Tag Archives: Student Recommended

Top Ten Tuesday: Student Recommendations I Loved

15 May

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish.

I view making book recommendations to my students as part of my job as a teacher.  I love reading Y.A. and keeping up with what’s new and what I think will appeal to my students, so it’s extra special when a student recommends a book to me.  I may not pick up the book right away, but I always make sure to listen to them and make an effort to at least try the book, even if it’s outside my comfort zone.

Because it’s a freebie day for Top Ten Tuesday, I thought about it and decided to highlight ten books I may not have read without my students prompting me to read them for one reason or another.  Are there any books students or people you’re close to have recommend you read that you’re thankful for?  I’d love to know which ones! :)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore (Goodreads):  To be completely honest, I can’t remember which student told me to read this but I’m so thankful it was brought to my attention!  I didn’t think I enjoyed fantasy until I read Graceling.

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Goodreads): While teaching my second session of Y.A. Lit I saw a couple students reading this.  One of the girls told me it’s the best book she’s ever read, and one of my reluctant boys read the first two books in a matter of a week.  That was enough for me and I made sure to read it that summer.  I still need to read the rest of the trilogy which I plan to do this summer.

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Goodreads): I wanted to read Miranda Kenneally’s debut when I bought it for my classroom, but I read it sooner than I probably would have because it was being passed from student to student like rapid fire.  Any book that popular needs to be read!

Rival by Sara Bennett Wealer (Goodreads): I really didn’t think I would like this book because I’m not into Glee (which I kept seeing it compared to) or drama or choir, but I bought a couple copies so my students could read it before interviewing Sara for my Students Want to Know feature.  After I heard their enthusiastic reviews I decided to give it a try and positively loved it.  I can’t wait to read another book written by Sara!

Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen (Goodreads): This one kept getting recommended and I kept telling myself I was going to read it.  Then Jake took my Y.A. Lit class this year and wanted sports books so I handed him Leverage.  He updated me and the class almost every day as he was reading, and because of these conversations I started reading it as soon as Jake was finished so we could further our discussion.  It’s excellent and gritty and emotional.

Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork (Goodreads): A student didn’t actually recommend this book, but I’m reading it because of my students.  We’re using it with our Y.A. unit that connects with and follows our To Kill a Mockingbird unit.  I’m just about done listening to it on audio, and while I’m not a huge fan of the actor’s production, I’m a big fan of the story.  It’s a beautiful example of literary contemporary Y.A. and fits with To Kill a Mockingbird wonderfully.

Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles (Goodreads): A couple girls from my Y.A. Lit classes in 2010, including Katelyn from Kate’s Tales of Books and Bands, kept telling me about this trilogy and author, but I put it off for whatever reason.  Let me tell you, once I started reading this book I was kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It’s not the best writing in the world, but the story is addicting as well as the trilogy.  Plus, my girls in class can’t get enough of Simone Elkeles so I now have all of her books in my classroom.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Goodreads): I wrote up a Donors Choose fundraiser when I started teaching my Y.A. Lit class so I could expand my class library, and I added Garcia & Stohl’s debut after it received a William C. Morris honor.  One of my 2010 senior boys, Zach, read it right away and raved about it.  He said it was better than Twilight and he loved that it was told from a guy’s point of view.  His comparison and enthusiasm piqued my interest because at the time Twilight was still pretty popular, plus Zach was pretty influential at school.  It’s been downhill since then because I can’t get enough of this series!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Goodreads): When this book first released one of my college friends told me to read it, but I wasn’t interested.  Years later the movie releases and my students are going on and on about both the book and the movie.  One of my avid readers and super book club members, Tristan, handed me her copy before spring break last year and told me to read it.  I did and whoa is it awesome!  It’s also been extremely popular in my classroom.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (Goodreads): I have Tristan to thank for this one as well.  She read it and told me how wonderful it is and how (I think) she cried.  Let me know if I’m wrong about that, Tristan!  I was hesitant about Jandy Nelson’s debut at first, but I ended up loving her lyrical writing and reading Lennie’s poems.  It’s also incredibly popular among my girls in class.

