The Fault in Our Stars

Bibliography

Green, John. 2012. The Fault in Our Stars. NY: Dutton Books. ISBN 978-0525478812.

Plot Summary

This story is a tale about a 16 year old witty teenager named Hazel Grace Lancaster. Hazel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 13, and is battling Stage IV cancer. An experimental drug was given to Hazel as Hazel is scared she doesn’t have much longer to live. With her mom being concerned with about her mental health, Hazel attends a cancer support group where a friendship with Augustus Waters begins. Augustus Waters, who is a cancer survivor in remission, attends the group in support for a friend Isaac who lost his eyesight from his battle. The two characters allow us to see a tale of creating a friendship and romance with the race against time.

Critical Analysis

The novel follows Hazel Grace which evokes emotions in many readers as Hazel battles cancer along with being an average teenager. We see the metamorphosis of the characters that develops the plot and strikes a chord in many. Hazel Grace displays her raw emotions with her battle with cancer, demonstrates how a young adult lives with an illness, and creating a romance with Augustus. The novel allows readers to see the development of the young teenagers as they reach adulthood and creating their own identity as cancer patients. Hazel and Augustus go through difficulties and triumphs as they learn and discover about themselves, society, and their families.

Both characters describe their battle with cancer and suffering which creates a theme throughout the novel as they share their diagnoses and how it impacts their life. Their diagnoses changes their perception of what it feels like to be a healthy teenager, and not being able to experience the same lifestyle as those around them. Though their diagnoses could potentially hinder them, Hazel and Augustus seek independence, deal with their illnesses, and even begin to develop their own identity.

The Fault in Our Stars is a novel that takes young readers into the life of the terminally ill and shows the reality of living with cancer through a fictional story. Green utilizes the characters, Hazel and Augustus, to develop and evoke emotions in young readers while providing romance and creating an overall heart-wrenching novel.

Review Excerpts and Awards 

#1 New York Best Times Seller

CBC Awards, Teen Book of the Year 2013

From New York Times- “A blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical, and funny. Green shows us true love…and it is far more romantic than any sunset on the beach.”

From Booklist- “Beautifully conceived and executed, this story artfully examines the largest possible considerations—life, love, and death—with sensitivity, intelligence, honesty, and integrity. In the process, Green shows his readers what it is like to live with cancer, sometimes no more than a breath or a heartbeat away from death. But it is life that Green spiritedly celebrates here, even while acknowledging its pain. In its every aspect, this novel is a triumph.”

Connections

Other books by John Green

Looking for Alaska

Papertowns

Turtles All the Way Down

Connections in the classroom

Introduce the Faults in Our Stars Google Earth and take a tour of the geography in the novel’s word.

Compare/Contrast the two main characters: Hazel and Augustus. Students can find ways the characters share a similar journey, analyze various quotes, details, and situations.

Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures

Bibliography

DiCamillo, Kate. Flora & Ulysses:  The Illuminated Adventures. Ill. by K. G. Campbell. Virginia: Candlewick Press, 2013. ISBN 9780763660406

Plot Summary

Flora Belle is a young girl who lives with her mom after the divorce of her parents. Flora loves comics books and indulges in many of them as it provides answers to many questions that she has about her life. Flora Belle was rather lonely , and has gone through every issue of Terrible Things Can Happen to You! comic book series at any opportunity she gets. One day, Flora finds her neighbor, Mrs. Tickham, cleaning up her yard. While cleaning her yard with a vacuum cleaner, she accidentally sucks up a live squirrel. Flora witnesses the squirrel being sucked up, and runs to his rescue. With the help of her comic books, Flora remembers and provides CPR to the squirrel.  To her surprise, the squirrel was left with superpowers, and took the name of Ulysses. The story takes you on an adventure of Flora and Ulysses. With some love and determination, Flora and Ulysses, encounter different friendships and create many adventures together.

  

Critical Analysis

This story creates a unique storyline that provides adventure and relatable characters that will appeal to young readers. With the theme heavily focusing on the squirrel, Ulysses, and his superpowers, we see a development of characters while drawing readers in till the end of the story. Kate Dicamillo utilizes real life situations such as the divorce of her parents as well as isolation, loneliness, and larger issues that Flora may not understand in her small world. We see Flora struggle with the divorce of her parents, and the perspective of how a young child may deal with the situation. We see the underlying theme of the struggle with one’s self as Flora creates new relationships and provides meaning to the world around her. To create interest and provide an element of fantasy we get to delve into the character Ulysses. He attains superpowers which gives him the ability to fly who builds a relationship with Flora, which many young readers will enjoy.

Kate Dicamillo also introduces young readers to larger words that may require readers to find definitions for. Dicamillio provides a range of words such as: sepulchral, capacious, euphemistic malfeasance, vanquish, eradicate, obfuscation, nefarious, and euphemism. These words will increase and spark interest in many younger readers as well as enhance their vocabulary bank. Along with that, we see two different styles of writing as we encounter the two characters and their point of view. For Flora, we see her point of view written as prose with a sense of humor. On the contrary, Ulysses has detailed illustrations that can introduce a young reader to a comic/graphic book.

The quirkiness of the story along with the characters create a unique and original story and how we can conquer our fears, understand the meaning of friendships, and creating meaning to one’s self. DiCamillo creates a melodious book that brings a realistic story blended with fantasy for young readers to enjoy!

