It's Monday... What Are You Reading?

Happy President's Day!  To all of you teachers out there who have the day off, take the LIBERTY to read a great book today!


This week was a fairly good reading week.  I managed to read four books this week, including one that I think might find itself on a fair amount of award lists come the end of the year.  If you haven't discovered the wonder of Wonder by RJ Palacio yet, get this book and read it NOW!


Here's what I read last week:

28.  Luminous by Dawn Metcalf (finished 2/14) Haunting story of a girl trapped between life and death.

29.  Wonder by RJ Palacio (finished 2/16) OMG, so GOOD!  Buy this one!  Watch for a review this week.

30.  On the Volcano by James Nelson (finished 2/17) Historical fiction about a girl raised on a volcano.  She hunts, she rides, she finds love.

31.  Home Front by Kristin Hannah (finished 2/19) Grown-up novel by one of my favorite authors.  The story of a mom in a rocky marriage who is deployed to Iraq.  Good stuff.

I'm not sure how much I'll get read this week, since I'll be preparing for a week out of town.  I'm trying to figure out the best way to write a week's worth of sub plans!

On the docket:

Steampunk! An Anthology Of Fantastically Rich And Strange Stories
by Kelly Link (Editor), Gavin J. Grant (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Garth Nix(Goodreads Author) 

Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman

Stay With Me by Paul Griffin

Want to know what other people have read/will read?  Check out the links at Teach Mentor Texts!

Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling

Wereworld:  Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling (Viking, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
It started the night the beast appeared...
Drew is an ordinary shepherd's son living on the Cold Coast of Lyssia, until a horrifying creature bursts into his home and savagely murders his mother -- and Drew transforms into a beast himself.  Part boy, part wolf, and bristling with powers he can't control, Drew flees to the perilous Dyrewood to escape his vengeful father, who thinks Drew is the murdere.  But when he's discovered and taken captive by Werelords, the shape-shifters who rule Lyssia, Drew is shocked to discover that he's one of them, and that his royal blood is a threat to the crown of King Leopold the Lion.  Now Drew is Lyssia's most-wanted man -- and its only hope against the evil plans of the tyrant king.

After reading this blurb and looking at the cover, all I could think was "Ugh."  I am NOT a fan of high fantasy, and I'm not generally a fan of paranormal novels.  I do make myself read in genres I don't normally enjoy because if I didn't, I'd have a hard time recommending books to a large segment of my students.  As I started reading, I didn't have high hopes of enjoying this book.  It took me a long time to get into Drew's world.  It seemed to me the book needed more editing, to make the language clearer and the world-building stronger.  Once the action picked up, I found myself rooting for Drew and enjoying his adventure more than I had before.

There is definitely a certain kind of reader who will love this new series.  I have about 8 of those kids in my class this year, and I'm going to ask a few of them to read Rise of the Wolf so I can talk to them about it.

Karma by Cathy Ostlere

Karma by Cathy Ostlere (Razorbill, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
It is October 31, 1984, and fifteen-year-old Maya -- half Hindu, half Sikh --- is travelling from Canada to New Delhi, India, with her father.  In her arms she carries only two things:
- A brand new diary -- her only confidant.
- The ashes of her mother.
Maya and her father have come to India to deliver the ashes to their final resting place.  On the very night they arrive, Indira Ghandi -- Prime Minister of India -- is gunned down in her garden, betrayed by those closest to her.  In the hours that follow, the city plunges into chaos, and Maya finds herself at the center of one of the bloodiest massacres in the country's modern history.  Thousands are murdered.  Thousands are lost.
Unable to find her father, Maya must disguise her identity and rely upon the help of Sandeep -- a boy she's just met -- if she is to stay alive and make it home.  That is, if she can open her heart enough to love, forgive, and discover what home truly means.

I love, love, loved this beautifully written free verse novel.  Maya's character is haunted by the memories of her mother's unhappy life and the effects of that life on her own.  When Maya is thrust into the turmoil of the riots in New Delhi, she has to rely on her wits and intelligence to help her survive and, hopefully, be reunited with her father.

There were several points in this story when I just couldn't imagine that things would work out for Maya.  She seemed to be at the very bottom of a well with no means of escape, but yet, due to various strokes of luck (and a lot of kindness of others) she manages to muddle through.

I think teen girls who like a bit of adventure and realism with their romance will enjoy this epic free verse novel.  Though the setting, religions, and some of the words may be unfamiliar to younger readers, Ostlere provides enough context in her verse to help the reader understand.  Definitely worth a read!

