Bad Island by Doug TenNapel

Synopsis from Doug TenNapel's website:

Something on this island is up to no good . . .

When Reese is forced to go on a boating trip with his family, the last thing he expects is to be shipwrecked on an island-especially one teeming with weird plants and animals. But what starts out as simply a bad vacation turns into a terrible one, as the castaways must find a way to escape while dodging the island's dangerous inhabitants. With few resources and a mysterious entity on the hunt, each secret unlocked could save them...or spell their doom. One thing Reese knows for sure: This is one Bad Island.

My Thoughts:
Sometimes graphic novels are the gateway into a love of reading for some of my non-readers. I really enjoyed TenNapel's other graphic novels, Ghostopolis and Cardboard so when I came across this at the library this weekend, I had to grab it for a Spring Break afternoon read. It would require some scaffolding for struggling readers because of the split narratives, but overall it's an interesting story. I would definitely recommend starting with Cardboard though if you're first starting with TenNapel's works.

Codename Zero by Chris Rylander

Synopsis from Chris Rylander's website:
From the publisher:

From Chris Rylander, author of The Fourth Stall, comes an incredibly funny and clever mash-up of middle-grade school story and spy adventure, in the vein of H.I.V.E. and NERDS.

There are places in the world where heroes are born. There are places where brave men and women fight a never-ending battle against evil in order to keep our country and all other countries safe. There are places where the fate of our planet is being decided, even at this very moment, the consequences of which will echo through history.

None of these places is in North Dakota.

Carson Fender, seventh grader and notorious prankster, knows this. He’s lived in North Dakota for his entire life, going to the same boring school every day, the same boring movie theater every week, the same boring state fair every year. Nothing ever changes, and nothing ever happens. That is, until today. Because today a desperate man hands him a package with a dire set of instructions. And that package is going to lead Carson to discover that there’s a secret government agency operating in his small, quiet North Dakota hometown.

And that this agency needs his help.

My Thoughts:

Codename Zero is a great read for middle school boys. I'm always on the lookout for recommendations for my boy readers (I think they get tired of my dystopian shero book recs). I've read aloud The Fourth Stall for several years and I think Rylander is becoming an even better writer (faster-paced action, shorter chapters, and even better humor). CZ brings together Anthony Horowitz-type spy gadgets with Jon Szieska-ish humor. I particularly LOVED the character Olek and his hilarious screw-ups of English sayings ("Is okay, as they say, early bird get many intestine worms in guts."). I can't wait to book talk this one when break is over! Side note: Rylander is a great author to Skype with! (See my students' reactions a couple of weeks ago when our librarian set up a Skype with him after finishing TFS).

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Synopsis (from Author's website):
August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

My Thoughts:
Wonder was powerful. RJ Palacio wrote a beautiful story about a beautiful human
.
I'm so glad my school librarian shared this book with me, and was even more excited when she told me that RJ Palacio was at Anderson's Bookshop the same week I bought the book. I hadn't even read it before the author visit, but I was moved by the stories that people shared and the emotion behind the questions that were asked. I began reading it immediately after.

This book has struck a chord with so many people that it has spurred an anti-bullying movement on tumblr called "Choose Kind". You can click the badge below and read more about the campaign.

If you have this book, move it to the top of your TBR pile. If you think you don't have time to read another book this summer, do yourself a favor and find a copy of Wonder.


In the Classroom:
Each chapter is written from the viewpoint of a different character in Auggie's life, but it starts with artwork of that character's likeness and is written in such a completely unique voice, that even younger readers will be able to follow the switches.

I hope every teacher picks up a copy of this book and finds some way to use it in their classroom. I plan on using it as a read aloud this year! The cover and chapter art is dynamic enough to be noticed just sitting on your shelf, but you may be surprised which kids will pick it up after you book talk it.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 7/2/12

From Teach Mentor Texts:

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

After doing the meme for a couple of weeks, we realized this would be a fun meme to start up with a kidlit focus - anyone reading and reviewing books in children's literature - it can be picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, you name it in the world of kidlit and it's in! We have loved being a part of this meme and we hope you do too! We encourage everyone participating to go and visit the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and to comment on as many posts as you can. We love talking books and believe in sharing and discussing what we're reading. We hope you join us!

