My Life Undecided

Title: My Life Undecided

Author: Jessica Brody

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, Giroux

Publication Date: June, 2011

Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel

Summary: Brooklyn never seems to make the right choices. She fell in an abandoned mine shaft when she was two and it has been down hill since then. Now that she is 15, nothing has changed and the book starts with her arrest for arson, trespassing and underage drinking after throwing a party at a model home and ultimately burning it down. She has to figure out how to make better decisions! Or why not let others make decisions for her?! Brilliant! So, Brooklyn starts a blog where her users can vote on her next decision. Through her followers' decisions, Brooklyn learns more about herself than she bargained for. 

What I Think: First, I have to say that I love the concept of this book! Although Brooklyn and her problems are very similar to other protagonists you may find in YA books, Jessica Brody throws in a nice twist with the addition of the blog. It gives the novel the uniqueness that makes it stand alone. I also love Brooklyn's narration and had more than a couple laugh out loud moments. 

I loved the boys in the novel (yes, there is a romantic story line), but I will say that it bothered me that it was the nerdy, smart debate boy vs. the sexy, bad boy smoker. I felt that they were both a bit stereotypey at times; however, I will say that Brody made sure that they were both loveable characters so that the choice was even harder. The "bad boy" was overall a nice kid (although I hate that bad boy always has to smoke) and the "nerd" was more than what he seemed to be. 

The message that this novel sends is very obvious, but it is done through an enthralling story so it never seems naggy or preachy. I think it is a message that many teens need to hear. Most teens make decisions like Brooklyn does and watching her go through them might help them reflect on their own choices in life. Actually, thinking back to when I was a teenager, this whole idea of having others make teenagers' decisions is pretty brilliant :) 

Finally, I will say that there was a suprisingly touching moment in this book that had me crying and I found that it was the major turning point in Brooklyn's life. I liked that something that didn't seem too important to Brooklyn ended up being the thing that ultimately affected her the most. 

I loved that this book could make me laugh and cry. It was truly well done.

Read Together: Grades 8+

Read Alone: Grades 8+

Read With: Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen, Not that Kind of Girl by Siobhan Vivian, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver, Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

Snatch of Text: 

My parents have been telling me for years that I make "bad decisions." But I never believed them. Because, you know, they're parents. And since when are parents ever right about anything?...

So it isn't until now, at this very second- with sirens blaring, the crowd of people gathering to try to steal a gossip-worthy peek, and the overall chaos of a bod idea turned very bad- that I start to think my parents might just be onto something. 

Because when you're being handcuffed and lowered into a backseat of a squad car, you kind of have to start reconsidering that way you live your life. (p. 4-5)  

The police station smells like burnt toast. As if someone popped a piece of sourdough in the toaster oven and forgot about it. Or maybe the flecks of smoky odor are just lingering in my nostrils from the fire. Rebellious stowaways clinging to the inside of my respiratory system like an annoying guest who refuses to leave long after the party is over. (p. 6)

Mentor Text for: Humor, Plot Development, Voice, Predicting, Cause/Effect, Making Connections

Writing Prompts: Write a blog post like Brooklyn explaining a situation you are in and the decisions you need to make. 

Topics Covered: Popularity, Choices, Friendship, Love, Change

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2/20/12

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

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's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: It is a great week for reflecting on books because I, somehow, got a lot of reading done! I finished up Fallen by Lauren Kate (on Henry, my Nook) which I loved and I zoomed through Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (on audio). I like how the plot Anna seemed believable and real. Penny From Heaven by Jenni Holm (on audio) was probably my favorite of her novels. Get this! I even got through Forgotten by Cat Patrick (on audio)! I am so on a roll. I really liked this one if you can get past her predicting the future thing. I read and loved The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate and Stitches by David Small. I got to meet and hear both of them speak at the Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast on Saturday. My most memorable picture book this week was One Cool Friend by David Small...it was great to hear him read it himself. These are both books I will be reviewing, no doubt. Another highlight of the Anderson's Breakfast is that I got an ARC of Nancy Clancy, Super Sleuth which is the first book in Jane O'Connor's Fancy Nancy chapter book. It's so cute!

I am loving NetGally right now! I was able to read Bink and Gollie, Two For One by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee, Squish #3: The Power of the Parasite by Jenni and Matt Holm, and On The Day I Died by Candace Fleming. All of these are exciting!

