From the Desk of Zoe Washington

Bibliography: Marks, J. (2020b). From the Desk of Zoe Washington. Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN: 978-1-713-76817-3

Plot Summary: 12 year old Zoe dreams of becoming a professional baker. She receives a letter from her father, who's in prison for a crime she believes he didn't commit. Against her mother's wishes, Zoe secretly starts communicating with him. Along the way, Zoe discovers her passion for music and starts an internship at a bakery. As she learns more about her father's case, Zoe uncovers new evidence that could prove his innocence. In the end, Zoe decides to fight for justice and make her voice heard, even when it's difficult.

Critical Analysis: Marks effectively uses language to convey the emotions and experiences of its characters, particularly Zoe. The author employs vivid descriptions and dialogue that feel authentic to a young girl's perspective, making the story relatable. Literary tools such as foreshadowing and symbolism are used throughout, adding depth to the story without overwhelming younger readers. The authenticity of the characters is evident in their struggles, dreams, and relationships, which reflects themes of family, identity, and justice. Marks storytelling with relatable characters and accessible language, creates an engaging reading experience that encourages empathy and critical thinking in its audience.

Reviews: 

Kirkus Reviews: "An extraordinary, timely, must-read debut about love, family, friendship, and justice."

Amazon.com :  “This powerful debut packs both depth and sweetness, tackling a tough topic in a sensitive, compelling way.

Awards:

Junior Library Guild Selection, 2021

Cybils Award for Middle Grade Fiction, 2020

Connections:

Use in an English class to discuss social justice using literature circles.

Use in a Sociology class. Read together as a class and have discussions about racial identity and social justice. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Lion and the Mouse

  Bibliography: Pinkney, J. (2010). The Lion & the Mouse . Little, Brown & Co. ISBN 9780316013567 Plot summary  Retelling of Aesop’s fable of the same name, but without words.  The story is of a lion who comes upon a mouse and rather than eating it, lets it return to its family.  Later, when the lion is caught in a trap, the mouse returns the favor by freeing the lion from a trap.  Critical Analysis Pinkney did an amazing job of being able to tell this story without using any words. Using only illustrations, Pinkney brilliantly retells one of Aesop’s fables. The illustrations carried the entire weight of the storytelling in a very thoughtful way. The animals are illustrated realistically with great attention to detail. Color is also important as it is used to draw attention to the characters and their natural surroundings. Pinkney is also able to show the animals’ emotions in a way that is not cartoonish or too human either, holding on to their animal na...
Read more

Boy Meets Boy

         Bibl iography:  Levithan, D. (2003). Boy Meets Boy . Ember. ISBN:  9780375824005             Plot Summary: Paul is a normal high school boy in a school that's not quite normal. The cheerleaders ride motorcycles into the gym. The quarterback is a drag queen. He hates his ex-boyfriend and wants nothing more than to move on.  And when he meets Noah, he thinks he has.  But when Paul makes a stupid mistake, he needs to decide what's really important to him, and what he can do to fix things with Noah.           Critical Analysis: Regardless of sexuality, any teen reader can relate to this book.  Gossip, ex-boy/girlfriends, high school drama, a broken heart and stressed frienships are all things teenagers go through. Though the characters ethnicities are never discussed, the book still demonstrates diversity in orientation with gay, straight, bisexual and drag characters....
Read more

The Book Thief

  Bibliography:  Zusak, M. (2006). The Book Thief . Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN: 9-780375-831003 Plot Summary: Just before World War II ,  on a train ride with her mother and brother, Liesl loses her brother.  At the end of the ride, her mother leaves her with a foster family as she can no longer care for her.  This is when the book stealing starts. Often, it is the books that save her and keep her moving forward. Then she meets Rudy, a boy her age from school, and they begin stealing more than books. She soon learns that her foster parents, who she has grown to love, have a secret that she must help hide. Through all this, Death seems to follow her everywhere she goes, but somehow she survives.  Critical Analysis:  The story is narrated by Death, who is privy to all of the events of Liesl's life as he does seem to follow her. He takes almost everyone she loves.  The use of foreshadowing throughout the book is well done. When Death speaks of Hans' pendi...
Read more