CLEOPATRA by Diane Stanley and Peter Vennema

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Stanley, Diane and Peter Vennema. 1994. Cleopatra. New York, NY: Harper Trophy. ISBN 0688154808

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Cleopatra is an ambitious ruler who is driven out of Egypt by the advisors of her younger brother/husband. She secretly returns and charms a visiting Julius Caesar. Shortly thereafter, she wins a war against her brother/husband and regains Egyptian rule. She lives happily with Caesar and their son in Egypt and then Rome until Caesar is murdered and she returns to Egypt. When Mark Antony and Octavian later rule the Roman Empire, she charms Antony with whom she falls in love and has three children. Romans are not happy with the alliance because Cleopatra is foreign and Antony eventually divorce’s Octavian’s sister to be with her. During the ensuing sea battle with Octavian’s fleet at Actium, Cleopatra flees to Egypt and Antony unexpectedly abandons combat to follow. Antony’s army fails to defend Alexandria from Octavian’s attack. When Antony is mistakenly told that Cleopatra is dead, he kills himself. After throwing Antony a lavish funeral and before Octavian can humiliate her in Rome, Cleopatra takes her own life.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
In the preface, the authors appropriately set the stage. Egypt was sophisticated and wealthy, but Rome controlled much of the world. (A map at the outset clearly illustrates this fact). They also clear up some misconceptions. Cleopatra “did not live in the days of the Pharoahs. . . she was not even Egyptian.” In the Note On Ancient Sources they acknowledge that much that survives about Cleopatra was written by her enemies and may not be entirely accurate as a result. Including this introductory information helps the reader better appreciate and understand the context of Cleopatra’s life.

Through a number of anecdotes, Cleopatra’s intelligent, ambitious and charismatic personality is unveiled. The authors reveal that while her alliances with Caesar and then Antony were in part political, they were also inspired by genuine affection. Despite her drive and ostentation, the reader is compelled to admire her courage and determination in the face of adversity.

While the biography itself progresses chronologically, it lacks any subdivision or page numbers, making it difficult to easily revisit or skip to particular events. The epilogue wraps up the historical aftermath succinctly. The authors also include a pronunciation guide and bibliography at the end for those seeking additional resources. Throughout the book, Stanley’s tile mosaic backgrounds and detailed illustrations suit the period and complement the text nicely. The reader learns a great deal about the culture of the time through the beautiful artwork.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From Publisher’s Weekly: “This peerless author/artist team makes the captivating, ultimately tragic Cleopatra seem astoundingly real.”

From School Library Journal: “Lucid writing combines with carefully selected anecdotes, often attributed to the Greek historian Plutarch, to create an engaging narrative.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Read this book in conjunction with a unit on women in history, Egypt or the Roman Empire
*Dramatic Interpretation (modified Antony and Cleopatra by Shakespeare)
*Other books about Cleopatra:
Cleopatra by Fiona MacDonald ISBN 0756619645
Cleopatra: The Life of an Egyptian Queen by Gary Jeffrey ISBN 1404202420
Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile, Egypt, 57 B.C. by Kristiana Gregory ISBN 0590819755
*Other books by Stanley and Vennema:
Good Queen Bess : The Story of Elizabeth I of England ISBN 0688179614
Bard of Avon: The Story of William Shakespeare ISBN 0688091091
Shaka, King of the Zulus ISBN 978-0688131142

BUD, NOT BUDDY by Christopher Paul Curtis

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Curtis, Christopher Paul. 1999. Bud, Not Buddy. New York, NY: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0553494104

2. PLOT SUMMARY
It is 1936 and 10 year old Bud has been in the Michigan foster system since his mother’s untimely death four years earlier. After another abusive experience in a foster home, he sets off in search of his father, with only a few sentimental possessions in his tattered suit case. He believes that Herman E. Calloway, a jazz musician featured in flyers that his mother kept, is his father. His mental notebook (Bud Caldwell’s Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself) guides his often humorous encounters during the course of his journey. With help from some kind strangers, he makes his way to the crotchety Calloway who denies any connection with the boy. Bud has already begun making a home for himself with the band when it becomes apparent that Calloway is actually his maternal grandfather.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The harsh realities of Depression era life are balanced by Bud’s childish perspective and comedic musings, making this story easier to stomach when less appetizing food for thought is served. This is not to suggest that Curtis spares the truth. On the contrary, the reader learns much about Hoovervilles, hobos, meal lines, labor battles and police conflicts, along with the added struggle of being an African-American in this setting.