Kellee Says: Wooo! I finished a YA book!! Now, unfortunately, Back When You Were Easier to Love was not a perfect book and I wish I'd enjoyed it more (and I'll explain my thoughts and feelings when I review it on 3/20), but I finished it!! Next to it, though, I did not do much other reading this week except for Robot Dreams, a touching, mostly wordless graphic novel by Sara Varon. 

Reviewed Last Week:

  

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I'm hoping my reading roll continues! I am seriously going to get to From What I Remember... by Valerie Thomas and Stacy Kramer this week. I started The Hero's Guide to Saving Your Kingdom by Christopher Healy and will finish Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming. As for audiobooks, I have Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos that I'm going to actually try to read. I've heard mixed reviews, so I'll be able to decide for myself! It's exciting to start a new week of reading.

Kellee Says: I am surrounded right now by some amazing books actually as I'm planning my reading for the week. I'm going to continue working through some 2011 best of lists by reading A Pet for Petunia, Ice, Perfect Square, and Around the World and hopefully Amelia Lost and  When Live Gives You OJ.  I also have some graphic novels that I hadn't read from Goodreads's Best Graphic Novels for Children.  Lastly, I am rereading some Dav Pilkey picture books that I loved as a child, Dragon Tales.

As for YA, I will continue to try new books and hope one grabs my attention.  However, after talking to Jen this afternoon on the phone and reflecting some, I think I have figured out why I am just not putting my time into YA novels.  So, for the first 5 years I taught, I was a language arts teacher with a variety of students.  Their reading levels and interests varied and were all encompassing.  However, this year I switched to teaching intensive reading.  90% of my students read multiple grade levels below and do not have a love of reading.  Obviously, my "clientele" has changed.  I began reading YA because I wanted to help find books for my students to read, but now my students primarily read middle grade and graphic novels- no wonder I have been focusing so much on that type of reading.  I love YA and always will, but if my primary goal is to find books for my students and most do not read YA because they are not there as a reader, unless the book is truly sucking me in, I have found it easy to warrant abandonment.  So, I feel much better now for the choices I've been making as a reader as it all makes sense to me now.  I've had to come to terms with abandoning and telling myself it is okay.  But now you see why I don't want to advertise the YA novels I am abandoning; because they are probably very good for someone out there, but for me and my students at this moment, they are just not what we need. 

This Week's Reviews:

Check back throughout the week to hear about these books. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Please link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!

 and

Read Along on I-94 - The Pull of Gravity - Part 3

This week is our third week discussing The Pull of Gravity by Gae Polisner. You can check in on previous posts here: Part 1 and Part 2. I have to say that I have been thinking about this discussion all week. It's in my brain! I hope you find something here that makes you think, too! Oh! Beware, there are spoilers!

JEN: Colby and I are so excited that we get to talk to each other again about The Pull of Gravity but even moooore excited this week because Gae Polisner herself is joining us!  

COLBY: OMG! I can’t believe Nerdy Winning author, Gae Polisner, is joining us. This is crazy awesome.

JEN: Hi, Gae!

GAE: Ta da!!!! (Too much?)

I’m really excited to be here. I’ve been reading your posts like a fan, then realizing you’re talking about my book... quick funny story. Any time I have to try to do anything to promote my book lately, my mother says, “Did you tell them you won a Nerdy?!” True story.

JEN: That is so cool! Moms are awesome. And Nerdies are awesome. I think it is definitely something you should be proud of. The Pull of Gravity is a great book.

COLBY: I think Gae gave the Nerdies some clout. I love that you bought a shirt. :)

GAE: And a movin’ mug. (I think the Nerdies gave ME some clout! Power to the Nerdies. And moms are awesome, Jen.

JEN: I have a Nerdy Book Club sticker that I put on my water bottle. I love it! So far, Colby and I have talked about the relationship Nick has with Scooter and then the relationship he has with Jaycee. I think it’s time we talk about the relationship that Nick has with his dad. I’m actually kind of confused by the dad so I’m excited we get to talk to Gae about this...maybe she can answer some of my questions or wonderings.

GAE: Jen, I hate to say it, but I’m kinda happy you were confused about the dad. In some regard, that’s his purpose in the book. At least in my mind. I’m kind of fascinated as a parent myself about how our kids only see us one way and as one thing. They don’t see us as individuals with our own longings, disappointments and problems. But we are. Hopefully, our parenting rises above... but not always. And I kind of wanted to explore that. And what the impact is. Does that make any sense? The dad is my most complicated character.