Last Week I Dived Into...
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. This was a pleasant surprise. I hadn't planned on reading it, but got caught without a book. Thank goodness for my Kindle app on my phone! I got a good chunk of this read in the car and finished it after our trip. 
Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a graphic novel, one of just a handful I've read for middle readers. It's cute because it grew from the author's real life experiences struggling with teeth drama.

As for adult books, I got into Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn after seeing her at Anderson's Bookshop in Naperville. She rocked. Her book rocks. I also finished How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life by the Dalai Lama, The Walking Dead, Book One by Robert Kirkman, and some little book you've probably never heard of, I forget the title 75 Hues of Blue or something.

This Week I'm Diving Into...

Finishing The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson, Legend by Marie Lu (never got to last week with so many books from friends I needed to get back), and White Lilacs by Carolyn Meyer.

Adult reads include Labor Day by Joyce Maynard.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

From Teach Mentor Texts:

It's Monday! What are you Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journeys. It is a great way to recap what you read and/or reviewed the previous week and to plan out your reading and reviews for the upcoming week. It's also a great chance to see what others are reading right now…who knows, you might discover that next “must read” book!

After doing the meme for a couple of weeks, we realized this would be a fun meme to start up with a kidlit focus - anyone reading and reviewing books in children's literature - it can be picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels, you name it in the world of kidlit and it's in! We have loved being a part of this meme and we hope you do too! We encourage everyone participating to go and visit the other kidlit book bloggers that link up and to comment on as many posts as you can. We love talking books and believe in sharing and discussing what we're reading. We hope you join us!

Last Week I Dived Into...
Insurgent by Veronica Roth is the sequel to Divergent. It was an enjoyable sequel, and the last page definitely left me hanging. I look forward to the final book in the trilogy (title TBA!).

I also read a YA nonfiction book called Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World. This was a fabulous, quick read!  It has short chapters that highlight Temple Grandin's childhood struggles, as well as how her autism helped her become the success she is today. It had a lot of information about autism and how society's perception has changed. The book also highlighted Grandin's huge contributions to animal welfare and the numerous advances that developed in the food industry because of her inventions. A fabulous, fabulous, fabulous read!

This Week I'm Diving Into...

Today I hope to finish 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson. I wasn't planning on reading the Temple Grandin book so quickly on our weekend trip, and I was left without a book! I found 13 Little ....  in my Kindle App unread, so I thought, why not? It's a fun read so far.

Tuesday I hope to get my hands on a copy of Smile  by Raina Telgemeir on a recommendation from our school librarian. Wednesday, I hope to read Legend  by Marie Lu.

As for adult books, I'm going to finish reading the Dalai Lama's How to Practice the Way to a Meaningful Life. I'm also going to Anderson's Bookshop on Thursday to see author Gillian Flynn and get my hands on her new book, Gone Girl. 

Look for these Reviews later this week...

Summer Reads - Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis (from book jacket):
In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the YA scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My Thoughts:
I couldn't get my hands on my own copy of Divergent, because as soon as I showed it to my students, it went from one reader to the next until school was out. Even though I have this all to myself the rest of summer, I am just like the kids...I have to read it NOW because everyone else has read it before me. Summer reading Goal #1: Read Divergent and then immediately after, that shiny new Insurgent that I got on May 1st (Bad Teacher Admission: I didn't take Insurgent to school because I wanted it all for myself! It was just so pretty, and my Divergent copy now, is so not.)

