Module 5: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick

Midwinterblood   is a young adult novel written by Marcus Sedgwick.  The book was awarded the Michael L. Printz Award 2014.

Summary

Eric Seven finds himself on an assignment to the island of Blessed.  It is 2073 and he is soon distracted from his original assignment as he is swept up in forgetting… and ultimately remembering.  This novel spans seven periods in time.  It follows Eric, and his love, Merle, as they connect again and again, in various relationships on the haunted island.  Each time period has its own story and characters, some of which are also destined to live out this curse.  Eric finds himself as a man, disabled boy, twin, and even a woman throughout his encounters.  In each chapter Eric not only reunites with, and loves Merle, but also experiences a horrifying, often sacrificial death. 

The curse begins when King Eirikr is sacrificed for his people while Queen Melle watches in horror and despair.  The sacrifice goes awry and the King vows to live seven times, inviting Melle to follow.  She does.  And “so it is.”

Impression

You know the sign of a good book?  It stays with you.  Right there at the edge of your consciousness for days.  A little haunting, wishing it wasn't over.  You feel that once you reach the end and learn the secrets, you must go back and read it again to truly understand how the pieces fit together.  Even if it gives you nightmares.  That’s this book.  It is almost as if you have also drunk the dragon flower tea and cannot leave the island.  Freaky!

Marcus Sedgwick says that his inspiration came from the painting described in the book.  The painting is called Midvinterblot --midwinter sacrifice and is housed in the National Museet, Stockholm (Sedgwick, 2013).  It was many years later that he wrote Midwinterblood, since he wanted to present the literal and metaphorical story of sacrifice in an original and captivating way.  After viewing the painting online I am dumbfounded that he unearthed so much depth in it.

This book is a horror story, mystery, and love story, all in one.  It is a bit confusing at first, venturing through time, but as Sedgwick leaves clues to what is happening you can’t help but be bewitched.  Readers are rewarded for persevering.  What I admire most about this book is that it is not a traditional love story.  Love is demonstrated in its many forms. 

Although Midwinterblood  is classified as young adult literature, it can also be enjoyed by adults.  The book may not have a “happy” ending, but it is satisfying nonetheless.  I can’t help but think of the movie this book would make.

Library Uses

This book would be a wonderful read for a high school book club.  The seven sections of the book could be assigned over each week.  Predictions can be made based on the title of the section and the time period.  It would be interesting to look up and view the artwork described in the book, as well as do a little research on each time period to provide some background information.

Professional Reviews

The Time Traveler’s Wife meets Lost in this chilling exploration of love and memory.

A dystopian start to the novel finds journalist Eric on remote Blessed Island in the extreme north in the year 2073. Tasked with gathering information on a rare orchid that is rumored to stop the aging process, he feels instant attraction to native islander Merle. As Eric drinks a strange tea brewed from the orchid, he begins to forget his life on the mainland yet remembers feelings for Merle. But how and when did he know her? Seven linked stories progress backward across centuries, following Eric and Merle’s relationship as it takes on many forms, such as father/daughter or brother/sister, throughout time. Presented as different cycles of the moon, the stories feature various genres, from realistic and war stories to stories about ghosts and Viking vampires, ending with a hint of mystery to be revealed in subsequent chapters. This form, as well as the novel’s reliance on adult protagonists, is a rarity in literature for teens. Inspired by Swedish artist Carl Larsson’s controversial painting, Midvinterblot (translated as midwinter sacrifice), Sedgwick crafts these seven treats with spare, exact prose in which no word is unnecessary. Together, their reoccurring motifs of orchids, moons, blood and language—to name a few—reinforce Eric and Merle’s enduring love.