JEN: It totally makes sense...but I’m glad you clarified for me. Sometimes I wonder if authors are trying to mess with my head. When I read Laurel Snyder’s Bigger Than a Breadbox I was so appalled by the mother in that book. She is so selfish and she really has enough troubles that she just can’t be there for her kids, especially her daughter. After I had my own kids, my perspective on books totally changed. There are two other books that I think of right away: A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban and The First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Both of those really struck me because the parents are so important in those books, and in The First Part Last, especially, the parent is a young man raising a daughter all on his own. It made me realize how important I am as a parent. I totally love that through books I can experience how a kid feels when their own parent isn’t being the best parent because it helps me grow as a parent.

 COLBY: If I lost my job as a teacher, I could totally see myself ending up like Nick’s dad. It would be so hard to lose your identity like he did. I’m not sure if I would gain 100 pounds or lose 100 pounds, but it would not be pretty.

I often have to force myself when I’m reading to think about the intended audience. So often as I read MG and YA I think about the book from the perspective of a 30 year old dude (me), instead of the kid the book was written for. While I was reading Wonder by R.J. Palacio I kept wanting her to tell a section of the book from one of the boy’s parents perspective, but she didn’t. I was sad, but looking back, I don’t think kids needed to see that perspective.

GAE: I love when I’m Skyping with or visiting classes and we talk about the Dad. Inevitably, someone will bring up how mad they are at the dad and then another kid will chime in that he or she was mad, but kind of understood. It’s actually that thought process that I’m hoping to bring to the read... that adults can make bad choices but that doesn’t necessarily make them bad people, and it especially doesn’t affect or change the fact that they’re still trying to do their best as parents. And to some extent, I want that teen reader to consider also taking some responsibility to be mature and listen and understand. Which Nick doesn’t do. And he pays the price by having things unfold in a more difficult way. Yes?

JEN: WAIT! I have to clarify something before we go on...so at the beginning of the book I totally get that his dad is upset and I can forgive him for leaving, especially because he does try to write and communicate with Nick. BUT am I wrong to infer that he’s totally sneaking off to be with Scooter’s mom? Because after that I can only think of him as a really big (use your imagnation). I know people make mistakes but some things are just wrong. I don’t see that as being Nick’s fault...

GAE: First of all, nothing is NIck’s fault, but there is some element of him putting his head in the sand. Second of all, the only thing we completely know is that MaeLynn is alone, dealing with the death of her son, and Nick’s father goes to help her. Whatever else may be going on, one can’t fault the Father for helping her. As for sneaking, we don’t know WHAT Nick’s mom knows, do we? I can tell you this. As a person married for 18 (!!) years, there are lots of things that happen between my husband and I that I would go out of my way not to make my kids privy to. Having said all that, I am not defending the dad for anything with MaeLynn, I am just suggesting that it’s possible you have made some assumptions. And I love that! I love that each reader will make their own assumptions and bring their own ideas and perspectives to their read. But we all have varying views on such things. I know the kids from divorced parents, seem to give Nick’s dad a little more leeway. Coincidence?

COLBY: When I first read the part with Nick’s dad, I totally made all those assumptions. I have to ask: Gae, do you know what really happened with Nick’s dad?

GAE: I love when people ask me that question as if they are real people. :) (yes, I know what I think happened with MaeLynn and Nick’s dad. And, let’s just say, it wouldn’t make Jen happy. And we’d have to keep going back to clean up her language ;))

JEN: I have to remind myself that authors know everything that happened but only want us to know so much. It would have been hard for me as an author to be purposefully vague about the dad’s story. I think that I noticed most about Nick’s relationship with his dad is that it made his good relationships with Scooter and Jaycee and even with his brother stronger. I think he realized that he could trust Jaycee and that his brother would be there even more for him and that he would have them even while dealing with his dad.

GAE: First, I just want to say that it’s so cool to even hear you (and others) angry about the Dad because it means I wrote it well enough to elicit real emotion and that’s ,first and foremost,,what one hopes to be able to do. Secondly, I don’t think that I was trying to be purposefully vague, so much as I didn’t think it much mattered whether the Dad was just emotionally attached (more? in love) with MaeLynn versus sleeping with her or whatever. The issue for me was that, whatever was going on, Nick’s parents marriage was in trouble. That was the only point truly relevant to Nick. Once our parents’ marriages are in trouble, it doesn’t really matter why or how much.

