Marissa's Book Talk

Book title ______ The Graveyard Book _______  Author _____ Neil Gaiman ___________  Publisher, Year ____ HarperCollins HarperAudio , 2008____ Bibliography  Gaiman, N. (2008).  The graveyard book  [Audiobook]. Retrieved from https://www.overdrive.com/media/171106/the-graveyard-book Plot Summary  The Graveyard Book is a young adult fantasy novel that follows the adventures of Nobody “Bod” Owens. Bod resides in the town’s graveyard where he is raised by his guardian, Silas, and the ghost that resides there. The story recounts the events that leads to Bod encountering his family’s murderer.  Critical Analysis Bod is a human child that has been granted permission to live in the graveyard by the Lady on the Grey and is able to communicate with the dead, move through walls, and is invisible to most humans. Though Bod can do all these amazing things, he is still mortal and can potentially be hurt and killed. The reason why ...

Book title ___The Bone Gap___________   Author ____ Laura Ruby______  Publisher, Year ____ Harper Collins Publisher, 2015_______ Bibliography  Ruby, L. (2015).  Bone Gap  [eBook]. Retrieved from https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062317636/bone-gap/ ISBN 9780062317636 Plot Summary   Finn O’Sullivan witnessed the abduction of his friend, Roza, in the cornfields by a dangerous man. With no one believing his story, it is up to Finn to find her while falling in love with the town’s outcast Petey. Readers follow the stories of Finn, Roza, and other residents of Bone Gap to understand the events leading up to Roza’s disappearance, what happened to her, and if they can get her back.  Critical Analysis The story of Bone Gap took place in a town of the same name. Located in Illinois, the town is surrounded by a cornfield and other farms. Roza went to study abroad in Chicago and had to flee from her professor who wanted her...

Book title _______ The Midwife's Apprentice________________ Author, Illustrator ________ Karen Cushman__________________________ Publisher, Year ____ Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2019 ______________ Bibliography Cushman, K. (2019).  The Midwife's Apprentice . New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-1328631121 Plot Summary The story of The Midwife's Apprentice involves a young girl living in medieval England around the age of 12 or 13 who believes that she will not amount to anything. After gaining an apprenticeship with a midwife named Jane, the young girl - eventually self-named Alyce - defies all expectations held to her by society and herself. Critical Analysis The Midwife’s Apprentice is one of the many books Cushman has written that is an award-winning children historic fiction novel. Like her other award-winning book, Catherine Called Birdy , which is also set in the medieval era. Cushman even includes a bibliography of the...

Book title __________Dash_________________________ Author, Illustrator _ Kirby Larson and Kathy Hsieh__________   Publisher, Year ____ Scholastic Inc. _2016___________________________ Bibliography Larson, K. (2016).  Dash . New York, NY: Scholastic, Inc. ISBN 9780545416368 Plot Summary Due to her heritage, Mitsi Kashino and her family were forced to pack their suitcases and evacuate their home and leave their dog, Dash, after the attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II. Mitsi and her family were relocated to a few overly crowded internment camps. The only comfort for Mitsi were letters she received from her beloved dog, Dash. Critical Analysis Larson’s Dash is one of her few books that take place during WWII and has a dog that greatly impacts the story. As a Scott O’Dell Historical Fiction Award recipient, Dash takes into consideration the era it is based on, the events that were occurring during this time, and the audience it is intended to r...