GHS Library Media Center

Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art

Edited by Jan Greenberg

If you are looking for a stimulus for your students’ creativity, use this book as an example. Jan Greenberg uses poems commissioned to discuss 20^th century American art. Use your own favorite pictures, or one of the examples in this book as a catalyst for writing.

Catalyst

By Laurie Halse Anderson

Kate Malone, straight A’s in science and math, father is a minister, mother died years ago, long-distance runner, boyfriend is Mitchell Pangborn III. Kate has lots in her life, but she is as well organized as the periodic table she loves. Or at least she tries to be. Sometimes though, there is a conflict between her precise scientific equations and the religious beliefs of her father who is a minister. Kate has been running the Malone household since her mother died, coping with an asthmatic little brother and helping her father in his church responsibilities. Her insomnia helps get things done, but sometimes the life of a high school senior trying to maintain relationships with her boyfriend, Mitchell Pangborn III, and her other friends. Her chief nemesis is Teri Lynch, the senior-class tough girl. (When they were young, Teri used to beat up Kate all the time.) Now Teri is one of the vo-tech students and definitely NOT in Kate’s social group.

Kate has been begging her father to bring the MIT letter to school as soon as it comes, and the day he brings the skinny rejection letter serves as the catalyst for the rest of the story. The real reason Kate’s Dad has come to school has nothing to do with the letter. He has come to school to talk with the administrators about Teri Lynch and her home situation. Teri’s house has burned down, and Pastor Malone has invited Teri and her little brother Mikey to live with the Malones. How can Kate fit both the MIT rejection and the constant presence of the Lynch family into her well-ordered life? What reaction will occur as a result of The Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Cheating Lessons

by Nan Willard Cappo

Cheating

Everybody does it
The end justifies the means
Cooperate and graduate

Bernadette Terrell is as excited as anyone in her class when Mr. Malory announces that because of their high scores on the literary exams, they have been chosen as a competitor in the championship literary quiz bowl. And Bernadette’s scores are the highest! Bernadette has a secret crush on Mr. Malory, the literature teacher who looks as good as he sounds. That wonderful English accent makes the study of British literature so much easier.

Intense training begins and the whole town is thrilled with this news. Wickham High is not an academic school, but now even the jocks are rooting for this academic team. Not only is this a chance to defeat the snobby private school, Pinehurst, in something, but each winning team member will receive a $10,000 scholarship.

As the training progresses, something starts to bother Bernadette. How did she possibly score such a high score when there were questions on books she had never read? She is the smartest and has read more than anyone else, so how did the others get such high scores? As she discovers the trail the test papers took after the quiz was over, she gradually realizes someone she trusts has altered the scores. They really didn’t get those great scores, but what should Bernadette do? Should she rat out the cheater? Should she just hope that they won’t be embarrassed in the competition? Can she withdraw from the competition to save her moral principals? What will the other team members think of her if she lets them down? Loyalty, trust, ethics are all portrayed in shades of gray instead of easy black and white solutions in Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo.

Double Helix

by Nancy Werlin

Eli Samuels also has to deal with an ethics situation. Eli is almost ready to graduate from high school and truly loves his girlfriend, Vivian. But he has not found the courage to tell her that his mother is insane. Her insanity is caused by the genetic problem called Huntington’s disease. There’s a 50-50 chance he has inherited the untreatable and incurable disease, but he has not been able to get the courage to be tested himself. Instead he decides to forego college for awhile and get a job. He impulsively sends an email to Novel-winning scientist Quincy Wyatt seeking a job at Wyatt Transgenics. Eli’s father is furious when Dr. Wyatt offers Eli a job and demands that he turn it down. Of course, Eli takes the job, and is so flattered when Dr. Wyatt takes a personal interest in him. But over time, Eli realizes there is more to Wyatt Transgenics than meets the eye. What’s more disturbing is the fact that there is some mystery involving Dr. Wyatt and Eli’s parents. A secret basement and Kayla, a beautiful co-worker who reminds Eli of his mother as a young girl, are all part of the intrigue involved in the bioethical thriller, Double Helix by Nancy Werlin.

