Perfect for my students

More to the Story, by Hena Khan is a wonderfully engaging book. It centers on Jam (Jameela), a 7th grader who loves writing for her school, (and home) newspaper.  She has 3 siblings: Maryam is the oldest, Bisma is younger than Jam, and Aleeza is the youngest.  Each are nicely described, and Khan shares details that add more depth to each character as the story moves on.

Jam is dealing with quite a bit here! She is excited that she has been picked to be the features editor for her school paper. She has many supporters, but when one of her biggest, her dad, leaves for a job overseas, she starts dealing with some harder aspects in life.  In addition to that, her younger sister, Bisma get seriously ill. I thought the ways Jam dealt with this, what she thought, how people helped, how Bisma dealt with it, were all realistically portrayed.

I also thought the themes around the newspaper club were handled deftly.  I will share the story here with my media journalism class, as so many ethical issues were dealt with well.

While there are serious issues to contend with, humor abounds in this novel.  It is perfect for older ES students, and MS students.

I truly loved it.

I am a bit behind on my reviews, so am doing a post that briefly states what I read over the past couple of months.
1) The Guinevere Deception is a fun take on King Arthur/Camelot. It is the first of a series and I really enjoyed it.
2) Scars Like Wings is a debut, and is amazing. Erin Stewart the author visited our school, and gave a wonderful presentation, which I didn't see but did hear about (for 8th grade students). In short, a teen is recovering from a horrific fire, and is adjusting to going back to school. I predict pink wigs will soon be a fashion statement...statement being key.
3) Framed! A wonderfully fun start to a mystery series staring a 12 year old D.C student who assists the FBI. Great friendships, logic, and a good overall read for MS students
4) This Land is Our Land: should be required reading for all. It truly puts into perspective our history in the world, with our immigrants, and migration causes in general.
5) Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation. A fun, pretty wild espionage tale also featuring a 12 year old. Slightly less believable, but fun for students who love Spy School, and really love lots of chase scenes.

Historical Fiction

                                                                                              

I've read a few of Sepetys books, Salt to the Sea, and Between Shades of Gray being my favorites. They are both set during WW2, and like The Fountains of Silence, they were geared towards the YA audience. 

I knew a great deal about WW2 from classes in K-12, as well as a few history courses I took in college.  Somehow though I didn't know much about Franco.  Thus, reading this book took me more time than a typical read would.  I found myself looking so much up, and wondering if it all could be true.  Why didn't my courses teach me more about Franco?? All I knew was Hemingway and Orwell were there reporting during the civil war.

This is set in the mid to late 1950's, for the most part. 

The central issue in the book is how secretive the Spanish people feel they must be during Franco's reign. Those whose families fought against him, are especially secretive. 

The other aspect I learned, that is central to the story, is American Oil companies were making deals with the Franco government, and that too was a secret.  

It is heartbreaking to realize what families went through; murders, disappearances, and babies being kidnapped and sent to orphanages are a few of the issues addressed in this book. 

It is well written, but didn't flow as readily for me simply due to my lack of knowledge. This made me realize how difficult historical fiction has probably been for my 6th grade students. If they haven't studied a period in time, they too might wonder which parts are fictional and which are historical. 

I am rethinking my entire historical fiction unit now, and will do my utmost to coordinate with the history teacher on my team. 

The other historical fiction novel I read was The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates 

This is so beautifully written.  It is full of magical realism as well.  Some might say that softens the horrors of slavery, but I felt it was depicted well (well, as well as I can imagine human bondage).  

The magical realism plays itself out most when dealing with the underground railroad, and I know some complain that this diminishes the hard work, and bravery of Harriet Tubman, but in many ways I think it was perfectly fitting.  It does seem like a miracle that so many were able to achieve a path to freedom, given the horrors of people attempting to capture them, and what they suffered when caught. She does play a central role in this story, so Moses as she was often called, is fully recognized.

There were many terrific lines in this book.  Here are just a few. Speaking of how they had to be in the household, Hiram, a slave, writes: "Sloth was literal death for us, while for them it was the whole ambition of their lives." 

Another quote that brings up incredible images, is this: "The Flesh-Traders, vultures of Natchez...They were a ghastly sight, the lowest of low whites, because unlike their brethren, these men, while originating in the bottom file, had grown wealthy from the flesh trade, but seemed to revel in their debased roots, their slovenly dress, their missing teeth, their foul orders, their habit of spitting tobacco wherever wished, as a kind of absurd show."

A great line is this one: "There was no peace in slavery, for every day under the rule of another is a day of war."

When speaking of all of the horrible family separations, as children were sold out from mothers, husbands from wives, the narrator states: "The tree of our family was parted---branches here, roots there---parted for their lumbar." 