Student Book Review: I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

9 May

Since reading I Hunt Killers and telling my students about it and showing them the trailer, it’s become quite popular among my students.  Today’s student reviewer, Bobby, bought his own copy to read and is now focusing his Y.A. Lit project on Barry Lyga and his books.  I’ve already reviewed I Hunt Killers, but I love getting the opportunity to feature what my students think about books I’ve read as well since so many of my reviews focus on what I think my students will want to read.  I hope you enjoy Bobby’s 5 star review!

Title: I Hunt Killers

Author: Barry Lyga

Student Reviewer: Bobby

Summary (From Goodreads):

What if the world’s worst serial killer…was your dad?

Jasper (Jazz) Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.

But he’s also the son of the world’s most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could–from the criminal’s point of view.

And now bodies are piling up in Lobo’s Nod.

In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret–could he be more like his father than anyone knows?

Student Review:

Jasper Dent is son of one of the most infamous serial killers of all time and was taught as a kid how to be a killer. So when a serial killer comes to his small town he tries to help the cops find out who it is by looking through the killers’ perspective.

I Hunt Killers is a great book. It is very interesting to read and I could not put it down until I had finished it, and unlike most other books I could not figure out who the killer was until I had finished. It is fast paced and doesn’t have a boring part in it. It is full of suspense and mystery; also it had a little bit of a romance in it.

One of my favorite things about it is how Jasper somewhat explains what the killer is thinking and explains why the killer does what he does. And that he explains what his dad did and how he did it, along with what happened to him as a child growing up with his dad.

In this book the characters were very developed, each with their own very distinct personality. It really felt like I knew them. It wasn’t just the major characters that were developed either, unlike many other books, even many of the minor characters were developed well.  This really allowed me to connect with them and have feelings for each one.

Student Book Review: Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

25 Apr

I always love my Young Adult Lit students and my current group fits right in.  They’re excited about reading, discussing, and participating in general.  I also have a talented group of review writers!  I’ve been sitting here going through their Goodreads reviews trying to decide which student review to feature today because I’m so impressed by them.  I’ve decided to create a list so I can feature as many of my students as possible.

Today I’m featuring Brittany’s review of Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay.  It’s the first book she read for this class and it’s what she based her project choice on (love and long-distant relationships in YA).  Brittany also wrote an excellent review of Anna and the French Kiss, but since I’ve already posted a student review of that one, I decided on this review by Brittany.  Enjoy! :)

**I only altered her text to make some words bold**

Title: Love & Leftovers

Author: Sarah Tregay

Student Reviewer: Brittany

Summary (From HarperTeen):

My wish is to fall cranium over Converse in dizzy daydream-worthy love.

(If only it were that easy.)

Marcie has been dragged away from home for the summer—from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She’s left behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father.

By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this “summer vacation” has become permanent. She has to start at a new school, and there she leaves behind her Leftover status when a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up. But understanding love, especially when you’ve watched your parents’ affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? Can you even know it until you’ve lost it?

Love & Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

Student Review:

Love and Leftovers is a very cute book. It is about a girl named Marcie who is sixteen years old. She is swept away from her house in Idaho when her parents split up. Her mom takes her away from her group of friends called the Leftovers and her boyfriend that is also in that group, to a summer home in New Hampshire. Her mom is suffering from depression and this summer home becomes their real home. This book is about Marcie starting school in New Hampshire without any friends and how she handles the attention she is getting from a guy at the school. She is weighing the choices between this new guy or her old boyfriend back in Idaho.

I absolutely loved this book! I didn’t know anything about this book when I first wanted to read it. I saw the cover and thought it looked cute so I figured I would give it a try. I had never read a book that was written in verse and at first I didn’t think that I would much care for it, but I ended up loving it. It makes the book so easy to read and I never wanted to put it down. I have always felt that I am a slow reader, but not with this book. I ended up finishing it in two days. I am a sucker for cute love stories and that is exactly what this book is. Tregay did a very good job at developing characters. They all seem very realistic and are easy to relate to.

This is a book that many people would love, especially teenage girls. Anyone who likes a love story would be interested in this book. It doesn’t even have to be girls; some guys are suckers for cute books. Also, this would be a good book for people who like to read in verse.