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor

Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (Viking, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
Sunny lives in Nigeria, but she was born in New York City.  She looks West African, but she's an albino.  She's a terrific athlete, but she is so sensitive to the sun that she can't play soccer during the day.  She doesn't seem to fit in anywhere.
Then she learns why.
Her classmate Orlu and his friend Chichi reveal that they have magical abilities -- and so does she.  Sunny is a "free agent," overflowing with latent power.  And she has a lot of catching up to do.
Soon, Sunny is taking a crash course in magical history,  spells, juju, shapechanging, and dimensional travel.  Her new world is a secret from her family, but it's well worth all of the exhaustion and sneaking around.
But... there is a dark side.  Just as she's finding her footing, Sunny, with Orlu, Chichi, and their American friend Sasha, is asked by the magical authorities to help track down a criminal.  Not just a run-of-the-mill bad guy.  A real-life, hard-core serial killer -- with abilities far stronger than theirs.

Overall, this was a good story.  I was intrigued by this girl, who seemingly doesn't fit in her world.  Being an albino African certainly makes her stand out, as does her personality.  I enjoyed reading about her magical education, and there is certainly a good deal of mystery built in along the way.

That being said, I did feel the story got bogged down in parts.  Too many details slowed down the story, and I also had a hard time figuring out all of the African magic references.

Certain kids will enjoy this book, but I don't think it will have a broad appeal among my students.  Good readers who can plow through slow spots and who also enjoy magic and fantasy are the perfect audience for Akata Witch.

It's Monday... What Are You Reading?

Holy cow!  What a week I had.... I was sick for most of it, and spent the rest playing catch up!  I did manage to read a couple of books, but I didn't get around to writing reviews of any of them.  Watch for reviews later this week...


Books I read last week:

26.  Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor (finished 2/8)  Involved story involving African magic.  Complicated.

27.  Wereworld:  Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling (finished 2/10) Paranormal fantasy involving werewolves, werebears, werelions, wereboars, wererats, weresnakes, and ...wait for it.... weresharks!

See?  Told you it was a crazy week.

This week I'm hoping to finish Luminous and then read a few memoirs that we might consider adding to our seventh grade genre study.  We'll see if this week is a better reading week than last.

Want to see what other bloggers are reading?  Head over to TeachMentorTexts and check the links.

What did YOU read this week?

It's Monday... What Are You Reading?

Here we are.... another Monday!  This means it's time for my weekly recap of last week's reading and a forecast of my reading plan for the week.  If you'd like to see what other bloggers are reading, head on over to Teach Mentor Texts and follow the links!


What I read last week:

• 20.  The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin (finished 1/31)  Really good story about a girl finding her place.
• 21.  Brother/Sister by Sean Olin (finished 2/2)  Creepy city!
• 22.  The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (finished 2/3) Enjoyable story about a girl working through grief.
• 23.  Karma by Cathy Ostlere (finished 2/4) Excellent novel in verse set against the backdrop of India in the days following Indira Ghandi's assassination.

What I'll read this week:

• Finish Akata Witch by Nnedi Okorafor
• Read Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf by Curtis Jobling
• Read Luminous by Dawn Metcalf

If I get time, I'll read at least one of the memoirs we're considering adding to our book wall for the memoir genre study.  

What are YOU reading this week?

The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante

The Trouble With Half a Moon by Danette Vigilante (Putnam, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
Dellie's family hasn't been the same since the death of her younger brother.  Her mother cries all the time, and Dellie lives with the secret guilt that the accident that killed her brother was her fault.  Her father says they all just need time. But in the time Dellie's mother is taking to heal, Dellie, nearly thirteen, is growing up and getting tired of always being stuck in the house.  She wants to be with her friends, but her mother -- so scared something will also happen to Dellie -- can only think of protecting her.
When her housing project building gets new tenants, the world Dellie can only observe from her bedroom window begins to change.  Suddenly there's gunfire at night and fighting on the stoop.  Caught in the middle of the trouble is Corey -- an abused little boy who's often left home alone and hungry.  Dellie strikes up a dangerous friendship with this boy, who reminds her so much of her brother.  She feeds him, comforts him, and becomes his protector -- his "supersister"; she hopes she can maybe do for Corey what she couldn't do for her brother -- save him.  She doesn't count on Corey saving her and her family, and restoring her faith in herself.

Dellie is a character I found myself falling in love with from the first page.  She wants so badly to have a "normal" life like those her classmates have, but her mother's fear that something will happen to Dellie makes her a virtual prisoner in her own home.  Dellie, like most 13 year old girls, tries to find ways around her mother's rules, sometimes successfully, sometimes not.