First Part Last

by Angela Johnson

Dating – those problems seem so insignificant now to sixteen-year-old Bobby and his girlfriend Nia. She’s pregnant, and their simple world of fun and friends is going to change drastically.

How did things go so wrong? My parents had talked to me about respect and responsibility; we had the sex talk; Mom gave me all these pamphlets about STD’s and teenage pregnancy; my Dad even went with me to get condoms.

How did this happen? Where was my head? Where was my sense? What the hell were we going to do?

Now, the new rules of my life…

If she hollers, she is mine.
If she needs to be changed, she is always mine.
In the dictionary next to “sitter,” there is not a picture of Grandma.
It’s time to grow up.
Too late, you’re out of time. Be a grown-up.

Did I tell you about the time I forgot all about Feather? One of my friends called me up to go shoot some hoops, and I just left! I grabbed a basketball, zipped up my jacket and headed out the door. I got all the way down to the corner when I remembered I left Feather all alone. Man, what am I doing with a baby? I’m sitting here in the pediatrician’s office as a father – when I am still “eligible” to be here as a child? How did this happen? How am I going to manage this incredible responsibility – I’m still just a kid myself.

Bobby has some tough decisions to make and tough lessons to learn as he, his family and friends come to grips with the reality of what happens in The First Part Last by Angela Johnson.

Not As Crazy As I Seem

By George Harrar

Devon Brown has another chance to begin once more at the new prestigious prep school in Boston where his parents have moved. Hopefully, the new surroundings and a new therapist will be able to help 15-year-old Devon learn to cope with his OCD. Other students have always teased Devon unmercifully about his obsessive compulsive behavior, which manifests itself when he eats his food in groups of fours, washes his hands frequently and has to have his books lined up perfectly. His new friends include Tanya, an African-American girl, and Ben, an angry boy with purple hair. When Ben decides to break into the school, Devon is drawn into a series of events that change his world. Once in the school, Devon’s fixation is to straighten the poster in biology class. But Ben has decided to spray-paint the word “Nazi” all over the school. A witness places Devon in the school, and Ben has disappeared. Devon cannot bring himself to name the guilty party. Will this episode put Devon over the edge?

Read Not As Crazy As I Seem by George Harrar

The Sand-Reckoner

By Gillian Bradshaw

Have you ever been so involved in thinking about something that you lost track of the world around you? Athletes talk about getting in a zone where all things converge for the perfect balance. Did you know that math-nerds can get in that same kind of zone?

In the Sand-Reckoner, the famous mathematician, Archimedes, often becomes so entranced with his reckonings that he neglects the people around him. It frustrates him that others don’t understand what he is doing. In this fictionalized story, Archimedes has just come back home to Syracuse to be with his dying father, Phidias. Archimedes and his faithful servant Marcus have been in Alexandria for three years, where Archimedes has become famous for his invention of the water-snail, a spiral device that allowed water to be raised with minimal effort. Although this invention has been making lots of money, Archimedes has gotten bored with doing the same thing again and again. The combination of his father’s illness and the possible challenge of becoming a royal engineer for King Hieron of Syracuse as he prepares to defend his city against the Roman army sends Archimedes home.

Although his family is almost destitute, Archimedes is convinced he can make a catapult better than the existing ones. He is so confident in his own abilities that he agrees to build one for no pay to establish his credibility. As the work progresses, the other engineers begin to resent his natural abilities. However, the king realizes that Archimedes’ talents are worth more than any price that could be paid. His dilemma is how he can keep Archimedes in Syracuse once his talents become well-known around the world. Can the other engineers outwit the brilliant Archimedes? Will the Roman slave, Marcus remain loyal to his master, Archimedes, or will he betray him when Syracuse is attacked by a group of Roman soldiers that include his own brother? Will King Herion use his beautiful talented sister as a lure for Archimedes? Will Archimedes attraction for the beautiful woman who is far above his class prove to be his downfall?

Read more about the mathematician, Archimedes in The Sand-Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw.