Wrap Up: My First Dewey Read-a-Thon

22 Apr

Well, considering that I got a late start and decided to join the read-a-thon late, I think I did pretty well.  I think the next one takes place in October, so I’m going to keep an eye on that so I can be more prepared and hopefully read more books!  I had lofty goals for myself yesterday and didn’t read nearly as much as I wanted to.  But I’m okay with that because I still spent the day reading :)

What I Read:

  • Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler (Goodreads)–I had already read about half of this one before I started, but I did finish it which was one of my goals.  I needed to do that because on Wednesday my book club is Skyping with Sarah!  The girls are really excited and one of them volunteered to make and bring cupcakes for us to munch on after school during the Skype chat.  The book is adorable and now my favorite by Sarah Ockler.  I’ll work on a full review pretty soon.
  • The Lightning Thief: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan (Goodreads)–I’ve seen a couple of my guys in class read this one and the original books as well.  I haven’t read any of them, so I figured this was a good start.  It’s a cool graphic novel.  I really liked the images and how colors were used to convey the mood.  Plus, with all the action, I can why it’s so popular in my classroom.
  • Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach (Goodreads)–Have you read Stupid Fast yet?  If not, I seriously hope you do soon.  Nothing Special is the companion to Stupid Fast, and while it’s not exactly a direct sequel, I recommend reading Stupid Fast first.  I loved getting to know Felton better, but the story really focuses on us learning more about Andrew (Felton’s little brother).  I adored this book and can’t wait to write my full review.
  • Switched by Amanda Hocking (audiobook) (Goodreads)–I didn’t finish Switched yet, but I made some serious project yesterday.  I think I have only 4 hours left which I know will be done probably by Tuesday since I spend most of my listening before work while I’m getting ready and in the car to and from work.  I decided on Switched because I bought the paperback for my classroom library and it’s growing in popularity.  It’s pretty good so far and I enjoy the narrator :)

I learned a few things about myself as a reader during the read-a-thon.  I get distracted entirely too easily.  I want to peruse online, see what’s happening on Twitter, check my blog stats, etc.  It’s difficult for me to step away from the computer/iPhone.  I also have a hard time sitting still for a long period of time and not cleaning or sorting or something along those lines.  I’ll look up from my book and notice that my coffee table is dusty, or think about how I need to clean the bathroom, or about how much laundry I need to get done.  I don’t know why I’m like this, but I always have been this way.  It’s one of the reasons I’m really thankful that I discovered audiobooks because I can listen to one while I do all of this other stuff when I can’t sit still to read anymore.  Is anyone else like that?  I mean, if I’m reading a book that’s REALLY engrossing, I can ignore all of the distractions.  So for the next read-a-thon, I’m piling up books I know will be engrossing, more graphic novels, and probably some verse novels because I love them and they’re fast reads.

If you participated in the read-a-thon yesterday, how did it go?

Spring Break #BookaDay Goals

1 Apr

I didn’t know if spring break would ever arrive, but it’s finally here!  Keith and I talked about going to Chicago for a few days, but because of the weather being a tad sketchy lately we decided to stay home.  I love taking trips with my husband, but I also love being at home with him while relaxing and reading.  Spring break officially starts tomorrow, but I’ve been organizing and starting my #bookaday goals this weekend.  I will admit, however, that I was pretty darn lazy yesterday (I slept for most of the day) and didn’t get much reading done.  The laziness has continued today, but I’m determined to finish a book!  I think I have my list pretty much narrowed down, even if it’s a lofty list.

A majority of the reading I’m doing this week is work-related.  When I say work-related, though, I’m referring to Y.A. titles I need to read for work, which is quite happy-making!  My freshmen are in the middle of reading Romeo & Juliet, but this year we’re including a group of Y.A. titles to read with To Kill a Mockingbird that fit with some of the themes and issues (prejudice, maturity, loss of innocence, etc.).  Most of them I’ve already read, but there are some titles that others in my department have read and I have not, or titles my friends on Twitter recommended when we were deciding on this list that I still need to read.

