, is the vivid background, complete with cameos by real-life media personalities and big-name coaches."
Another strength of the book is that Feinstein doesn't just rely on sports personality cameos, he builds believable characters in believable situations moving quickly from clue to clue in order to appeal to the mystery lover as well. School Library Journal says, "Mystery fans will find enough suspense in this fast-paced narrative to keep them hooked." Feinstein keeps reader interest high through clever tension with his characters; Stevie obviously likes Susan Carol as girl but, he is also envious of her talents as a writer. Stevie seemingly is trapped in a friendship with a girl he might like romantically but he is not quite sure what to about his feelings. This is probably a familiar feeling that all the readers can empathize with but, action is truly what moves the plot forward. Our two young protagonist quickly move from one adventure to the next hoping to find the clues to unravel the mystery.
LAST SHOT is an intriguing mystery that all basketball fans will enjoy.
Connections
* In the book Chip is being blackmailed to lose the game. If the students were in the place of Chip what would they have done and why? Have students create a journal entry explaining their choice.
* Have students create a story that they would have entered into the U.S. Basketball Writers Association contest.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Whale Talk
LS 5623 Book Review
Adventure, Sports & Mystery
Bibliography
Crutcher, Chris. 2001. WHALE TALK. New York : HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0440229383.
Plot Summary
In WHALE TALK, TJ Jones squares off against his rivals, the jocks of the school. TJ gathers together all the misfits and outcasts of the school to form a swim team. As the swim team tries to earn the coveted varsity letter jacket, they may just learn a little something about themselves along the way. A subplot running through the book deals with prejudice and bigotry and how this affects lives.
Critical Analysis
The greatest strength of WHALE TALK is the author's portrayal of all the characters. The swim team has seven members which could have been unwieldy but, Crutcher handles all of the characters well. The characters are so real that readers invest into each one. The readers have a clear enough picture of each character that when bus trips to the swim meet turn philosophical the readers can be astonished at the soul searching the characters reveal. The readers feel exactly like TJ who says,"I can't even imagine it, can't believe he is telling me." Most of the team's interaction happens on the bus on the way to swim meets. Crutcher uses this setting to give the readers an in depth look at each character. "But the fun is the ride. We study first, then play sports trivia or word games on the trip to the meet, eat pizza and leak out a little bit of our lives on the way back." In addition to strong characterization Crutcher also allows the reader to draw on their "root for the underdog" mentality, by using all the misfits of the school readers can identify with the characters and relate this to a time when the reader felt left out. By the time of the books close we are all rooting for the boys to earn their varsity letter jackets just as much as the boys themselves are. Publisher's Weekly says, "The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as "losers."
Connections
* Have students compare stereotypes of groups (jocks, smart kids, outcasts) to actual people. For example, are jocks really dumb?
* TJ ends the book speaking of little acts of heroism, have students share when someone they know was heroic.
Adventure, Sports & Mystery
Bibliography
Crutcher, Chris. 2001. WHALE TALK. New York : HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0440229383.
Plot Summary
In WHALE TALK, TJ Jones squares off against his rivals, the jocks of the school. TJ gathers together all the misfits and outcasts of the school to form a swim team. As the swim team tries to earn the coveted varsity letter jacket, they may just learn a little something about themselves along the way. A subplot running through the book deals with prejudice and bigotry and how this affects lives.
Critical Analysis
The greatest strength of WHALE TALK is the author's portrayal of all the characters. The swim team has seven members which could have been unwieldy but, Crutcher handles all of the characters well. The characters are so real that readers invest into each one. The readers have a clear enough picture of each character that when bus trips to the swim meet turn philosophical the readers can be astonished at the soul searching the characters reveal. The readers feel exactly like TJ who says,"I can't even imagine it, can't believe he is telling me." Most of the team's interaction happens on the bus on the way to swim meets. Crutcher uses this setting to give the readers an in depth look at each character. "But the fun is the ride. We study first, then play sports trivia or word games on the trip to the meet, eat pizza and leak out a little bit of our lives on the way back." In addition to strong characterization Crutcher also allows the reader to draw on their "root for the underdog" mentality, by using all the misfits of the school readers can identify with the characters and relate this to a time when the reader felt left out. By the time of the books close we are all rooting for the boys to earn their varsity letter jackets just as much as the boys themselves are. Publisher's Weekly says, "The book's shocking climax will force readers to re-examine their own values and may cause them to alter their perception of individuals pegged as "losers."
Connections
* Have students compare stereotypes of groups (jocks, smart kids, outcasts) to actual people. For example, are jocks really dumb?
* TJ ends the book speaking of little acts of heroism, have students share when someone they know was heroic.
I'd Tell You I Love You But Then I'd Have to Kill You
Adventure, Sports & Mystery
Bibliography
Carter, Allly. 2006. I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU. New York : Hyperion Books for Children. ISBN 9781423100041.
Plot Summary
Cammie is a little different that most teen-aged girls her high school is all girls school that has classes in hand-to-hand combat, data encryption, and chemical warfare; affectionately known among it's students as spy school. Cammie's first hint that this year is going to be different is the new Covert Operations teacher seems to designated her as class screw up. The real problems start when Cammie accidentally meets a boy from in-town who thinks her school is a boarding school for rich heiresses.
Critical Analysis
The juxtaposition of teenagers and covert operations makes this adventure novel an interesting read. Carter has done an excellent job of adding a voice of realism to her characters. Cammie, our protagonist talks about when the girls who know how to strap on ammo can't figure out how to accessorize, "Courtney was borrowing earrings; Anna was trying on jackets; and I wasn't sure if I would ever feel safe going into hostile territory with them again." This voice that rings of truth is evident again when talking about boys, "I half wished he'd charge me again or draw a knife or start speaking in Japanese or something... but he didn't, and so I didn't know what to do. He walked. So I walked." Carter has captured the feeling of awkwardness that all teenage girls experience throughout the books' dialog. Carter further uses details of the school to make the improbable feel possible; details of how the school changes when visitors show up: motto of the school spins around and is replaced by more mundane buy your yearbook now posters, trophies that are for hand-to-hand combat are replaced with swim meet trophies, and statues of former spies are whisked into broom closets. This book has a fun light feel that will make for a go-to book for readers that are looking for something different. Audiofile agrees, "How Cammie and crew pass a dangerous final exam and how Cammie balances spying and her romance with a normal guy make for an offbeat, imaginative title."
One of the drawbacks of this book is that for an adventure story it lacks a little in the adventure part. There is no villain to root against and even if passing your final exam is different at spy school, readers will not view this as a truly dangerous event. School Library Journal echos this lack of action, "The story is short on suspense. The stakes never seem very high since there are no real villains, and the cutesy dialogue quickly becomes grating. However, the novel has been optioned for a film and will likely attract readers who enjoy lighthearted, frothy tales and squeaky-clean romances." Another drawback of the book is that with such strong female characterization, male readers will be unlikely to identify with the characters.
Overall a fun, worthy read that may expose some teenage female readers to a new genre of book.
Connections
* Have students compare and contrast public school to boarding school.
* Have students complete a journal entry about why they are attending school. Cammie is attending school to be a spy, what are the students' future plans.
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