My "well-loved" copy of Divergent

Back to the book. Oh, the book. Now I know why our school librarian raved about this book in August. She even said (gasp!) she might like it more than The Hunger Games. I have to (double gasp) admit that I kind of agree! I didn't write about how I felt while reading The Hunger Games because I was too obsessed about getting my hands on Catching Fire, that I didn't even stop to reflect on it. And now, I find myself in the same situation! I am already 200 pages into Insurgent and I had to physically stop myself from jumping back into it this morning so that I could do this write-up about Divergent! Just like with any obsessive YA book craze, the crush I had on The Hunger Games four years ago feels just like that, a crush from four years ago. And now Divergent is like that new hottie that just moved in and blows the old crush out of the water. I still love The Hunger Games; it's on my students' Battle of the Books list, and we went on a field trip this year to see the film version, but I am ready to jump onto the Divergent train. (Ah! Totally unintended pun!)

It was a super-quick read, and very fast-paced. I know why my students flew through it so quickly. The plot is non-stop action. It's basically like this: revelation, life-altering decision, devastation, life and death situation, kiss, repeat. There's no down time to catch your breath, but I was okay with that. I liked being just as breathless and stressed out as Tris. I do wish I pictured the setting as Chicago more. It wasn't until a landmark was mentioned, that I was like, Oh yeah, future Chicago. That was kind of a bummer, and I don't know if it was my own (lack of) visualization or the fact that besides the trains and the Hancock Building stunts, most of the setting took place inside the Dauntless headquarters.

Anywa, a great summer read! I just wish I had read it last summer so I could have talked about it all year with my students.



In the Classroom:
This book was on my classroom shelf, and though I hadn't read it, my colleagues had, so I put my faith in them. I think it is appropriate for upper middle school. I would suggest it to boys and girls (I only had one boy pick it up this year, but that's because I had some feisty girl readers who Tris'ed their way into getting their hands on it.) This school year I will definitely recommend it to more boys looking for their Hunger Games fix and for my dystopian-loving girls (like me!)

P.S. - Saw Veronica Roth this weekend at the Chicago Tribune Printer's Row Lit Fest. She is so cool! She's very funny and had a chic little bob, which I wish I could pull off. She described herself as a Harry Potter nerd, which made me love her even more. This picture doesn't do her personality justice. Believe me, find a clip of her talking about the book, and your kids will love her too.

She's more smiley than this!

Top 10 of 2011 (Ok...top 20)

In no particular order....

Young Adult:
Revolution - Jennifer Donnelly
Fourth Stall - Chris Rylander
Everlost - Neal Shusterman
The Maze Runner - James Dashner
Tell Us We're Home - Marina Budhos
Across the Universe - Beth Revis
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan
Wither - Lauren DeStefano
The Rock and the River - Kekla Magoon
Wild Things - Clay Carmichael


Adult Fiction/NonFiction:
Snowman - Jo Nesbo
Mr. Peanut - Adam Ross
The Bells - Richard Harvell
Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
Columbine - Dave Cullen
Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
The Help - Kathryn Stockett
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
The Leftovers - Tom Perotta

Summer of Books!

My LA partner and I wanted to get books in our kids' hands one last time before Summer Break! Our kids love hearing book talks, and we love giving them, so we created a PowerPoint with recent releases, summer releases, and favorite authors coming into town.  We also included book trailers we found online (which do not show up in the presentation below, but were awesome!), as well as information about summer reading programs through our library and the community.  It was a great way to end the school year and welcome in a Summer of Reading!

Summer of Books

Slice #24 - The Sound of a New Book

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I've been in a debate with myself for weeks over the decision to purchase an e-Reader.  I thought I could never enjoy the book experience digitally, but recently I have been branching out with my reading.  Not branching out through the genre I'm reading, but through the mode.  I just started my first audiobook (The Help by Kathryn Stockett)! I've read samples of books I might want to buy print copies of on the Kindle app on my iPhone (The New Sweet Valley Twins Confidential by Pascal and Unbroken by Hillenbrand)!

Now, I don't see my new obsession with these many modes of reading to be turning my back on the book.  On the contrary! I get to experience MORE books than ever before! I read while driving (audiobook). I read before bed (print book). I read wherever and whenever I have down time (iPhone). It's a bibliophile's dream! (daydream?)

Now, with all my gushing about my new multimodal reading habits, I have to share my favorite recent entcounter: the crack.

