It's Monday! What Are You Reading (Special Double Issue)

I love this weekly meme hosted by Kellee and Jen over at TeachMentorTexts.  It's so much fun to see what other people have been reading and get ideas for books to add to my ever-expanding To Read pile.  However, my To Read pile is starting to get a bit obnoxious, taking over several bookshelves in my basement, one in my bedroom closet, and my entire nightstand.  I really need to work on this!

Since I forgot to post last week, I'm going to share my reading for the past TWO weeks.  Here goes:

30.  The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde (finished 2/18/13)  Interesting fantasy set in a slightly future Britain.  Involves dragons and swords.  'Nuff said.

31.  Sons of the 613 by Michael Rubens (finished 2/19/13) Funny and sad story of two brothers one struggling with bullying and growing up, the other struggling to find his place.  Highly recommend this one for oler readers.

32.  Ladies in Waiting by Laura Sullivan (finished 2/21/13) Strange historical fiction.  I love books with girls in itchy dresses, but this one was WEIRD!

33.  Loss by Jackie Morse Kessler (finished 2/21/13) Second book in a series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.  

34.  Ichiro by Ryan Inzana (finished 2/23/13) Graphic novel about a Japanese American boy who goes to visit his grandfather in Japan and learns about his history.  Bit of a fantasy as well.  Quite good.

35.  Son by Lois Lowry (finished 2/24/13) The close of The Giver quartet.  I wanted to love it, but it fell short.  Ended up giving it 4 stars.

This week I have several books to read for my next Walden Award deadline as well as two "grown-up books" that I have from the library, including the new (and sadly, final) Maeve Binchy.

In addition to my reading, I have a preso on digital writing tools that I need to prepare for a conference on Friday and two presos for my grad class on Saturday!  I'm going to be one busy girl!

What are YOU reading this week?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Yes.. it IS time for another installment of "It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?"  Thanks to Jen and Kellee over at TeachMentorTexts for hosting this meme...

This was another busy reading week for me.  I abandoned only one book and finished two... one of them was Grave Mercy, which is definitely a hefty tome!  I have so many more to read before my next committee deadline, and I'm not sure I'm going to make it!

Anyway... here was my week:
27.  Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (finished 2/7/13) OMG.. amazing fantasy/paranormal romance.  Read it.  Then wait impatiently for book 2!
28.  The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell (finished 2/10/13) paranormal historical fiction set in the Oklahoma Territory during the land rush.

This week I plan to read:

• Illuminate by Aimee Agresti
• Perry's Killer Playlist by Joe Screiber
• Scorch by Gina Damico
• Will Sparrow's Road by Karen Cushman

What are YOU reading this week?

Boys Without Names

Boys Without Names by Kashmira Sheth 
(Balzer + Bray, 2010)



Summary from publisher:
For eleven-year-old Gopal and his family, life in their rural Indian village is over: We stay, we starve, his baba has warned.  With the darkness of night as cover, they flee to the big city of Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future.  Gopal is eager to help support his struggling family until school starts, so when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factory job, he jumps at the offer.
But Gopal has been deceived.  There is no factory, just a small, stuffy sweatshop where he and five other boys are forced to make beaded frames for more money and little food.  The boys are forbidden to talk or even to call one another by their real names.  In this atmosphere of distrust and isolation, locked in a rundown building in an unknown part of the city, Gopal despairs of ever seeing his family again.
But late one night, when Gopal decides to share kahanis, or stories, he realizes that storytelling might be the boys' key to holding on to their sense of self and their hope for any kind of future.  If he can make them feel more like brothers than enemies, their lives will be more bearable in the shop--and they might even find a way to escape.

Boys Without Names is one of those books that makes a reader think.  As I read about the boys being held in slavery in this sweatshop, it made me wonder what objects I have in my home that might have been produced in such conditions.  Knowing in an abstract way that sweatshops filled with children who are poorly educated and malnourished is a different thing than reading a book that takes you inside one of those sweatshops.

Gopal is a character that many middle grade readers will be able to relate to, not so much in his background or the situations in which he finds himself, but rather they will be able to relate to Gopal's desire to protect and help his family.  Kids want to feel safe and protected - they want to be seen as a vital part of the family.  Gopal is no different.  He sees that his family is struggling and he knows there are things he can do to help.  However, he is also naive and innocent, and this lands him in trouble.

Readers who pick up this book, which is on the 2014 Rebecca Caudill Master List, will find a window into another life, one that is most likely different from their own, but will be certain to walk away  with a new perspective on our world.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's time again for another installment of "It's Monday!  Here's What I've Been Reading," my take on the meme hosted by Jen and Kellee over at TeachMentorTexts.  Be sure to head over there to see what other bloggers have been reading.

This week was not a good reading week for me.  I had LOTS of work to do for my grad class, and a deadline for my Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award selection committee.  Here's the deal with these award committees.  It's an amazing experience. You get to read a huge number of books and have great conversations about them with really smart people.  There's a sense of satisfaction that comes at the end of the process when the committee has chosen a winner and several runners-up for the award.  Overall, it's a great experience, one that I'm so thankful to have.

But.... (and there's always a but)....
Sometimes the amount of reading gets overwhelming.  And you aren't always assigned the books you want to read and instead have to plow through ones you HAVE to read.  That was me this week.  According to the committee guidelines, I can abandon a book once I can tell whether or not it will meet the award criteria.  As a rule, I HATE to abandon books.  I strongly believe that there is an audience out there for most every book, and that if I am going to match books with readers, I have to give each book full consideration, even if it's not my cup of tea.

This week, I just couldn't do it.  I abandoned three, yes three, books.  It's unprecedented for me.  Truly.