While I liked this story, I did feel it was very predictable and that the conflicts were resolved too easily.  It seems a stretch that everything will work out just perfectly for every person in this story.  Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it.

Brother/Sister by Sean Olin

Brother/Sister by Sean Olin (Razorbill, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
Will and Asheley - brother and sister - reveal the story of how and why their lives spun violently out of control.  In the restless summer nights of an affluent California suburb, lines are blurred between love and fear, right and wrong, truth and lives, defense ... and murder.

This was one creepy book.  In alternating voices, Will and Asheley tell the stories of three murders, all committed for (supposedly) very good reasons, all a matter of self-preservation (according to the siblings).  At points, the story bordered on icky, as Will's less-than-innocent obsession with his sister becomes more and more evident.  Luckily for me, it never reached ickiness of Flowers in the Attic proportions.

This is definitely a book for older teens and definitely not for the faint of heart.  I ended up giving this book four stars on Goodreads because I honestly couldn't put it down.  I wanted to find out what was going to happen and whether or not Asheley would figure out her brother was seriously twisted.  It is definitely suspenseful!

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin (Putnam, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
Sixteen-year-old Aggie Winchester is that rare mix of Goth girl and principal's kid--a rebel--or so she'd like to think.  The truth is, she doesn't know who she is or who she wants to be.  She only knows she doesn't want to be a target.  Her dark makeup and clothes, along with her tough best friend, Sylvia, who bullies freshmen and cheerleaders alike, make Aggie feel safe.  She doesn't know what she'd so without Sylvia always having her back.
But when Sylvia finds herself pregnant and determined to turn her booty calls with the most popular boy in school into something real--like a family--Aggie finds herself utterly alone and, even worse, the target of her own best friend.  Add to that an ex-boyfriend who maybe wants to get back together or maybe just wants to have sex; a new boy with equally unclear intentions; and her principal mom, who might be involved in the school scandal of the century, and Aggie's having a trying junior year.  In fact, she's ready to implode.

I really enjoyed this book.  In fact, I finished it in one sitting instead of grading papers this week.  Zielin captures that feeing of being lost in high school, trying to figure out where exactly you fit in and feel yourself.  I know that I tried about a couple of different personas over my four years of high school, floating from friend group to friend group until I found my people.  Aggie has the added pressure of being the principal's daughter, so not everyone wants to be around her, for fear she'll tell her mom about things that are going on under the radar.

At some points, I thought the plot line and the characters' actions were a bit overblown, but not to the point that it caused me to dislike the book.  I also thought the mother's character was a little TOO distant, always referring to studies in trying to figure out Aggie's motivations.  I'm not sure most parents would be so distant and cold.  It took fairly drastic measures for her to look at her daughter as a person rather than a case study.

Overall, I think girls will enjoy this story of finding your place.  There is quite a bit of language and several references to sex, but nothing graphic.  I'm going back and forth on whether to put this one in my classroom library.  Honestly, the blurb makes the book sound worse than it really is. If I taught eighth grade instead of seventh, I'm not sure I would be wavering.

I look forward to more from Lara Zielin!

The Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (Razorbill, 2011)

Summary from publisher:
It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives.  They've been best friends almost as long -- up until last November, when everything changed.  Things have been awkward ever since, but when Josh's family gets an America Online CD-ROM in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so Emma can install it on her new computer.  When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto Facebook...but Facebook hasn't been invented yet.  Josh and Emma are looking at their profiles fifteen years in the future.  Their spouses, careers, homes, and status updated -- it's all there.  But it's not what they expected.  And every time they refresh their pages, their futures change. As they grapple with the ups and downs of what their lives hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right -- and wrong -- in the present.

From the moment I heard about this book, I thought it was an interesting premise.  I remember the first time I signed on to AOL.  It was my first year teaching, and I was using my FIRST computer, a Macintosh desktop machine that seemed to take up my whole desk.  I can only imagine how I would have reacted if facebook or Twitter opened up and gave me a window into my future.

Asher and Mackler do a great job of alternating Emma and Josh's voices.  I liked how they developed these characters and the friendship.  It's not easy for these two to stay friends, as their futures seem to get in the way of the budding romance between them.  While parts of the plot are predictable, I enjoyed this book immensely.  It was a fun read, something I needed after a couple of weeks of heavy reading for my committees.

Both boys and girls will enjoy this story about a friendship-turned-more and how small decisions can have a larger ripple effect.