Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann

1996 Caldecott Medal Winner

Age Range:  K through 3rd grade

Officer Buckle and his police dog Gloria make a hilarious team in this book.  Officer Buckle shares his safety tips with the students of Napville School.  The children are usually very bored and often fall asleep--that is until Gloria comes along one day.  Gloria begins to add comedy and acts out the tips Officer Buckle is saying.  The kids fall in love with the team  and other schools begin to ask to hear Officer Buckle and Gloria's safety tips. 

Metafiction is present in this book through the playfulness that Gloria brings into the book.  Gloria adds comedy to the book and the kids love her as she helps the author get several safety tips across in this book.

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Age Range:  K through 3rd grade

With the way so many people read today moving to digital formats such as the Nook or Kindle, kids will love this book about a book.  There are two main characters in this book, a jackass and a monkey (a mouse plays a minor part).  The jackass and the monkey have a dialogue back and forth about the book the monkey is reading. The jackass tries to understand how the book works through asking questions like if it scroll's down, can it text or tweet, and does it need a password.  The jackass eventually reads the book and doesn't want to give it back to the monkey. 

This book is a great example of metafiction because it is a book that reflects on what a book is.  There is also a page from the book the monkey is reading featured in the book.  The book is playful through the dialogue between the jackass and the monkey. 

Here is a link for the book trailer from Amazon for this book:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m358EIEJ2K6MC1/ref=ent_fb_link. 
Here is a link for a clip from the author about this book:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m23D7IGMH6ISVL/ref=ent_fb_link

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Age Range:  Young Adult

Wow--this book is a completely new twist on a classic fairy tale.  The author, Adam Gidwitz, ties together different stories from the Brothers Grimm using the classic story of Hansel and Gretel.  Young adults that have heard the traditional version of Hansel and Gretel will enjoy hearing how their story really began and what happens to them after they leave the old ladies house that tries to cook them in the oven and then eat them.  Their story continues and many exciting and scary events happen to them.  Gretel has to cut off her own finger and has a part in a man being boiled alive.  Hansel gets turned into a beast that is shot and goes to Hell himself.  There is even a dragon they have to battle near the end of this book.  Throughout the book, the reader will wonder if Hansel and Gretel will get their happily-ever-after.

This book is a great example of metafiction.  The author directly interacts with the reader throughout the book.  The bold typed words that are interjected throughout the book are when the author directly talks to the reader.  By using this format, the author makes the book more interactive, suspenseful, and adds to the reader's understanding of the story.  Young adults will be drawn into this suspenseful and sometimes gory story and enjoy a new, creative way to read a fairy tale.

The Freak Observer by Blythe Woolston

Age Range:  Young Adult

The Freak Observer is a book about coping with tragedy and finding a way to move past it. The main character, Loa is 16 years old and had to deal with several tragedies over the last few years.  The book begins with her coping with the death of her friend, Esther.  Loa was there when Esther died and has a hard time moving past this incident.  After Esther's death, Loa is given an extra credit project in her physics class to make up points.  She chooses The Freak Observer (Boltzmann Brain) and the book often refers back to this assignment.  Throughout the book Loa also explains the tragedy that occurred in her own family.  Her younger sister, Asta,  had Rett Syndrome and had to be constantly cared for by each member of the family.  Asta becomes the center of the family.  Once she dies the family falls apart as each of them tries to find a way to cope and move past this death.  Loa has PTSD and cannot sleep.  When she does she has awful nightmares and dreams of the Bony Guy (death). She tries to constantly stay awake so that she does not have nightmares.  She has a relationship with her debate partner, Corey, who suddenly has to move to Europe.  He periodically sends her postcards from abroad.  Her new friendship with Jack helps her move on.

Metafiction is present in this book through the opening page to each chapter.  A physics theory typically opens the chapter that makes the reader wonder how the chapter will tie in with the theory.  The book also provokes the question about whether Loa will be alright and be able to cope with her life.  In the end, the reader gets to see a small change in Loa that gives a glimmer of hope that she will be OK.

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan

Pura Belpre Award Winner

Age Range:  Grades 5-8

This book recently won the 2011 Pura Belpre Award.  This is an amazing work of fiction based on the life of the world-known poet, Pablo Neruda. The book has many poems throughout with unique illustrations.  The entire book is printed and illustrated with green tones.  Pablo Neruda only wrote in green ink because it is the color of hope.

