Module 15: Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging

Book Summary:

Georgia Nicolson is your average 14 year old girl in England. She is trying to assert control over her life, she is boy crazy, and she hates school. This book follows her through her daily life and reveals her thinking in each situation she finds herself. She brings most of the drama on herself because she doesn't ask her mom for help. She learns about boys from her mom's magazines and her friends. She even takes kissing lessons from a neighbor boy. Georgia and her friends see just how far they can push the rules at school and at home. 

APA Reference:

Rennison, L. (1999). Angus, thongs and full frontal snogging: confessions of Georgia
     Nicolson. New York, NY: Harper teen.  

My Impressions:

I could not stop laughing through out this book. I chose to listen to it and that really helped with the British slang. To me this was like the author took all the stupid, idiotic, and embarrassing things we girls did at 14 rolled them up into one girl. I can remember when I taught myself to shave and thought my legs would never heal. I never shaved off my eyebrows but i did have a friend burn her off when she use household bleach to try to lighten hers. The thoughts and confusion she has over boys, kidding, and dating where spot on. I plan on getting the next book in the series.

Professional Review:

American readers wondering what on earth “full-frontal snogging” is will find the answer in the helpful (and hilarious) glossary appended to this antic diary of a year in the life of an English girl named Georgia Nicolson. Snogging is, simply, “kissing with all the trimmings,” and it’s much on 14-year-old Georgia’s mind these days. For even though she’s still reeling from her devastatingly bad decision to go to a party dressed as a stuffed olive, she has fallen in love with an older man (he’s 17), a Sex God named Robbie. The trouble is, S. G. is dating a girl named Lindsay who--brace yourself--wears a thong. Honestly, how wet (idiotic) can you get! In the meantime, life on the homefront is spinning out of control. Dad has gone to New Zealand in search of a better job, and pet cat Angus, who can usually be spotted stalking the neighbor’s poodle, has gone missing. Although performer and comedy writer Rennison clearly owes a large debt to Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary (1998), her Georgia is a wonderful character whose misadventures are not only hysterically funny but universally recognizable. This “fabbity, fab, fab” novel will leave readers cheering, “Long live the teen!” and anxiously awaiting the promised sequel. (Reviewed July 2000)— Michael Cart 

Cart, M. (2000, July). [Review of the book Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging

      Confessions of Georgia Nicolson, by Louise Rennison]. Booklist. Retrieved from:

      http://booklistonline.com/Angus-Thongs-and-Full-Frontal-Snogging-Confessions-

      of-Georgia-Nicolson-Louise-Rennison/pid=1073977 

Library Uses:

I think this book would be great as a book club reading for high school girls. They could read and discuss and maybe have an adult female they are comfortable with there to answer series questions that come up. 

Module 14: Take Me Out of The Bathtub

Book Summary:

This is a book of songs set to the tunes of children's songs. The title poem "Take Me Out of The Bathtub" is set to the tune of "Take Me Out to The Ball Game". The poems allow children to relate to their lives. Topics include cleaning your room, smelling diapers, siblings, and even babysitters.

APA Reference:

Katz, A. (2001). Take me out of the bathtub and other silly dilly songs. New York, NY: Margaret
      K. McElderry Books.  

My Impressions:

I love the songs in this book so much I bought it and the sequel. I enjoyed sharing them with my class when we started our poetry unit. I think my favorite is "Stinky Diaper Change" because id does catch the way we feel about smelly diapers. The songs are silly and show kids that poetry is fun.

