The Pull of the Ocean
by Jean-Claude Mourlevat

A. Bibliography

Mourlevat, Jean-Claude. 2006. THE PULL OF THE OCEAN. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385733488

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Translated from the French novel L'enfant Ocean, The Pull of the Ocean is loosely based on Tom Thumb by Charles Perrault. Discovering that his parents plan on doing all of the boys great harm, Yann, the youngest and a midget, leads his brothers to where he thinks they will be safe - the ocean. The story is told by various characters in the story (21 total), including the brothers, a truck driver, and a writer. Each person they encounter shares their perspective of the boys' adventure.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The setting for this work is a small village in France. As the boys are led across the French countryside by Yann, it is obvious by the names of the places they travel that they are in France: Perigueux, Limoges and Bordeaux. Each of these are on the way to the ocean. Other cultural markers noted are the boys lack of a traditional French shirt, LaCoste, indicating that they are in poverty as well as seeking shelter in a soccer stadium. Soccer is a huge sport in Europe and it certainly makes sense that the boys would see this as a safe place to hide.

This book is hard to pin down for placing in a particular genre but the Best of the Best Committee at PSLA has placed it in realistic fiction.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
Publisher's Weekly: "Mourlevat enchantingly blends the harshly read and the make-believe ... [in this] effectively haunting, fluidly translated tale."

School Library Journal: "A well-crafted mystery awaits anyone reading this fabled jigsaw puzzle . . . a memorable novel that readers will find engaging and intellectually satisfying."

E. CONNECTIONS

1. As a class, discuss how one might go about getting to the beach from their current homes. What would be a viable means of transportation? How might they survive? Where would they go once they arrived?

2. Using a large map, locate France and determine how long it would truly take Yann to reach America. Discuss how immigration happened across U.S. history, including Ellis Island on the east coast and San Francisco on the west coast.

The Breadwinner

by Deborah Ellis

A. Ellis, Deborah. 2001. THE BREADWINNER. Berkeley, CA: Publisher's Group West. ISBN 0-88899-416-8

B. PLOT SUMMARY

This realistic fiction work is set in the war-torn city of Kabul, Afghanistan in current times. Parvana, an 11-year old girl, is the protagonist in this story of life under the oppressive rule of the Taliban. Her father, weak with illness, is suddenly imprisoned for having "foreign ideas". The family has to face trying to live in a country where females are not allowed to be outside the family home without a male escort and traditional Burqa covering. Desperate for money and food for her family, Parvana disguises herself as a young boy in order to go to the marketplace and work. With this transition, Parvana is able to take care of her family and in essence, becomes "the breadwinner" for her family.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (WITH CULTURAL MARKERS)

Parvana's story is one of so many young girls in any war-torn country, Afghanistan in this case. She represents women and girls around the world in their desperate attempt to survive both the ravages of war as well as oppression from a male-dominated belief system and culture. Parvana's story, even though a work of fiction, gives the reader a terrific glimpse of what life is like under the rule of the Taliban. With the setting and the culture come many new vocabulary words for the reader (a glossary is located at the end of the book) such as burqa, karachi, nan, and toshak. Parvana's mother was a writer and her father a history teacher pre-Taliban. It is in his telling stories to his children that the reader learns of the rich history of Afghanistan and its people. Another noted cultural marker are the names of the characters: Parvana, Maryam, Ali, etc. These are definitely middle-eastern as are some of the other daily habits such as sitting on around a plastic cloth on the floor to eat instead of a table and chairs. The tradition of females wearing their hair long, never cutting it, is a tradition that is forced to be broken in order for Parvana and her family to survive.

Deborah Ellis, the author, interviewed many young girls and women who had to endure Afghan refugee camps and the cruelties of the Taliban. It is this experience that allows her to write with great authenticity and realistically tell the story of these brave people who remain full of optimism and hope for a better future in Afghanistan. Althought initially this story appears to be heart-breaking, in the end, Parvana endures and triumphs - beating the system that works so hard to keep her down.