Haunting, sophisticated and ultimately exquisite. (author’s note) (Fantasy. 13 & up)

--Kirkus Review, 2012

“I always prefer a walk that goes in a circle.... Don’t you?” a woman named Bridget says to her daughter, Merle, at one point in this heady mystery that joins the remote northern setting of Sedgwick’s Revolver with the multigenerational scope of his White Crow. Sedgwick appears to share Bridget’s sentiment: as he moves backward through time in seven interconnected stories—from the late 21st century to an unspecified ancient era—character names, spoken phrases, and references to hares, dragons, and sacrifice reverberate, mutate, and reappear. Set on a mysterious and isolated Nordic island, the stories all include characters with variations on the names of Eric and Merle. In a present-day story about an archeological dig, Eric is a oddly strong, brain-damaged teenager and Merle his mother; in the 10th century, when the island was inhabited by Vikings, Eirek and Melle are young twins, whose story answers questions raised by what the archeologists discover. Teenage characters are few and far between, but a story that’s simultaneously romantic, tragic, horrifying, and transcendental is more than enough to hold readers’ attention, no matter their age. Ages 12–up. (Feb.)

--Publishers Weekly

References

Children's Book Review: Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-1-59643-800-2

Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick | Kirkus. (2012). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/marcus-sedgwick/midwinterblood/

Sedgwick, M. (2013). Midwinterblood. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

Module 5: Snapshots from the Wedding by Gary Soto and illustrated by Stephanie Garcia

Snapshots from the Wedding   is a picture book written by Gary Soto and illustrated by Stephanie Garcia.  The book won the  Pura Belpré Award for Illustration in 1998.

Summary

Every little girl dreams of her own wedding, but the next best thing is the great honor of being selected as the Flower Girl.  This picture book describes the Latino wedding of Isabel and Rafael, from Maya, the Flower Girl’s perspective.  Maya lovingly introduces the bride and groom.  She is a keen observer of everyone present including her silly cousin and the bored altar boy.  She tells of the mothers and the babies crying during the ceremony.  Maya chronicles the reception including a description of the Mariachi band and how they look when she is tired.  She talks about what she eats, and even of spilling some on her dress and socks.  She is worn out as she heads home with mole on her chin.

Each wedding description is accompanied by Stephanie Garcia’s three-dimensional artwork.  The story is illustrated using photographs of clay figurines and trinkets arranged in shadow boxes.  Often the page will contain an inner frame which includes the main character or focus of that page.  The pages look as though Maya is setting up a dollhouse to describe her memories of the special day.

Impression

I honestly have mixed reviews about this book and the artwork.  While the style of the story and artwork is not necessarily to my taste, I found that there was much to appreciate between the covers of this book.  I found the story to be a bit boring.  Perhaps I have been to too many weddings, but there was not much out of the ordinary here.  The three-dimensional clay figures, with their strange faces seemed child-like.  That may have been what she was going for though since it is from a child’s perspective.

After setting the book aside for a few days, I began to think about the many ways this book could be used with children.  For that reason, and that the illustrations out of the ordinary I certainly see its worth.

Library Uses

The TEKS for Social Studies in several grades include family and cultural traditions.  This book would be invaluable for a collaborative effort of a social studies teacher and a school librarian.  Students could discuss weddings they have been to and compare them to the wedding of Isabel and Rafael.  Also, students could discuss the small differences you may find in a Latino and Anglo wedding.  Finally, all families have their own unique traditions and this book could segue to a discussion about the various kinds of family traditions.

The type of artwork in this book would be fun for students to create.  The book could be used as an inspiration for the three-dimensional shadow box art.  This art could have many uses, including illustrating a scene from a favorite book, or as done here, a cultural tradition.  Students could study traditions in other countries and create a similar diorama to illustrate it.