Review Excerpts and Awards

2014 Newbery Medal Winner

From Booklist-"Newbery winner DiCamillo is a master storyteller, and not just because she creates characters who dance off the pages and plots, whether epic or small, that never fail to engage and delight readers. Her biggest strength is exposing the truths that open and heal the human heart. She believes in possibilities and forgiveness and teaches her audience that the salt of life can be cut with the right measure of love."

From Kirkus Reviews-"Original, touching and oh-so-funny tale starring an endearingly implausible superhero and a not-so-cynical girl."

Connections

Other books by Kate DiCamillo

The Magician’s Elephant

Because of Winn-Dixie

Leroy Ninker Saddles Up: Tales from Deckawoo Drive, Volume One

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread

Connections in the classroom:

After reading the novel, students can participate in a writing activity about having a superpower. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? Students can create a descriptive paragraph on their superpower.

Integrate the novel with poetry. Students can create a unique poem. Students can also analyze poems from the story.

The Arrival

Bibliography

Tan, Shaun. The Arrival. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books, 2007.

Plot Summary

This graphic novel displays a story of a father who takes a journey across the sea to leave his dark town,  and immigrates to a new, strange place. The story unfolds as the migration of the family gets more difficult with the family not able to migrate together and the mother and daughter travel separately from the father. When the father arrives to the new land, he is in a predicament as he isn’t able to locate his wife and daughter. Along with that, he finds himself trying to get accustomed to a new society and life. This includes a new language, customs, and finding a job all while searching for his family. While fear and hopelessness looms over him, the father does his best to cling to the glimmer of hope of being reunited with his family. Will he find his family in this new place they hope to call home?

Critical Analysis

The Arrival is a wordless graphic novel that utilizes illustrations to convey emotions to the readers all while sharing a story on immigration. Tan creates powerful illustrations with the use of black, whites, grays, and sepia to display various emotions such as isolation, confusion, and anxiety, and creating a story on migrating to an unfamiliar place. Along with that, Tan’s creative and imaginative creatures capture young readers and allow readers to indulge in a book that has a far greater meaning for many adults. Many adults will be able to identify with the symbolism behind the unusual illustrations such as the floating elevators or the creatures he encounters with being in a position of unfamiliarity in their life.

Along with that, Tan invented an alphabetical system that consisted of letters that are used in the wordless picture book to create more of a realistic representation of how the man felt when being introduced to a new language. Tan provides a sense of hope as the father carries a photo of his wife and daughter on a daily basis, and even finds himself a pet companion who provides a sense of comfort along the way. The beauty of the story is how Tan does not mention specific places or countries the migration could be from which allow readers to connect based on their own reflections of life and the sense of unfamiliarity.

With the use of powerful illustrations, Tan produced a novel that tugs at the hearts of readers and demonstrates how justice and compassion can be found during the journey. This book provides relatable and realistic representation of how one may feel when immigrating to a new country while exploring the fictional creatures and adventure along the way. 

Review Excerpts and Awards

2008 Hugo Nominee for Best Related Book

2008 Locus Award for Best Art Book

From Kirkus Reviews- “An astonishing wordless graphic novel blends historical imagery with science-fiction elements to depict—brilliantly—the journey of an immigrant man from his terror-beset land of origin to a new, more peaceful home. Sepia-toned panels and turn-of-the-last-century dress and architecture seem to place readers in familiar territory—but fantastical images, including monumental cities, various bizarre forms of air transport and distinctly alien animals serve to unsettle both protagonist and readers, plunging the latter into the unsettling and often terrifying experience of being alone in a new land. Perhaps the most ingenious touch is the use of a newly created alien alphabet printed everywhere—on signs, official papers, maps, etc.—which renders the literate entirely helpless. Frightening this new land may be, but there are friends everywhere, from the other immigrants who help the protagonist and tell their own tales of escape from oppression, war and fear to the whimsical beastie who attaches itself to him as his pet. Small panels move the story along; full- and double page spreads provide dazzling panoramas.It’s an unashamed paean to the immigrant’s spirit, tenacity and guts, perfectly crafted for maximum effect. (Graphic novel. 10+)”

From School Library Journal-  “Tan captures the displacement and awe with which immigrants respond to their new surroundings in this wordless graphic novel. It depicts the journey of one man, threatened by dark shapes that cast shadows on his family's life, to a new country. The only writing is in an invented alphabet, which creates the sensation immigrants must feel when they encounter a strange new language and way of life. A wide variety of ethnicities is represented in Tan's hyper-realistic style, and the sense of warmth and caring for others, regardless of race, age, or background, is present on nearly every page. Young readers will be fascinated by the strange new world the artist creates, complete with floating elevators and unusual creatures, but may not realize the depth of meaning or understand what the man's journey symbolizes. More sophisticated readers, however, will grasp the sense of strangeness and find themselves participating in the man's experiences. They will linger over the details in the beautiful sepia pictures and will likely pick up the book to pore over it again and again.”

  

Connections

Other Books by Shaun Tan

The Red Tree

The Lost Thing

Tales from Outer Suburbia

Connections in the classroom:

·      Explore different immigration stories, and create a smaller version of a graphic novel depicting a story of a migration from a specific country.

·      The Arrival can be an introduction to graphic novels, and can lead a discussion on how illustrations can play a powerful role in graphic novels. Students can create text or dialogue for specific pages based on the emotions or what the illustrations depict.