I can't believe, truthfully, that it's been so long since I've sat down to blog about a book. Don't believe for a minute than I haven't been reading. I've read many great books, but school got in the way. I never took the time to sit down and tell you about the books. I did, however, spend much time talking about the books in my classroom.
I'm sorry, readers, for leaving you "high and dry." Thank you to those of you who called me out on my slacker tendencies with a quick "Where have you been?" I'm back and hoping that this school year doesn't make me hide from this wonderful world.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Review: After by Amy Efaw
Who would leave her own baby in the trash to die?
Certainly not someone like Devon - straight-A student, soccer player with Olympic dreams, more mature than her own mother. But desperation and panic drover her to do what most people can't even imagine. Now Devon's in a juvenile detention center, charged with attempted murder. If she's tried as an adult, she faces life in prison.
Does Devon deserve that punishment? Your answer depends on whether you believe her story - that she didn't evne know she was pregnant. Was she buried in a denial so deep that she was unable to register the seemingly obvious signs of pregnancy? Or were her actions the result of a more devious, premeditated plan?
WIth the utmost empathy and precision, author Amy Efaw carefully peels back the layers of Devon's past as she faces a possible future behind bars. The result is a gripping, page-turned that will challenge your beliefs abotu conscience and conciousness.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Yes.
This was a very difficult book to read. It is centered around the "dumpster baby" phenomenon. I could never understand the idea of it. A mother bares a child and then throws it away as if it is some trash they want to get rid of. This is an account of Devon, a perfect student, athlete and child, who does the unthinkable and is arrested for her crime.
The novel starts with Devon laying on the couch in pain. She has already delivered the baby and has taken it to be the trashcans out back. The police have found the baby and her mother comes in with the sad news.
This book hooked me from the very beginning. There were times when I became annoyed at Devon. However, you quickly realize why it is that Devon chooses to simply not care. I became emotionally involved with this book and with Devon as I read through the flashbacks and traveled with Devon through her court battle.
I think this book is geared for the older YA group, and I would not reccomend this book to my junior high school kids as it deals with challenging topics.
What Bothered Me About the Book?
The novel is written in third person. I don't know if this is because Efaw wanted us to feel as detached from The Night as Devon does are if she just would rather write in third person, but I think that if the book was written in first person we could have felt more of a connect to Devon.
Review: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
BROOKLYN: Andi Alpers is on the edge. She’s angry at her father for leaving, angry at her mother for not being able to cope, and heartbroken by the loss of her younger brother, Truman. Rage and grief are destroying her. And she’s about to be expelled from Brooklyn Heights’ most prestigious private school when her father intervenes. Now Andi must accompany him to Paris for winter break.
PARIS: Alexandrine Paradis lived over two centuries ago. She dreamed of making her mark on the Paris stage, but a fateful encounter with a doomed prince of France cast her in a tragic role she didn’t want—and couldn’t escape.
Two girls, two centuries apart. One never knowing the other. But when Andi finds Alexandrine’s diary, she recognizes something in her words and is moved to the point of obsession. There’s comfort and distraction for Andi in the journal’s antique pages—until, on a midnight journey through the catacombs of Paris, Alexandrine’s words transcend paper and time, and the past becomes suddenly, terrifyingly present.
Jennifer Donnelly, author of the award-winning novel A Northern Light, artfully weaves two girls’ stories into one unforgettable account of life, loss, and enduring love. Revolution spans centuries and vividly depicts the eternal struggles of the human heart.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
I'd say it was ... sorta...
I was anxious to read this book because I love the story of Marie-Antoinette and thought it would be refreshing to read something that is not your typical YA novel.
Donnelly's idea to create a book like this is ambitious. She somehow weaves the story of Alexadrine, a french girl who was brought on by Marie-Antoinette to be a friend to Louis-Charles, and Andi, a troubled girl in Brooklyn who doesn't quite know how to get over the death of her brother Truman. Andi travels to Paris at the demand of her father. She is to work on her senior thesis paper on a French musician so that she may have a chance at graduating on time. While there Andi discovers a diary that was writtern more than two centuries ago by Alex.
In the novel, Donnelly weaves the stories together to create a world where the girls are one. It is quite a beautiful and well-written book. I loved Andi's character. Actually, I loved all of the American characters. They were written to be flawed teenagers (like all are) instead of the atypical perfect gods or godessess that some authors write into their novels. Andi is real. She is depressed, sarcastic, and strong.
What Bothered Me About This Book?
I think what bothered me most about this book is the lack of character connection to Alex. I know that through only a diary entry I wouldn't feel a huge connection to Alex, but I never felt like I got her whole picture. Maybe I just felt more attached to Andi with all of her family drama.
Also, I am still wondering why this book was published for YA. Don't get me wrong, it is PG. However, I don't think any of my students would pick it up and read more than the first 4 pages. The diary entries are long, and she shifts from one time frame to the next which I think will throw off some.
I would say this book is written for the older YA group.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Review: Jane by April Lindner
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.
But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?
An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Yes.
My favorite book of all time is Jane Eyre. So, when I read about this book I knew I had to get my hands on it. Lindner takes the classic tale of Jane Eyre and spins it into a modern, rock-star version. I'm not usually a fan of "do-overs", but this book was a fantastic read. I think a say that because Lindner was true to the original story. It doesn't get better than that. I just kept thinking, "This would be a great book to teach with Jane Eyre." Not that I plan on tackling Jane Eyre in my junior high class. However, it is a good cross-over.