Yes, the crack.  It is one of my favorite sounds in the world.  It's a sound that can't be imitated by anything else.  (Wait, what is the sound of a black hole opening?)  Yes, it's the sound of opening a new book.  No matter how excited I get about my new reading experiences, this sound will always bring me back.  The print book will never go away, because I know that I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Synopsis from B&N:
Abilene Tucker feels abandoned. Her father has put her on a train, sending her off to live with an old friend for the summer while he works a railroad job. Armed only with a few possessions and her list of universals, Abilene jumps off the train in Manifest, Kansas, aiming to learn about the boy her father once was.


Having heard stories about Manifest, Abilene is disappointed to find that it’s just a dried-up, worn-out old town. But her disappointment quickly turns to excitement when she discovers a hidden cigar box full of mementos, including some old letters that mention a spy known as the Rattler. These mysterious letters send Abilene and her new friends, Lettie and Ruthanne, on an honest-to-goodness spy hunt, even though they are warned to “Leave Well Enough Alone.”

Abilene throws all caution aside when she heads down the mysterious Path to Perdition to pay a debt to the reclusive Miss Sadie, a diviner who only tells stories from the past. It seems that Manifest’s history is full of colorful and shadowy characters—and long-held secrets. The more Abilene hears, the more determined she is to learn just what role her father played in that history. And as Manifest’s secrets are laid bare one by one, Abilene begins to weave her own story into the fabric of the town.


My Thoughts:
Clare Vanderpool was inspired to write Moon Over Manifest because of a book she saw about stolen maps that started with the quote from Moby Dick, "It is not down in any map; true places never are."


This book, for me, created a very true place.  It created a very true place for many readers; that is a hometown.  A town where everyone has a story, and everyone knows your story-- and knows, perhaps, more than you.  There is something intriguing about what came before you.  What happened before you came into the world.  Stories that our parents, aunts, uncles, neighbors know that we don't. Histories. I thought that Vanderpool weaved this story so well, and revealed it through Miss Sadie's stories so that you discovered the story just as Abilene did. 

The main character, Abilene, was such a paradox.  She felt like an outsider in this place where her past and her connection to Manifest was deep, though she didn't know it.  Readers who have never found their roots in one place can respond to Abilene's feelings of displacement.  That feeling of, where do I belong?  On the other hand, readers who are from a small town and find themselves irrevocably connected to that life can appreciate the claustrophobic-like connection of the people of Manifest.


"Miss Sadie breathed in again. 'He comes to America on a boat, yes.  But to Manifest, he comes by train.  A train for orphans.  He stays with the Sisters for a time.  Sister Redempta cares for him.  But he is a little boy, five years old, of undetermined nationality, so he belongs to all the people.  Of course, it is Hadley Gillen, the widower hardware store owner, who adopts him as his own.  But the town grows to love the boy and imagine that his future can be theirs as well.' "

******

"It also bothered me that I didn't have a story. 'Telling a story ain't hard,' Lettie had said. 'All you need is a beginning, middle, and end.'

But that was the problem. I was all middle.  I'd always been between the last place and the next.  How was I supposed to come up with a story for Sister Redempta or even a 'Remember when...' to reminisce on with somebody else? But then, I wouldn't be here when school started anyway, I reminded myself."


In the Classroom:
This book is appropriate for middle grade readers who can stick with a story.  It is not action-packed or very suspenseful, but a reader who can follow multiple story lines and can handle a story with a lot of flashbacks will really enjoy this beautiful book.

Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos

Synopsis from B&N.com:Jaya, Maria, and Lola are just like the other eighth-grade girls in the wealthy suburb of Meadowbrook, New Jersey. They want to go to the spring dance, they love spending time with their best friends after school, sharing frappÉs and complaining about the other kids. But there’s one big difference: all three are daughters of maids and nannies. And they go to school with the very same kids whose families their mothers work for.

That difference grows even bigger—and more painful—when Jaya’s mother is accused of theft and Jaya’s small, fragile world collapses.

