Swiss Family Robinson directed by Ken Annakin

Age range: 8 and up

Interest range: 8 and up

Genre: Classic, Adventure, Family

Themes:

Survival, Courage and Bravery, Pirates, Colonization, Family, Adventure, Shipwreck and Family.

Plot:

Starting in the aftermath of a shipwreck, the Swiss family rebuilds their life on an uncharted tropical island. They use the wealth of salvage in livestock, tools, guns, furniture, wood, and more to build a safe home in the trees, complete with running water and other conveniences. The mother and father begin an idealic exhistance with their 3 boys aged 9, 16, and 18. But one day the older boys decide to take a canoe and survey the rest of the island. They stumble across pirates that are attacking the crew of a ship, and rescue the captain’s daughter, bringing the wrath of the pirates on them since they are discovered. Their defenses include pits with a tiger in one pit, rock piles, a log pile and coconut bombs (hollowed out coconuts filled with gunpowder with a fuse), all of which cause problems for the attacking pirates. They begin defending the fortress but are soon down to only a few shots with their muskets. At this critical moment, a ship appears on the horizon and fires its cannons at the pirates and their ship. The pirates retreat and make a desperate escape, and the family rejoices. Father, Mother and Francis choose to remain on the island while the Captain notes that Father will likely be recommended as Governor of the new colony.

Review:

The ultimate survival fantasy, The Swiss Family Robinson holds up pretty well considering its’ 50+ years. While the stereotypes of the pirates as savages with stilted hand movements (and brown face make-up) is ridiculous and the animal treatment is suspect (two great danes attacking the tiger looked pretty fearsome), the film has all the elements of a great adventure. Some of the best bits include (but are not limited to) rope swings, water slides, a pet elephant, a pet monkey, hammock beds, hand-hewn canoes, the aforementioned pirates, supportive parents, a giant tortoise shell sink, invented mechanical devices made with left over ship parts and coconut bombs. It couldn’t be more fun. The movie holds up after all these years and makes you wish there was a deserted island in your future.

Additional information:

The film was based on the book by Johann Wyss, written to preserve the tales he and his sons made up while imagining themselves in Robinson Crusoe’s predicament. Not originally intended for publication, the narrative was later edited and illustrated by Wyss’ descendants. Disney estimates they used about 10% of the original book.

At the box office, the film took roughly $40,000,000 (around $367,000,000 in today’s money), making it one of the most successful family films ever made.

A huge fan of the film, George Lucas named Anakin Skywalker after the director of this film, Ken Annakin.

Main character(s):

The Robinson Family made up of Father and Mother Robinson and their three sons–Frits, Ernst and Francis. They make the best of a bad situation and are resourceful and optimistic to a fault, with the exception of Mother, who does a of of praying to be rescued.

The Tree House is also a character of the film. Their multilevel tree house, built in record time, is complete with running water and a working pipe organ scavenged from the ship, while their grand yard is abloom in English roses.

Walt Disney Studios, 1960. 126 minutes, rated G.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Age range: 8 – 10

Interest range: 8 and up

Reading level: 3.6

Genre: Animal Stories

Themes:

Animals, Apes and Monkeys, Elephants, Dogs, Zoos, Animal Abuse, Friendships, Helping Others, Loss and Visual Arts.

Plot:

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all. Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line. Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Review:

A cross between Ishmael and Charlotte’s Web, this is a story of a thinking, planning, intelligent gorilla that s-p-e-l-l-s. Not being a fan of talking animals, it was not likely I would go for this book. But like nearly everyone who has read The One and Only Ivan, I fell hard for him. Ivan’s gentle nature, plausible reasoning, rudimentary art skills, desire to help his friend, self-doubt and hopeful disposition won me over. This book is about so many things–not the least of which is how hard it is to be human and how confusing humans are to each other and ourselves. Getting to the end and finding that Ivan, the character, was based on a real gorilla, was the pièce de résistance.