I’m also working on narrowing down ideas and titles for my Y.A. Lit II class that I’m teaching next year.  My goal for the class is that we’ll still read three novels as a class, but this time the novels will be genre-focused and the students will read an additional title that fits that genre.  I’ll be pretty flexible when it comes to which title they pick as their additional title, but I’d also like to have some new titles that the school can purchase extra copies of for my students.  I know for sure that we’re reading dystopian and fantasy, but I haven’t decided which genre to read for the third genre.  Historical fiction really isn’t very popular, but paranormal fantasy is, so I was thinking about  a title that mixes both of them.  Then I could allow students to choose either another like that or either a paranormal fantasy or a historical fiction title as their additional choice.  I was also thinking about verse novels even though I don’t consider those a genre.  I know sci-fi is a good choice, but I already have a hard enough time reading those that I don’t know if I really want to teach one.  I feel like a bad teacher saying that. :/

Anyway, the real reason behind this post, the books!

Timeless by Alexandra Monir (Goodreads)–The publicist sent this to me, so I’m reading it now and enjoying it so far.  I think there might be a giveaway in the near future as well!

Cover BittersweetBittersweet by Sarah Ockler (Goodreads)–My girls in book club chose this as our next title, and we’re meeting to discuss this after school on the Tuesday we get back from break.  I need to read it ASAP!  I started it a while ago and it’s pretty good, as I expected, so I’m looking forward to finishing it.

Book Cover Out of the PocketOut of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg (Goodreads)–Homosexuality isn’t an issue in To Kill a Mockingbird, but the prejudice involved compares with the prejudice in TKAM.  We also wanted to include some LGBT novels because it relates to some of our students and it’s often ignored or misunderstood.  There’s a good chance there will be upset parents, but we’re preparing ourselves for that.

Book Cover Marcelo in the Real WorldMarcelo in the Real World by Franciso X. Stork (Goodreads)–This is another title we’re using with our TKAM unit.  I think the students should read this book because we have some many autistic students in our building, and the summary makes me think of Boo.  I could be wrong, and that might be a stretch, but it still has many of the issues that TKAM does.

Book Cover StartersStarters by Lissa Price (Goodreads)–I’m thinking about this for my dystopian unit in Y.A. II.  I’ve heard great things about it, so I’m excited to try it.  I hope it’s as good as everyone says it is!

Book Cover The Girl of Fire and ThornsThe Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (Goodreads)–I have this at school right now, so I bought a copy for my Kindle.  Ever since I challenged myself to read more fantasy, I’ve found that I really enjoy it.  I’ve read mostly good reviews for this debut.  One of my freshmen read it and asked about the second book as soon as she returned it because she enjoyed it so much.  I hope it’s a winner because I’m considering this for the Y.A. II class.  I’m trying to choose a novel that’s newer for this genre study because I have so many avid fantasy readers, and it’s difficult to find a book that none of them have read.  Or at least most of them haven’t read.

This is a pretty ambitious list considering I still have a number of plans this week which involve travel, so I don’t know if I’ll actually read all of these in a day each, but I’m going to try!  I challenged my students to try #bookaday, even if it meant reading 20 pages, one book, or five books.  I hope they update me in the comments of this post, or at least have some exciting stories to tell me when we return from break.  Are any of you on spring break and setting up a reading challenge?  Have you already had spring break?  I know not all of my readers get a spring break, so maybe you’ve read some of these books.  I’d love to hear from you! :)

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

26 Mar

Title:Catching Jordan

Author: Miranda Kenneally

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: December 1st, 2011

Interest: 2011 Debut Author / Student Recommended

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starting position… suddenly she’s hoping he’ll see her as more than just a teammate.

When Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally released all I found were positive reviews, so I knew it was a book to buy for my classroom.  I bought Catching Jordan for my classroom back in January, and I haven’t had a chance to read it myself since then!  Every time one of my girls reads and returns it, another girl is standing right there waiting to read it next.  The only reason I was able to read Catching Jordan this weekend is because one of my girls in my 5th hour (our last hour of the day), finished it and handed it back to me.  I quickly stashed it in my bag and the rest is history.

Miranda Kenneally’s debut novel is a quick read that teens obviously love based on what I’m seeing in my classroom.  It has plenty of appeal including sports, friendships, love and relationships, etc.  Most of my girls that have been reading it are very active in sports, but my romance fans have been picking this up as well.  I like the balance of sports and romance because many of my girls ask me for books without too much love.  Based on the amount of football scenes and references, I might even attempt to have one of my boys in class read Catching Jordan.  I teach primarily freshmen, and many of my boys are self-conscious about this sort of thing but it’s worth a shot.  I think some of them would genuinely like it.

