Content: I'm posting reviews of books that I've read. This will be a range of items from elementary and middle school titles to high school and adult books. Not all books will be appropriate for all students at Jewel Middle School. The point is to show students that their teachers and staff members read a wide range of materials, and that we think about what we've read.
Rules: If you'd like to leave a comment, you do not need to leave your name. In fact, if you're a student, it's probably better if you don't leave your last name at all. That will protect your privacy. You do need to be polite. No profanity! Comments are screened, so they won't be posted right away. Just be patient. :)
-- Mrs. Hahn
Gossamer, by Lois Lowry. * * * * * 02/17/2008
[http://www.amazon.com/Gossamer-Lois-Lowry/dp/0618685502/]
144 pgs. 2006. Fiction: Fantasy fiction.
Audience: grades 4-8
Summary: While learning to bestow dreams, a young dream giver tries to save an eight-year-old boy from the effects of both his abusive past and the nightmares inflicted on him by the frightening Sinisteeds.
Review: This was a very delicate, very sweet book. Yes, the foster home woman and the boy and the boy's mother are all very generic stock characters. The thing is, the book isn't completely about them. The book is about Littlest One, who is learning how to be a dream giver. While the journey of the boy and his mother is important, it's equally important that Littlest One learns her task and discovers new and different ways to achieve her goals.
Awards: Caudill Nominee, 2009; Wilson's Children 10/01/06; Wilson's Junior High School 08/01/07.
Similar: The Giver, by Lois Lowry; The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherine Paterson; Pictures of Hollis Woods, by Patricia Reilly Giff; The Pinballs, by Betsy Byars.
November Blues, by Sharon M. Draper. * * * * finished 02/11/2008
[http://www.amazon.com/November-Blues-Sharon-M-Draper/dp/1416906983/]
316 pgs. 2007. Fiction: Realistic fiction.
Audience: grades 7-12
Summary: November Nelson learns she is pregnant from her first time with Josh, and fears she has no one to turn to, until she finds solace in the arms of Josh's cousin Jericho.
Review: November is a smart, intelligent girl who plans to go to college. When she becomes pregnant, her life of skinny jeans and college plans is suddenly thrown upside-down. Unlike some books about teen pregnancy, this one completely catalogs the physical drawbacks of pregnancy-- the swollen feet, the digestive issues, the nausea, and everything else that happens when one's body changes.
Instead of just focusing on November's physical pregnancy, Draper also focuses on the pettiness of high school interactions and the solid friendships that can be formed between social outcasts. In a parallel plot, Draper focuses on November's friend Jericho, who is dealing with issues of anger regarding his cousin Josh. Jericho becomes a true friend to November just when she needs it the most.
Unlike many YA novels, November isn't left to deal with these issues on her own; her mother is a constant force in the book, being both angry and supportive of her daughter's various choices. She helps November to negotiate a difficult offer that is presented by Josh's parents, one that will change her life whether she takes it or dismisses it.
Draper's characters are nicely rounded and fleshed out, and their emotions and reactions are real and true. The dialogue-- whether playful banter or cutting insults-- is similar to that you'd find between teenagers, though Draper has left out the curse words that would likely appear when real-life, petty high school girls have a showdown. November's emotional state is delicately and precicely drawn, and Draper does an excellent job of showing the impact that one girl's pregnancy can make on her life and the lives of everyone around her. A must-read for high school girls, and definitely a book for older middle-school girls to consider.
Awards: King Honor Book, 2008. Expect this one to be an Abe Nominee soon.
Similar: The Battle of Jericho is the prequel to this book; you may wish to read it first. Other similar titles include The First Part Last, by Angela Johnson; Make Lemonade, by Virginia Euwer Wolff; and Hanging on to Max, by Margaret Bechard.
Confessor, by Terry Goodkind. * * * finished 02/04/2008
[http://www.amazon.com/Confessor-Chainfire-Trilogy-Sword-Truth/dp/0765315238/]
608 pgs. 2007. Fiction: Fantasy fiction.
Audience: Adult
Summary: As the world is overtaken by evil, never to be the same again, wizard Richard Rahl struggles with guilt over the sin he cannot confess to his wife, Mother Confessor Kahlan, who has lost all her memories.
