MODULE 9: Abduction

Genre:

Mystery

Book Summary:

When Bonnie’s brother, Matt, goes missing from his school, no one suspects his absentee father of the abduction. Matt knows not to talk or go with strangers, but Denny uses the family’s dog, Pookie, to lure Matt into the car. To deter Matt from calling home or seeking help, Denny tells him that his mother and Bonnie are dead and reveals that he is Matt’s father. After a chance encounter leads Bonnie to Matt and Denny, the two siblings must work together to escape and return home to their mother.

APA Reference of Book:

Kehret, P. (2006). Abduction. New York: Puffin Books.

Impressions:

Meg is a strong, female character who never gives up on finding her brother. She bravely goes after Matt even though Denny has him, and she keeps her cool on the ferry. Abduction is an enjoyable read but some parts of the plot are a little contrived. For example, even though Denny had never been around, it seems the police would have pursued every angle from the beginning. It also seems like Denny’s sister would have been more skeptical about her brother suddenly showing up with his son. This is a good reminder to talk to kids about strangers and what to do in a similar situation, however the group that needs this the most is too young to read the book.

Professional Review:

In a highly suspenseful but simply written kidnapping story, 13-year-old Bonnie tries to find her five-year-old brother, Matt, when the boy is taken by his sociopath father, whom he’s never met. Kehret tells the story from many different perspectives, including those of Bonnie, Matt and the kidnapper, Denny. She dramatizes the police and community efforts to find the boy, and highlights Denny’s twisted personality as well as little Matt’s responses to his predicament and the missed opportunities of others who inadvertently come into contact with the case. When Bonnie decides to pursue Denny on her own, her efforts lead to a dramatic climax that may put her own life in danger. Kehret writes these stories over and over again, but she always demonstrates a deft touch in maintaining suspense while keeping her narrative light enough for the age of her intended audience. It’s entertaining and enlightening for older children as well as some reluctant adolescent readers.

APA Reference of Professional Review:

Abduction! (Book). (2004). Kirkus Reviews, 72(22), 1090.

Library Uses:

Abduction is narrated by alternating characters so this could be used to demonstrate point of view.

Readalikes:

I’m Not Who You Think I Am, by Peg Kehret – 13-year-old Ginger is being stalked by a woman who believes Ginger is her daughter and is planning to kidnap her.

The Abduction (Kidnapped series), by Gordon Korman – Aiden’s sister, Meg, is kidnapped and Aiden has to work with the FBI to get her back.

Runaway Twin, by Peg Kehret – Separated by her twin ten years prior, Sunny runs away from foster care to find her but she may not like what she finds.

MODULE 8: Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Genre:

Fantasy and Science Fiction

Book Summary:

Ten-year-old Abilene adores and dotes on her vain, porcelain rabbit, Edward Tulane. After falling into the ocean, Edward begins an adventure, passing through the lives of several new owners. Each stop brings a little more damage to Edward’s outer appearance but teaches him about love and the human spirit. The final stop brings him full circle and reunites Edward with an old and new friend.

APA Reference of Book:

DiCamillo, K., & Ibatoulline, B. (2006). The miraculous journey of Edward Tulane. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

Impressions:

This is a charming fantasy book that reads like a fairy tale or fable as Edward learns about unconditional love. Edward’s owner, Abilene loves him despite his narcissistic ways. Each of the people he meets along the journey give Edward a piece of his heart but after Sarah dies, Edward does not want to love anymore because it hurts sometimes.  However, in the toy shop, one of the dolls sums it up best when she tells Edward, “if you have no intention of loving or being loved, then the whole journey is pointless.” Edward learns that even if you get hurt, the journey is not worth it if there is no love. Just like the prodigal son, when Edwards is reunited with Abilene and her daughter Maggie, she accepts him with open arms and Edward finally feels at home. The ethereal illustrations add to the story bringing the characters to life.

Professional Review:

There's something about an inanimate rabbit that sets fabulists scurrying to the anxious task of sorting out whom and why we love and whether it's ever enough. Somewhere between The Velveteen Rabbit and The Big Ugly Monster and the Little Stone Rabbit (BCCB 9/04), we find Edward Tulane, a dandified specimen belonging to a girl for whom he has little use, other than as a valet to dress him in his finery. Her grandmother Pellegrina senses this and tells girl and toy a cautionary tale about the wretched fate of a beautiful princess who loved no one. Her words transmute into a curse for the unfortunate rabbit, who, after being lost overboard on a cruise, begins a long journey of misadventures. He is alternately beloved and treated with scorn, but in the course of his ignominious fate, he learns what it means to love. The plot is often contrived and the sentiment inclined toward the maudlin, yet there is more than a touch of Hans Christian Andersen in the sadistic treatment Edward must endure to ultimately learn his lesson; indeed, adults will love this moral, especially those who feel that their petted and pampered offspring are not forthcoming enough with the displays of gratitude and affection that warrant their indulgence. Children, on the other hand, may be swept along by the pathos of Edward's various ordeals, especially the final loss of the boy who steals him off a scarecrow's pole to take to his dying sister, and then, after her lingering death, takes him to the city only to lose him to a toymaker, nobly choosing to give a broken and ratty Edward up so that he might be restored to his former glory. The delicate sepia images that head each chapter and the full-color illustrations augment the emotional tenor of the book; each image manages to evoke a sense of longing that serves to involve the reader in Edward's transformation, thus rendering the newly humbled and loving rabbit's return to his former owner an affecting conclusion.

APA Reference of Professional Review:

Coats, K. (2006). The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 59(8), 347-348. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Library Uses:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane is a modern fable warning about vanity and narcissism. Students could find other stories with similar messages or write their own fables warning of other human weaknesses.

Readalikes:

The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo – This is a story about a mouse named Despereaux, Roscuro the rat, and Miggery Sow, an unlikely group of characters who eventually come together to save the Princess Pea.

The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo – Peter believes he has no family after being orphaned when his mother died giving birth to his sister, also presumed dead. After a fortune teller tells him that his sister is still alive and that an elephant will lead him to her, Peter finds that nothing is impossible.

Pax by Sara Pennypacker – Peter and Pax are inseparable until Peter’s father goes to war and Peter must go live with his grandfather and is forced to set Pax free. Unable to bear the separation, Peter goes in search of the fox.  Pax finds a group of foxes who teach him how to be a fox.