Jane is a strong, independent protagonist. I loved the idea of showing her using that strength even when she had nothing. The message it sent was one of "no excuses."
I do think those girls who pick up this book without reading Jane Eyre will find it mysterious, almsost scary. It is romance, mystery, and strength all roled into one.
What Bothered Me About This Book?
Not a thing.
Review: Trackers by Patrick Carman
In the 21st century landscape of bits and bytes, everyone leaves a digital footprint ... even the most advanced cyber criminals. And that’s where the Trackers come in. Four tech-savvy kids armed with high-tech video cameras and esoteric coding skills, the Trackers can find almost anyone, anywhere. Told through a collage of videos, text, and websites, Trackers #1 follows Adam, Finn, Lewis, and Emily as they become entangled in a high-tech, high-stakes game of cat and mouse with Shantorian, the world’s most dangerous hacker. At least, that’s who they think they’re tracking....
As the four dig deeper into the shadowy world of online crime, they soon learn that things aren’t always as they seem.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Two years ago at our annual book fair, my students came across a book that told a story about a mysterious abandoned mill and a small town with lots of secrets. Not only was it a "scary" book but the book had stops along the way where readers had to go online to watch video of what the characters had found on their adventure. Skeleton Creek is still the one book in my library that never actually stays in my library. Patrick Carman had me at that book. If you can get my reluctant readers to read to the back cover, you are my hero.
I was anxious to get my hands on this new series by Carman. Trackers is a mystery book aimed at techies. Like Skeleton Creek, Trackers also had videos to view. I like that the story is written as an interview as many reluctant readers are drawn to a novel that doesn't "look" like a novel.
One thing that I thought was ingenius was that Carman attached all of the transcripts of the video segments. This way, if you weren't able to get to a computer, you could just flip to the appendixes and read the transcripts.
Overall, this book was a hit with me, and I'm sure it will be another one those books I just can't keep on my classroom library shelf. :)
What Bothered Me About the Book?
The ending was a bit of a let down. The whole way through the book I thought these kids had got themselves into a big mess of danger. However, at the end I realize that it wasn't as much danger as I had been lead to believe. Also, Carman absolutely leaves you hanging. As much as I like series, this is the part I despise. :(
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Review: The Bad Queen: Rules and Instructions for Marie - Antoinette by Carolyn Meyer
Marie- Antoinette is given endless instructions before she leaves Austria at the age of fourteen to marry the dauphin of France. In her new home at the grand palace of Versailles, her every move is scruntinized by the cruel and gossipy members of the French court. Marie-Antoinette tries to adhere to their stifiling rules of etiquete, but sometimes, this fun-loving young woman can't help by indulge herself with scandalous fashions, taboo recreations, elaborate parties - and even a forbidden romance.
Most damaging to her reputation is that after years of marriage, Marie -Antoinette has not fulfilled the most important requirement to produce an heir to the throne. Sadness and frustration lead the young queen to become ever more recklessly extravagant in her ways, much to the outrage of the poor and suffering common people of France.
When angry revolutionaries arrive at Versailles to take her and the king to Paris, Marie-Antoinette has no idea what horrors are in store. The luxurious life she led, and the monarchy she spent her life serving are about to come crashing down. Though she would be remembered by the revolutionaries as an obscene spendthrift, perhaps Mare-Antoinette had more in common with them than they thought - for she too was a rebel who lived by her own rules.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Yep.
Without my even noticing it, I choose a lot of historical fiction on my last trip to the library. Like I said in an earlier post, I am not a history buff. Embarassingly enough, I didn't know much about Marie-Antoinette before reading this book.
I know a lot now, and I found that has much to do with the way the book is written. It is written strictly in 1st person - an awesome decision on the author's part because it helps to make Marie-Antoinette more real to the reader.
The story flows seamlessly and tells of a girl who really is just trying to do what she must do -obey. I think that, to some extent, the book does help to shift the idea that Marie-Antoinette was shelfish to an idea that she was loyal and maybe even a little misunderstood.
I did like the book, and I think that for those girls who want to read about "princessess and drama" this would be a book that they would enjoy.
What Bothered Me About the Book?
Not a thing.
Review: Sources of Light by Margaret McMullan
All you have to know now is that a camera is like your eye. To foccus, keep on eye clocked while you're looking with the other. It brings everything closer. You can hide behind a camera.
It's 1962 and the heat of Jackson, Mississippi, holds more than a potential romance with the wrong kind of boy for fourteen year old Sam. There's also the hand me down dresses and bobby cock from cousin Tine. There's a gift from her mother's new friend, Perry - a balck Asahi Pentax camera. there's their stoic maid, Willa Mae. There are lunch counter sit-ins and black voter registeration drives that turn violent.
In a world that sees only in black and white, this is the year Sam learns to use her camera for shades of gray.
Was This Book Worth My Time?
Without a doubt. McMullan does an amazing job of giving so many raw emotion and detail that you, as a reader, begin to immerse yourself in the story - you become Sam. It is not easy after that to ignore what Sam feels as she and her mother are targeted for being supporters of the African American vote.
I was impressed by the shear amount of history that was intertwined into the book. It never is protrayed as history because you are living it in this book. McMullan is a fantastic writer, and this is a book that I would suggest to my students. It is an easy, but thought-provoking read that does stay with you after you've turned the last page.
What Bothered Me About the Book?
The only thing that bothered me was the realization of how many people suffered during segregation in the south. It is always hard to me grasp history concepts, but this book makes you see just how unjust the actions against African Americans and their white friends were.
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