The other side of the scale is weighted by the kindness of strangers and Bud’s own antics as he ponders his Rules and Things. While one such stranger is driving him to his “father,” he reflects on rule # 8- “Whenever a Adult Tells You to Listen Carefully and Talks to You in a Real Calm Voice Do Not Listen, Run as Fast as You Can Because Something Real Terrible Is Just Around the Corner, Especially If the Cops Are Chasing You” (133). In this scenario, Bud’s street smarts alert him to danger, even though he does not yet understand that the peril lies in his benefactor’s role as a labor organizer. That Bud encounters so many Great Depression stereotypes during his brief excursion makes the story seem somewhat contrived at first, but the jazz musician perspective adds some unique insights to the era in the latter half of the novel.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From School Library Journal: “The lively humor contrasts with the grim details of the Depression-era setting and the particular difficulties faced by African Americans at that time. Bud is a plucky, engaging protagonist.”

From Publisher’s Weekly: “While the grim conditions of the times and the harshness of Bud's circumstances are authentically depicted, Curtis shines on them an aura of hope and optimism.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Write more Rules and Things
*Invite a Depression era guest speaker
*Listen to 1930’s jazz music
*Take a field trip to a jazz performance
*Other books by Christopher Paul Curtis:
The Watsons Go to Birmingham ISBN 978-0440228004
Bucking the Sarge ISBN 0440413311
*Music
Songs of the Depression: Boom, Bust & New Deal
Brother Can You Spare a Dime? Songs of the Depression
The Great Depression: American Music in the ‘30s

A YEAR DOWN YONDER by Richard Peck

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Peck, Richard. 2000. A Year Down Yonder. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0142300705

2. PLOT SUMMARY
This Newbery Award-winning novel is the sequel to Peck’s A Long Way from Chicago. Humorous and often touching, it is about a year in the life of 15 year-old Mary Alice who is sent to live with her strong-willed grandmother (in 1937) while her parents regroup from the hardships of the Depression. A city girl (from Chicago), Mary Alice initially has a hard time adjusting to small town life and to the peculiarities of her practical, gritty and unapologetically blunt Grandma Dowdel. At first intimidated and embarrassed by her grandmother, Mary Alice comes of age while she also comes to appreciate her grandmother’s strengths.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The sometimes bitter truth of rural, Depression-era life is nicely tempered by comic relief to make this story a believable and enjoyable read. The reader acquires a feeling for the era naturally through Mary Alice’s experiences during the course of the year. One of the chapters is about the annual Armistice Day turkey shoot, after which Mary Alice observes, “The veterans ran their turkey shoot to raise money for the American Legion. Their wives sold burgoo to help Mrs. Abernathy” (51). Much is revealed about community committment, especially during the difficult times of the Depression.

The characterization in this book is brilliant. Initially a somewhat bland character, especially in comparison to her larger-than-life grandmother, Mary Alice’s persona slowly emerges throughout the book like a butterfly. At first, her teenage insecurities and developing sense of self are in stark contrast to her grandmother’s self-assuredness. As time and events draw them closer, she learns that her supposedly hard-edged grandmother really “had eyes in the back of her heart” (128). The universal themes of personal growth and the power of family love make this book relevant and accessible to modern readers.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
From School Library Journal: “Richard Peck's Newbery Award-winner (Dial, 2000) is a multi-layered story of small town life spiced with humor, love, and a bit of history.”

From Horn Book Review: “While the escapades are diverting, the seven stories, which span the school year, don't have the cumulative power of those in A Long Way from Chicago.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Reader’s Theatre or other dramatic reenactment of one of the 7 episodes from the book (e.g. DAR meeting)
*Cooking- burgoo, pecan and pumpkin pies, cherry tarts
*Depression era guest speaker
*Other titles by Richard Peck:
A Long Way from Chicago ISBN 0142401102
Here Lies the Librarian ISBN 0803730802
Stray’s Like Us ISBN 978-0141306193
*Nonfiction books about the Great Depression:
Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman ISBN 0618446303
Life During the Great Depression by Dennis Nishi ISBN 1560063815