Professional Review:

Katz, a comedy writer who has worked on children’s programming for Disney and Nickelodeon has created his own “silly dilly” versions of beloved childhood tunes. Kids will rejoice in the hilarious, “I’m Filthy, I’m Dirty,” sung to the tune of “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring,” and parents have songs to celebrate, too: “Go Go Go to Bed” is a clever remake of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” With the possible exception of the lesser-known “Polly, Put the Kettle On,” most children will be familiar with the original versions of these songs, which will make it easy for them to join right in. Catrow’s animated double-spread pictures are at least as silly as the song lyrics, offering action-filled scenes bursting with odd-looking creatures. For an easy enrichment activity, have kids create a silly-dilly adaptation of their own. — Lauren Peterson 

Peterson, L. (2001, July). [Review of the book Take Me Out of The Bathtub and Other Silly

     Dilly Songs, by Alan Katz]. Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Take-Me-Out-

     of-the-Bathtub-Alan-Katz/pid=1098610 

Library Uses:

I would use a different song each week in the library to help expose students to poetry. 

Module 13: The Plain Janes

Book Summary:

This graphic novel follows Jane as she is forced to move from the city after a bomb is set off. She helped save a stranger and visits him in the hospital until she leaves, then she writs to him. Once in her new town, Jane tries to make friends with a group of outcast girls, all names Jane. She is asked to join the popular girls but Jane doesn't want to be that person anymore. She finally convinces the Janes to join her in a scheme to add beauty to the town by making art projects at night and leaving them in different locations. The Janes feel free and the other kids love it. The adults try to catch them but can't. They call their group P.L.A.I.N. which means: People Loving Art In Neighborhoods. Through all of this Jane still writes to the stranger she saved who is on a coma but later her letters are returned. She runs off to the city and learns the stranger woke up and went home. She is given his name but she doesn't know how to reach him. With help from Damon she finds him and continues writing him. The book ends leaving you waiting for more to come.

APA Reference:

Castellucci, C.; Rugg, J. (2007). The plain Janes. New York, NY: DC Comics.

My Impressions:

I enjoyed this graphic novel. It was realistic to see how the girls started sharing more and taking on each others' strengths. The art work was very well rendered in black and white. I think I connected to this story because the Janes were all so different from each other and that reminded me of my high school friends. We all had different interests yet we hung out together. Many teens do not think they can have friends who are not just like them. It was refreshing to see teen friendship portrayed realistically.     

Professional Review:

For the first book in a new series aimed at teenage girls, DC comics recruited novelist Castellucci (Boy Proof, 2004, and The Queen of Cool, 2005) to write this story about outsiders who come together, calling up themes from the author’s popular YA novels. Relocated to suburbia after a brush with disaster in the big city (and fueled by an urge not to be terrified of the world as a result), Jane rallies a small group of outcasts into a team of “art terrorists,” shaking the town from its conservative complacency by putting bubbles in the city fountain and wrapping objects on the street as Christmas packages. Their activities end up rallying the local teenagers to their cause and working the adults into a dither. The book has its share of stereotypes—the science geek, the psychotically overprotective mother, the irrepressible gay teen—but this is thought-provoking stuff. The art, inspired by Dan Clowes’ work, is absolutely engaging. Packaged like manga,this is a fresh, exciting use of the graphic-novel format.

— Jesse Karp


Karp, J. (2007, March 15). [Review of the book The Plain Janes, by Cecil Castellucci and Jim
     Rugg]. Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/The-Plain-Janes-Cecil-
     Castellucci/pid=1911749


Library Uses:

I would use this in a collaborative project with the high school art teacher to allow students to create and display their art around the school.

Module 12: Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

Book Summary:

Albert Einstein is a famous mathematician and scientist. At one point we will all learn about his mathematical equations and his theories, but what was he like as a child? Einstein was mean to his sister and tutors, and was lazy in school when it came to subjects he didn't like. When something fascinated him , he could spend hours working on it. He did not have many friends at school and preferred his own company to playing with others. He impressed the adults around him with his mathematical thinking. When He tried to attend college could not pass his placement exams in the subjects he had ignored so he must go back and earn his high school diploma. Jobs were hard to find so he took one in a patient office and helped raise his family. He continues his great thinking and becomes the famous man we know.

APA Reference:

Brown, D. (2004). Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.