Tears of the Salamander

by Peter Dickinson

Did you know that in mythology, the salamander not only resists fire, but extinguishes it? Pliny believed that its body was cold enough to extinguish flames. The salamander is also considered the “king of fire” and as such was representative of Christ who would baptize with the flames of the Holy Spirit. Supposedly, the salamander could even live in the fire of a volcano.

Peter Dickinson takes the elements of the mythological salamander to create a magical story set near Mount Etna in eighteenth-century Italy.

After Alfredo’s entire family and home is destroyed by fire, he is content with the simple life of a Tuscan choir boy. His beautiful voice attracts the attention of the cathedral priests who decide it is necessary to castrate the boy to preserve the voice. In the nick of time, Uncle Giorgio, his father’s estranged brother shows up to rescue Alfredo. He takes him to live in the DiSalsa ancestral home on the slopes of Mount Etna. Uncle Giorgio is the Master of the Mountain, and knows the secrets to control the angry fires in the mountains. Part of the secret involves the singing salamanders. Uncle Giorgio has captured one of the salamanders and keeps it caged in a fire pit. He has also learned that the tears of the salamander form pure gold when cooled. The only other people living in the home are the slave, Annetto, and her “idiot” son Toni. It is obvious that Uncle Giorgio hates Annetto and Toni, but Alfredo discovers these two also have secrets. His gratitude towards Uncle Giorgio gradually turns to suspicion as Uncle Giorgio teacher Alfredo many of the secrets of the mountain. Alfredo, a brilliant student, discovers more secrets that Uncle Giorgio tells him, and realizes that Uncle Giorgio’s plans include using him to gain immortality.

Anger, revenge, betrayal, and greed combine to create this new mythological tale.

Read The Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson

Warriors of Alavna
by N. M. Browne

It was supposed to be a regular field trip to the battlefield of Hastings for a class of British students, but Ursula and Dan disappear into a yellow fog. Ursula is six-foot-tall and overweight. Dan is short and athletic. Ursula has always been an outsider, while Dan is a popular, smart jock. In this alternative world, Ursula cannot reveal she is female, and she becomes a warrior. Dan’s anger is violent and is become known and a “berserker.” They have been called to this time by Combrogi Princess Rhonwen. As the teens adjust to this world, they find it hard to decide who are the good guys, the Combrogis or the Ravens. The Combrogis are blood thirsty warriors who butcher in battle and collect severed heads as trophies. The Ravens are supposedly more civilized and fight in organized legions but slaughter entire villages of men, women, and children.

Can Ursula maintain her disguise as a male warrior? Can Dan learn to control his anger long enough to figure out how to lift the veil of the yellow fog and return to their own world?

Read Warriors of Alavna by N. M. Browne

Year of the Hangman
by Gary Blackwood

In another novel of alternate history, the year is 1777, and the British forces have defeated the Continental Army. General Washington has been captured and is being held prisoner at an unknown location. Creighton, a fifteen-year-old boy has been wasting his life away at bars. He is sent to Charles Town so his uncle will shape him up. His uncle’s ship is captured by a group of American pirates led by Benedict Arnold and taken to New Orleans. There he meets Ben Franklin and other exiles living in New Orleans. Although he admires Mr. Franklin and actually enjoys working in the printing press, he wants desparately to return to his life in Britain. He thinks he discovers his opportunity while he discovers the underground paper, The Liberty Tree, in Mr. Franklin’s workshop. He sneaks a copy of it to his uncle in prison. His uncle talks him into bringing him a gun, and they escape. Creighton can’t believe it when his uncle refuses to take him with him. He returns to the printing press and hopes his uncle will return for him. He gradually accepts his fate and begins to admire Benjamin Franklin, Benedict Arnold and some of the other rebels. Creighton also learns that his own father was helping the rebels, and as it turned out, his father was betrayed by the same uncle who left him. A desire for revenge drives Creighton’s willingness to join in a plot to free General Washington.

Read The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood to discover what happens in this alternate version of our country’s history.