JEN: I guess I thought you were being purposeful in not telling his whole side of the story because as readers we really have to get what Nick sees of the story.

We’ve only just gotten started in discussing Nick’s parents in The Pull of Gravity and we have much more to share on the topic, but we’ll take a break here to let you share your thoughts on the character of Nick’s dad (or you can vent or rant, too). Thanks for joining us, Gae! We look forward to continuing this conversation next week! 

Dystopian vs. Post-Apocalyptic Week 6: Exploring the Love of Dystopian

When the idea of this feature first started churning in my brain, I began to think about who I would ask to be part of this journey.  One of the first names I thought of was my tweep Jillian because I knew that Jillian was a lover of dystopian but also I knew that she did a dystopian unit with her students which fits with the feature as well as the theme of our blog.  

EXPLORING MY LOVE OF DYSTOPIAN

When Kellee asked me if I would be interested in doing a guest post for this series, I was pretty excited because I’ve read, and loved, a lot of dystopian novels. In fact, I’m pretty sure my response was something along the lines of “I’d love to - dystopian is my favorite!” I figured this was a great opportunity to explore and share why dystopian, where my love came from, how I use it, and where I see it going. My caveat: I know this will drive Kellee crazy, but I honestly don’t distinguish much between dystopian & post-apoc - while I understand the literary and definitional differences, I tend to clump them all under dystopian - mostly because I seem to stray away from the true post-apocalyptic because I don’t usually like them quite as much.

My reasons: 

For some reason, ever since I first started reading dystopian books, I’ve been drawn to them. For me it’s all about the world and the characters. 

The world - it’s a chance for an author to use their most extensive imagination, while tied to things that are going on in the world around us today in which to ground the story. It’s a way of grappling with the changes and struggles in our current world, and creating an idea on how they might evolve into a society in which we think things are better.  

The characters - I’m a sucker for a strong character who fights against “the man” (playing to my sense of rebellion). I get involved and want to root for them.  So, when we get to meet likeable characters, and follow their journey toward not only self-discovery (playing to my sense of the intrapersonal), but also learning what their world is really like (playing to my sense of the intellectual), and then they stand up for what is right and fight against it (playing to my sense of integrity and stubbornness), I’m pulled further into the story and fully engaged in what is happening, making me enjoy the book even more.

My history:

The first dystopian young adult novel I read was The Giver by Lois Lowry. I loved it. It was during my undergrad teaching language arts for middle school course. I was totally drawn into the story, and before I even really understood the genre, I knew it was one I wanted to read more of. I started seeking out similar themes/ideas in the books I was picking up, like City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau, as I started building up my classroom library and choosing books to read.

My present:

Last year I had a class that I was able to create a mini-unit for, and I chose to do a dystopian book club. I knew the genre was popular, and I had a lot of books in my own library to choose from, and I had a group of twelve students who were really excited to read them. The unit was a hit, the kids had a great time reading and discussing the books, and I got a chance to really hear their thoughts about these types of books. The one thing we realized, however, was that one can easily suffer from dystopian burn out if too many are read in a row without a “happy, cheerful” book interlude. My students, and I, gave ourselves permission to take a break after having read so many dystopian books, which can tend to be a little bit depressing, and go back to them after a break for some light-heartedness.

This year, my group of grade level reading teachers has decided to do a dystopian unit at the end of the year, with The Hunger Games as our mentor text/read aloud. The timing works well with the movie coming out, but we’re taking an interesting twist on the dystopian unit in how we’re leading into it. In the past, they have done a Holocaust unit, but the students also get that in language arts and social studies at the same time. So, instead of overwhelming them with too many classes all about that heavy subject at the same time, we’re tying in the dystopian as a way to look at other situations where they were trying to create “utopian” societies, but ended up devolving into dystopian worlds. I’m hopeful that this will make a strong connection to lead them into the unit, and pique their interest in the genre while they spend some time exploring it.

