Module 7/SLIS 5420/October 12th
Abduction
Peg Kehret

Bibliography

Kehret, P. (2004) Abduction. New York: Dutton Children’s Books

ISBN: 0-525-47294-0

Summary
Six year old Matt is abducted without suspect or known motive his rescue seems unlikely.  His thirteen year old sister is relentless in her search. When Bonnie spots a boy that resembles her brother at the baseball stadium she feels compelled to play detective.

My Impression
I liked the way the point-of-view shifted between characters so you could see different perspectives of the the situation and how it affected various people. The author leads you to think the kidnapper's plan will be foiled several times but rescue is lost as pleas for help are not taken seriously or ignored all together.  There a couple of less believable moments but over all the story held my interest and made me anxious to read to on.
 
Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7–Matt, a kindergartener, meets his 13-year-old half sister every day after school for the ride home. When he fails to show up, Bonnie immediately notifies his teacher and principal, and a full-scale search ensues. Even though Matt has been taught "stranger danger," he is lured into the kidnapper's car with his own dog, stolen from his house. The kidnapper is the boy's father, whom he has never met, and who tells Matt that his mother and sister are dead. So even though the boy knows his phone number, he doesn't try to call. The story portrays a kidnapper's determination and the ease with which a child can be swayed by a stranger despite years of teaching…The story is resolved happily but with a twist showing the remorse of the people who could have helped along the way but didn't for various reasons. This novel has enough suspense to keep children interested, and it will also appeal to reluctant readers.–Diana Pierce

Booklist
Gr. 4-7. When 13-year-old Bonnie's younger brother and dog disappear, she and her mother experience all the fear, police attention, and media notoriety that often results from such tragedies. Meanwhile, six-year-old Matt is held captive by Denny, his bad-tempered father whom he has never met. Denny cruelly tells Matt that his mother and sister are dead, so the boy abandons hope. The coincidence of Bonnie's spotting Matt at a Mariners game leads to an exciting, movie-style climax. - Kathleen Odean

Suggested Activities
Show students the action plan, Quick Reference Guide for Families from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: http://www.missingkids.com/missingkids/servlet/PageServlet?LanguageCountry=en_US&PageId=244 Compare the actions of Matt’s mom with this list. Did they do it correctly? What might have been done better?

Module 7/SLIS 5420/October 12th

Rules of the Road
by Joan Bauer

Bibliography

Bauer, J. (1998). Rules of the road. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

ISBN 0-399-23140-4

Summary
Jenna is a high school student living with her mother and sister. Her parents are divorced due to her father’s drinking problem. She is going through an awkward phase of not feeling she fits in but she has a best friend and a job at the shoe store to distract her from her problems. She has recently gotten her driver’s license and is saving to buy a car. The owner of the shoe store makes her a proposition to pay her double to spend six weeks driving her to from Chicago to Dallas, visiting shoe stores along the way. On this road trip adventure as she learns the ‘rules of the road’, she discovers more important rules about life.

My Impression
One of my favorite Young Adult books; the author’s voice and description made me feel I was traveling with Jenna. This is a story anyone who has dealt with the frustrations of alcoholism within their family will relate with. My favorite quotes:

“My grandma always said, God made libraries so that people didn’t have any excuse to be stupid.” (p.142)

“You never know where the road’s going to take you…sometimes it’s less important that you get to your destination than the sidetrips you take along the way.” (p. 165)

“…it isn’t the problems along the way that make us or break us. It’s how we face them that makes the difference.” (p.201)

Reviews
Gr. 6^-10. It's downright wonderful these days to find a teenage protagonist who is smart, moral, funny, confident (mostly), and open-minded about grown-ups…this has its introspective side as well as its share of sad moments that show the long-term damage alcoholism has on families and individuals. But it's also a warm, funny, insightful story about ordinary people who look beyond age to the things they have in common and the wisdom they can share. Stephanie Zvirin -- Booklist

Grade 7 Up?Jenna Boller, 16, has had a lot of practice at being responsible. Her mother is a nurse who works the night shift, and her younger sister yearns for attention. Jenna's long-divorced, alcoholic father embarrassingly shows up whenever he gets an occasional urge to "make it up" to her. In addition, her wise and beloved grandmother is grappling with Alzheimer's disease. So the teen's mother reluctantly agrees to let her accept a summer job driving the elderly Madeline Gladstone…The author creates some fabulous and sometimes flamboyant characters, witty dialogue, and memorable scenes, thus making readers really care about the intricacies of matching shoes to people and finding the right focus for Jenna as she strives to meet tall goals. Bauer's best yet.?Cindy Darling Codell, Clark Middle School, Winchester, KY ~ School Library Journal

Suggested Activities
Use this book as a discussion lead for difficult topics such as Alzheimer's, alcoholism, and drunk driving.