Professional Reviews

Photographs of shadowboxes filled with sculpted clay figures form the eye-catching art for Soto's ""diary"" of Maya, a flower girl. The text, sprinkled with Spanish words, is eloquent and funny (a bride's hands are ""soft as doves""; a cousin wiggles his tongue ""in the space between his baby teeth, white as Chiclets"")-and it deftly captures the flavor of a Latino wedding, complete with mariachi band. Garcia's singular, deliciously creative artwork steals the show here, however. More playful than the dioramas she composed for The Old Lady and the Birds, these lifelike, three-dimensional scenes serve as an elaborate stage set. Readers will be enthralled by Garcia's use of details, from the ""actors"" and ""actresses"" decked out in wedding finery to the garlanded ribbons festooned across the shadowboxes to the objects that enhance each scene (tiny silk flowers in the bride's bouquet; potato chips on the buffet table). Using Soto's words as a springboard, Garcia tweaks the perspective, offering a legs-and-feet-only view, for instance, of a scene in which Maya describes the younger wedding guests' ""shoes off"" romp down the hallway (complete with authentically dusty soles of socks). Another ""snapshot"" shows a pair of sculpted hands holding a plate with a flower-topped slice of wedding cake. A happy marriage of talents. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

-- Publishers Weekly

From Soto (Off and Running, 1996, etc.), a celebratory, child's-eye look at a wedding that captures the traditional mingling of the surreal and the sublime. A flower girl, Maya, tells in a pitch-perfect accent about the groom, Rafael, who is at the altar with his arm in a cast (he slid into home playing softball and scored, but broke his wrist), and a host of other relatives and strangers. Crying babies, the altar boy's dirty sneakers, an inconvenient sneeze, and the glow in the bride Isabel's eyes are reported with equal fervor. At the reception, Maya puts a pitted olive on each finger, finds mole sauce on her gown, and dances, riding on her father's feet. While the family is Mexican-American, the wedding's touching and silly moments are universal. Garcia's illustrations, photographs of Sculpy clay figures and collage, are pink and white and delicious, reminiscent of both reredos and scenes from a dollhouse. With all the problem books in the world, it's a delight to encounter one that talks about a happy event and its attendant joys. This is a triumph of true-to-life storytelling, with all the good parts left in. (glossary) (Picture book. 4-8)

--Kirkus Review, 1997

References

Children's Book Review: Snapshots from the Wedding by Gary Soto, Author, Stephanie Garcia, Illustrator. (n.d.). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-399-22808-7

SNAPSHOTS FROM THE WEDDING by Gary Soto , Stephanie Garcia | Kirkus. (1997). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/gary-soto/snapshots-from-the-wedding/

Soto, G., & Garcia, S. (1998). Snapshots from the wedding. New York: Putnam & Grosset Group.

Module 4: Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Manic Magee  is a novel written by Jerry Spinelli and published in 1990.  This book won the Newbery Award in 1991 as well as several other awards.

Summary

Jeffrey Magee was left to live with his stoic aunt and uncle after his parents met their tragic death in a trolley car accident.  After many dinners with no communication between the aunt and uncle, Jeffrey decides to take off.  Thus begins the tall tale of the boy who became known as Maniac. 

Maniac ran and ran away. He eventually met up with Amanda Beale and didn’t notice that he was the wrong color on the black side of town.    Amanda’s family takes Maniac in and treats him as one of their own.  Maniac is the kind of kid who can do whatever he sets his mind to.  This is a good way to make friends and enemies.  After some kids, including Mars Bar Thompson decide they have had enough of the boy wonder, Maniac feels he has put the Beale family at risk by his association with them.

He leaves the Beale family and goes to live with the buffalo at the zoo.  An elderly almost baseball hero Earl Grayson saves his life and the two become inseparable.  Maniac teaches Earl to read and that black people aren’t much different than white people and Earl teaches Maniac some mad baseball skills.  Sadly the friendship ends and Maniac is back on the road, filled with grief.

Maniac brings home some runaway boys to the bully John McNab who decides Maniac may be OK.  Maniac stays with the racist family for a while to keep watch on the younger McNabs.  Maniac is stunned to learn that the McNabs are preparing for a rebellion of the East End blacks.