My future:

The dystopian genre seems to be continuing to build popularity in the teen and middle grades book market, which is great for me and my students who enjoy these types of books so much. I will still grab these books and promote them to my students because they do provide a way of grappling with the world around them, learning to stand up for what one believes in, and having a sense of what’s right in the world. I know I will continue to seek out, reach for, and buy/borrow more books in my favorite genre.

Whether you’re new to the genre, or it’s an old favorite like it is for me, I hope that you will enjoy some of my favorite titles below if you haven’t read them yet! You might find that my dystopian favorites are actually quite diverse.

My favorite dystopian recommendations (for the sake of space, I’ve only listed the first title in a series):

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (obviously!)

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Uglies  by Scott Westerfeld

Legend by Marie Lu

Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigalupi

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Matched by Ally Condie

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Naughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman

Little Brother by Cory Doctorow

Epic by Conor Kostick

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Eye of the Storm by Kate Messner (releases later this month)

Insignia by SJ Kincaid (releases in July)

Mrs. Heise moved this year from six years of teaching 8th grade to a new district and a 7th grade classroom in her role as a language arts and reading teacher in the suburbs of Milwaukee. She is an avid reader, a book pusher, a blogger, and a member of the Nerdy Book Club who strongly believes it is crucial to her work with middle schoolers to be well-versed in the selection of books she can recommend to them. Jillian welcomes you to join her conversations about books and teaching on twitter @heisereads. She also shares her thoughts and recommendations for a variety of middle grades and young adult books on her blog, Heise Reads & Recommends, at http://heisereads.blogspot.com

and  

Past Dystopian vs. Post-Apocalyptic posts:

Week 2- Jo Treggiari Takes on the Zeitgeist

Week 3- Kathy's Dystopia or Not Dystopia

Week 4- Schulyer's Pepsi/Coca-Cola Test

Week 5- Kate Messner's Dystopian World Building

Same Sun Here

Title: Same Sun Here     
Authors: Silas House and Neela Vaswani 
Publisher: Candlewick Press 
Publication Date: February 14, 2012
Genre/Format: Realistic Fiction/Novel-Epistolary 
GoodReads Summary: Meena and River have a lot in common: fathers forced to work away from home to make ends meet, grandmothers who mean the world to them, and faithful dogs. But Meena is an Indian immigrant girl living in New York City’s Chinatown, while River is a Kentucky coal miner’s son. As Meena’s family studies for citizenship exams and River's town faces devastating mountaintop removal, this unlikely pair become pen pals, sharing thoughts and, as their camaraderie deepens, discovering common ground in their disparate experiences. With honesty and humor, Meena and River bridge the miles between them, creating a friendship that inspires bravery and defeats cultural misconceptions. Narrated in two voices, each voice distinctly articulated by a separate gifted author, this chronicle of two lives powerfully conveys the great value of being and having a friend and the joys of opening our lives to others who live beneath the same sun.   
What I Think:  It has only been a couple of weeks since I reviewed Eli the Good by Silas House and I raved about it. It is a great book. I was excited to get an ARC for Same Sun Here from Candlewick at NCTE in the fall. Silas House co-wrote Same Sun Here with Neela Vaswani. House and Vaswani both do a wonderful job of bringing their characters to life. Each of their characters has a distinct voice.

The idea of pen pals has always been exciting and fun for me. In Same Sun Here, River and Meena are matched up as pen pals. While they have the option to communicate through e-mail, they both decide they would rather write real letters to each other. When I talked to my students about this book, most of them didn’t know what the term “pen pals” even meant. This surprised me but I guess it shouldn’t be that surprising. What it definitely is, is sad. I love getting mail and used to hope someone would send me a letter. I wonder if kids get mail less now than when I was growing up. I know people in general send less mail so I’m guessing kids don’t get as much mail as when I was growing up. Even thinking of my own kids, when my parents go out of town we Skype with them to keep in touch or talk on the phone rather than them sending letters or postcards to my kids. I love this book for its story of friendship but also for it's example of how important the written word is. Writing lasts and it seems like people are honest when they write and then vulnerable when they allow others to read what they have written. My students and I talk about books every day but we also write about books and it's exciting to converse through writing.

I am excited to use this book to talk with kids more about writing letters to each other and how a message changes once it has been written down. Did you know there is a name for books that are a collection of letters or other documents? They are epistolaries. Talk about a great word you can tell kids  most people probably don't know. This book is a great mentor text to celebrate writing in general!