GHSLMC Home Booktalks LMC Collaborative Lessons Online Resources Research Guide Teacher Research Links	Gilbert High School Library Media Center
	Booktalks
	Heart to Heart: New Poems Inspired by Twentieth-Century American Art Edited by Jan Greenberg If you are looking for a stimulus for your students’ creativity, use this book as an example. Jan Greenberg uses poems commissioned to discuss 20^th century American art. Use your own favorite pictures, or one of the examples in this book as a catalyst for writing. Catalyst By Laurie Halse Anderson Kate Malone, straight A’s in science and math, father is a minister, mother died years ago, long-distance runner, boyfriend is Mitchell Pangborn III. Kate has lots in her life, but she is as well organized as the periodic table she loves. Or at least she tries to be. Sometimes though, there is a conflict between her precise scientific equations and the religious beliefs of her father who is a minister. Kate has been running the Malone household since her mother died, coping with an asthmatic little brother and helping her father in his church responsibilities. Her insomnia helps get things done, but sometimes the life of a high school senior trying to maintain relationships with her boyfriend, Mitchell Pangborn III, and her other friends. Her chief nemesis is Teri Lynch, the senior-class tough girl. (When they were young, Teri used to beat up Kate all the time.) Now Teri is one of the vo-tech students and definitely NOT in Kate’s social group. Kate has been begging her father to bring the MIT letter to school as soon as it comes, and the day he brings the skinny rejection letter serves as the catalyst for the rest of the story. The real reason Kate’s Dad has come to school has nothing to do with the letter. He has come to school to talk with the administrators about Teri Lynch and her home situation. Teri’s house has burned down, and Pastor Malone has invited Teri and her little brother Mikey to live with the Malones. How can Kate fit both the MIT rejection and the constant presence of the Lynch family into her well-ordered life? What reaction will occur as a result of The Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson? Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo Cheating Everybody does it The end justifies the means Cooperate and graduate Bernadette Terrell is as excited as anyone in her class when Mr. Malory announces that because of their high scores on the literary exams, they have been chosen as a competitor in the championship literary quiz bowl. And Bernadette’s scores are the highest! Bernadette has a secret crush on Mr. Malory, the literature teacher who looks as good as he sounds. That wonderful English accent makes the study of British literature so much easier. Intense training begins and the whole town is thrilled with this news. Wickham High is not an academic school, but now even the jocks are rooting for this academic team. Not only is this a chance to defeat the snobby private school, Pinehurst, in something, but each winning team member will receive a $10,000 scholarship. As the training progresses, something starts to bother Bernadette. How did she possibly score such a high score when there were questions on books she had never read? She is the smartest and has read more than anyone else, so how did the others get such high scores? As she discovers the trail the test papers took after the quiz was over, she gradually realizes someone she trusts has altered the scores. They really didn’t get those great scores, but what should Bernadette do? Should she rat out the cheater? Should she just hope that they won’t be embarrassed in the competition? Can she withdraw from the competition to save her moral principals? What will the other team members think of her if she lets them down? Loyalty, trust, ethics are all portrayed in shades of gray instead of easy black and white solutions in Cheating Lessons by Nan Willard Cappo. Double Helix by Nancy Werlin Eli Samuels also has to deal with an ethics situation. Eli is almost ready to graduate from high school and truly loves his girlfriend, Vivian. But he has not found the courage to tell her that his mother is insane. Her insanity is caused by the genetic problem called Huntington’s disease. There’s a 50-50 chance he has inherited the untreatable and incurable disease, but he has not been able to get the courage to be tested himself. Instead he decides to forego college for awhile and get a job. He impulsively sends an email to Novel-winning scientist Quincy Wyatt seeking a job at Wyatt Transgenics. Eli’s father is furious when Dr. Wyatt offers Eli a job and demands that he turn it down. Of course, Eli takes the job, and is so flattered when Dr. Wyatt takes a personal interest in him. But over time, Eli realizes there is more to Wyatt Transgenics than meets the eye. What’s more