I’d like to ask my students what they think of Jordan.  I love her dedication to football and her teammates; her actions as captain are believable and realistic.  I felt for her in regards to her wanting/needing her dad’s attention.  She’s really hurt that her dad doesn’t appreciate all of her hard work and skill in football.  When she meets Ty, she keeps telling herself that she doesn’t want to lose her focus and get too wrapped up in him.  I like this about Jordan, even if this does happen to some degree.  I did worry about her and how quickly their relationship becomes a sexual one.  Part of me thinks I feel this way because of how their relationship is written and how fast that part of the story progresses.  I also didn’t see Jordan acting that way based on what I knew about her at that point in the story.

Speaking of Ty, I definitely liked him and understand why Jordan is attracted to him.  He’s a talented athlete, even if she’s threatened by him, he’s loyal to his family, and he’s really attractive.  I enjoyed getting to know him with Jordan, but I kept wondering about her best friend Henry.  He’s always there for Jordan and sticking up for her.  It’s obvious that he really understands her, and I kept wanting to steer Jordan towards him!  The scenes with Jordan and Henry made me think of my best guy friend in high school.  I kept thinking about him as I was reading this and it made me wonder if maybe he liked me more than as a friend.  He’d come to our house all the time and even called my mom “Mom” although he never slept over.  Another guy I like in Catching Jordan is Jordan’s brother, Mike.  It’s nice to see an older brother character that’s supportive and looks out for his sister.

I’m looking forward to reading more of Miranda Kenneally‘s books in the future.  Catching Jordan is a really cute book that appeals to a variety of readers.  I’m happy I read it and look forward to recommending it to more of my students.

Student Book Review: The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

16 Mar

Personally, I had a hard time getting into The Amulet of Samarkand and never finished it, but plenty of my students enjoy this trilogy.  Today’s student reviewer, Alec, took my Y.A. Lit class because his girlfriend took it and recommended it and because he wanted to enjoy reading more.  When he was deciding on his project, he told me that he really liked reading The Hobbit, so he knew he wanted to read something like that.  Since he felt confident reading fantasy, he asked if he could create his own project and try a variety of genres to see what else he enjoys.  His favorite of the three books is The Amulet of Samarkand, with Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers and Black Hole Sun by David Macinnis Gill in second and third.

Title: The Amulet of Samarkand

Author: Jonathan Strand

Student Reviewer: Alec

Summary (From Goodreads): Nathaniel is a boy magician-in-training, sold to the government by his birth parents at the age of five and sent to live as an apprentice to a master. Powerful magicians rule Britain, and its empire, and Nathaniel is told his is the “ultimate sacrifice” for a “noble destiny.”

If leaving his parents and erasing his past life isn’t tough enough, Nathaniel’s master, Arthur Underwood, is a cold, condescending, and cruel middle-ranking magician in the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The boy’s only saving grace is the master’s wife, Martha Underwood, who shows him genuine affection that he rewards with fierce devotion. Nathaniel gets along tolerably well over the years in the Underwood household until the summer before his eleventh birthday. Everything changes when he is publicly humiliated by the ruthless magician Simon Lovelace and betrayed by his cowardly master who does not defend him.

Nathaniel vows revenge. In a Faustian fever, he devours magical texts and hones his magic skills, all the while trying to appear subservient to his master. When he musters the strength to summon the 5,000-year-old djinni Bartimaeus to avenge Lovelace by stealing the powerful Amulet of Samarkand, the boy magician plunges into a situation more dangerous and deadly than anything he could ever imagine.

Student Review:

This book is about a young boy named Nathaniel, who is sold to the government to become a magician’s apprentice. It takes place in London where the government is run by magicians. His master is Arthur Underwood who is very up-tight, cold, and (in Nathaniel’s eyes) very cruel in the ways that he raises him. He steals an amulet from a high ranked magician to get back at him for public humiliation in front of one of his professors. He is also betrayed by his master, Underwood, who doesn’t defend him when Simon Lovelace Comes to get back his Amulet.