Read Together: Grades 4 - 6 
Read Alone: Grades 4 - 12 
Read With: Regarding the Fountain by Kate Klise, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White, P.S. Longer Letter Later by Paula Danzinger and Ann M. Martin, Eli the Good by Silas House  
Snatch of Text:  

“I wonder what you look like. I am short and skinny. This is a good thing for squeezing on the subway. But I would rather be like Kiku’s secret girlfriend, Ana Maria, who is so pretty she stops traffic. I do think my hair is nice. It is long and black like Ana Maria’s, but hers is curly and mine is straight.” -Meena, p. 3

“You said your brother was your favorite human. Well, mine is Mamaw. Almost every day we climb the path up the mountain and she tells me the names of all the tress, or we go along very quiet and watch the ground for treasures. We have a nature collection that has things in it like feathers from blue jays and redbirds, chips of quartz, buckeyes, acorns, hickory nuts, and lots more. My other favorite thing to do with her is when we go fishing together in Lost Creek, which is full of bluegill (my father and I used to go fishing all the time, before he left). Mamaw and I clean them together and then she dips them in milk, and then meal and flour, and fries them. They’re delicious. Mamaw is the best cook in the world. This evening she is making my favorite meal: pork shops, biscuit and gravy, fried potatoes, and fried apples. I can’t wait. What’s your favorite meal? I guess my second favorite meal is fish, hush puppies, and fried potatoes….

I’m weird I guess. I mean, none of my friends really wants to spend that much time with their grandmothers. Or at least they don’t admit it. Mamaw says it is all right to be weird and that if the end of the world came I’d know how to survive, and the rest of the people my age would only sit in front of their dead computers and not know what to do.” -River, p. 14-15

Mentor Text For: Writing, Letter Writing, Personal Narrative
Writing Prompts: Write a letter to thank someone who did something for you that meant a lot to you. Reflect on what you wrote and if you would be more likely to share it with them verbally or through writing. How does writing it down change how you are able to express yourself? 
Topics Covered: Friendship, Family, Love, Writing, Honesty, Siblings, Integrity, Immigration, Integration-Social Studies-Culture, Integration-Science-Coal Mining, Activism,  Determination

 

Badd

Title: Badd

Author: Tim Tharp

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: January, 2011

Genre/Format: Contemporary Historical Fiction/Novel

Summary: Ceejay never cared if she fit in anywhere because she was the younger sister of Bobby- a charming, bad boy who was her hero. She always knew she fit there.  But then when Bobby returns home from fighting in Iraq, he is different.  The connection between them is gone and Ceejay feels lost. The old Bobby has to be somewhere inside of this new Bobby and she is going to get him back to normal. 

What I Think: This book is an interesting one as it deals with a bunch of topics that are not normally found in young adult literature.  First, I loved that this book was set in a rural setting filled with blue collar families.  I feel that it is a population that is not often represented in stories.  This book is also a female coming of age story.  Often coming of age stories have male protagonists, so it is nice to see one where the female main character grows up and finds her voice.  When you begin the novel, Ceejay sounds so young and more selfish than her 16 years.  By the end, Ceejay has become her own woman. Her emotional journey through hope, loss, death, acceptance, valiance all lead to a much stronger of a character.

Another interesting aspect of the book is the portrayal of post-traumatic stress disorder. Many times war stories are told before and during the war and then the affects are forgotten, but every soldier that returns brings some of that war back with them and it affects others more.  Bobby represents many a young soldier out there that went to fight in a war way too young and saw things no one should have to see and did things that no one should have to do.  It really puts everything into perspective.  

Read Together: Grades 9 - 12

Read Alone: Grades 9 - 12

Read With: Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, My Brother's Shadow by Monika Shroder, Alice Bliss by Laura Harrington

Snatch of Text: 

"Did you ever watch ants when you were little? I'm sure you did.  I'm sure you sympathized with them like I did.  They're so small that a hard wind can pick them up and blow them a million ant-miles away from home, but still they just buckle down to business and make the trek back through mighty forests of grass blades with all sorts of trouble lurking to take them down.  And you'll see them with these huge, boulder like crumbs on their backs, hauling them back to the hill, where all of them are working together, making this pyramid, this colossal wonder of the world, to keep them safe from sand lions and grass hoppers and toads.  They're amazing." (p. 11)