When speaking of the white slave owners, and how they treated female slaves, one of the main characters states: "You don't remember what they do to the girls down here? And once they do it, they got you. They catch you with the babies, tie you to the place by your own blood and all, until you got too much to let go of to go."

Both of these books were overwhelming to read, especially back to back. I keep thinking humanity will change, but atrocities keep occurring.  Will we ever actually learn from our past?

A trio of world building

I had not been reading much, since school started. I had a slew of books on my TBR list. Some were physically piled up in various rooms from the library, and others were sample chapters waiting for me on my Kindle.

I finally managed to read a few, after I finished the 3rd week of school, which included our BTSN (back to school night).

I was reading The Bone Charmer, slowly, during down time at school, and at the same time I was reading The Institute, slowly at home, when I wasn't planning lessons etc. The third book, Pet, I picked up from the library on Saturday.  All three are incredible, but Pet blew me away.

I finished The Bone Charmer Saturday morning.  It is typical of the fantasy genre, wherein someone discovers their skills, and has choices to make. The world building here was amazing.  Initially I didn't think the author Breanna Shields would be able to pull it off.  The narrators are the same person, who, due to some unusual circumstances, is experiencing life via two parallel worlds.  The author pulls it off beautifully.  There are some wonderful characters you'll root for, as well as evil.  The ending was great; the book could be a stand alone, but I am kind of hoping it is the start of perhaps a trilogy.

I finished The Institute, Saturday evening. Stephen King has been a favorite of mine since I first read Carrie, in HS.  I love how he takes the ordinary, and makes it so extraordinary. In this book, children with special powers are kidnapped, and taken to a facility. A facility well hidden, and supposedly created to save the world. I was nervous through much of the book, as I of course was hoping the victims would find justice, and that all of them would survive.  The world King creates here is all to real; and sadly, the excuses of those doing evil resonates all too well in our world.  It is a great story. Probably one of his top 3 or 5. Hmm, maybe even his best due to the implications it can teach us all.



Wow, so Pet.  It is incredible. You are probably wondering what genre it is.  I want to say Allegorical, but in many ways, despite the incredible world created within, it is realistic fiction, told in a manner that is simply beautiful.  It is heart wrenching, yet hopeful at the same time.  It too, like King's book, is an important book for our current times. It should be read by all.  Truly, it should.  It is short but so extensive, that it takes your breath away.
This book is on the long list for the National Book Award for young people. I believe it will end up on the short list, and expect it will win. emezi is amazing. I am in awe of the skill shown in this book.

Student recommendation

I have been very busy with the start of the school year, but have managed to read a bit.  A student recommended Fake Blood, by Whitney Gardner.  It was a fun graphic novel; if you want a quick enjoyable read, check it out.

New School New Book

Just finished the teacher prep week at my new school.  A new school for teachers, students and families!  On Monday I didn't think it would be feasible to have students enter the next week, but we had a wonderful orientation on Thursday, and each day things looked better and better.
The construction crew, the custodial crew, admin and my new colleagues have all been amazing.
As I prepared my classroom, I was thinking of the new books I would be sharing with my students, read-alouds, discussions, and book talks.  I also came across a new title, that I just finished.  It is wonderful.  The 47 People You'll Meet in Middle School, by Kristin Mahoney will be the book I first read to my TA.  I highly recommend it.  A girl writes the book to her little sister, as a method of sharing what middle school will be like.  There are naturally 47 chapters that delve into friendships, teachers, finding "your people," family issues, and situations like bullying. All is adeptly told; I had only one little quibble, where the dance they have is called a Sadie Hawkins dance.  I thought those were last in style back when I was in school, an eon ago.

The characters are realistically depicted, and I really enjoyed how beautifully the author portrayed how friendships change, and how new ones can be formed.

Compelling

I had been reading this, and enjoying it (while reading other books as well), and towards the end, was so compelled to finish it, that I woke up at 3 a.m,, and couldn't bear to stop reading.  I was so terribly worried about choices some of the characters were making, that I absolutely couldn't go back to sleep.

A magnet public school for the gifted comes to Colorado. 4 women, and their families are deeply affected by this.  The parents motives, the children's actions and desires, are well developed. I enjoyed each of the parents, despite some dubious choices they made. 

The author portrays parental angst, and desire for their kids' success well.  The dialogue is quite good, as is some of the social commentary.  You will find yourself rooting for certain characters, and yelling at others.  The good, bad, beautiful, and ugly of each person is beautifully told.

Similarities

I read two books that have been compared to other works.  One was compared to Where'd You Go Bernadette, and the other to  Big Little Lies.

The first, The Floating Feldmans by Elyssa Friedland, was indeed an enjoyable read, and had some funny moments, but overall it didn't grab me as much as Bernadette did. 

