Neil Armstrong is My Uncle

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Neil Armstrong is My Uncle Other Lies Muscle
Man McGinty Told Me

• By Nan Marino
• Interactive Novel
• PowerPoint

Power Point Presentation created by Stacey Graham
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Synopsis

• "Muscle Man McGinty is a squirrelly runt, a lying
  snake, and a pitiful excuse for a ten-year
  old......the problem is that no one knows it but
  me. In the entire town of Massapequa Park, only I
  can see him for what he really is. A phony.
• It's the summer of 1969, and things are not only
  changing in Tamara's little Long Island town, but
  in the world. Perhaps Tamara could stand to take
  one small step toward a bit of compassion and
  understanding?

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Cover Talk

• Based on the cover of the book, answer the
  following questions
• In what time period does the story take place, in
  your opinion? Why?
• What can you predict about the main character in
  the book? Why?
• What can you predict about the themes in the
  book? Why?
• Why do you think the author used this color
  scheme?
• Why do you think the author used this font for
  the title?

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Setting

• The story takes place in Massapequa, New York
  during the summer of 1969.
• It begins on the first day of summer, marked by
  the much anticipated arrival of the ice cream
  truck.
• Most events of the story take place in and around
  the neighborhood where the main characters live.
  
• How does the setting (the when and where of the
  story) effect the main character? Why?

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Man on the Moon
In the Summer of 1969, Neil Armstrong became the
first man to walk on the moon. He said the
historic words, "One small step for man, one
giant leap for mankind." What did he mean by
this statement? Why do you think the astronaut,
Buzz Aldrin, referred to the moon as
magnificient desolation? How does this
statement connect to the story, in your opinion?
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Initiating Event

• What is it?
• The events or actions that set further events
  in the story in motion.
• The initiating event in the story occurs in the
  beginning few chapters. It is when ice cream
  truck arrives in their neighborhood signaling he
  beginning of their summer.
• The rest of the story is focused upon the events
  that occur during this memorable summer and how
  these events impact the characters in the story.
• Why is the summer so important to kids? How do
  you feel about your summers? Why?

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Main Characters

• The main characters are Tamara and Muscle Man
  McGinty.
• Other characters include the other kids in the
  neighborhood (MaryBeth, Billy, Big Danny),
  Tamaras mom and brother, and various adults from
  their neighborhood (Mr. Pizzarelli).
• Choose one character to describe in as much
  detail as possible and draw a sketch of this
  character. Include a border of objects
  associated with this character.

Character Description
Character Sketch
Dont forget to add a border of objects
associated with the character you choose to
describe and sketch!
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Protagonist and Antagonist

• What is the protagonist?
• The protagonist is the main character of the
  story, everything in the story revolves around
  him/her/it.
• Who is the protagonist of this story? Why?
• What is the antagonist?
• The antagonist is the character (or force) that
  opposes the protagonist.
• Who (or what) is the antagonist of this story?
  Why?
• Some would argue the antagonist of this story is
  a force acting against the characters and not a
  person. Why is this? Which do you think it is?
  Why?

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Rising Actions

• What is it?
• The series of events that lead to the climax
  of the story, usually the conflicts or struggles
  of the protagonist.
• Rising actions occur between the Initiating Event
  and the Climax.
• Work with a partner and answer the following
  question
• What are at least 4 rising actions that lead us
  toward the climax in this story? Why?

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Climax

• What is it?
• The climax of the story is when the conflict of
  the plot is resolved. It is often the most
  exciting part of the story. It is sometimes
  referred to as the turning point of the story,
  when the plot changes for better or worse for the
  protagonist, or main character. Often, the
  antagonist is defeated in the climax.
• What is the climax of this story, in your
  opinion? Why?

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Falling Actions

• What is it?
• Falling action is what results from the climax
  and how the characters deal with it.
• Falling actions occur between the climax and the
  resolution of the story.
• Work with a partner and answer the following
  question
• What are at least 2 falling actions that lead us
  away from the climax in this story? Why?