"Brianna says I'm being ridiculous- you can't fall in love at six years old- but I swear the first time I saw Tillman in Mrs. Gray's first-grade class, my stomach did a backflip.  It didn't matter how big his Adam's apple was or that he was a little big dense- he was dark and brown-eyed and hard-muscled as a Doberman pinscher.  No one in our grade could take him in a fight.  And tough as he was, something about his eyes made you want to take care of him, made you want to lean your head against his, stroke his hair, and say, "Everything's going to be all right, Tillman Grant."" (p. 27-28)

Mentor Text for: Characterization, Making Connections, Conflicts, Voice

Topics Covered: Change, Love, Acceptance, Hope, Valiance, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Coming of Age, Death, Loss

 

Eye of the Storm

Title: Eye of the Storm
Author: Kate Messner
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: February 28th, 2012
Genre/Format: Sci-Fi/Novel
Summary: Jaden lives in the not too distant future where tornadoes have intensified and are a constant threat. Jaden's father is the head of a corporation that studies tornadoes and that built a StormSafe neighborhood where the storms cannot get in. Jaden's father has not been too active in her life for the last couple of years, but when she is invited to visit him and attend a world-renowned science camp in a neighborhood that doesn't get tornadoes- it is a win-win situation. And everything is going really well. Jaden has been grouped into the meteorology section of the camp, she has made friends and is partnered with a really brilliant, nice boy named Alex. It is great. Except that something really weird is going on with her dad. He isn't himself- he only talks about work, is really intense, and isn't the comforting man that Jaden remembers. The tornadoes, the neighborhood and his company have become his obsession. So Jaden decides to discover the truth behind her father's obsession and the truth is horrible- worse than she could even imagine. 
What Kellee Thinks: Wow! This book jumps right in! Within the first couple of paragraphs you are thrown in the middle of a tornado that is barreling down on Jaden and her father. And the terror never ceases. Even when you start to get comfortable, you are on the edge of your seat because you know that something is going on. 


This future in general terrifies me. Tornadoes are the thing that I probably fear the most. I lived in tornado alley until I was 14 and have been too close to tornadoes. I had reoccurring nightmares about them all of my childhood. They were an obsession and a fear. So Jaden's future is fascinating, but also my worst nightmare. And what makes Jaden's world even worse is that with the addition of the intense tornadoes, it seems like most joy was taken from her world- no more museums, ballet, poetry, Disney, pleasure reading, classroom learning. All of the things that make our world a place that I love- gone. My reaction to this aspect of the book reminded me of the same reaction I have with The Giver when I was in middle school. I cannot imagine a world where these joys are sucked away. 


Oh, and I haven't even mentioned how well Kate writes. The imagery that she creates, specifically when it comes to the tornadoes, is what makes the book. The ability to visualize what she has created so you feel like you are there with Jaden moves the story to the next level. 
What Jen Thinks: I have to agree that I was impressed by Kate's writing and the story she has created in Eye of the Storm. I have always loved Kate's characters and the characters in this book are great. I am so glad for strong, smart, girl protagonists. I am all for girl power. I love it. It is so interesting to think of all of Kate's books that I have read and how she seems to have evolved and grown as a writer. 


I agree with Kellee on her other points as well! The future world Kate has created does seem so real. It is one of the most realistic and thus most scary science fiction books to read because it does seem like we are headed towards this world...I'm particularly scared this year since we have had such a mild winter in Chicago. I find myself thinking back to Eye of the Storm because this weather is just so strange. From the beginning, the tornadoes are real and scary. I was so sad for Alex's situation and I am wondering and anticipating how kids will relate to his story in the sense that his family is forced to give up their home and there isn't much they can do about it. It seems like Alex has to grow up too fast.


Probably my most favorite-est part is the twist at the end (no pun intended)! My 6th grade student was so excited to read this book and we had a long discussion about all the craziness that ensues at the end of the book. I love that this twist takes it from Jaden and her friends trying to stop the tornadoes to there being so much more to the tornadoes than an evolution of climate and weather. Aren't you just itching to get your hands on this book? 


