Summer Reading #'s 18 and 19

This is pretty much a must read. I thought I knew all there was to know about the internment camps, but I was wrong.  I learned so much from this graphic novel.  It tells the story of his experiences, but also reveals so much about decisions that were made by families, individuals, supreme court justices and the FDR administration.  Various views regarding documents that needed to be signed, and how to handle living in these camps, are presented..thought provoking in many cases.

It is also so relevant today, and that is why I think all should read it.  I will be buying a copy (or two) for my classroom library.


This book is the Global Read Aloud pick for middle school students.  It is a beautifully told story, full of hope and heartache.  You will need a tissue box near you, especially as you approach the ending.

I love doing read alouds with my students, and will include this, but I know I will be bawling as I read certain sections.

# 17 Wow, just wow

Many people have raved about this, and I waited until now to read it.  Wow. I don't understand hashtags, and have never used one.  I don't though have the words to express how wonderful this book was.  So, I will just write a hashtag I have seen: All The Feels.

Get it, read it, and love it :-).

Thriller that works (for me) # 16

I might be actually on book 17, as I neglected to mention another thriller that I read.  It was one that was advertised everywhere, and I fell for it.  It apparently was originally a short story, and someone was intrigued by the premise and asked the author to make it a novel. Truly should have stuck to a short story as the plot only extended that far.

Onto this review.  I love Jeffery Deaver, and back when Borders was in existence saw him at author talks.  He was in my mind pretty funny in those; had a dry sardonic manner for the most part back then, and this novel kind of portrays that in the main character.

Colter has a background that is unusual, and slowly revealed at various points in the novel. The main case he is dealing with involves a computer game, and someone putting victims into various scenarios from the game. I enjoyed the false leads, and other characters that are introduced throughout this novel.  I also liked where one character pretty much shows Colter his methods aren't always effective, and he potentially has ruined a friendship as a result.

The book ends with some unresolved aspects, and I am already looking forward to the next in this new series.

15 is a home run Summer 2019

I absolutely loved this book.  Chinese folklore, an incredible protagonist, great characters, and a fun plot made for a wonderful read.

I am hoping this becomes a series. and hope if it does the humor continues.  Genie Lo discovers she needs to fight some demons when a new kid moves to town; their relationship current and in the past is original, and I loved learning a bit about Chinese folklore.  One legend deals with Guanyin, and coincidentally I saw her statue in an art museum in Baltimore, while reading the book. She is truly an interesting deity.

If you enjoy Rick Riordan books, and want to learn a bit about Chinese folklore, this book is for you. Even if you don't enjoy those books, you will enjoy this as it is aimed for an older crowd then the typical Riordan series is.

14 ummm, nope

I read a book by a well known writer, whose books I hadn't read previously.  It was pegged as a suspense/thriller, and while it had a good premise: a mass shooting where the planner isn't caught or even known to exist (as 3 killers die in the shootings) continues targeting people that were there that night. However, it truly slogged during the middle ( the author was trying to build up a romance in this part).  Some characters were entirely unbelievable, and aspects of the plot were as well.

I won't name the book or author though, as it pains me to write bad reviews. Even my brief description is a bit painful, but figured I'd acknowledge that book 14 was read :-).

# 13 is terrific

Wow.  I didn't know what to expect, but this is just a great novel.  A realistic look at what many kids are experiencing.  Poverty, domestic violence, fear, issues at school, a helpful teacher (that isn't unrealistically portrayed..it's not Dangerous Minds, it is reality here).

I loved the characters, and felt all were realistically presented. The dialog was spot on.

A heartfelt, wonderful read.  I highly recommend it.

Twelfth Book: Summer reading 2019

Powerful.  Alfonso is a young teen interested in history, the arts, and music.  His dad is soon to be released from prison where he was unjustly incarcerated (innocent in other words).  As Alfonso is buying a suit to welcome his dad home, he is shot and killed by a security officer who mistakes a hanger for a gun.

This book takes on police violence, and racism in a graphic novel format. Alfonso ends up being a ghost, which nicely ties in with his school production of Hamlet, that he would have participated in had he been alive.  Other ghosts teach him about their lives, that were cut down by police.  In some aspects it reminded me of A Long Way Down by Reynolds, since he is on a train and at various points meets other ghosts (like the elevator), and in other aspects it reminded me of Ghost Boys by Jewel Parker Rhodes.  Both of those books were excellent, if you haven't had a chance to read them do so now.

All three books are strong; this book is particularly strong when it compares Alfonso's death with school shootings where suspects are "escorted" rather than being killed by police. I do think readers will want to research some of the ghosts portrayed, and the author nicely has a synopsis of each at the end of the book.

I do have a harder time reading graphic novels than narratives, but this book would make a nice addition to any MS or HS classroom library.

3 books at the cabin Summer 2019

While at a cabin on the Shenandoah river, I read 3 books.  One was a YA, one a thriller, and the other non-fiction.

The YA book was one I had been looking forward to for some time.