Maniac attempts to bridge the racial divide.  In the end, it is his own vulnerabilities that unite the town.

Impression

“But thats okay, because the history of a kid is one part fact, two parts legend, and three parts snowball. And if you want to know what it was like back when Maniac Magee roamed these part, well, just run you're hand under your movie seat and be very, very careful not to let the facts get mixed up with the truth.”

― Jerry Spinelli, Maniac Magee

Pecos Bill, Paul Bunyan, and Maniac Magee…  All super-human characters living their lives as if they were everyday people.  One event is more unbelievable than the next.  This fast paced story tackles serious racial issues with breezy language and whimsical metaphors.  The author endears you to Maniac, while at the same time making you feel jealous of his feats.  He uses Maniac to prove that people are pretty much the same, black or white.  Everyone brushes their teeth at night and puts their toothbrush in one of those holders.

The story shows the evolution of the characters and their attitudes.  Maniac is surprised that the two sides of town are unwilling to peacefully engage and he struggles to fix the problem.  I love how the story ended, letting the other characters become unlikely heroes. 

I can see how the trash talking language, themes, events, and pace of the story would appeal to upper elementary students, especially boys.  It is a far-fetched, fun read, with a powerful message.

Professional Reviews

This exceptional novel is abundant with such themes as individuality, aloneness, loneliness, family, community, bravado, bullies, death, tolerance, peace, prejudice, and neighborhood lore. Some readers might want to examine the friendship theme and discuss how Maniac developed special bonds with Amanda Beale, a fellow book-lover; Mars Bar, a former enemy; and the kindly caretaker Grayson who lived at the Two Mills YMCA.

Whatever themes are pursued, readers will find it exciting to know Maniac Magee. Perhaps he hated conflict so much because of the sting of his upbringing and the cold, harsh silences he had to deal with day after day. No wonder he turned out to be such a natural peacemaker-he was continually reaching out to bring people together.

-- Zingher, 2006

An occasionally long-winded, but always affecting, parable-like story about racism and ignorance. Jeffrey Magee is twice homeless--once involuntarily, at age three, when his parents plunge with a high-speed trolley off a bridge; the second time eight years later, when he voluntarily leaves the troubled home of his aunt and uncle. Jeffrey's subsequent yearlong flight generates a host of legends:, his sudden appearances and astonishing athletic prowess earn him the name "Maniac," and his just-as-sudden disappearances ensure his fame. Innocently, he crosses between two strictly segregated parts of town, the white East End and the black West End, making friends and enemies in both camps and managing to soften the lines of segregation; later, he finds a new home in the West. If this is sometimes a bit like a chalkboard lesson, it may be because racism is still a volatile subject that is more comfortably dealt with in parable form. The metaphorical style is a brave change from the realism of Spinelli's other books, while fans of his earlier, tongue-in-cheek, streetwise tone will find it also an integral part of this story--ballast for the mythic, shifting picture of Maniac's year on the run.

--Kirkus Review, 1990

Library Uses

This novel can be used to spark discussions about racism and its roots.  Also, the book could be used as an example of a tall tale and to illustrate the use of metaphors.

References

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli | Kirkus. (1990, March 15). Retrieved February 24, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jerry-spinelli/maniac-magee/

Spinelli, J. (1990). Maniac Magee. Boston: Little, Brown and Company.

Zingher, G. (2006). Maniac and his themes. School Library Media Activities Monthly, 23(2), 52-53. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/237135099?accountid=7113

Module 4: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

A Wrinkle in Time is a novel written by Madeleine L’Engle.  This book won the Newbery Award in 1963, as well as several other awards.

Summary

Meg and her little brother, Charles, have a special relationship.  They are both odd children, Meg, unable to fit in at school, and Charles, perceived by others as mentally incapable.  They live with their scientist mother and twin brothers.  Their father has disappeared while working on a government time travel project.

