Book Musings with Cattau

  Written and Illustrated by Dan Santat Published by Graphix in 2022 ISBN: 978-0545497602 Plot Summary: The book begins with a ship sinking and someone's brother dies. 4 different sea animals which are a octopus, hermit crab, blanket octopus, and a sea turtle take the diving suit of the man and convert it so that they can start walking on land. They end up finding aqualand by reading the man's journal whose name is Michael. Aqualand is the man's aquarium land kind of like sea world. The animals steer the diving suit and meet the man's daughter named Sophia. They go on a series of adventures and hijinks before they are able to return to the sea. They help the marine creatures that are in aqualand escape as well. The story shows that with a little ingenuity and luck, anyone can accomplish anything they set their minds to.  Critical Analysis: This book was very silly but was perfect for the reader who just wants to be entertained by a series of escapades and fun adventures...

Written and Illustrated by Nathan Hale  Published by Harry N. Abrams in 2012 ISBN: 978-1419703966 Plot Summary: Nathan Hale is a spy for the Americans during the revolutionary war. The book starts out with him on the hangman's gallows as he is going to be killed for treason. Nathan gets swallowed up by the Big Huge Book of American History and sees all the different battles struggles, and people that made up the american side in the revolutionary war. The book jumps back and forth the hangman gallows where a british officer and the hangman are just as interested in the story as the readers. There are many scenes and people that are talked about that aren't the well known people of the revolution like Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain boys. The story comes to a conclusion with him not being killed as the hangman wants to know more and will keep him alive as long as there are more tales.  Critical Analysis: This book was a delight to read. History is boring can be heard th...

  Written by Varian Johnson  Illustrated by Shannon Wright Published by Graphix in 2020 ISBN: 978-1338236132 Plot Summary: Maureen and Francine Carter are twins as well as being best friends. They do a lot of the same things but things change as they enter the 6th grade. Francine is going through some big changes like wanting to dress more fashionable, join choir, and even run for class office. Maureen is the quieter and more reserved sister and things go awry when they both decide to run for class president. It's hard when twins start to separate but they figure out how to coexist and their relationship becomes even stronger through all the changes.   Critical Analysis: The issues that the girls go through are life and death for a middle schooler but as time goes on they will see that this is just another opportunity in their lives to see positive change. The illustrations were excellent and I really enjoyed seeing all the different hairstyles that were feature...

Written by Kwame Alexander  Published by Clarion Books in 2014 ISBN: 978-0544107717 Plot Summary: The crossover is a story about twins Josh Bell and Jordan JB bell and their love for basketball. Their parents are a major part of the story as their mom is the assistant principal and their dad is a former basketball superstar. Josh is the main character in the story and we follow along with him as he navigates many different aspects of life including his brother getting a girlfriend, a bet that causes him to have to cut his hair, and his dad struggling with major health issues including a severe heart attack which kills him after several previous heart attacks. Josh's relationship with his brother goes from one of anger to one of love knowing that they need to lean on each other during this very hard time in their lives.  Critical Analysis: This book explores many themes that of life that people find themselves in. There is the theme of family with the brothers relationship...

  Written by Markus Zusak Published by Random House Children's Books in 2005 ISBN: 978-0375831003 Plot Summary: Death starts out as the narrator of the book and tells the story of how he met Liesel who is the book thief at 3 different times. Liesel is a girl who is riding with her mother and her brother in Nazi Germany when her brother dies. She steals her first book from the gravedigger. Liesel's mother decides that she will be safer with a foster family named Hans and Rosa Hubermann who slowly get Liesel to see herself as a member of the family. Liesel meets a boy named Rudy who becomes a good friend throughout the story. Hans teaches Liesel how to read which sparks her interest in books even more. A child who is a German Jew named Max comes to the Hubermanns for help as his dad had served with Max's dad in the army. He is hidden in the basement while the Nazi's are rounding up the Jews. Liesel steals books from a book burning, from a laundry customer's library wh...

  Written by Gary D. Schmidt Published by Clarion Books in 2007 ISBN: 978-0547237602 Plot Summary: Holling Hoodhood is a 7th grader that lives in Long Island in New York. He is consumed with his problems of being bullied, family job issues, and his friends while not realizing what is going on around him in the world in the 1960's. His teacher Mrs. Baker sees potential in him as he has to spend every Wednesday alone with her while his classmates go to other schools for religious instruction. She takes the time to teach him about Shakespeare and how it can apply to Holling's life.  Holling's sister is an active protestor against the Vietnam War which causes a rift in the family. Holling figures out that by the end of the story that the lessons that Mrs. Baker has taught him applies to his story and that he needs to set out on his own to figure out what he wants to do in life and where he wants to go.  Critical Analysis: This story hits many themes that readers of all ...

Written by Graham Salisbury  Published by Wendy Lamb Books in 2005 ISBN: 978-0440229568 Plot Summary: Eddie is a 16 year old boy who wants to serve his country in World War 2. He changes his birth certificate so that he can join the U.S. Army. Eddie finds that being in the army isn't all that it is cracked up to be and he is under suspicion after the attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Eddie believes that he will be helping fight in World War 2 but finds out that the army has other plans for him as he is used as bait in order to train the attack dogs that were found in K9 units. Eddie ends up going to the mainland to various bases for training which is his first time leaving the island of Hawaii. He is assigned a dog named Kooch who is not able to tell the difference of ethnicities based on the scent of someone. Eddie finally makes his way to Europe to fight after the experiment fails with the dog and is proud to serve his country as equals with his fellow Americans.  Crit...