Summer Season July 3, 2008

What a slacker I am! But, summer is here, which means that I’ve got more time to read. Summer officially began for me a few weeks ago; I was turning out books left and right, which means I can’t remember most of them, but I will include the most recent ones.

I just finished Paul Volpni’s Black and White, and I must say, I’m extremely impressed with his stories. Each of the three books that I’ve read of his (Rooftop and Rucker Park Setup) all seem a little similar, but each brings race, violence, and the streets to life– dare I say– better than Walter Dean Myers. Now, I know Myers’ stories aren’t really hard-core, so if you want more realism, then Volponi’s your guy. In Black and White two friends, one black and one white, get into some trouble when they hold a few stick-ups to get quick cash for the end of their senior year in school.

Then there’s Nothing But the Truth (And a Few White Lies) by Headley, which I must admit I skimmed. I couldn’t get into it, but it seemed like something I should try to get through. So, I can’t say much more than it’s cheeky and funny and about self-discovery.

Another one that I skimmed was Generals Die in Bed by Harrison. It was originally published in the 30’s, which could explain some of my issues in connecting, but there’s enough treachery, war, and violence to keep some people’s interest. And, it’s about WWI, which isn’t as frequently written about. Overall I’d rank it pretty low on my list of a “good reads.”

The only other one I’ll mention right now is another GREAT one: Shattering Glass by Gail Giles. The ending especially left me exhausted from the adrenaline that was pumping from the final scenes of the story (cut off abruptly, but in a good way). I love stories like this– and of course others hate it! What a significant story about bullying, high school drama, girls, and secrets. It would go great with another book I recently read, Jake, Reinvented by Gordon Korman. Both have similarities about wanting to be popular and have it all by sacrificing yourself. Pick up BOTH of them!

Overload April 24, 2008

Alright, I’m going to get it out of my system. I know I’ve been terrible; I’ve been reading a lot, but not stopping to file them away for you all to see. Here’s a list (I’ll make a short comment for all):

Annie On My Mind by Nancy Gardner– Wonderfully romantic and sappy, but a first for it’s time (it was written in the early 80s) about two girls who find love with one another and discover the adversity that comes with being themselves. Definitely enjoyable.

Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman– I could have taken or left it. I’ve heard much about it, so I decided to give it a whirl. It’s a quick read and entertaining, just not my style.

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser– I like his stuff and I wasn’t disappointed. Though it might be mildly unrealistic, it’s still a thought-provoking read and worthwhile. Great guy book.

Quad by C.G. Watson– One of those books that can be read as a cautionary tale in the wake of so much school violence. It’s a whodunit after a school shooting erupts in… you got it… the quad at school. Interesting points of view to keep you guessing… whodunit!

Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi– Another great guy book like most of Walter Dean Myers’ basketball books, except it was short, sweet, with little character depth, but just enough action and backstabbing (no pun intended) to make it fulfilling.

Freaks: Alive, on the Inside by Annette Curtis Klause– I have a colleague to thank for recommending this book to me, and I’m glad I sat down and read it. It’s got all the elements of a great book including wonderfully lively characters, all with flaws, who then find themselves on a journey to find peace in their lives while being “normal” or “freaky.”

Beating Heart by A.M. Jenkins– Oh so sexy and oh so short! She’s always into writing for brevity, and I could have done with more from this one just because it’s a cool, intriguing plot line. Girl gets murdered, girl’s ghost then haunts large, busted-up home, boy moves into home, girl ghost takes boy as “lover.” That got your attention? Chills!

Sorry it was short, but it was succinct. Tune in next time!

Alright Already! April 9, 2008

I better catch up fast! A few I’ve finished in the last few days and week have been pretty good. The one I just finished this morning was Quad by C.G. Watson. It definitely has the feel of other books about school shootings, but paints a picture of the cruelty and tortue of everday high school. Each character has problems that lead you to assume they each could be the school shooter, nonetheless, it’s still surprising when you find out AT THE VERY END who it was. Definitely worthwhile.

The second book I won’t talk about until it is set to be published (I got an advanced reader copy), so sorry!

Again, I can’t say enough about Joan Bauer! You’ll see another posting within a few days about Stand Tall, which I just picked up today at the public library, but I did read Squashed recently. Like all others, there’s just a certain something that makes me love her characters and her for writing such sentimental literature.

Animoto.com April 5, 2008

Animoto.com

A Long, Long Time Ago… April 4, 2008

I can’t believe I haven’t written in a while, so I’m going to catch up tonight!

The Next Installment February 27, 2008

So the reading continued… but I won’t drone on. Quickly we’ll discuss Maureen Johnson’s Devilish. I’ve had it recommended, so I picked it up. Honestly, I could take it or leave it, maybe because I’m totally totally sold on a chick-lit-y type of book, yet there was enough mystery, Satanism, and deception to keep me interested.