Charles befriends a quirky lady, Mrs. Whatsit, who lives down the road.  She makes an unexpected visit in the middle of the night during a storm and mentions to the children’s mother that a tesseract does exist.  Meg and Charles notice that their mother is visibly shaken from Mrs. Whatsit’s comment and this leaves them curious.

The next day the two children meet up with Calvin, a boy they scarcely know, but all feel that there has to be something serendipitous about the meeting.  When Charles announces it is time, they head off on an adventure, not knowing where they are going, what they are doing, or whom they will see.  Eventually Mrs. Whatsit and her friends, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which inform them that they must enter the fifth dimension, tesseract, kind of like a “wrinkle in time” in order to save their father and possibly all of the inhabitants of Earth.

The children journey through space and time on their quest, each learning lessons about themselves and each other along the way.

Impressions

“You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” – Madeleine L’Engle

At the beginning of the audiobook I listened to, narrated by Madeleine L’Engle herself, the author explains that this book almost did not get published because many thought it was too difficult to understand and beyond the interest of children.  Currently there are now over 10 million copies of the book in print, and still over 50 years later, it is a recommended book on Common Core Standards (NPR Staff, 2012).  Isn’t this what we want in a book?  Ideas and language that will challenge our children to expand their minds, perceptions, and creativity?

The book is a medley of themes with good vs. evil, totalitarian societies, science fiction/fantasy, time travel, physics, philosophy, and awkward pre-teen issues.  It moves as fast as a tesseract, keeping the reader on their toes trying to follow along through time and space.  The story is likely to generate higher level discussions with middle school students, but it is not necessary to understand all of the science and philosophy presented here.  It is a captivating read for all upper elementary levels that at its essence illustrates the depth of sibling love.

Professional Reviews

Yeah. I loved it too. And yep, I’ve read it as an adult. Still love it. The plot description from my copy: “It is a dark and stormy night. Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother are in the kitchen for a midnight snack when a most disturbing visitor arrives. ‘Wild nights are my glory,’ the unearthly stranger tells them. ‘I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment and then I’ll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract.’ Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit and overpower the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space?” According to American Writers for Children Since 1960: Fiction, L’Engle wrote the book, which 26 publishers rejected, while reading Albert Einstein and Max Planck. It was also L’Engle’s rebellion against Christian piety. Cynthia Zarin, in a 2004 New Yorker article, described it as “science fiction, a warm tale of family life, a response to the Cold War, a book about a search for a father, a feminist tract, a religious fable, a coming-of-age novel, a work of Satanism, or a prescient meditation on the future of the United States after the Kennedy assassination.” Science fiction was a rare bird in popular children’s literature back then. In her article “Childlike Wonder and the Truths of Science Fiction” in Children’s Literature, L’Engle writes, “One of the reasons that A Wrinkle in Time took so long to find a publisher is that it was assumed that children would not be able to understand a sophisticated way of looking at time, would not understand Einstein’s theories. But no theory is too hard for a child so long as it is part of a story; and although parents had not been taught Einstein’s E = mc2 in school, their children had been.” Christian fundamentalists have regularly banned this 1963 Newbery winner. L’Engle’s response: “They said it wasn’t a Christian book. I said, ‘Quite right.’ I wasn’t trying to write a Christian book. But, of course, it is. So is Robin Hood. The Mrs. Ws witches? They’re guardian angels!”

-- Bird, 2010

An allegorical fantasy in which a group of young people are guided through the universe by Mrs. Who, Mrs. Which and Mrs. What -- women who possess supernatural powers. They traverse fictitious regions, meet and face evil and demonstrate courage at the right moment. Religious allusions are secondary to the philosophical struggle designed to yield the meaning of life and one's place on earth. Young Meg's willingness to face IT in the form of a black beast in order to save a dear friend is one sign of her growing awareness. Readers who relish symbolic reference may find this trip through time and space an exhilarating experience; the rest will be forced to ponder the double entendres.