When tensions about immigrants start to erupt, fracturing this perfect, serene suburb, all three girls are tested, as outsiders—and as friends. Each of them must learn to find a place for themselves in a town that barely notices they exist.
Marina Budhos gives us a heartbreaking and eye-opening story of friendship, belonging, and finding the way home.

My Thoughts:
Overall, I enjoyed the novel Tell Us We're Home.  I appreciated that Budhos included the stories of three girls from different minority backgrounds.  Maria from Mexico, Jaya from Trinidad, and Lola from Slovakia.  She didn't rely on stereotypes for the background stories of the girls.  They had unique families who I think are shown struggling with issues that many American families face.  Depression, money issues, unemployment.

As a minority who grew up in a mostly middle-upper class, mostly-white community, I was able to emphathize with the characters of Jaya, Maria, and Lola.  The only difference for me was that I felt untied to any culture in particular, and struggled to figure out how I fit into my environment at school and with friends.  I had to learn a lot from observing others in how to act, talk, and develop.  I think I still struggle with issues of culture, even as an adult, living in the same area I grew up, but teaching students who come from a more culturally rich background and maybe expect me to share their history - which I (in some ways, unfortunately) don't.


She touched on one nerve that really hit home for me and spoke truths that I didn't realize I held. This scene describes Maria at the home of a sympathetic, well-off boy who she is tutoring in Spanish.  This is her first visit to his home:

"She noticed, hanging on one wall, large framed black-and-white photographs of a little boy - Tash, she realized. They weren't the usual snapshots or posed pictures her own family took at the photography studio in Union City, all the cousins in frilly dresses and suits, gathered stiffly before a frosted blue backdrop.  These were like glamorous Ralph Lauren advertisements.  Tash at the beach pushing his toes into the sand; close-up Tash laughing on a swimg; moody shirtless teenage Tash reading on a screened-in porch.  All together they made a silent film story of Tash, its plotline clear: This boy's life is marvelous and picturesque.  It gave Maria a tiny sore pain, realizing how this was another way to be rich.  His parents gave him back his own self, strung from these beautiful images, and crafted into a story.  It's as if they were saying, This is who you are to the world.  Everything about you matters."

Beautiful.

In the Classroom:
This book is appropriate for middle school girls.  There are one or two instances of questionable language, but other than that, the situations and dialogue are appropriate for middle grades. I would put it on my classroom shelf.


One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

One Crazy Summer has been named:

2011 Coretta Scott King Award Winner
2011 Newbery Honor Book
2011 Scott O’Dell Prize for Historical Fiction
2010 National Book Award Finalist
Junior Library Guild Selection
Texas Library Association Best Book for 2010

From the Jacket Knack blog:
We LOVE the cover. You should see it in real life because the image here doesn't capture the colors right -- the reds are so saturated in real life; heat practically radiates off of the jacket. I recently asked the cover artist, the talented Sally Wern Comport, to tell us about what went into creating the cover art. What follows is her thoughtful reply, which pulls back the curtain on what-all goes on when an artist approaches a cover project.





Summary from B&N.com:
Set during one of the most tumultuous years in recent American history, one crazy summer is the heartbreaking, funny tale of three girls in search of the mother who abandoned them-an unforgettable story told by a distinguished author of books for children and teens, Rita Williams-Garcia.



My Review:
Just as Jacket Knack says, not only does the cover radiate heat, but the entire novel radiates a warmth missing from a lot of books lately.  Thankfully, I picked up this book just as we are experiencing some extended winter weather in Chicago.  Williams-Garcia's descriptions of the girls' summer in Oakland/San Francisco bring me back to a warmer time.

The characters are dynamic, realistic, and funny.  Anyone with sisters (particularly if you are an older sister) can relate to the nuances of inter-sibling politics.  And anyone who has ever had to be the caretaker for younger siblings can share in Delphine's struggles.

This is a great read for a chilly weekend if you're looking for a clean, simple, and warm story.