Additional information:

Won the Newbery Award for 2013

School Library Journal Best of Children’s Books 2012
Kirkus Reviews Best of Children’s Books 2012
Amazon 2012 Best Books of the Year, Middle Grade
Chicago Public Library Best of the Best 2012
New York Public Library 100 Books for Reading and Sharing, 2012
Cybils shortlist, 2012 middle grade fantasy (Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers’ Literary Awards)
Texas Bluebonnet Award, 2013-14 Master List
2012 Nerdies Book Award, middle grade fiction

Main character:

Ivan, the narrator, is a silverback gorilla. Although anthropomorphized in the novel, Ivan is based on a real gorilla, now located at Zoo Atlanta.

Ivan, the inspiration for the book.

HarperCollins, 2012. 304p.

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis

Age range: 8 – 12

Interest range: 8 and up

Reading level: 3.8

Genre: Graphic, Comic, Series

Themes:

Friendship, Failure, Economic Issues, Single Motherhood, Entrepreneurism, Detective and Family

Plot:

Timmy Failure is about a small boy called Timmy Failure. Failure is his unfortunate last name. Timmy is the founder, president and CEO of Total Failure, Inc., arguably (in Timmy’s opinion) “the best detective agency in the town, probably the country. Perhaps the world.” Timmy’s partner in the agency is his pet polar bear Total (hence the agency’s unfortunate name). Timmy is uncooperative at school, isolates himself from his peers during break time, and he has a very interesting way at looking at the world. Timmy Failure and his bear, Total, are unintentionally hilarious. Timmy’s plans will make his mother rich and unpaid bills a thing of the past. And plans that will defeat Corrina Corrina, “The One Whose Name Shall Not Be Uttered”. But she’s not going away.

Review:

A cross between Calvin and Hobbes and The Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Timmy is a new anti-hero. You can’t help but love this sweet character. Not quite a graphic novel, but heavily illustrated, this charming book is the first in a new series. The humor in this book is the brilliant kind–the kind that works for kids and adults in different ways. Books like this make for very enjoyable read-alouds because everyone gets something out of it. Often mentioned is the vocabulary in the book, (which is interesting that it has a 3.8 reading level) which is challenging at times. That is part of what makes Timmy Failure the clever book that it is. Great drawings, charming protagonist, clever language = a book worth reading.

Additional information:

Stephan Pastis is the creator of Pearls Before Swine, an acclaimed comic strip that appears in more than six hundred newspapers.

Main character:

Timmy is an uncooperative, obtuse detective with a 1500 pound polar bear friend that may or may not be imaginary. Timmy wants to do well, but struggles with nearly everything. As the author has said about his character, “He could take any mystery and make it more mysterious.”

Candlewick, 2013. 304p.

Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool

Age range: 10 and up

Interest range: 10 and up

Reading level: 5.2

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure

Themes:

Family, Grief, Loss, School, Maine, Appalachian Trail, Friendship, Asperger’s Syndrome and Adventure.

Plot:

At the end of World War II, Jack Baker, a Kansas boy, is suddenly uprooted after his mother’s death and placed in a boy’s boarding school in Maine. There, Jack encounters Early Auden, the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains. Newcomer Jack feels lost yet can’t help being drawn to Early, who won’t believe what everyone accepts to be the truth about the Great Appalachian Bear, Timber Rattlesnakes, and the legendary school hero known as The Fish, who never returned from the war. The boys embark on a quest on the Appalachian Trail in search of the great black bear. But what they are searching for is sometimes different from what they find. They will meet truly strange characters, each of whom figures into the pi story Early weaves as they travel, while discovering things they never realized about themselves and others in their lives.

Review:

What begins as a wonderful novel that appears to be realistic fiction, morphs into magical realism with non-stop action. Once Jackie and Early get out on the Kennebec River, all manner of crazy adventures and unusual characters populate the story. The book becomes a fable-like quest with a bit of Mark Twain thrown in for fun. Part tall tale and part fairy tale, Navigating Early is an adventure like few others. Early, although not stated expressly, has Asperger’s Syndrome and a type of synesthesia. The friendship between Early and Jackie is beautifully rendered. But, here is the caveat. In order to really appreciate this book, you will have to be willing to go along for the ride without asking for too much explanation. If you can do that, you will find yourself with a very good book in your hands.

