Mystery & Series Book

Book 1 for this Module: Mystery

Close to a Killer by Marsha Qualey

Bibliography:
Qualey, M. (2000). Close to a killer. New York, N.Y: Dell Laurel-Leaf.

Summary:
Barrie has no choice but to live with her mother Daria when her father and stepmother Melissa take off to Paris for a year. Barrie is getting use to living with her ex-con mother and working at her mother’s business, Killer Looks Salon. Daria started the business with other ladies she met while doing time for homicide at Washburn State Women’s Prison. Barrie is getting to know a lot of shady characters not only from her the salon but from the bookstore she hangs out at. Most of them are guests of the People’s Center where troubled people go for help. When two people are murdered people start suspecting that the employees of Killer Looks are to blame especially since they are clientele. Barrie doesn’t know who to trust and soon Barrie and her mother are the target of a burglary of their home and arson of the salon. After one last visit to the bookstore Barrie starts to see everything makes sense and she is caught up in the mess of it all.

My Impression:   
There is never a dull moment in Barrie's life with her having to adjust to a new life in the city, getting to know her mom again, and just when she is starts finding a routine her life is turned upside down with the criminal activity lurking at every corner.This book was an intriguing mystery that had me guessing who the guilty culprit was until the last minute, because there are plenty of suspicious characters with troubled pasts. Though the guilty party was a surprise it made sense when the details were laid out.

Reviews 
“This whodunit with a teenage protagonist isn't particularly graphic, but it's not your usual naive teen amateur investigator stuff, either. Part of that is due to the vivid inner-city backdrop, and part to the reference to some thoughtful moral questions (Is murder ever justified? Is a killer damned forever?). When not working for her mother, Daria, at Killer Looks, a beauty salon her mother started on being released from prison, Barrie finds solace in old photos and in reading vintage career romances. She thinks she's especially lucky when the friendly proprietor at a local bookstore presents her with three new books as well as some old pictures. Unfortunately, luck is nowhere in her personal forecast. Instead, her mother's salon is linked to two murders; their home is trashed; and the salon is torched, resulting in the death of an elderly woman. Coincidence? Not on your life. Qualey handles the mystery mechanics with exceptional flair, working in just enough of Barrie's ruminations about her mother's past and their awkward relationship to give the plot variety without slowing it down. The author also throws out a satisfying assortment of red herrings--after all, whom do you trust with ex-cons and street people all around? A good lead-in to adult mysteries; even the jacket suggests "older teens."”- Booklist (Gr. 9 - 12)

Zvirin, S. (1999). Close to a killer. Booklist, 95(11), 970.

“Barrie Dupre, raised in the suburbs by her father and stepmother, must now spend her junior year of high school in the heart of the city with her mother, an ex-con. Daria Dupre, imprisoned for manslaughter when Barrie was five-years old, is now the owner-operator od  Killer Looks, a successful beauty salon staffed entirely by women who, one way another, have killed someone. When two of the salon’s clients are murdered in their homes, Barrie is caught up in a plot that keeps bringing her even closer to a killer. The path that leads the teen to the murder is convoluted and the revelation of the truth smacks more of a deus ex machina than logical end of a carefully crafted plot. However, this book is difficult to put down because of the author’s deft hand with dialogue and wry way with characterization. A combination of sophisticate, smart-aleck, and innocent, Barrie collects 1950’s career romances and old photographs, writing imaginative but morose stories about the people in the pictures. Every character in the book, particularly Barrie, rings true. Qualey has delivered another successful YA novel” – School Library Journal 

Halsall, J. (1999). Close to a killer. School Library Journal, 45(3), 214.

Use in Classroom Setting:
Students are asked to think back to when they were reading Close to Killer and  explain who they thought was the guilty culprit was before the answer was revealed in the text. Students investigate stereotypes people have about people’s past and whether people deserve a second chance. The students are asked to think about their own life and choices and decide if people are able to change for the better. 
 