XVI by Julia Karr

Title: XVI
Author: Julia Karr
Pages: 325
Debut Month: January
Completed: March 5, 2011

For my January pick, I read XVI by Julia Karr.  This book piqued my interest because Karr is a Chicago author.  Better yet, the setting is a futuristic Chicago! And I love SciFi!

Summary from Karr's website:
"In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad."


Review:
Very early on in the story, I felt bombarded by futuristic versions of common terms ('letes for athletes, verts for advertisements, trannies for cars/transportation).  Either I became numb to the terms or they were coming at the reader less frequently as the story went on; but luckily, I somehow got passed the neo-vocab to get to the story.

Most of the characters were flat, though I'm not sure that was the intention.  The end of the novel left so many questions unanswered and so many storylines hanging that we were never able to see the characters fully develop or change. 
Fortunately, the sequel Truth is in progress, and maybe our questions will be answered! (I have a hunch about Wei's tattoo and this "thorn" image). I can't wait to find out what happens with Nina and her father, and how Wei and Sal fit in to all this, but I feel like the readers deserved more than they got! After keeping track of all of this new vocabulary and  keeping up with the circumstances of futuristic Chicago and colonies on the Moon, I was left with a need to connect more with the characters than this SciFiChi world offered.

I will definitely read Truth to find out some answers!

Books of 2011

1. Maze Runner by James Dashner
2. Scorch Trials by James Dashner
3. Hold Still by Nina Lacour
4. Columbine by Dave Cullen
5. Everlost by Neal Shusterman
6. Everwild by Neal Shusterman
7. XVI by Julia Karr
8. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
9. Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos
10. Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool
11. Evil Star by Anthony Horowitz
12.

2011 Debut Author Challenge!

I just came across the Story Siren blog (which I've heard about before, but finally got to today) and decided to participate in the challenge! 12 YA books from debut authors.  I read a ton of YA books every year, but mostly I try to keep up with the recommendations from my 7th graders or other teachers.  Why not try the newest stuff?!  I will be updating this list, but here are my options for January and February titles:
January:
Julia Karr XVI 1/6/2011 Speak YA

February:

Chris Rylander

The Fourth Stall

2/8/2011

Walden Pond Press

March:
Laurenn DeStefano Wither 3/22/11
Kirsten Hubbard Like Mandarin 3/8/11
Ruta Sepetys, Between Shades of Grey 3/22/11
Ryan G. Van Cleave, Unlocked, 3/1/11
Angela Cerrito, The End of the Line, 3/11/11

Bonechiller by Graham McNamee

From B&N.com:
Synopsis



WELCOME TO NOWHERE.
Danny’s dad takes a job as caretaker at a marina on the shore of a vast, frozen lake in Harvest Cove, a tiny town tucked away in Canada’s Big Empty. If you’re looking for somewhere to hide, this is it.

It’s the worst winter in years. One night, running in the dark, Danny is attacked by a creature so strange and terrifying he tries to convince himself he was hallucinating. Then he learns about Native American legends of a monster that’s haunted the lake for a thousand years. And that every generation, in the coldest winters, kids have disappeared into the night. People think they ran away.

Danny knows better. Because now the beast is after him.


Wow.  I've read one other novel by McNamee, and they were both high-interest thrillers.  Bonechiller plays to everyone's nightmarish fear of being chased and unable to get away from....something.  In this case, a huge white beast capable of infecting its victims and getting into their dreams and eventually into their waking minds.  I would keep this book on my classroom shelf, but may only recommend it to my capable, but unmovitated readers.  There is some profanity and sexual details, but the overall story could get reluctant readers started into this genre. 