Additional information:

The author won the Newbery Award in 2011 for her previous book, Moon Over Manifest.

Main character(s):

Jackie is 13 years old when his mother dies and his distant father moves him from Kansas to Morton Hill Academy for Boys, a maritime boarding school in coastal Maine.

Early lives in a custodian’s room in the basement rather than in a dorm; he detects a story in the numbers that are generated when pi is calculated to the nth degree — and he believes his brother Fisher, who has gone missing after an assault on the Germans, is not dead but is actually hiding out in the woods of Maine.

Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2013. 320p.

My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall

Age range: 9- 11

Interest range: 8 and up

Reading level: 6.7

Genre: Non-fiction, Autobiography

Themes:

Animals, Chimpanzees, Biology, Character, Values and Determination

Plot:

This autobiography of famed chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall tells of her early fascination with animals and their habits and customs. When Jane Goodall was 26 years old, she went to Africa to observe chimpanzees in the wild.  She braved the dangers of the jungle, survived encounters with leopards and lions and got to know a particular group of chimpanzees. As Goodall became more skilled, she taught herself, then the scientific community, then the world, about the full life of chimpanzees, their habits, characteristics, and personalities. Goodall also tells how her life was shaped by her study of the chimps. Her memoir reveals unabated passion for her subject and her love of animals.

Review:

This lovely account of Jane Goodall’s life hits on the high points and skips the nitty gritty. Appropriate for young children, Goodall’s message to is listen to your heart and help protect the wildlife of the world. Her life is unusual and exotic and as such, she had to make choices that were difficult. She keeps the focus on her life with the chimps and nearly one third of the book is about the chimpanzee group in Gombe. While I loved her descriptions of her early life and the time in Africa, the last bit of the book is a direct plea to do something. Her autobiography becomes a request to plant trees, start a recycling program or volunteer in an animal shelter. The book is less engaging here, but Goodall’s passion has never wavered. The copy I read had been signed by the author, with the inscription “Hear your heart”. And that really is her message.

Additional information:

Considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania. She is the founder of the Jane Goodall Institute and has worked extensively on conservation and animal welfare issues.

As a child Jane Goodall was given a lifelike chimpanzee toy named Jubilee by her father; her fondness for the toy started her early love of animals. Today, the toy still sits on her dresser in London.

Main character:

Jane Goodall had always been passionate about animals and Africa, which brought her to the farm of a friend in the Kenya highlands in 1957. From there, she obtained work as a secretary, and acting on her friend’s advice she telephoned Louis Leakey, a Kenyan archaeologist and paleontologist, with no other thought than to make an appointment to discuss animals. Leakey, believing that the study of existing great apes could provide indications of the behaviour of early hominids,was looking for a chimpanzee researcher though he kept the idea to himself. He proposed that Goodall work for him as a secretary. Leakey sent Goodall to Tanzania, where he laid out his plans. In 1958, Leakey sent Goodall to London to study primate behavior and primate anatomy. Leakey raised funds, and on 14 July 1960 Goodall went to Gombe Stream National Park. She was accompanied by her mother whose presence was necessary to satisfy the requirements of David Anstey, chief warden, who was concerned for their safety.

Perfection Learning, 1996. 156p.

The Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang

Age range: 11 – 15

Interest range: 11 and up

Reading level: 6.1

Genre: Autobiography, Memoir

Themes:

Family Life, Civics and Government, Asian History, Courage, Bravery, Heroism, Chinese, Human Rights, Conformity and Honor.

Plot:

Ji-li Jiang was twelve years old in 1966, the year that Chairman Mao launched the Cultural Revolution in China. An outstanding student and much-admired leader of her class, Ji-li seemed poised for a shining future. But all that changed with the advent of the Cultural Revolution, when intelligence became a crime and a wealthy family background invited persecution’or worse. For the next three years Ji-li and her family were humiliated and reviled by their former friends, neighbors, and colleagues and lived in constant terror of attack. At last, with the detention of her father, Ji-li was faced with the most dreadful decision of her young life: denounce him and break with her family, or refuse to testify against him and sacrifice her future in her beloved Communist Party.

