Night at the Museum

Written by Robert Grant. Directed and Produced by Shawn Levy. Starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney. 20th Century Fox, 2006. 108 minutes.

Plot Summary: Larry Daly is having a tough time with his life. He is a good person but nothing seems to be going his way. He gets a job as the night watchman in the famous Museum of Natural History in New York City. He hope that this will be just the thing to make him look better in the eyes of his son. His first night on the job however, is more than he bargained for when the artifacts come to life and begin wreaking havoc in the museum. The statue of Roosevelt explains to him that it is an ancient artifact that causes this phenomenon and that Larry is responsible for keeping the place in order and ensuring none of the artifacts escape. Larry brings his son in the next night in an attempt to impress him but is foiled when nothing comes to life. Larry discovers this is because the tablet responsible for the chaos is being stolen by the previous guards. More chaos ensues until the happy ending.

Critical Evaluation: This may not be the most complex or well made movie ever made, but it is a good choice for an entertaining family film. It is fairly well acted and there are moments of suspense and comedy that will keep the whole family watching. One can even argue that there is some educational value as it is set in the Natural History museum and viewers will see many familiar and well known artifacts on screen.

Viewer's Annotation: Larry Daly is the new night watchman at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. His first night on the job, he realizes that it is a much bigger job than he thought! He must try to keep order in the museum when all the artifacts come to life.

Genre: comedy, action, fantasy

Curriculum Ties: History

Booktalking Ideas: N/A

Interest Level: 8-14

Challenge Issues: None. If any, recommend researching the Museum of Natural history and/or reviews of the film.

Selection Process: I actually saw this on a plane!

Margaret in the Middle

Bernice Thurman Hunter. Scholastic 1986. ISBN: 978-0590736664.

Plot Summary: This is the second story in a trilogy about Margaret, an awkward adolescent who has come to the country to live with her Aunt and Uncle after a bout of TB. She quickly forms a special relationship with Star and through this relationship learns responsibility and the importance of love and relationships. Her younger sister, whom she has not seem since she left home, comes for a visit and Margaret resents having to share the attention she is used to receiving from her friends and her new family.


Critical Evaluation: This is a nice, simple story with a gentle moral. Margaret in the Middle is well written and allows the reader to feel empathy for the characters and learn from their mistakes.

Readers Annotation: Margaret, a 13 year old girl, is living with her aunt and uncle out in the country. She has a special relationship with Star, a working horse on the farm. The story focuses on her life on the farm and her relationships with family and friends.


Author Info: Bernice Thurman Hunter is a Canadian author that specializes in writing historical fiction geared toward tween and teen girls. She is the author of two trilogies: The Booky trilogy, and the Margaret trilogy. She is also the other of other works such as; The Girls They Left Behind, Amy's Promise, and The Runaway.


Genre: Fiction, Coming of age


Curriculum Ties: Canadian History


Book talking Ideas: Focus on relationships with pets, living away from home, and family.
Reading Level: 9-12

Challenge Issues: None. If any, could be recommended to research the time period the book takes place and reviews the the author and her work.


Why Selected: I read it years ago and wanted to re-read.

The Music of Dolphins

Karen Hesse. Scholastic Paperbacks. 1998. ISBN:978-0590897983

Plot Summary: Mila is an adolescent girl discovered off the coast of Florida living with a pack of dolphins. She is rescued and brought to be studied in a government facility. The story is told in the first person in Mila's halting English and outlines her feelings about rejoining the human world and the attempts of the doctors to make her more human than dolphin. Mila forms relationships with the people who are a part of her new life, including another feral child who is a victim of extreme abuse and neglect. Although her new relationships are mostly positive, her need to return to the sea and her dolphin family is so extreme that she is unable to assimilate into her new surroundings. The shifts in Mila's feelings and in her progress are effectively show in the change in text size and in the language used. Through this the reader is able to track her progress forward and then her decline as her desire to return to the sea become more intense and all consuming.

Critical Evaluation: This story will resonate with people of all ages, especially those who have ever felt that they haven't belonged or were unhappy with their life. The way the story is written in the first person makes it very easy for the reader to empathize with Mila and what she is going through. The story is very convincing and really delves into what makes us human and what makes us a part of the work around us. The language used in the story is somewhat unusual but suites Mila's character perfectly and really evokes her previous life and the sea.

Reader's Annotation: Mila is a young girl who is rescued after spending years being raised by dolphins. She struggles to successfully become a part of the human world but is unable to forget her dolphin family and her home.


Author Information: Karen Hesse is the other of several other books such as Just Juice, Letters from Rifka, and Out of the Dust, for which she won the 1998 Newberry Award.


Genre: Fiction, Coming of age

Curriculum Ties: English/Language development/Psychology


Booktalking Ideas: How would it feel to be raised by animals?Focus on relationships between Mila and the dolphins.


Reading Level: 9-14

Challenges: None. If any, could be encouraged to research reviews of the work or research on feral children.


Selection Process: Recommend by a friend