Deadline by Chris Crutcher

FROM B&N.COM:

Ben Wolf has big things planned for his senior year. Had big things planned. Now what he has is some very bad news and only one year left to make his mark on the world. How can a pint-sized, smart-ass seventeen-year-old do anything significant in the nowheresville of Trout, Idaho? First, Ben makes sure that no one else knows what is going on—not his superstar quarterback brother, Cody, not his parents, not his coach, no one. Next, he decides to become the best 127-pound football player Trout High has ever seen; to give his close-minded civics teacher a daily migraine; and to help the local drunk clean up his act. And then there's Dallas Suzuki. Amazingly perfect, fascinating Dallas Suzuki, who may or may not give Ben the time of day. Really, she's first on the list. Living with a secret isn't easy, though, and Ben's resolve begins to crumble . . . especially when he realizes that he isn't the only person in Trout with secrets.Deadline was a book that I wanted to read as soon as I saw it on the shelf.  The cover and description grabbed my attention right away.  I finally got around to reading it when I checked it out from the library about a month ago.  It was sitting on the shelf with my other checkouts, waiting to be read.  I almost gave up on it, weighed down with the guilt of the "required" reading I still had to do with a month left in the summer.  I'm glad I didn't return it unread.  I renewed the book with about 4 days left until the original due date, but it turns out I didn't have to. I read it in three sittings.  The main character was really likeable.  I thought his dialogue and internal thoughts were realistic to a high school senior.  My impression (or hopes) before reading the book were that he would look outside his small town and try to see the world before the end of his life, but it turns out that there was a lot going on in his own hometown that taught him about life.  Some of the issues and events are more mature.  I'm still debating on putting this on my classroom shelf because of the mature content, but it was definitely an enjoyable read for me, and I definitely recommend it for those interested in seeing the world through the eyes of someone who knows their end is near.

Million Dollar Throw by Mike Lupica

I just finished Mike Lupica's Million Dollar Throw. 

Here's the description from B&N.com: What would you do with a million dollars, if you were 13? Nate Brodie is nicknamed “Brady” not only for his arm, but also because he’s the biggest Tom Brady fan. He’s even saved up to buy an autographed football. And when he does, he wins the chance for something he’s never dreamed of—to throw a pass through a target at a Patriots game for one million dollars. Nate should be excited. But things have been tough lately. His dad lost his job and his family is losing their home. It’s no secret that a million dollars would go a long way. So all Nate feels is pressure, and just when he needs it most, his golden arm begins to fail him. Even worse, his best friend Abby is going blind, slowly losing her ability to do the one thing she loves most—paint. Yet Abby never complains, and she is Nate’s inspiration. He knows she’ll be there when he makes the throw of a lifetime. Mike Lupica’s latest sports novel is also his most heartwarming.

Sounds goooood, right?  Well, it took me over a month to read it.  Mostly because it took Lupica over 200 pages to get to the throw.  I understand there'd be no book if he just wrote about the throw, but the story didn't keep me interested enough throughout to want to pick it up whenever I had a free block of time.  In fact, I finished two other books (1 YA, and 1 adult book) between the time I started MDT back in June and now.  I think that Lupica's style of play-by-playing the games is what takes me out of it a little bit, and I know about football!  When I read his Travel Team, I had little to no visualization going on because I didn't know the terminology as well. 

Now with the positives.  The storyline about his friend going blind was very heartwarming and definitely would get girls into it.  And the climax did get me teary-eyed when Tom Brady came out and gave him a pep talk and what he ends up doing with the money.  Like the description said, the end is heartwarming, but I sure wish I could have gotten more into it in the first 200 pages.  I think boys and girls would enjoy this, but Lupica needs to not try so hard at trying to please teens with so many pop culture references.

Lincoln Award List 2011

Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie
Artichoke's Heart - Suzanne Supplee
Boot Camp - Todd Strasser
Deadline - Chris Crutcher finished Summer 2010
Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks - E. Lockhart
Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin
Evermore: the Immortals - Alyson Noel
Graceling-Kristin Cashore
Hold Tight - Harlan Coben
House Rules: a Memoir - Rachel Sontag
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins finished 2009
Jerk, California - Jonathan Friesen finished Jan 2011
Just Listen - Sarah Dessen
Paper Towns - John Greene
Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles
Right Behind You - Gale Giles
Rucker Park Setup - Paul Volponi
Spanking Shakespeare - Jake Wizner
Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini
Twisted - Laurie Halse Anderson
Unwind - Neal Shusterman
Wake - Lisa McMann finished Spring 2010