As I'm brainstorming how this book can be used, I am realizing how this could fit into a science class studying weather and climate and the environment in general. What if the class developed a environmental newspaper with everything devoted to this topic? Students could write articles about our current state, how scientists think things will change, what people can do to be "green" and to help limit the changes or at least slow the changes down. There is a lot to be done here. Earth Day is coming soon and I was planning to read The Lorax with my students (especially because the movie comes out on March 2nd). I am not really one to get excited by science but this book has my gears turning.
Read Together: Grade 5 to 7
Read Alone: Grade 6 to 10
Read With: Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Life As We Knew It (The Last Survivor series) by Susan Beth Pfeffer, Among the Hidden (Shadow Children Series) by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Snatch of Text: 
"A wall of death-black cloud sits on the horizon. Slow-swirling charcoal fingers reach down from it. They point to the ground, hungry for dust and trees and buildings. The fingers close into thick fists, swirling, churning toward the farms." (p. 215-216)
Mentor Text for:  Activating Background Knowledge, Imagery, World-building, Mood, Setting, Expository, Personal Narrative, Attention Grabbers
Writing Prompts: Research current weather events and write an article about what changes in the environment we are already experiencing. Write about why people need to be more "green" and then give ideas for how do to this. Write about a time in your life when you had to stand up for something you believed in.  
Topics Covered: Integration - Science - Tornadoes & Meteorology, Family, Friendship, Loyalty, Work, Determination, Integrity

Jen *hearts* it

Kellee *hearts* it

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 2/13/12

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? From Picture Books to YA! 

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's Book Adventures:

Jen Says: I have been engulfed in great reading but I didn't get very far in actually finishing books. First of all, I almost finished Fallen by Lauren Kate. I have had it on my TBR on GoodReads since December 2010, believe it or not. It was one of the first books I added to GoodReads. I am really loving it. On audio, it took me all week and part of the weekend to finish How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr. Another amazing book. I am still working on The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate which has kept me sad and lonely for poor Ivan (so far).

Over the weekend I read a few picture books with Peanut (which aren't Batman, Thomas, or Star Wars):

Petunia Goes Wild by Paul Schmid

Here's a Little Poem collected by Jane Yolen and Andrew Fusek Peters

How Long Can a String Be by Keith Baker

Kellee Says: This week I am still struggling with my YA rut. I just am not finding any that are grabbing my attention. I am going about 50 pages into a bunch of them and just none of them are doing it for me. I did finish my audiobook Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel which is the second in the Matt Cruse (Airborn) series so at least audios are still pulling me in.  


Now, when it comes to picture books, graphic novels and nonfiction books, I'm in whatever the opposite of rut is. I have been going through a couple of different 2011 lists (John Schu's (@MrSchuReads) list as well as the list he made with Travis Jonker (@100scopenotes) and the NYT noteable list) and they have not disappointed. The nonfiction books I've read were phenomenal- Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson,  Drawing from Memory by Allen Say, and Terezin: Voices from the Holocaust by Ruth Thomson- as were the picture books- Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker, I'm Here by Peter H. Reynolds, Cloudette by Tom Lichtenheld, Little White Rabbit by Kevin Henkes, and Blue Chicken by Deborah Freedman- while the one poetry book I read I was disappointed- Everything On It by Shel Silverstein. 

Reviewed Last Week:

 

     

Just click on any picture above to go read the review

Upcoming Book Adventures: 

Jen Says: I will finally be starting Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins exactly on time for Valentine's Day. I am very happy about this. I will finish Fallen and I'll keep working on The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate which is sad and lonely but I hope gets a little more happy. I'm excited to meet Katherine Applegate at Anderson's Children's Literature Breakfast on Saturday. I really want to get back to From What I Remember... and On the Day I Died but it's hard to find time for non-audio books so we'll see how I do. I'm jealous of Kellee's picture book reads so I might need to find a nice stack of picture books to read at some point during the week...we'll see if that happens!

Kellee Says: I have an exciting week of reading ahead of me.  I'll be continuing Fire by Kristin Cashore on audio, which I am happy to say I am enjoying the narrator and although I do miss the full cast of Graceling I am glad that the narrator didn't let me down.  I'm also going to read Jo Knowles's See You At Harry's which I am so excited for because it is her first middle grade novel and I cannot wait to share her with my students. I'll also be trying some other YA books and see if something grabs me (I hope!!).  I'm also waiting for another pile of picture books to arrive from the library. 

This Week's Reviews:

 

Check back throughout the week to hear about these books. 

So, what are you reading this week? 

Please link up below and don't forget to check out other blogs to see what they are reading!

Happy reading!

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