D. EXCERPT REVIEWS

Booklist: "The Breadwinner is a potent portrait of life in contemporary Afghanistan, showing that powerful heroines can survive even in the most oppressive conditions."

Publisher's Weekly: "The topical issues introduced, coupled with this strong heroine, will make this novel of interest to many conscientious teens."

School Library Journal: "The Breadwinner features a brave heroin in troubled times and offers a sense of hope."

E. CONNECTIONS

1. Have students work in pairs to complete this pre-reading webquest to become familiar with life in Afghanistan and associated vocabulary. http://www.literacynet.org/cortez/index.htm

(A rubric and teacher's notes are included.)

2. Write a journal entry in the voice of Parvana's mother, father or other character in the book.

3. Students will create a Venn diagram comparing their life with Parvana's and discuss as a class.

F. PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

I read this book with great interest because I have a brother-in-law currently on active duty in the U.S. Army just outside of Kabul. He has sent home photos of the surrounding countryside and some of the people. It was easy to picture a young girl going to such extreme measures just to take care of her family under the rule of the Taliban. After reading this book, I have a much different view of how life is over there. Without getting political, I just don't understand how anyone can oppose a war where we are trying to restore the way of life, traditions and culture of people like Parvana and her family.

Koala Lou

by Mem Fox

A. Fox, Mem. 1988. KOALA LOU. Ill. by Pamela Lofts. New York: Harcourt Brace & Co. ISBN 0-15-200502-1.

B. PLOT SUMMARY

Beloved Australian author Mem Fox let's the reader see inside the head of a young koala and share the little koala's anxieties of not feeling as loved by her mother as she once did. Koala Lou enjoyed being a single child and all the love and attention that came with it. However, Koala Lou soon had siblings with which she had to share her mother's time and attention. She decides to enter the Bush Olympics in hopes of winning a gold medal. She just knew if she were best at something, she would once again here her mom say, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" Unfortunately, in spite of all her training, Koala Lou comes in second place. However, when she finally arrives at home that evening, her mother throws her arms around Koala Lou and lovingly reassures her with, "Koala Lou, I DO love you!" but not for her abilities or what she does but for just being Koala Lou.

C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS (INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)

The love and unmistakable bond between a mother and child is beautifully captured in this sweet story by Australian Mem Fox. Koala Lou, the young koala and main character in this story set in the Australian bush, makes the mistake that so many children make: my mom will love me more if I'm the best at something. As the plot continues, Koala Lou faces her percieved loss of her mother's love the best way she knows how - to do something the best. This is a common fear and the same resulting actions that so many children go through at some point in their life either as a child or as an adult.

Although the setting is clearly in Australia the only other cultural markers found are the various animals Koala Lou encounters including other koalas, kookaburras, emus, and bush babies. Each of these animals, along with the others in the story, are all indigenous to Australia. The colorful illustrations, by artist Pamela Lofts, therefore are important cultural markers.

This picture book is great for all ages, even adults. Fox gives readers a strong reminder that a mother's love is not conditional - it is undeniably unconditional and there's nothing better than that.

D. REVIEW EXCERPTS

The Horn Book Magazine: "A first-rate choice for bedtime, story hour, or reading aloud."

School Library Journal: "Koala Lou is appealing and truly believable ....Fox brings out the best in her characters, and also conveys an important message about competition."

Publisher's Weekly: "A perfect example of why the Australian writer has become one of today's top authors of children's books."

E. CONNECTIONS

1. Other books by Mem Fox:

• Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
• Night Noises
• Guess What?
• Possum Magic

2. Visit the Mem Fox website, http://www.memfox.net/ to find out the story behind the stories and to hear the author read aloud several selections.

F. PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

I read this delightful book for the first time a few weeks ago. I was familiar with Wildfrid Gordon but that was the only Fox book I'd ever read. After reading it for myself a couple of times I shared it with my 5-year old daughter, Caitlin, at bedtime. It was a lot of fun reading it and looking at the various animals with her. I was not sure if she would "get" the message but it came through loud and clear. Her comment was, "So that's like with me and soccer. Even when I don't get a goal you and Daddy still love me and think I did good, right?" Out of the mouths of babes...