by William Pene du Bois
ISBN 0140320970
Summary:
Professor William Waterman Sherman wants to travel around the Pacific Ocean, by himself, in a hot air balloon. He goes through careful and thorough preparations in order to get ready for his flight. Unfortunately, his journey is soon derailed by seagulls. He crash lands on an island, which he finds full of diamonds and eccentric habitants. They accept him into their society and inform him he must stay, forever, and be part of their lives.
My Impressions:
This is an imaginative, fun book. The book is told from the viewpoint of Professional Sherman, after he has returned from his voyage. He is adamant that he cannot tell his story until he has first told the members of his Western American Explorers' Club in San Francisco. The entire country is waiting with baited breath for the story of Sherman's balloon flight. The story unfolds as Sherman lays in a bed in the meeting hall admid much fanfare and hoopla. He tells of his careful preparations, his unfortunate encounter with some seagulls, and his crash landing on the mysterious island of Krakatoa. He tells of meeting the people who live there and how they have adapted to life on an active volcanic island, which so happens to be filled with diamonds. Since Sherman has discovered their secret island and secret lifestyle, they tell him he must stay forever and adopt their customs and rituals, such as taking a single alphabet letter for his last name (Mr. V, for example, and Mr. U was declared too confusing) and serving a meals that correspond with a country that begins with the letter of his last name. He is shown all of their remarkable houses and inventions, one of which they must use when they are all forced to flee the island when it erupts.
I love the subtle humor in the book-for example, when he arrives in San Francisco, the band plays Marching Through Georgia and, "...It was thought afterwards by many that the slim connection between that last song and Professor William Sherman was a bit far-fetched" (p. 37).
Professional Reviews:
Krakatoa is a legendary island surrounded by a cloud of folklore and mystery. Located next to the Southeast Asian islands of Java and Sumatra, it has been an object of interest since its discovery by the western world in the 1600s. After the great volcanic eruption on the island in 1883, Krakatoa found itself thrown into the public spotlight. Now uninhabited and volatile, Krakatoa has nonetheless become the inspiration for numerous movies, plays and books.
One of these books is "The Twenty-One Balloons" by William Pene du Bois. Pene du Bois brings the island to life in the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman who, on Aug. 15, 1883 sets off in a hot-air balloon from San Francisco Bay with the goal of becoming the first man to travel across the Pacific Ocean. Three weeks later, Professor Sherman was found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, starving, among the remains of 20 deflated balloons.
"The Twenty-One Balloons" presents Sherman's journey, from the start of his fascination with balloons and travel, to his presentation to the Western American Explorers' Club following his travels. Sherman has quite a story to tell. After his take-off, Sherman crashes his balloon into Krakatoa, and discovers a fabulous new society: for in Pene du Bois' world, Krakatoa is a luxurious land, chock full of diamonds. But after Sherman learns the secrets of Krakatoa and the 20 fabulously wealthy and creative families who inhabit the island, he is forbidden to leave. This presents the reader with a mystery: If Sherman was not allowed to leave this paradise, how did he end up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?
Pene du Bois explains this and more in his enchanting novel. I give this book a 9 out of 10. An imaginative tale, "The Twenty-One Balloons" captivates the reader with the author's Krakatoa, a world of immense wealth and incredible inventions. I was immediately intrigued by the story of Krakatoa's inhabitants and the mystery surrounding Sherman's explorations. Though "The Twenty-One Balloons" is written for a preteen audience, it is a story that can be enjoyed by all ages and a great read for the holiday season.
One of these books is "The Twenty-One Balloons" by William Pene du Bois. Pene du Bois brings the island to life in the story of Professor William Waterman Sherman who, on Aug. 15, 1883 sets off in a hot-air balloon from San Francisco Bay with the goal of becoming the first man to travel across the Pacific Ocean. Three weeks later, Professor Sherman was found in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, starving, among the remains of 20 deflated balloons.
"The Twenty-One Balloons" presents Sherman's journey, from the start of his fascination with balloons and travel, to his presentation to the Western American Explorers' Club following his travels. Sherman has quite a story to tell. After his take-off, Sherman crashes his balloon into Krakatoa, and discovers a fabulous new society: for in Pene du Bois' world, Krakatoa is a luxurious land, chock full of diamonds. But after Sherman learns the secrets of Krakatoa and the 20 fabulously wealthy and creative families who inhabit the island, he is forbidden to leave. This presents the reader with a mystery: If Sherman was not allowed to leave this paradise, how did he end up in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?