My Impressions:

I knew Einstein was not a normal child but I did not know he threw violent fits. It seems strange to me to think of him as cruel and mean after seeing some of the silly photographs that have been taken of him. Even though this biography was written for children, I would like to know more about this man. Is it true that he did not speak until age five? Why did his parents let him wander the city? 

Professional Review:

Young readers won’t come away from Brown’s newest picture-book biography understanding the theory of relativity, but they will be heartened by the parallels between their own experiences and those of an iconic science guy. The author-illustrator of Mack Made Movies (2003) and other books presents the future Nobel Prize winner as a sallow, sunken-eyed little boy who lingers on the sidelines as other boys roughhouse, spends hours building a house of cards “fourteen stories high,” and vexes his teachers (one tells him that “he would never get anywhere in life”). Brown’s language dips into vagueness when it’s time to describe the mature scientist’s contributions, and the accompanying artwork is often disappointingly generic, awkwardly incorporating computer-generated elements that overwhelm the delicate ink-and-watercolor style used elsewhere. Still, this joins Frida Wishinsky’s What’s the Matter with Albert? (2002) as one of the very few picture-book biographies of Einstein available. Try giving it to older elementary students, who will get the most out of the detailed author’s note and bibliography featuring many books for adults. — Jennifer Mattson

Mattson, J. (2004, September 1). [Review of the book Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein, by

      Don Brown]. Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Odd-Boy-Out-The-Story-

      of-the-Young-Albert-Einstein-Don-Brown/pid=256549 

Library Uses:

I would use this in a story time to start off research for the science fair.  

    

Module 11: Actual Size

Book Summary:

This book gives information on the actual sizes of wild animals. The illustrations are draw to the measurements specified for that animal. This means that the eye of the giant squid takes up more than one page of the book because it is 1 foot across. 

APA Reference:

Jenkins, S. (2004). Actual size. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.  

My Impressions:

I was fascinated by how the information was presented in this book. It is one thing to read about the dimensions of these animals but it is very different to see it. The gorilla hand on the cover is what drew me to this books. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. The fold out page for the saltwater crocodile and the Goliath frog really give you a true sense of their sizes. 

Professional Review:

  As in many of his previous bestiaries, including the Caldecott Honor Book What Can You Do with a Tail Like This? (2003), Jenkins’ newest presents a parade of cut-paper animals, each accompanied by a pithy line of text. The difference here is the scale: everything appears at actual size. Jenkins’ masterstroke, though, is his inclusion of creatures both great and small, so while petite critters fit comfortably within 12-by-20-inch spreads, larger ones appear as evocatively cropped bits and pieces: a gorilla’s massive hand; a Siberian tiger’s snarling mug; the unnerving, basketball-size eye of a giant squid. The resulting juxtapositions will leave children marveling at one species’ daintiness, then shuddering as they mentally sketch in the unseen portions of more formidable beasts. Jenkins’ artwork is gorgeous (a gatefold of a frog in midleap is particularly memorable), and, at the end of the book, thumbnail images of the featured animals paired with information about habitat and behavior put the piquant visuals into a broader context. An unusual, unusually effective tool for connecting children to nature’s astonishing variety.

Reviewer. (2004, May 15). [Review of the book  Actual Size, Steve Jenkins]. Booklist. 
     Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Actual-Size-Steve-Jenkins/pid=1154508


Library Uses:

I would use this in a story time to introduce measurement to older elementary students. They have to estimate measurements and this would help them picture it.

Module 10: The Hallelujah Flight

Book Summary:

Based on a real transcontinental, this fictional books takes us on a journey with a pilot and his mechanic. They cross the United States and ask people to sign the wings of their plane in exchange for food, gas, and help. In some states they are met with prejudice and hatred but in most people help. After 21 days they reach their goal, New York. Their flight is celebrated in Harlem and the name it the Hallelujah Flight.