Blended, by Sharon Draper.  I love Draper's books, and have many in my classroom library. This centers on Isabella, an 11 year old whose mom is white and dad is black. She deals with their divorce in this book geared to younger students.  The initial part didn't engage me as much as I had hoped, but she soon gets the plot going as the book gets closer to the middle. The parents are getting remarried on the same day which causes conflict, Izzy's piano recital is approaching, a friend finds a noose in her locker, and then there is a police involved shooting.  My guess is Draper is presenting some of the racist incidents we hear about (or witness), and police shootings of young black people, in a book for a younger audience.  I think this aspect she handles well. If you have a student who might not be ready for All American Boys or The Hate U Give, they could start with this title. Though it doesn't get too in-depth, it is a nice light introduction to this type of narrative. It might get a young student curious enough to read more intense (perhaps also realistic) takes on racism.

The next book is by Joy Fielding.  I read See Jane Run when it first came out, and was blown away. Since then I have tried to read all of her novels. Her latest is All the Wrong Places. It kept me reading,

as I wanted to see how it resolves, if the killer is caught, who figures it out, etc., etc.  While the plot and premise were great, the execution of some aspects weren't as well written as her previous novels.  I felt the dialog, character development, and resolution were all more typical of a younger, debut novelist than one with Fielding's skills. Having said that, as I mentioned I did keep reading, so the thriller aspect ran true.

The final book I read at the cabin, is the nonfiction one.

I read this because my son mentioned it was part of his summer reading for law school in the fall. I was intrigued by the cover. It deals with the Haitian refugee crisis in the early 90's; they were held in Guantanamo. While it is fascinating, it is also depressing. Many of the statements made then about refugees, are being made now. And, you will come across many familiar names, like William Barr. 
Not a light summer read by any means, rather a truly worthy read.

Book 8 Summer reading 2019

This is kind of a typical summer read, since it is a thriller.  I have read many of Baldacci's books, mostly the Camel club series, but at one point stopped reading him when some of the plots and characters just became a bit too unbelievable.

This is the start of a new series, the Atlee Pine series. Atlee is a FBI agent in a one person office in Arizona.  She has an interesting background, with one main plot point being the center. Her twin sister was taken in the middle of the night, when they were 6.  She was never found. The start of the book deals with Atlee's investigation into that crime.  The majority of the book deals with a crime (conspiracy) that starts with a missing man and a dead mule in the Grand Canyon.

All thrillers have their moments that make you go, huh? Either due to a character doing something stupid, that you know will lead to problems (happens here a couple of times, but won't spoil things by detailing) or spies who randomly are able to fly, travel, get everywhere incredibly easily and quickly.  This part was a little more realistic than some series I have read. No one here travels to Europe from the states in just a few hours for example, but some aspects of their travels did have me not believing it could be pulled off.  But, hey it is a thriller, and a great summer read.  If you enjoy getting to know a character, or enjoy starting new series, this one is worthy of checking out.

Summer Reading 2019 Book 7 is a sweet YA read

I picked this book up at NOVA Teen Fest back in March, and finally read it.  It is a sweet, funny look at friendship, relationships, loss, forgiveness, and growing up.  The two main characters, Josie and Delia alternate chapters/narratives. The voice was honestly similar in both, but their concerns are different enough that it was easy to keep track of who was who. I loved the references to horror movies, and hosts of goofy horror shows, which the girls share as they are hosting a similar show on their local cable channel.  While it is a YA title, I think HS school students will appreciate it more than MS students. Some of the situations are a bit more mature, and the issues are more relatable to kids about to leave HS.

Summer reading 2019 Book 6

I adored this novel.  An English teacher is murdered, and one of the three narrators is her colleague, another English teacher.  Many references to Wilkie Collins, particularly his novel, The Woman in White.  I read that years ago, and loved it. The style is quite reminiscent of it.

I enjoyed each character's narration, Clare, the English teacher, her daughter Georgie, and the detective Harbrinder.  It had me guessing throughout, and well, it was just wonderfully written.

It isn't a quick read; I had to stop at times to simply absorb what I had read, and to take a break from the Gothic setting so to speak. I might need to start Elly Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series, but currently have too many other titles on my to be read list.

Summer books 4 and 5

Books 4 and 5 Notes From a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi was a very interesting read. It takes you up through the closing of Shaw Bijou, and ends prior to Kith and Kin. His life is very interesting, and the book was well written. The other book, Honey Trap by JJ Marsh is book 8 in a mystery/detective series I fell in love with. Beatrice Stubbs, the detective, is older/middle-aged. Her strengths and weaknesses are believable, all supporting characters are great; relationships are realistically detailed, and the mysteries of each book are engaging. All are set in Europe, with this one set in Naples. The first book is Behind Closed Doors.

Summer books 2 and 3

Summer reading: books 2 and 3. The Last Time I Lied by Rlley Sager alternates between present day and 15 years ago in a compelling mystery. It honestly dragged a bit for me in the middle, which is when I started Bottle of Lies (great/nonfiction). When I restarted it though, I enjoyed it and the ending was good. Focused by Alyson Gerber deals with a 7th grade girl discovering she has ADHD. Realistic fiction at its best. Students who have this, people who know people with it, and of course teachers, will find the scenes well done, and the issues of ADHD compellingly told.

Summer Reading 2019

First book of the summer isn't a typical summer read, but it is a must read. Seriously, if you or anyone you know takes medicine daily, for chronic conditions, read this. Really, all are in this boat at some point, so read it.
Very well written. Engaging and informative.