Students explore the guilt that Barrie’s mother, Daria, feels for the big mistake that landed her in prison. Students discuss the importance of forgiveness and making positive choices. Students examine and discuss emotions and the concept of forgiving and how it can make them feel.

Book 2: Mystery/Series

The Dark Stairs by Betsy Byars

Bibliography:
Byars, B. C. (1997). The dark stairs: A herculeah jones mystery. New York, N.Y: Puffin Books.

Summary: 
Herculeah Jones can tell when something is awry and no wonder with a police officer as a father and a private investigator as a mother. Her interest in the “Dead Oaks” residence gets sparked after she finds her dad in front of the home responding to a call that someone has been seen lurking around the place. Then she get home to find Meat, a friend, waiting at her home to warn her about a strange client her mother is talking to. This creepy character has hired her mom to find a body. The body is his father’s body, the only inhabitant of “Dead Oaks” that went missing years ago. The police were never able to produce one when they serched the home.  Herculeah, with some help from Meat, work the case to satisfy her search for the truth.

My Impression:  
Herculeah is not your average damsel in distress that just happens to come upon the truth. She is a smart kid who uses her brain and her strength to get at the truth. The truth of what happened to the Crewell family at “Dead oaks” is a surprise that you will not see coming, but it will change the way you feel about the scary son, William Crewell, who the kids nickname the "Moloch." This is a good series for kids at the elementary level.

 
Reviews: 

“Move over Nancy Drew, Herculeah Jones has arrived! Strong and agile, she lives up to her name and seems capable of solving any case that  comes her way; with a private investigator mother and a police detective father, she has a natural interest in mysterious situations. In this first volume of what is sure to be a popular series, Herculeah becomes fascinated with a forbidding estate and a frightening-looking client of her mother’s. She capitalizes on her contact in the police department (her father) and listens to her mother’s recorded interviews with her client; by refusing to follow rules set by her parents when she is driven to get closer to the truth, she succeeds in closing the case. She escapes after being locked in a dark musty basement and discovers a hidden staircase, at the bottom of which lays the long-missing dead owner of Dead oaks. Byars has created a likable case of main characters. Herculeah’s friend Meat serves as the perfect comic foil for her intensity; he seems as if he could be a first cousin to Bingo Brown. There is plenty to laugh at in this book, including classic chapter headings guaranteed to cause shivers for the uninitiated; practiced mystery readers may feel that they are in on a bit of a joke an appreciate the hint of parody. This is a page-turner that is sure to entice the most reluctant readers.” – School Library Journal (Gr. 5 - 7)

Fader, E. (1994). Book review: Grades 3-6. School Library Journal, 40(9), 214.

“The Dark Stairs is the second Herculeah Jones mystery by Betsy Byars (a Puffin Paperback from Penguin Books Canada Limited, 160 pages, $ 5), and it puts the adolescent Herculeah on the trail of a possible murder at the Dead Oaks estate. With the nervous participation of her best friend Meat, a hefty boy with no stomach for trouble, Herculeah sets out to discover why a gigantic stranger appears to have an interest in Dead Oaks and what became of the old man who once lived there. This book -- probably best for Grades 4 and up -- is a page-turner, partly because of the intriguing plot and partly because Herculeah's self-confidence and fearlessness are so refreshing.” – Calgary Herald

Kate Zimmerman, For the Calgary Herald. (1998). Modern hero arrives for girls: Final edition. Calgary, Alta: Infomart, a division of Postmedia Network Inc.

Use in Classroom Setting:

After reading the mystery The Dark Stairs students are given photographs at random and asked to write their own mystery. The story by organizing the pictures in a sequence that they wish to convey then they write an outline of a mystery story using the elements found in a good mystery. 

Students discuss the ending of The Dark Stairs and whether they though the ending was plausible and fit the story well. They discuss how important a good ending is especially in mystery books. Students draft ideas about other possible endings that could have effectively provided a resolution to the mystery.

Newbery Award & Printz Award Winners

 

Book 1: Newbery Award

Good masters! Sweet Ladies! : Voices from a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Shlitz

Bibliography:
Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! sweet ladies: Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press.