The book begins with the younger years of  Neftali Reyes.  He loves books and often writes down words that he likes on scrap pieces of paper that he keeps in a drawer.  He lives in Chile with his family.  Neftali constantly daydreams and often becomes distracted.  His father works for the railroad and is very strict on the children. They all seem afraid of him and rarely see a gentle side to him.  He is very intimidating and makes Neftali focus on his studies.  His father does not value Neftali's talent for writing and poetry.  Neftali always remains true to himself and finds time, even during the summers his family would spend at the beach, to read and write.  Neftali is later sent to the university to study business.  He eventually changes his name to Pablo Neruda so that his writing will no longer bring disappointment to his family.  Neftali goes on to be one of the most well-known poets in the world.  Metafiction is present in this book through Neftali himself.  The book provokes questions and makes the reader wonder if Neftali will ever be able to escape his father and write the way he wants to be able to.  It also makes the reader think of the open imaginary possibilities about what Neftali may become one day.  The poems themselves within this book are playful and often form their own picture in the book.  It was amazing to see a glimpse of this great poet's life through this book.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

John Newbery Medal 2011 Winner

Age Range:  Grades 5-8

This is a wonderful story that switches back and forth between Manifest, Kansas in 1936 back to the town in 1917.  Abilene has grown up with only her dad, Gideon. They move from town to town while he works railroad jobs.  After an illness, Gideon sends Abilene away to Manifest without him.  She lives with the town's interim minister, Shady.  At Shady's house she finds a box under the floorboard in her room that contains various trinkets and letters between two men, Jinx and Ned.  Abilene later finds herself having to work off a debt to Miss Sadie, who is known as a diviner.  Miss Sadie shares the story of the town back in 1917 and the story of Ned and Jinx.  Through the story, Abilene gets to know the town and the people that lived there.  Most of them were immigrants from various different countries.  Throughout Miss Sadie's story, Abilene tries to find pieces of her father and his past.  She also wonders where she belongs and if Gideon will return for her.  This book is well-deserving of the Newbery Medal.  I loved how in the end, Abilene ends up where she belongs.  This book has several qualities of metafiction.  It provokes questions throughout the entire story that Miss Sadie shares with Abilene.  The reader wonders if Jinx or Ned could have something to do with Abilene...could one of them be her father?  By switching back and forth between the present and the story of the past there is a story within a story and gives the reader a glimpse of what life was like in 1917.

The Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein

Caldecott Medal Honor Book

Age range:  Grades K-3

The Interrupting Chicken is a playful, funny book that children will love!  The water colored illustrations are bright and colorful with different shades of red, green, and browns throughout.  The story begins with the Papa chicken trying to get the little red chicken to go to bed.  The Papa chicken reads many stories to little red chicken such as Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, and Chicken Little.  The little red chicken interrupts each story with his version of the ending to that story.  Little red chicken decides to tell Papa a story when they run out of stories.  I loved the twist at the end of the book.  Children will love the little red chicken and laugh throughout this book!  Metafiction is present in this book because there are books within this one book.  The little red chicken is playful and offers a twist to the ending of each of these stories so that they can move on to the next one.  This book would also provide a great writing project where students could write alternate endings to their favorite fairy tales. 

Alchemy and Meggy Swan by Karen Cushman

Age Range:  Grades 5-8

Meggy Swann is a 13 year old girl who is sent to London to be with her father.  Meggy's grandmother is dead and her own mother is happy to see her go.  The story is set in Elizabethan London in 1573.  Meggy has bilateral hip dysplasia and must use walking sticks to get around.  Her only friend her goose, Louise, has a slipped wing and cannot fly.  Meggy's father is unhappy that she is not a boy and that she is crippled.  Her father, Master Ambrose, is an alchemist who attempts to turn metal to gold and find the elixir of life.  He is obsessed with his work and sinks all of his money into his research.  Meggy helps her father in his laboratory and runs errands for him.  Meggy is forced to virtually make it on her own in London.  Over time, she makes many friends through Roger, the Grimm family, the Cooper's family, and the Allen family.  Meggy becomes stronger and more independent as the story unfolds.  She sings and prints an original ballad to help save her father and a Baron.  Metafiction is displayed through the imaginary possibility that Meggy's father might actually find the elixir of life and also be able to turn medal to gold.  This book also provokes questions of whether Meggy will be able to make it in London with a father that does not care for her.  The transformation that Meggy makes from the beginning of the book to the end is amazing. 

Here is a link for a video where the author talks about and gives insight into this book:  http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m3U9YQM746MIL0/ref=ent_fb_link