Review: Oh, man. Where to begin with this one...
This is the conclusion of Goodkind's sprawling Sword of Truth series, and it's the final part of the trilogy that makes up the last section of the storyline. It's better than the two books that precede it, but I think much of that is just the fact that Goodkind is forced to actually wrap up things and come to a bunch of plot resolutions.
I think the thing I liked best about this book was the energy and excitement of the Ja'La games. Richard's skill in planning the physical attack and athletic attack of the rugby-like game made for a thrilling section of the novel, as did his strategy on the battlefield. But that was probably the highlight. Richard and Nicci's attempts at deciphering the flaws in the original Chainfire spell is probably the second most interesting part, and the bits with Rachel's captivity were a close third. Zedd doesn't get to do much at all.
Goodkind's strength is his characterization. Kahlan, Richard, Jagang, Zedd, Rachel, Nicci, Cara, and all the others are well-defined characters with clear motivations and some serious human flaws. But Goodkind's weakness is his writing and plotting. It takes *forever* for things to happen. Dozens of plot threads are dropped, ripped out, knotted up, tangled, or left to just dangle without resolution for most of the series.
In the end, the resolution seemed so... gah. I'm glad that Richard encouraged everyone to follow their own lead, but it's like he needed to become some sort of God in order to address everyone to *stop* them from their devotions to him! The hard *thwack* of Goodkind's philosophical ramblings just is too much.
Was it worth it to read the whole series? I think so, yes. But it was an exercise in constant frustration to have such wonderful characters get mired in such a jumble of unnecessary violence (especially against women) and the religious and political philosophy. Some of the books were stellar, and others were just marking time. I probably won't read them again.
Series: This is the final book in the Sword of Truth series.
Halle Berry : "beauty is not just physical", by Michael A. Schuman. 2006.
[http://www.amazon.com/Halle-Berry-Physical-African-American-Biography/dp/0766024679/]
112 pgs. Nonfiction: Biography, * * * 01/15/2008
Audience: grades 5-10
Summary: A biography of Halle Berry that provides information on her childhood, her family life, her education, and her career as a model and actress.
Review: I started browsing through this book as I was cataloging it for our library. It was a nice way to pass the time, and I learned some things about Berry that I hadn't known before. It's a nice series to purchase if you have holes in your school library biography collection.
Similar: Fabulosity: What it is & How to get it, by Kimora Lee Simmons; other titles in Enslow's African-American Biography Library.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie ; art by Ellen Forney. 2007.
[http://www.amazon.com/Absolutely-True-Diary-Part-Time-Indian/dp/0316013684/]
229 pgs. Fiction: Realistic, * * * * 01/08/2008
Audience: grades 8-11
Summary: Budding cartoonist Junior leaves his troubled school on the Spokane Indian Reservation to attend an all-white farm town school where the only other Native American is the school mascot.
Review: This was an excellent book. It was funny, thoughtful, shocking, provoking, and heartbreaking, all rolled into one marvelous package.
Alexie doesn't pull any punches in this book. Junior's struggles with the racism that he faces at the white, rural farm school seem very realistic, as do his reactions. Everything is bittersweet. Junior is able to inject even the worst things in his live with humor and beautiful drawings, and yet even the best things that happen to him and those around him end up having a dark twist to them.
Still, Junior perseveres-- at home, at school, and in his mind-- and this coming-of-age novel follows him every step of the way as he begins to experience success.
A special note must be made regarding Ellen Forney's illustrations. They capture Junior's emotion and artistic skill so effortlessly that the novel would not be possible without them.
Awards: National Book Award (Young People's Literature), 2007.
Similar: The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie (High School/Adult); The Brave, by Robert Lipsyte (grades 7-12); Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney (grades 5-8).
I've read nearly 40 books since January, but hadn't really had the time to truly write up any reviews for them. With the help of my husband (hooray, babysitting!) I have been able to get back on track.
I hope to post one book review per day until I'm all caught up. I hope you enjoy these. As always, please feel free to comment!
Crooked River, by Shelley Pearsall. 2005.