disturbing is the fact that there is some mystery involving Dr. Wyatt and Eli’s parents. A secret basement and Kayla, a beautiful co-worker who reminds Eli of his mother as a young girl, are all part of the intrigue involved in the bioethical thriller, Double Helix by Nancy Werlin. First Part Last by Angela Johnson Dating – those problems seem so insignificant now to sixteen-year-old Bobby and his girlfriend Nia. She’s pregnant, and their simple world of fun and friends is going to change drastically. How did things go so wrong? My parents had talked to me about respect and responsibility; we had the sex talk; Mom gave me all these pamphlets about STD’s and teenage pregnancy; my Dad even went with me to get condoms. How did this happen? Where was my head? Where was my sense? What the hell were we going to do? Now, the new rules of my life… If she hollers, she is mine. If she needs to be changed, she is always mine. In the dictionary next to “sitter,” there is not a picture of Grandma. It’s time to grow up. Too late, you’re out of time. Be a grown-up. Did I tell you about the time I forgot all about Feather? One of my friends called me up to go shoot some hoops, and I just left! I grabbed a basketball, zipped up my jacket and headed out the door. I got all the way down to the corner when I remembered I left Feather all alone. Man, what am I doing with a baby? I’m sitting here in the pediatrician’s office as a father – when I am still “eligible” to be here as a child? How did this happen? How am I going to manage this incredible responsibility – I’m still just a kid myself. Bobby has some tough decisions to make and tough lessons to learn as he, his family and friends come to grips with the reality of what happens in The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Not As Crazy As I Seem By George Harrar Devon Brown has another chance to begin once more at the new prestigious prep school in Boston where his parents have moved. Hopefully, the new surroundings and a new therapist will be able to help 15-year-old Devon learn to cope with his OCD. Other students have always teased Devon unmercifully about his obsessive compulsive behavior, which manifests itself when he eats his food in groups of fours, washes his hands frequently and has to have his books lined up perfectly. His new friends include Tanya, an African-American girl, and Ben, an angry boy with purple hair. When Ben decides to break into the school, Devon is drawn into a series of events that change his world. Once in the school, Devon’s fixation is to straighten the poster in biology class. But Ben has decided to spray-paint the word “Nazi” all over the school. A witness places Devon in the school, and Ben has disappeared. Devon cannot bring himself to name the guilty party. Will this episode put Devon over the edge? Read Not As Crazy As I Seem by George Harrar The Sand-Reckoner By Gillian Bradshaw Have you ever been so involved in thinking about something that you lost track of the world around you? Athletes talk about getting in a zone where all things converge for the perfect balance. Did you know that math-nerds can get in that same kind of zone? In the Sand-Reckoner, the famous mathematician, Archimedes, often becomes so entranced with his reckonings that he neglects the people around him. It frustrates him that others don’t understand what he is doing. In this fictionalized story, Archimedes has just come back home to Syracuse to be with his dying father, Phidias. Archimedes and his faithful servant Marcus have been in Alexandria for three years, where Archimedes has become famous for his invention of the water-snail, a spiral device that allowed water to be raised with minimal effort. Although this invention has been making lots of money, Archimedes has gotten bored with doing the same thing again and again. The combination of his father’s illness and the possible challenge of becoming a royal engineer for King Hieron of Syracuse as he prepares to defend his city against the Roman army sends Archimedes home. Although his family is almost destitute, Archimedes is convinced he can make a catapult better than the existing ones. He is so confident in his own abilities that he agrees to build one for no pay to establish his credibility. As the work progresses, the other engineers begin to resent his natural abilities. However, the king realizes that Archimedes’ talents are worth more than any price that could be paid. His dilemma is how he can keep Archimedes in Syracuse once his talents become well-known around the world. Can the other engineers outwit the brilliant Archimedes? Will the Roman slave, Marcus remain loyal to his master, Archimedes, or will he betray him when Syracuse is attacked by a group of Roman soldiers that include his own brother? Will King Herion use his beautiful talented sister as a lure for Archimedes? Will Archimedes attraction for the beautiful woman who is far above his class prove to be his downfall? Read more about the mathematician, Archimedes in The Sand-Reckoner by Gillian Bradshaw. Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson Did you know that in mythology, the salamander not only resists fire, but extinguishes it? Pliny believed that its body was cold enough to extinguish flames. The salamander is also considered the “king of fire” and as such was representative of Christ who would baptize with the flames of the Holy Spirit. Supposedly, the salamander could even live in the fire of a volcano. Peter Dickinson takes the elements of the mythological salamander to create a magical story set near Mount Etna in eighteenth-century Italy. After Alfredo’s entire family and home is destroyed by fire, he is content with the simple life of a Tuscan choir boy. His beautiful voice attracts the attention of the cathedral priests who decide it is necessary to castrate the boy to preserve the voice. In the nick of time, Uncle Giorgio, his father’s estranged brother shows up to rescue Alfredo. He takes him to live in the DiSalsa ancestral home on the slopes of Mount Etna. Uncle Giorgio is the Master of the Mountain, and knows the secrets to control the angry fires in the mountains. Part of the secret involves the singing salamanders. Uncle Giorgio has captured one of the salamanders and keeps it caged in a fire pit. He has also learned that the tears of the salamander form pure gold when cooled. The only other people living in the home are the slave, Annetto, and her “idiot” son Toni. It is obvious that Uncle Giorgio hates Annetto and Toni, but Alfredo discovers these two also have secrets. His gratitude towards Uncle Giorgio gradually turns to suspicion as Uncle Giorgio teacher Alfredo many of the secrets of the mountain. Alfredo, a brilliant student, discovers more secrets that Uncle Giorgio tells him, and realizes that Uncle Giorgio’s plans include using him to gain immortality. Anger, revenge, betrayal, and greed combine to create this new mythological tale. Read The Tears of the Salamander by Peter Dickinson Warriors of Alavna by N. M. Browne It was supposed to be a regular field trip to the battlefield of Hastings for a class of British students, but Ursula and Dan disappear into a yellow fog. Ursula is six-foot-tall and overweight. Dan is short and athletic. Ursula has always been an outsider, while Dan is a popular, smart jock. In this alternative world, Ursula cannot reveal she is female, and she becomes a warrior. Dan’s anger is violent and is become known and a “berserker.” They have been called to this time by Combrogi Princess Rhonwen. As the teens adjust to this world, they find it hard to decide who are the good guys, the Combrogis or the Ravens. The Combrogis are blood thirsty warriors who butcher in battle and collect severed heads as trophies. The Ravens are supposedly more civilized and fight in organized legions but slaughter entire villages of men, women, and children. Can Ursula maintain her disguise as a male warrior? Can Dan learn to control his anger long enough to figure out how to lift the veil of the yellow fog and return to their own world? Read Warriors of Alavna by N. M. Browne Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood In another novel of alternate history, the year is 1777, and the British forces have defeated the Continental Army. General Washington has been captured and is being held prisoner at an unknown location. Creighton, a fifteen-year-old boy has been wasting his life away at bars. He is sent to Charles Town so his uncle will shape him up. His uncle’s ship is captured by a group of American pirates led by Benedict Arnold and taken to New Orleans. There he meets Ben Franklin and other exiles living in New Orleans. Although he admires Mr. Franklin and actually enjoys working in the printing press, he wants desparately to return to his life in Britain. He thinks he discovers his opportunity while he discovers the underground paper, The Liberty Tree, in Mr. Franklin’s workshop. He sneaks a copy of it to his uncle in prison. His uncle talks him into bringing him a gun, and they escape. Creighton can’t believe it when his uncle refuses to take him with him. He returns to the printing press and hopes his uncle will return for him. He gradually accepts his fate and begins to admire Benjamin Franklin, Benedict Arnold and some of the other rebels. Creighton also learns that his own father was helping the rebels, and as it turned out, his father was betrayed by the same uncle who left him. A desire for revenge drives Creighton’s willingness to join in a plot to free General Washington. Read The Year of the Hangman by Gary Blackwood to discover what happens in this alternate version of our country’s history.

Gilbert High School Library Media Center

Booktalks