We can now move on to one of my new favorite authors, Joan Bauer. How cool is she? I just picked up Rules of the Road, and here I must discuss how I keep track of all my reading, with sheets on each one that include title, author, cover art, commentary, excerpts, and a review. So, whenever I read Joan Bauer’s stuff, there are always TONS of excerpts because her characters and commentary are just so… INSPIRING and THOUGHTFUL. I adore her characters, I love their insight, I love their joi de vive (did I say that right?). Pick her stuff up!

 I now want to discuss Ann Rinaldi, who we all know is a favorite of mine and she pulled out some good stuff for The Ever-After Bird. I would definitely add this to our library’s collection (and my own personal) because it was not only developed and thoughtful, but sweet, scary, and everything in between. She had wonderful characters, CeCe, Earline, and Uncle Alex who worked well together to weave a story of slave life on southern plantations while they waited for their “ever-after bird.” Give it a try.

 And last, for a fun and quick read, pick up Gary Paulsen’s Lawn Boy. Paulsen always has such great humor (read: Harris and Me was so funny that I was laughing until I cried!) that it was just simple entertainment– and informative– who knew that economics could be funny and interesting!

A Great Week of Reading February 27, 2008

Hooray for vacations, even working vacations, since I was able to read and listen to a few really great books. First off, kudos to the narrators of the two audiobooks that I did listen to and LOVE, plus the authors that wrote them! Gary Paulsen’s Soldier’s Heart and Karen Hesse’s Out of the Dust, both about desparate times in America’s history: the Civil War and the Great Depression, respectively.

Next there were the books, I passed after about 150 pages on The Wizard Heir… I loved The Warrior Heir, but I could not get into Chima’s latest. Yes, I loved Seph’s character and the remote, top secret academy in Maine, but it fell short of my expectations and I put it down. Then, there was Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, which I loved! Told in alternating points of view written by the wonderful Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, this good boy/bad girl duo kick ass and however they’d like to ignore their romantic sides, they get pretty steamy at the hotel before they realize that they’re putting the cart before the horse– and I love the story for that. Aside from the massive amount of swearing, it was another unlikely pairing (sort of?) similar, but not identical to, books by Ron Koertge.  

The New Ones February 10, 2008

So, I’ve done some reading over the past couple of days after a busy week. None of them were especially “hot off the press” or “too hot to handle,” but they were definitely worth picking up. I seem to always subconsciously pick up books with similar themes and it was no different this weekend. I’ve read Julie Anne Peters’ Between Mom and Jo and Brent Hartinger’s Geography Club, both about GLBT teens. And both were great! I was hesitant to pick up Peters’ work since I’d had a fifty/fifty split with her last two: disliked Keeping You a Secret but loved Luna. But, this one was so heavy at times and heartbreaking, but truthful down to the core. What happens when gay couples decide to conceive or adopt, what happens to those kids? And Hartinger’s work was equally as important. One reason I especially liked Geography Club was the lack of parents, instead, it was about secrecy and acceptance in high school, among friends, whereas Between Mom and Jo was about parenting. And the third book to round out the weekend was the first of Darren Shan’s Cirque du Freak books, which I’ve been meaning to pick up for some time. Eh, I could take it or leave it, but I’ll probably, when I’m bored, pick up a second and third and fourth, just to say I’m keeping up with the series.

Fight On! January 29, 2008

I couldn’t be more behind Junior as he fights his way off the reservation to a better life in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. If there’s one book you pick up, pick up the National Book Award winner. Between the illustrations and dark humor, it was right up my alley anyway, but then there’s were the endearing qualities of moving on and pushing through that definitely should push other kids to want a better life for themselves, just like Junior. Three words: pick it up!

Seeing Sequels January 29, 2008

There’s nothing better than enjoying a good book, but there’s nothing better than that than discovering that the author wrote a sequel and it’s just as juicy. Alane Ferguson’s The Christopher Killer and The Angel of Death were great… I have to admit I actually read the sequel first, but that just goes to show that if the character is worth it, then it’s worth going back. I enjoy Cameryn as a character, she’s a super-sleuth and not only did I enjoy her, I enjoyed the forensics involved in solving the mysteries and crimes. Next, I have to mention, it was the best recommendation yet from my colleague who got me hooked! Enter Melissa De La Cruz’s Blue Bloods series (Masquerade being the second book). Like one of my students said about Twilight, those are sparkly vampires, then I replied, yeah, well, the Blue Bloods vampires are sexy vampires. Read it and see if you agree. I’ll say no more. And last, I read (again in reverse order) Fighting Ruben Wolfe and its sequel, Getting the Girl by Markus Zusak. I could give or take them, but they have value especially in respecting family and family ties, especially that of brotherhood. Think The Fight Club meets family dysfunction.