Summary:
The book is a compilation of “plays” mostly monologues that help students understand the lives of children growing up in medieval England. The main characters of the play range in age from 10 to 15. Each story brings with it facts about that time period. All of the children, though their lives may be very different, are living within the same English manor so you find the mention of characters interwoven in another character's story. Side notes are provided on some stories to help the reader understand certain facts for that time. Also, some stories have a section after the story to go into more detail about certain aspects of medieval life. For example there is a story about a plowboy who talks about the struggles of tending to the fields and following that story there is a section describing the field systems.

My Impression:

The way the information is presented gives a good view of what it would have been like for children living in that time. This book would be of great use to teach history, because it provides realities in an engaging way with enjoyable stories. The old language used to match the way people would talk back then sets the tone for the book. Students would be very much intrigued by the topics cover in the book like how hard it was for children to live in that time, the beliefs of people back then, how medicine was practiced, why a miller was not a popular person. Some might think the vocabulary in the book is a little off putting but it really adds value to this book. When I can across the word scimitars I had no idea what that meant, but after I looked it up it really did describe a boars tusks impeccably.

Reviews:
“A breathtaking series of monologues--and two dialogues--gives voice to the children of a medieval English village, from the Lord's daughter to the beggar boy. Schlitz pulls no punches in her descriptions of the nasty, brutish and often short lives of her subjects, but such is her mastery with words that even the grim reality of poverty and ever-present filth is balanced by moments of heart-catching beauty--as when a Jewish boy and Christian girl find mutual humanity skipping stones. The collection was written with performance in mind. "Read silently or performed before an audience, the 21 monologues and dialogues…tell the unforgettable human story of what it took to survive in the Middle Ages," says Mary Lee Donovan, executive editor at Candlewick, "and present a history lesson that is vivid, immediate and sensual." Robert Byrd's delicate line-and-watercolor illustrations take their inspiration from medieval sources in splendid complement. Kirkus aptly called it "brilliant in every way."” – Kirkus Reviews (Ages 10 - 15)

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. (20007) Kirkus Reviews, 75(22), 18.

“The author of A Drowned Maiden’s Hair: A Melodrama (2006), Shlitz turns to a completely different kind of storytelling here. Using a series of interconnected monologues and dialogues featuring young people living in and around an English manor in 1255, she offers first person characters sketches that build upon each other to create a finer understanding of medieval life. The book was inspired by the necessity of creating a play suitable for a classroom where “no one wanted a small part” Each of the 23 characters (between 10 and 15 years old) has a distinct personality and a societal role revealed not by recitation of facts but be revelation of memories, intentions, and attitudes. Sometimes in prose and more often in one of several verse forms, the writing varies nicely from one entry to the next. Historical notes appear in the vertical margins, and some double-page spreads carry short essays on topics related to individual narratives, such as falconry, the Crusades, and Jews in medieval society. Although often the characters’ specific concerns are very much of their time, their outlooks and emotional states will be familiar to young people today. Reminiscent of medieval art, Byrd’s lively ink drawings, tinted with watercolors, are a handsome addition to this well-designed book. This unusually fine collection of related monologues and dialogues promises to be rewarding choice for performance or for reading aloud in the classroom” - Booklist (Gr. 5 - 8)

Phelan, C. (2007). Good Masters! Sweet Ladies: Vocies from a Medieval Village. Booklist, 103(22), 69.

Use in Classroom Setting:
Students examine the language of the medieval time period depicted in Good masters! sweet ladies: Voices from a medieval village. Using quotes from characters in the play students identify the speaker. They further research aspects of life in medieval England and together with their understanding of the dialect they are asked to write their own short play describing a situation possible for a young person that would have lived then.

Students study the three-field system discussed in Good masters! Sweet ladies!: Voices from a medieval village for a history lesson. They complete a model of the system and use it to further describe the hardships the plowboy spoke of in his monologue. 



Book 2: Printz Award

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Bibliography:
Yang, G. L., & Pien, L. (2006). American born Chinese. New York: First Second.