[http://www.amazon.com/Crooked-River-Shelley-Pearsall/dp/0440421012/]
249 pgs. Fiction: Historical, * * * 12/20/07
Audience: grades 4-8
Summary: When twelve-year old Rebecca Carter's father brings a Native American accused of murder into their 1812 Ohio settlement town, Rebecca, witnessing the town's reaction to the Indian, struggles with the idea that an innocent man may be convicted and sentenced to death.
Review: Rebecca and her sister are scared at first when their rough father imprisons "Indian John" Amik in the loft of their house while Amik awaits trial for murder. They are at first scared of the "savage" upstairs, but later are worried that their father will notice that they have been exchanging small trinkets with the man. Later, a lawyer comes to town to defend John, leading to a climactic trial. The young lawyer is eager and does his job well, but frontier justice doesn't always care for a job well done.
I wasn't always sure what to make of this book. It is based on a true story, but the resolution is different from the actual historical events. Although part of the resolution is as expected, another part is somewhat unbelievable. The sections of the book that are written from John's point of view are done in poetic form. These poems are pretty, and evoke emotion, but at the same time skew a little bit towards the "wise native american" stereotype. That said, the story is interesting, the trial scenes are strongly written, and Rebecca is fleshed out into a rounder character by the end of the book. The story is likable, but leaves something to be desired.
Awards: Crooked River was a Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award nominee for 2008, and was included in the 2006 Wilson's Children's Catalog and the 2006 Wilson's Junior High School Catalog.
Similar: To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee.
Defiance, by Valerie Hobbs. 2005.
[http://www.amazon.com/Defiance-Valerie-Hobbs/dp/0374308470/]
116 pgs. Fiction: Realistic, * * * * 12/11/07
Audience: grades 4-7
Summary: While vacationing in the country, eleven-year-old Toby, a cancer patient, learns some important lessons about living and dying from an elderly poet and her cow.
Review: Toby is sick of his cancer treatments. Thus, when he sees a lump in his side, he hides it from his parents, just wanting to be "normal" for a while. In his attempts to feel normal, Toby ends up meeting Pearl, an old woman who also wants to feel normal-- in her case, not to end up with her two daughters but to keep her place in her own home. Both Pearl and Toby defy the wishes of others, but are willing to listen to each other and share time with each other. Slowly, Pearl teaches Toby how to read and appreciate poetry and other literature.
A side plot deals with Blossom, Pearl's cow, who herself is falling ill. Toby and Pearl care for the cow as best they can, and Toby thinks about his own life as much as he considers Blossom's existance.
Valerie Hobbs has written a brief but poignant novel about what it means to feel alive, and what's truly worth fighting for.
Awards: Defiance is a Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award nominee for 2008, and was included in the 2006 Wilson's Children's Catalog and the 2006 Wilson's Junior High School Catalog.
Similar: Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick.
Shakespeare's Secret, by Elise Broach. 2005.
[http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeares-Secret-Elise-Broach/dp/0312371322/]
250 pgs. Fiction: Mystery, * * * * 12/07/07
Audience: grades 4-8
Summary: Named after a character in a Shakespeare play, misfit sixth-grader Hero becomes interested in exploring this unusual connection because of a valuable diamond supposedly hidden in her new house, an intriguing neighbor, and the unexpected attention of the most popular boy in school.
Review: Hero, feeling like she doesn't fit in at her new school, makes friends with Mrs. Roth, her next-door neighbor and a fan of Elizabethan studies and royal intrigue. She is surprised when Danny, the 8th-grade son of the police chief, turns out to be another of Mrs. Roth's frequent visitors. Together, they delve into the mystery of the Murphy Diamond, which is allegedly hidden in Hero's new house.
Hero is likable, and Danny is a good guy. The twists and turns of the story are a little predictable at times, and the literary depth may be too much for readers without background knowledge about the Shakespeare authorship debate. However, Broach paces the writing pretty evenly, and the story develops relatively naturally. This is a good one for those gifted students who like to solve complex problems or who just like a thoughtful mystery.
Awards: Shakespeare's Secret is a Rebecca Caudill Young Readers Book Award nominee for 2008, and was included in the 2006 Wilson's Children's Catalog and the 2006 Wilson's Junior High School Catalog.
Similar: Chasing Vermeer, by Blue Balliet.