--Kirkus Review, 1962

Library Uses

In A Wrinkle in Time, the characters travel through time and space visiting planets in other universes.  After reading the book together, students could construct their own alternate planets and write about or illustrate what the inhabitants of the planet would look like or be like. 

Mrs. Who communicates by reciting quotes.  Students could discuss the quotes in groups and their meanings.  They could create modern day proverbs and connect them to the book adages on posters.

References

Bird, E. (2010, April 9). Top 100 Children’s Novels (#2). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://blogs.slj.com/afuse8production/2010/04/09/top-100-childrens-novels-2/

Engle, M. (1962). A wrinkle in time. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux.

Madeleine L'Engle's Website - Author of A Wrinkle in Time. (n.d.). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.madeleinelengle.com/

The Unlikely Best-Seller: 'A Wrinkle In Time' Turns 50. (2012, March 5). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from http://www.npr.org/2012/03/05/146161011/the-unlikely-best-seller-a-wrinkle-in-time-turns-50

A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle | Kirkus. (1962, March 1). Retrieved February 20, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/madeline-lengle/wrinkle-time-lengle/

Module 3: Smoky Night by Eve Bunting, Illustrated by David Diaz

Smoky Night is a picture book written by Eve Bunting and illustrated by David Diaz.  This book won the Caldecott Award in 1995.  It also won an ALA Notable Children’s Book, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and a Parent’s Choice Award.

Summary

 

Smoky Night tells the story of a boy, Daniel, his cat, Jasmine, and his mother Gena witnessing rioting outside of their apartment window.  Daniel asks his mother questions about the rioting and she responds that this is something that people do when they become angry.  They notice Mrs. Kim, a shop owner, trying to protect her store from looters.  They know Mrs. Kim because Jasmine does not get along with her cat, but they have never visited her store because Daniel’s mother says, “it’s better if we buy from our own people.”  Eventually Daniel and his mother decide to sleep. They awaken to the smell of smoke and evacuate the building, not knowing if Jasmine has made it out.  They end up with many others from the neighborhood in a church shelter.  Daniel cannot help but worry about Jasmine as Mrs. Kim is there worrying about her own “carrot-colored cat.”  The cats are found huddled together and Daniel explains that the reason they didn’t like each other before is because they did not know each other.  Gena understands the morale from the cats and invites Mrs. Kim to her house to become acquainted.

David Diaz’s illustrations are mixed media including photographed collages framing acrylic painted scenes.  The painting style, with its bold, outlined figures and colors can be compared to Picasso’s cubism techniques.   

Impressions

Smoky Night was based upon the rampant rioting that engulfed Los Angeles after the verdict of the Rodney King police brutality trial was announced in 1992.  The story gives the reader a realistic impression of witnessing rioting from the perspective of a child.  Daniel questions his mother about what is happening and she attempts to explain it.  Eve Bunting uses short choppy sentences which gives the feeling that the story was written by a child experiencing anxiety.  While it seems there can be no happy ending in this evening of violence, fires, and lost pets we are rewarded for our reading with a brave fireman hero and a welcoming exchange between neighbors who “are not our own people.”  The morale comes from the cats themselves, who did not like each other because they did not know each other.

Just a few months ago I watched rioting on television that occurred as a result of an acquittal of a police officer in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.  I watched from my living room miles away from the action, yet still in terror.  What was going to happen?  How would this affect my community?  Why?  Although this picture book does not answer all of these questions it offers some insights in a nonthreatening manner.  Moreover, it allows children the sense that they are not alone in their questions and fears.  Finally it opens the door for discussion of a difficult topic.  While this book was written in the ‘90s, it still proves to be timely today.