APA Reference:

Bildner, P. (2010). The hallelujah flight. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

My Impressions:

I was drawn to this book because it was on the Bluebonnet Award list. My son had read all of them and raved about this one. When it turned up on my class reading list, I knew I had to read it. I enjoyed the artwork in this books. It brought the whimsical side of the story out. It also kept the darker parts of the book from being overwhelming. I liked how people laughed until they found out they could sign the wings if they agreed to help. It is amazing to me what people will do for simple recognition.   

Professional Review:

In 1932, James Banning was the first African American to complete a transcontinental flight. Told from the viewpoint of his young copilot and mechanic, Thomas Allen, this dramatic picture book relates of their historic journey, in which they flew in a small plane from Los Angeles to New York in 21 days. Unframed, double-page paintings show the pair close-up in the cramped cockpit as they fly over the Grand Canyon and head into storms, the propeller whirring, while the ground passes not too far below. Some locals help, showing “the kindness of family and friends,” but the dramatic pictures also reveal the prejudice the pilots encountered when they are refused use of washrooms and restaurants. Finally, they reach New York and receive a hero’s welcome in Harlem. Along with the drama of the pioneer flight, kids will also enjoy the irreverent fun of the Flying Hoboes in their “flying jalopy.” The story of the pilots’ bonding is as memorable as the breakthrough flight. An introductory author’s note offers cultural and historical context.

— Hazel Rochman


Rockman, H. (2010, February 1). [Review of the book The Hallelujah Flight, by Phil Bildner]. 
     Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/The-Hallelujah-Flight-Phil-Bildner/pid=3760855




Library Uses:

I would use this book in a story time for historical fiction. 

Module 9: Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery

Book Summary:

Cam Jansen has a photographic memory and an eye for detail. When she see something she thinks is important, she closes her eyes and says click. Then she has the image forever. She uses this skill to solve crimes. When her friend Eric and herself are out selling chocolate bar and rice cakes for charity they see a suspicious looking woman. They follow her to see what she does. The soon discover that she may be helping a bank robber who may be hiding in a house. Cam's dad calls the police and Cam follows the strange woman until the police arrive. When she is corned in the groceries store the woman takes off her disguise and tries to blend into the crowd but Cam can remember her shoes and helps the police catch her. At the end, Cam, Eric, and Mr. Jansen watch the bank robber being taken to jail.

APA Reference:

Adler, D. (1993). Cam Jansen and the chocolate fudge mystery. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

My Impressions:

This is a good book to introduce younger elementary kids to mysteries. The plot is not overly complicated and the students could solve it. It moves at a fast enough pace to keep them interested and there are no extra facts. This is important for young readers because too much information will turn them off to the genre.

Professional Review:

Cam (short for Camera) Jansen and her faithful companion, Eric Shelton, encounter yet another mystery as they try to raise funds for charity by selling fudge bars and rice cakes. (They never do explain the mystery of that unlikely combination.) This time Cam spots a woman behaving suspiciously in the vicinity of a supposedly vacant house. It requires only Cam’s photographic memory (which she activates by saying “Click” constantly), deductive reasoning, and a short surveillance for the duo to ascertain that a criminal is hiding out and to alert a grateful police force. Cam satisfies the childhood fantasy of being smarter than adults and dealing successfully with mystery and danger, and young readers seem to be able to tolerate the clicks and to suspend reality in order to marvel at her wonderful ways. Another fix for the beginning readers who demand mystery books. (Reviewed Oct. 15, 1993)— Sheilamae OHara  

OHara, A. (1993, October 15). [Review of the book Cam Jansen and the Chocolate Fudge Mystery, by David A. Adler]. Booklist. Retrieved from: http://booklistonline.com/Cam-Jansen-and-the-Chocolate-Fudge-Mystery-Susanna-Natti/pid=125539?pid=125539

Library Uses:

I would use this book to introduce younger elementary students to the mystery genre by using it in story time. I would leave off at an exciting point so the kids can guess what will happen.