Review:

This is a compelling memoir that reads like fiction. Dystopian fiction. The Cultural Revolution is hard to fathom for those of us who didn’t live through it. This is a riveting first-hand account of a society that seems closer to something out of The Giver than to life as we know it. Jiang is able to convey the confusion and the motivation for young people to act as they did, while also describing some of the more heartbreaking events, such as when her parents had to secretly burn all their precious family photographs in order to save themselves. The oppression faced by Chinese citizens is reminiscent of the Jews in Warsaw. The fear and oppression is palpable in this detailed account. Written with dialogue, this memoir is a wonderful introduction to this period of Chinese history.  

Main character:

Ji-li Jiang was born in Shanghai, China, in 1954. She graduated from Shanghai Teachers College and Shanghai University and was a science teacher before she came to the United States in 1984.

Harper Collins, 1997. 320p.

The Impossible Rescue: The True Story of an Amazing Arctic Adventure by Martin W. Sandler

Age range: 10 and up

Interest range: 9 and up

Reading level: 8.2

Genre: Adventure, Survival

Themes:

Courage, Bravery, Survival, Team Work, Dogs, Alaska, Arctic, Northwest History and Inuit.

Plot:

In 1897, whaling in the Arctic waters off Alaska’s coast was as dangerous as it was lucrative. And in that particular year, winter blasted early, bringing storms and ice packs that caught eight American whale ships and three hundred sailors off guard. Their ships locked in ice, with no means of escape, the whalers had limited provisions on board, and little hope of surviving until warmer temperatures arrived many months later. Here is the incredible story of three men sent by President McKinley to rescue them. The mission? A perilous trek over 1,500 miles of nearly impassable Alaskan terrain, in the bone-chilling months of winter, to secure two herds of reindeer (for food) and find a way to guide them to the whalers before they starve. With the help of photographs and journal entries by one of the rescuers, Martin W. Sandler takes us on every step of their riveting journey, facing raging blizzards, killing cold, injured sled dogs, and setbacks to test the strongest of wills.

Review:

What an exciting and well written version of one of the most difficult rescue operations ever completed. The details provided from source material make for gripping reading. From the clothes they wore, to the provisions they carried, to the descriptions of the native villagers living conditions, the history comes alive. It was easy to feel by turns hopeful, fearful or discouraged, depending on fates of our heroes. Hunger and cold were ever present as was fatigue. And all the while there is no knowing whether the rescue team would get to their destination in time or how many would make it out alive. Reading quotes from journals and seeing the amazing photos taken from 1897 adds to the value of the story. As good as Into Thin Air or Touching the Void, this is beautifully done. For all those who love adventure or history, The Impossible Rescue is a must read.

Main character(s):

In order, from left to right:

Second Lieutenant Ellsworth Bertholf, was a seaman from New Jersey trying to redeem himself for being dismissed from the Naval Academy for pranks. Having graduated from the Revenue Cutter Service officers’ training school, he was assigned to the Bear, the ship that had a legendary reputation for patrolling Arctic waters. Bertholf was grateful for the opportunity to become a hero.

Dr. Samuel Call, the Bear‘s surgeon, had served as the doctor of an Alaskan trading post when he was only twenty-two. He found that providing medical attention to people living in remote and harsh conditions to be rewarding. He was also an avid photographer, taking many of the photos of the expedition that recorded the experience.

The man in charge of the whole rescue operation was Bear‘s First Lieutenant David Jarvis. He had begun his naval career as part of the United States Life-Saving Service and had spent much of his time in Alaska. He already had experience rescuing several ships and sailors when he was assigned to this “impossible” one. He spoke a bit of several of the native languages of the indigenous people and that would prove to be invaluable in trading and procuring sled dogs and reindeer for the overland part of the expedition.