Pene du Bois explains this and more in his enchanting novel. I give this book a 9 out of 10. An imaginative tale, "The Twenty-One Balloons" captivates the reader with the author's Krakatoa, a world of immense wealth and incredible inventions. I was immediately intrigued by the story of Krakatoa's inhabitants and the mystery surrounding Sherman's explorations. Though "The Twenty-One Balloons" is written for a preteen audience, it is a story that can be enjoyed by all ages and a great read for the holiday season.
Miyachi, M. (2008, January 2). 'Twenty-one balloons' lifts young readers with imaginative tale [Review of the book The twenty-one balloons]. The Andover Townsend Online. Retrieved from http://www.andovertownsman.com/education/x645341982/Twenty-One-Balloons-lifts-young-readers-with-imaginative-tale
Having Fun in the Library:
1. I would divide the students into small groups of 4 or 5 and have them, as a group, decide which letter of the alphabet they would like to be if they lived on the island of Krakatoa. They need to design a house, a restaurant, and a menu based on their letter then present it to the class.
2. Ahead of time, I would hide die cut diamonds inside books. The students would then have to go on a scavenger hunt in the library, using the library computer catalog, to learn how to find nonfiction and fiction books. The books I choose to hide the diamonds in could include books thematically related to the story: seagulls, hot air balloons, flying, islands, weather.
Du Bois, W. P. (1947). The twenty-one balloons. New York: Puffin Books.
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Crispin: The Cross of Lead
by Avi
ISBN 978-078680828-1
Summary:
An orphaned boy has been accused of murder and theft and must flee his village in 14th century England. His only possession is a cross his mother left him, but the boy (called Asta's son) cannot read the writing on it. Running for his life, he stumbles across a traveling minstrel, Bear, who at first enslaves Asta's son, then apprentices him, and eventually sets him free. The pair travel to the city of Great Wexley, where a festival is going on where Bear has some clandestine meetings and Asta's son must keep escaping the clutches of the evil village steward. Asta's son learns his true identity and his true name.
My Impressions:
I enjoyed this book but was confused by one part in the beginning: we are told Asta's speech is slow and ill formed. On page 4 we even see it, "'But...sir,' I said... "if I do...I...I wouldn't be able to work the fields."' But after that example, we never see or hear of Crispin's struggling speech again. Maybe it disappears as matures and learns to look people in the eye. Other than that minor issue, I followed the story easily. The clues are laid out for us to follow; there is obviously more to Crispin than even he is aware. We follow him throughout the countryside as he escapes the soldiers and learns who he really is. Yes, belief has to be suspended in order for the storyline to flow. But, to me, that was ok because I wanted Crispin to succeed, to escape with Bear and discover his true lineage.
Professional Reviews:
In his fiftieth book Avi sets his story in fourteenth-- century England and introduces some of his most unforgettable characters-a 13-year-- old orphan, seemingly without a name, and a huge, odd juggler named Bear. At first, the boy is known as Asta's Son, but when his mother dies, he learns from a priest that his name is really Crispin. He also quickly comes to realize that he is in grave trouble. John Acliffe, the steward of the manor, reveals himself to be Crispin's mortal enemy and declares the boy a "wolf's-head," which means he is anyone's prey. Clutching his only possession, a lead cross, Crispin flees his village into a vast new world of opportunity-and terror. At his lowest ebb, Crispin meets Bear and reluctantly swears an oath to be his servant. Yet Bear becomes much more than a master-he's Crispin's teacher, protector, and liberator. Avi builds an impressive backdrop for his arresting characters: a tense medieval world in which hostility against the landowners and their cruelties is increasing. There's also other nail-biting tension in the story that builds to a gripping, somewhat confusing ending, which finds Crispin, once weak, now strong. Readers may not understand every nuance of the political machinations that propel the story, but they will feel the shifting winds of change beginning to blow through a feudal society.
Cooper, I. (2002). Crispin: The cross of lead. The Booklist, 98(18), 1604. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/235501467?accountid=7113
Having Fun in the Library:
1. Have students summarize the story in 100 words. Then 50 words. Then 10 words.
2. Building upon the students' knowledge of friendly letters, have them each write a letter from Lady Furnival to Crispin, encouraging him not to reveal who his father was.
Avi (2002). Crispin: the cross of lead. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
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