David Diaz’s illustrations capture the mood of the events through his use of color.  Darker colors are used at the beginning of the story to signify the nighttime and the violence.  Brighter colors are used toward the end of the story to represent a new understanding.  The photographed collages are an eclectic mix of items representing the text.  For instance, when the story refers to looting a shoe store, the text is framed on photographs of the soles of shoes.  You also see in the background photographs of bubble wrap, cereal, hangars and plastic bags, and concrete.  All of these items make you feel as if the story is “real”.  The painting on the last page of the cats lying together on a mat leaves you feeling hopeful.

Professional Reviews

…These negative responses to the book are the opposite of what most critics and children experience when reading the story and studying the artwork in detail. On a children’s literature discussion listserv Elizabeth Wiley (1996), says that her students, inner-city Southern, Asian, Black, “Discussion archive for Smoky Night by Eve Bunting and Hispanic third graders, liked the book and the theme and could recite incidents of fires in their own neighborhoods where the same sorts of interactions had occurred. Other readers on the listserv applaud the moral at the ending. Eve Bunting allows readers to experience the hatred and violence of the L.A. riots without having to be physically there, and the didactic story line is enriched by David Diaz’s award-winning illustrations.

Diaz’s illustrations are indeed captivating and even reminiscent of Picasso. Diaz uses thick, loose brush strokes in bright colors that are almost primitive. Diaz actually worked on this primitive style after taking a trip to Brazil and travelling down the Amazon. Diaz’s images, “powerful-pulsating and crowded: part street mural, part urban colPatricia Dibsie, lage” (Dibsie, 1995, p. 1268) come to life on each page. To create a “Carlsbad man’s artwork wins Caldecott medal” background for the writing, Diaz designed art to match the storytelling—such as coat hangers in a scene of a looted dry cleaners and spilled Fruit Loop cereal in a looted grocery store. Judges for the Caldecott award cite his work as dramatic and groundbreaking. Grace Ruth (cited in Dibsie, 1995), chairwoman of the Caldecott panel, praises Diaz for “capturing concrete and familiar objects” (p. 1B) with originality and flair…

-- Koehnecke, 2001

A noted author (Fly Away Home, 1991) brings all her empathy and creative skill to another timely topic: an inner-city riot. Standing well back from their window, Daniel and his mama watch looters steal TVs and break into Kim's market. When it quiets down the two fall asleep, only to be roused: their building is burning, so they escape, through ravaged streets, to a shelter. Though Bunting offers no reasons for the violence, she succinctly describes the mob's psychology. Mama explains, "...people get angry. They want to smash and destroy. They don't care anymore what's right...After a while it's like a game," while Daniel observes, "They look angry. But they look happy, too." The story is rounded out with a touch of reconciliation: Mama has't patronized Kim's market ("...it's better if we buy from our own people") but, after Daniel's cat and Mrs. Kims' make friends at the shelter, the people realize that they, too, could be friendly. Diaz's art -- rough-edged acrylic paintings mounted on collages of paper, burnt matches, and materials that might be found blowing on a California street -- is extraordinarily powerful. Defined in heavy black, the expressionistically rendered faces are intense with smoky shades and dark, neon-lit color. An outstandingly handsome book that represents its subject realistically while underplaying the worst of its horrors; an excellent vehicle for discussion. (Picture book. 4+)

--Kirkus Review, 1994

Library Uses

Smoky Night could be used with children elementary-high school.  In elementary schools it would be particularly helpful in areas where riots have taken place.  I can see the librarian working with the school counselor to select and present books that lend themselves to discussions of these terrifying incidents.  In high school, this book could be used as a discussion starter with current events.  School librarians can collaborate with teachers to select books like this one that are timely (and historical) and relevant. 

References

Bunting, E., & Diaz, D. (1994). Smoky night. San Diego: Harcourt Brace.

Koehnecke, D. (2001). Smoky night and crack: controversial subjects in current children’s stories. Children’s Literature in Education, 32(1), 17-30. Retrieved February 11, 2015.

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting , David Diaz | Kirkus. (1994, March 1). Retrieved February 11, 2015, from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/eve-bunting/smoky-night/