Candlewick; First American Edition edition, 2012. 176p.

Around the World by Matt Phelan

Age range: 9 – 12

Interest range: 8 – 12

Reading level: 4.6

Genre: Graphic, Historical Fiction

Themes:

Adventure, Travel, Courage, Determination, Breaking Records, Bicycles, Sailing, Women’s Issues and Exploration.

Plot:

Award-winning graphic novelist Phelan chronicles the real-life journeys of three nineteenth century adventurers who each set out to circumnavigate the globe for the sheer challenge of the journey. While the nineteenth century was full of Americans pushing boundaries and exploring new territories, these three were each inspired by Jules Verne’s best-selling novel Around the World in Eighty Days. 

Thomas Stevens rode a high-wheel bicycle from San Francisco to Boston, and then continued around the world.  Journalist Nellie Bly set out in 1889 persuading the editors at the New York World to sponsor her journey around the world, as she attempted to beat the record of Verne’s protagonist, Phileas Fogg. She not only had to beat Fogg’s fictional record, she also had to overcome her editors’ doubts that a woman could really accomplish this on her own. The third story is about seaman Joshua Slocum who sailed around the world by himself, the first person to do so alone. Phelan shares not only these adventurers’ public travels, but he also explores their internal journeys. As he writes in an author’s note, he focuses not just on what these real-life characters did, but why they undertook these challenges and what motivated them on their journeys.

Review:

Three intrepid travelers, against formidable odds, travel around the world in various ways, each writing a book about their adventures. I was captivated from the beginning and loved everything about this book from cover to cover. All three of the people chronicled in Around the World were unusual in their willingness to do whatever it took to be the first ones to do what they did. Phelan does a good job of touching on the difficulties and triumphs by picking out certain parts of each journey that were particularly trying or joyful such as: the time Thomas Stevens’ bicycle frightened a horse pulling a cart which caused an accident; when Nellie Bly purchased a pet monkey in Asia;  or when Joshua Slocum sailed to Argentina where his beloved first wife was buried. There is a lot in this small book, easily read in one sitting. Concentrating on the motivations for each of the trips, Phelan’s book encourages more reading on each of the adventurers. At the back of the book, Phelan includes a list of books he found interesting and useful for his storytelling and I’m sure there is much future reading there for interested readers, including me. I loved this accessible and informative book!

Additional information:

1. Carolyn W. Field Award (Pennsylvania)

2. Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee-Reality-Based

3. Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards Nominee-Young Adults

4. Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices List

5. Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice Award – Nominee

6. ALA Great Graphic Novels for Teens

7. New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing

8. Booklist Editors’ Choice

9. Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books – Bulletin Blue Ribbons

10. School Library Journal Best Books of the Year

11. Kirkus Reviews – Best Children’s Books of the Year

Main character(s):

Thomas Stevens (born December 24, 1854) was the first person to circle the globe by bicycle. He rode a large-wheeled Ordinary, also known as a penny-farthing, from April 1884 to December 1886.

Nellie Bly (born May 5, 1864) was the pen name of American journalist Elizabeth Jane Cochrane. She remains notable for two feats: a record-breaking trip around the world in emulation of Jules Verne’s character Phileas Fogg, and an exposé in which she faked insanity to study a mental institution from within.

Joshua Slocum ( born February 20, 1844) was the first man to sail single-handedly around the world. He was a seaman and adventurer, and a noted writer. In 1900 he wrote a book about his journey Sailing Alone Around the World, which became an international best-seller. He disappeared in November 1909 while aboard his boat, the Spray.

Candlewick Press, 2011. 236p.