Annette Feldman books a cruise to celebrate her 70th birthday.  She is hoping to bond with her children and grandchildren, as there have been some riffs and distance in recent years.  Much of the distance is due to miscommunication, misunderstandings, and secrets.  All of this is believable, and at times quite poignant. The humor is understated, and the relationships are authentic.

It was a truly enjoyable summer read, and the characters are generally likable, despite some questionable behaviors.  Most of their secrets are kept out of love for each other, and in the end all is resolved in a convincing manner.  I have never been inclined to take a cruise, and this truly confirmed for me that I won't ever book a cruise. I did think there was some nice social commentary regarding the cruise staff, and their reality (being away from their families for extended periods, while the cruise goers typically celebrate family events).

There is nothing truly displeasing about the book, but it wasn't as engaging for me, as Where'd You Go Bernadette was.  I do hope the film of that book, pulls off the warmth and hilarity of the book.

The other book is The Night Olivia Fell. 


It is told via multiple narratives, and starts with the tragedy then goes into the past.  This effectively builds the suspense, and it did keep me engaged and reading rather quickly, until I finished. It has been compared to Big Little Lies due to this narrative structure.  It doesn't though have the biting social commentary that Moriarty deftly utilizes in her book.

Christina McDonald does create some unique characters, that have interesting backgrounds.  She pulls off the narrative structure, and as I said builds suspense.  Olivia is a teenager, who is on life support after falling from a bridge.  Her life support would have effectively been pulled, since she is brain dead, but once it is discovered that she is pregnant, state laws preclude that until the birth of the baby.

Her mother misses, I think, important and obvious clues as she tries to figure out how the fall happened, and who is responsible for Olivia's eventual death. Despite those plot holes, I did enjoy the novel, and appreciated the character reveals.

21st reviewed

This was an exciting, fast paced narrative that is sure to hook many teen readers.  6 teens are given the opportunity to apply for a special CIA internship, that includes a college scholarship if selected.  The students are all hackers, mostly what are termed white hat hackers.

They soon discover that all is not what it seems, and set out to "save the world" from the nefarious group behind it all. I learned a bit about hacking, and leet speak.  Much seems implausible, but if you approach the book as kind of a teen/hacker version of Ocean's 11 etc., you will enjoy it.

The characters were interesting and varied.  The writing was nice, and the plot kept me reading.

Books read without reviews

I am going to post titles I read, that I didn't post reviews for (for various reasons).  I don't like publishing full reviews of books I disliked..it feels too mean spirited, but in case you've been tempted by some titles, these are my slight takeaways.

1) The Chain by Adrian McKinty (would have been an excellent short story)
2) Those People by Louise Candlish (heartbreaking for only character I liked)
3) Shelter in Place by Nora Roberts (intense start, with compelling characters...then...not so much)
4) The Lost by Natasha Preston (felt like this might be what those Saw type of movies would be in book form..haven't seen them, don't want to read those scenes).

First week of August

I was away for a few days, but still reading.  I read a few books that didn't grab me. One, was a YA novel that I thought involved kids getting taken into a computer game, perhaps Jumanji style. I had put it on my holds list at my local library, and often forget why I put a title on hold, but it is always exciting to read books as they arrive!
This one though didn't involve a computer game, but was rather more along the lines of those Saw movies.  I couldn't finish it. It shall remain unnamed, as I don't like posting really negative reviews. As always, if you want the titles of the books I deride, please post a comment, and I will let you know.

A couple of others were merely started, and didn't grab me.  One book I read and finished around August 8th, is The Lady in the Lake.


I love Laura Lippman's stand alone novels; by the time I discovered here if felt a bit too late to go back to the start of her series, but one day I will do that.  This novel is set in the 1960's in Baltimore. My son recently moved to Baltimore, and I enjoyed exploring it while visiting him. (and, as an aside a certain person has recently commented on Baltimore) thus, it felt a bit more relevant as I read it, than some books might.

Maddie, the main character has recently left her husband and is kind of finding herself.  In that process she makes some dubious decisions, including one involving a ring that leads her to meet a police officer, and that sets in motion a relationship and piques her curiosity in crime, and reporting.  I honestly found her a bit irritating and self-centered at times. Some have complained about the narrative structure of this novel, but I truly enjoyed all of the characters' chapters.  Many of these are only heard from once, but they added to the story, and I think were used to point out Maddie's self-absorption.  She was unaware of contributions others made, or their lives/interests and this structure added to that character trait, as well as to the story overall.

There are two murders and Maddie becomes involved in trying to solve both.  Both are based on murders that did take place in Baltimore in the 1960's. Cleo, the lady in the lake, is one of the characters that narrates some chapters, and I thought that was well done, and a nice contrast to Maddies'.

Overall, while it isn't my favorite Lippman book, I did enjoy it. There's a nice twist at the end.

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 :-).