Here's what I DID manage to finish this week:

22. Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units by Grant Wiggins (finished 1/28/13) Professional book for my grad class.

23.  Dream Eyes by Jayne Anne Krentz (finished 1/31/13) trashy paranormal romance for sappy adult women

24.  Life Happens Next by Terry Trueman (finished 2/1/13) Teenage boy's version of Out of My Mind

25.  Never Fall Down by Patricia McCormick (finished 2/2/13) Harrowing story of a Cambodian boy during the reign of the Khmer Rouge. A tough read, but holy cow was it good.

This week I plan to read:

• The Wild Book by Margarita Engle
• Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (highly recommended by Donalyn Miller)
• Wuftoom by Mary G. Thompson

Assuming I don't abandon any of them, watch for reviews soon.

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Faith, Hope, and Ivy June 
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (Delacorte, 2009)


Summary from Goodreads:
Ivy June Mosely and Catherine Combs, two girls from different parts of Kentucky, are participating in the first seventh-grade student exchange program between their schools. The girls will stay at each other’s homes, attend school together, and record their experience in their journals. Catherine and her family have a beautiful home with plenty of space. Since Ivy June’s house is crowded, she lives with her grandparents. Her Pappaw works in the coal mines supporting four generations of kinfolk. Ivy June can’t wait until he leaves that mine forever and retires. As the girls get closer, they discover they’re more alike than different, especially when they face the terror of not knowing what’s happening to those they love most.

 Faith, Hope, and Ivy June is a sweet story of friendship and learning to look beyond stereotypes. I enjoyed getting to know both Ivy June and Catherine over the course of the story, and felt as if Naylor does a fairly good job of describing the lives of both girls without getting too sappy in the process.  This is a great book for an upper-elementary/middle school library because it is an approachable book for that age range, and the story has elements that will appeal to those middle readers, especially girls.

As an adult, I felt the plot had a few holes, some of which I had a hard time getting past.  Some events are just too contrived to be believable, and the ending left me a little cold.  However, I think middle grade girls who love realistic fiction stories about friendships and love happy endings will thoroughly enjoy this book.

Revolution of Evelyn Serrano by Sonia Manzano

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano 
by Sonia Manzano (Scholastic Press, 2012)



Summary from publisher:
There are two secrets Evelyn Serrano is keeping from her family -- her true feelings about growing up in their Spanish Harlem neighborhood, and her attitude about Abuela, her sassy grandmother who's come from Puerto Rico to live with them.  Then, like an urgent ticking clock, events erupt that change everything.  The Young Lords, a Puerto Rican activist group, set the street's garbage on fire, igniting a powerful protest.  When Abuela steps in to take charge, Evelyn is thrust into the action.  Tempers flare, loyalties are tested.  Through it all, Evelyn learns important truths about her Latino heritage and the history makers who shaped a cultural identity.
Infused with actual news accounts from 1969, award-winning actress and writer Sonia Manzano has crafted a gripping work of fiction based on her own life growing up during a fiery, unforgettable time in America, when young Latinos took control of their destinies.

The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano was a great surprise to me.  The description on the flap was intriguing, because I am fascinated by the time period.  However, there was just nothing on the flap that jumped out as  "You NEED to read this book."  I'm glad I decided to give this book a chance.

Evelyn is searching for herself.  She feels smothered by her mother and stepfather and worn down by her life in the barrio.  She wants more, so instead of working in her father's store all summer, she decides to get a job in the local drugstore to earn her own money.  When her grandmother comes to stay and takes over her bedroom, Evelyn is more upset than welcoming.  At first, she can't stand being around Abuela because she's embarrassed by her flamboyant hair and clothing.  Slowly, though, as Abuela begins to tell Evelyn of her life in Puerto Rico, Evelyn begins to see the strength that lies behind the makeup and red hair.  This is moved forward when the Young Lords, an activist group, takes up residence in the neighborhood.  Evelyn is forced to decide what's most important for her life and her future.

Girls of all cultures will see themselves in Evelyn and her search for self.  Along the way, they may just learn a thing or two about American history that they might not see in their schoolbooks.

Irises by Francisco X. Stork

Irises by Francisco X. Stork 
(Arthur A. Levine, 2012)


Summary from publisher:
Two Sisters
Kate is bound for college and an M.D. -- if her family will let her go.  Mary wants only to stay home and paint.  When their loving but repressive father dies, they must figure out how to support themselves and their mother, and how to get along in all their uneasy sisterhood.
Three Men
Then three young men sway their lives: Kate's boyfriend, Simon, asks her to marry him, offering the girls some much-needed stability.  Mary is drawn to Marcos, though she fears his violent past.  And Andy tempts Kate with more than romance, recognizing her ambition because it matches his own.
One Decision
Kate and Mary each find new possibilities and darkness in their sudden freedom.  But it's their mother's life that might divide them for good -- the question of if she lives, and what's worth living for.

Francisco X. Stork is one of my favorite writers.  I love the way he writes; his stories flow and draw the reader in to the lives of the characters.  Irises is no different.  This story of two sisters and the monumental changes in their lives after the death of their controlling and domineering father is at once the story of paralysis and freedom.  Neither sister is entirely sure of what she will do now that her father has died - Kate needs to decide whether or not Stanford, the school of her dreams, is within reach and Mary needs to find out if painting is still her passion.

The romance in this YA novel is sweet for the most part.  The girls have been so sheltered by their father that they're quite naive and somewhat unaware.  When Kate has the opportunity to become the "bad girl," she doesn't.  She realizes that she needs to be the one in control of her own life.

Irises is not for everyone, but for those emotionally mature girls who are searching for their own places in the world, it would be a satisfying read.