Summary:
There are three stories within this book which are broken into pieces and go back and forth through the reading.

The first story is about a monkey king that is not let into a dinner party because even though he is a very powerful deity the other gods still look down at him because he is a monkey.  He ends up changing himself to be more accepted by the other gods.

The second was about a boy, Jin,  and his family moving into a new home and having to go to a new school. The boy does not fit in with his American classmates but then when another student from Taiwan comes Jin finds a best friend.  Jin Wang has now gotten a crush on one of his American classmates, Ameila. The date goes well but afterwards things happen that make Jin upset making him wish he was the same as everyone else.

The third story is the most stereotypical of all with a cousin Chin Kee. He is going to school with his American cousin Danny. Danny is constantly being embarrassed by him. He’s had to change schools because every time his cousin visits it messes everything up, at least that’s what he thinks but it seems to be him he gets angry and messes things up. He ends up getting so angry he gets in a fight with his cousin. The end result is a big surprise.

My Impression:
I very much enjoyed the colorful art and dialog of the book.  I’m not a graphic novel reader only because I have not been exposed to it. This was a great introduction to the genre. The book is quick read. The way the three stories end up being connected is done so seamlessly, it is a pleasure to read. The characters' situations are funny and entertaining for children but they cover the big issue of racism for Chinese immigrants. This is a great book that can start up some good discussion of a serious topic.

Reviews:
"With vibrant colors and visual panache, indie writer-illustrator Yang (Rosary Comic Book) focuses on three characters in tales that touch on facets of Chinese American life. Jin is a boy faced with causal racism of fellow students and the pressure of his crush on a Caucasian girl; the Monkey King, a character from Chinese folklore, has attained great power but feels he is being held back because of what the gods perceive as his lowly status; and Danny, a popular high school student, suffers through an annual visit from his cousin Chin-Kee, a walking, talking, compendium of exaggerated Chinese stereotypes. Each of the characters is flawed but familiar, and, min a clever postmodern twist, all share a deep, unforeseen connection. Yang helps the humor shine by using his art to exaggerate or contradict the words, creating a syntheses that marks and accomplished graphic storyteller. The stories have a simple, engaging sweep to them, but their weighty subjects-shame, racism, and friendship-receive thoughtful, powerful examination.” - Booklist (Gr. 10 - 12)

Karp, J. (2006). American Born Chinese. Booklist, 103(1), 114.

"As alienated kids go, Jin Wang is fairly run-of-the-mill: he eats lunch by himself in a corner of the schoolyard, gets picked on by bullies and jocks and develops a sweat-inducing crush on a pretty classmate. And, oh, yes, his parents are from Taiwan. This much-anticipated, affecting story about growing up different is more than just the story of a Chinese-American childhood; it's a fable for every kid born into a body and a life they wished they could escape. The fable is filtered through some very specific cultural icons: the much-beloved Monkey King, a figure familiar to Chinese kids the world over, and a bucktoothed amalgamation of racist stereotypes named Chin-Kee. Jin's hopes and humiliations might be mirrored in Chin-Kee's destructive glee or the Monkey King's struggle to come to terms with himself, but each character's expressions and actions are always perfectly familiar. True to its origin as a Web comic, this story's clear, concise lines and expert coloring are deceptively simple yet expressive. Even when Yang slips in an occasional Chinese ideogram or myth, the sentiments he's depicting need no translation. Yang accomplishes the remarkable feat of practicing what he preaches with this book: accept who you are and you'll already have reached out to others.” - Publishers Weekly

American Born Chinese. (2006). Publishers Weekly, 253(24), 36-37.

Use in Classroom Setting:
Students gain a deeper understanding of stereotypes by reading American Born Chinese. In a class discussion they explore how stereotyping can affect someone’s life. In effort to stop stereotyping they will make suggestions that could reduce unfair assumption of certain groups of people.

After reading American Born Chinese students explore the Chinese-American immigration by watching "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience". The students continue their investigation by researching a Chinese cultural tradition.