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Resolution

• What is it?
• It is the end of the story and it occurs after
  the climax. It is when you learn what happens
  to the characters after the conflict has been
  resolved.
• What happens to Tamara and Douglas at the end of
  the book? Why?
• Do you think their relationship with one another
  will remain the same? Why or why not?
• Write a short epilogue for this book explaining
  what you think will happen to the main characters
  after the story ends.

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Mood

• What is it?
• It refers to the general feeling the reader
  gets when reading the story.
• What is the mood of the story, in your opinion?
  Why?
• What is it?
• The theme of a story is what the author is
  trying to convey in other words, the central
  idea of the story. Short stories often have
  just one theme, whereas novels usually have
  multiple themes. The theme of a story is woven
  all the way through the story, and the
  characters' actions, interactions, and
  motivations all reflect the story's theme.
• What are the themes in this story, in your
  opinion? Why?

Themes
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Genre

• This book is a work of Historical Fiction.
• What is Historical Fiction?
• Historical FictionStories which take place in
  a particular time period in the past.  Often the
  basic setting is real, but the characters are
  fictional. Readers can gain an understanding of
  the past and relive past events vicariously.
  Some of the events in historical fiction books
  could actually have occurred. There are also
  real people written in as characters in some
  books of historical fiction.
• What other books of this genre have you read?

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Author Information

• Nan Marino grew up in Massapequa, New York, the
  same town as Jerry Seinfeld, the Baldwin
  brothers, and the musical group, The Stray Cats.
  Nan spent her childhood daydreaming in oak trees
  and on top of garage roofs. She did come down to
  earth for an occasional game of kickball. A
  librarian with degrees in library science and
  educational technology, Nan lives at the Jersey
  shore, with her husband and a very energetic dog.
• What else would you like to know about this
  author?

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Cover Analysis

• After reading the book, re-evaluate the cover
  and answer the following questions
• Is this a good cover design, in your opinion?
  Why or why not?
• Why do you think the publisher chose this
  particular cover design?
• What clues about the story does this cover
  provide?

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Reviews and Recommendations

• Some of the reviews written for this book,
  include
• "Nan Marino may be a debut author, but she's
  obviously a born storyteller. You will
  immediately feel at home with her characters,
  you'll ache right along with them, and you won't
  be able to leave their stories behind." -
  Patricia Reilly Giff
• Starred Review It is rare to have a story told
  with sympathy from the viewpoint of a bully. This
  debut novel, set in upstate New York in the
  summer of 1969, does just that with wit and a
  light touch that never denies the storys
  sorrows. Tammy, 10, is stuck at home with her
  cold parents while her brother is away in
  Vietnam. In her first-person narrative, she
  reveals the hurt and loneliness that fuel her
  anger as she targets the new, skinny kid,
  Douglas, who has moved into a foster home on the
  block. She mocks him for telling wild lies he is
  training for the Olympics his uncle is Neil
  Armstrong, about to walk on the moon and more.
  The other kids, including the snotty girls from
  the loving family next door, let him be. Why is
  Tammy so furious? Gradually the reader sees that
  she blames Douglas for the disappearance of her
  beloved only friend, a foster kid who moved away
  without telling Tammy why and where she was
  going. Douglas is a bit too nice, but he messes
  up when he tries to help Tammy, and many readers
  will recognize the muddled and caring gestures
  among friends and enemies. Grades 3-6. --Hazel
  Rochman
• Write your own recommendation for this book. Who
  do you think should read this book? Why?
• Give a star rating

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Visit the Website

• If you would like to explore the world of Nan
  Marino and see the other books she has written,
  you can visit the authors website!

http//www.nanmarino.com/

The site has a lot of great places to explore!
Including a blog by the author. See
below! Welcome to Ramble Street Ramble Street
is a location in my debut middle-grade novel.
It's also the place on the world wide web where I
get to, well, ramble... Taken from
http//nanmarino.blogspot.com/