Unsinkable: Titanic Book One by Gordon Korman

Age range: 9 – 12

Interest range: 9 – 12

Reading level: 5.7

Genre: Historical Fiction, Adventure, Series

Themes:

Survival, American History, Drama

Plot:

The Titanic is meant to be unsinkable, but as it begins its maiden voyage, there’s plenty of danger waiting for four of its young passengers. Paddy is a stowaway, escaping a deadly past. Sophie’s mother is delivered to the ship by police – after she and Sophie have been arrested. Juliana’s father is an eccentric whose riches can barely hide his madness. And Alfie is hiding a secret that could get him kicked off the ship immediately. The lives of these four passengers will be forever linked with the fate of Titanic. And the farther they get from shore, the more the danger looms. In book one, we are introduced to these young people as the Titanic steams ahead. Each chapter is headed with the date and time and those familiar with the story of the Titanic will know what awaits.

Review:

So many young people are drawn to the story of the sinking of the Titanic. Korman uses the ship as a backdrop to introduce a mystery. By having protagonists who are all over the social spectrum, wealthy, socialite, poor, blue collar, etc. Korman is able to describe the era more completely with Suffragists, early plane flight, steam engines, Jack the Ripper, etc. I can’t say the book is well written due to the overly dramatic style. But, given the topic of the Titanic, it is a surprisingly fun read. Unsinkable cannot be used for historical accuracy, but descriptions of the ship are interesting. Given what we know about what is going to happen, we can’t help but want to go on to the next book. But that’s what series are for, right?

Additional information:

The two other books in the series:

Collision Course: Titanic Book Two and S.O.S.: Titanic Book Three

Main character:

Four teenagers:

Paddy, a stowaway who thinks gangsters murdered his best and only friend in the world.

Sophie, daughter of a vocal, suffragette mother.

Alphie, an underage boy who lied in order to get work on the Titanic in the boiler room.

Julianna, a daughter of a wealthy, but eccentric, father.

Scholastic Paperbacks; Original edition, 2011. 176p.

The Secret of Kells directed by Tomm Moore

Age range: 10 and up

Interest range: 9 and up

Genre: Family and Kids, Animation

Themes:

Folklore, Mythology, Irish History, Heroes and Friendship

Plot:

Set in medieval Ireland, the story follows 12-year-old Brendan, who lives with his uncle Abbott Cellach, a monk who runs the Abbey of Kells. The abbott is focused on fortifying Kells from the imminent threat of a Viking invasion, and he expects all the brothers and his nephew, to work on defending the abbey. Life for Brendan changes dramatically when the renowned master illuminator Brother Aidan arrives in Kells with an incomplete illuminated manuscript. Fascinated, Brendan begins to disobey his uncle to help Brother Aidan find the right ingredients for ink, and in time discovers that he himself has a talent for illumination. As the Barbarians advance closer and closer, Brendan embarks on a quest to find a special crystal needed to finish the book. With the help of a beautiful fairy/wolf girl named Aisling, Brendan enters a nearby enchanted forest, where he must face an ancient serpent god to find the crystal, return to the abbey and finish the sacred text.

Review:

The unusual animation of this film separates it from others in that it immediately presents itself as more sophisticated and artful than most animated films for young people. Even the introductory music is quiet and reflective, unlike most films for kids which is loud and busy in an attempt to get their attention. Combining the history of the book of Kells, with Abbeys and scriptoriums and a Pagan story using a sprite and ancient standing stones and labyrinths, like those found all over Ireland, The Story of Kells illuminates (literally) the dark ages in Ireland around 800AD and some of the mythology surrounding the beautiful Book of Kells. Also a classic quest story, Brendan goes into the forest where he is forced to fight his fears (and the Vikings) in order to bring back the needed materials to complete the book. This film will not appeal to all and certainly those expecting a Disneylike animated feature may be disappointed. That said, this is a beautifully drawn film and a welcome departure from the dreck often created for young people.

Additional information:

Nominated for an Oscar.

Main character:

Brendan, nephew of the Abbott, finds he has an interest and an ability to create illumination on manuscripts. He is discouraged by his uncle, the Abbott, but encouraged by Aiden, arguably the best illuminator of his day. Brendan has to overtly disobey his uncle and go out of the fortified Abbey in order to get the need materials for vivid ink colors to continue the illumination work.

New Video Group, 2010. 75 minutes, rated NR.