I really liked this book. It is the first in the Bartimaeus Trilogy and I plan on reading the other two. It is filled with action and there is always something going on. It is told through Nathaniel’s eyes for the most part. I liked the fact that the magicians don’t actually have any powers. They have to summon some sort of a being. They can summon anything from messenger imps to afrits. Nathaniel summons Bartimaeus and the way it works is that the summoned must listen to and do whatever the magician wants them to do. I love the way that Bartimaeus is constantly nagging with Nathaniel and his sarcastic remarks had me laughing out loud. It is told from the point of view of Nathaniel and Bartimaeus. I liked reading it more when it is being told through Bartimaeus’s eyes. He is constantly shape-shifting and his view on everything is hilarious.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes fantasy books even a little bit. It takes some time to get used to the world that the book is set in, but if you can get past that it is a very good book. I very much liked this book and plan on reading the entire trilogy.

Review: Dead to You by Lisa McMann

21 Feb

Title: Dead to You, 243 pages

Author: Lisa McMann

Publisher: Simon Pulse (Simon & Schuster)

Released: February 7th, 2012

Source: ARC received from the publisher

Summary (From Goodreads): Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It’s a miracle… at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn’t going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he’d be able to put the pieces back together. But there’s something that’s keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable…

My students and I are big fans of Lisa McMann, so whenever she publishes a book I read it without question.  I was especially excited to read Dead to You because it’s a contemporary thriller.  Also, I let one of my students read my ARC before I did so she could use it for her author study of Lisa McMann.  My student adored it and couldn’t stop gushing.

Dead to You, like many of Lisa McMann’s novels, is an engaging page-turner.  I have three classes of freshmen in a row, and I started Dead to You during SSR in my first section.  By the end of SSR in the final class, I was almost 100 pages in!  I may have given my kids 20 minutes of SSR time that day, but if you’ve read this book or when you do, you’ll understand why each class was given an extra 5 minutes.  Anyway, that’s a pretty big chunk of reading done in a short amount of time, but that almost always happens when I’m reading one of Lisa McMann’s books.  I’m always so engrossed and connected to the story.  My students typically feel the same way which is why her books are so popular in my classroom.  And to be honest, Dead to You had me hooked sooner than any of her other novels.

I can’t relate with Ethan and his family because fortunately I haven’t been in his situation, and I don’t know anyone who has.  I was still able to empathize with him and those around him.  We see this kind of reunion on the news, but we rarely see the day-to-day life and adjustments everyone goes through.  Lisa McMann gives us this insight and it’s brutal at times.  Ethan’s brother doesn’t trust him, Ethan can’t remember anything before the kidnapping, his mother is constantly crying and worrying, and his little sister–the replacement child–is innocent and surprisingly accepting of Ethan.  Watching Ethan trying to adjust and remember is often heartbreaking because it’s obvious how badly he wants it.  His blocked memory and old habits get in his way though.  It’s his vulnerable, secretive side left me wondering about his past and why he can’t remember anything.

For much of Dead to You I kept waiting for something big to happen.  Was a big secret going to be unveiled?  Were they going to track down the kidnapper?  Questions like these kept running through my mind as I raced through this book.  There’s foreshadowing that fits with the ending, and my mind went there from time to time, but I didn’t really think it would turn out that way.  While reading Dead to You, I was sure it was going to be a 5-star read, but the ending just blew up in my face.  We get this climatic scene, and it’s a great scene, but then that’s it.  I wanted to turn more pages.  I expected to turn more pages.  But there aren’t more pages available to turn.  The ending left me disappointed; it feels unfinished.  Of course I’m happy I read Lisa McMann’s newest novel, and I look forward to recommending it to my students, but I wish I had more at the end.

Student Book Review: Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

3 Feb

In my Young Adult Literature class I require my students to write a book review for two of the books they read for their trimester project.  I’ve recently started using Goodreads in my classroom and have my students post their reviews there.  We looked at a variety of blogger reviews so they could get a feel for how a review can be written.  After receiving permission from my students, I’m posting one of them today.

Title: Hattie Big Sky

Author: Kirby Larson

Student Reviewer: Jessica T.

Summary (From Goodreads): Alone in the world, teen-aged Hattie is driven to prove up on her uncle’s homesteading claim.
For years, sixteen-year-old Hattie’s been shuttled between relatives. Tired of being Hattie Here-and-There, she courageously leaves Iowa to prove up on her late uncle’s homestead claim near Vida, Montana. With a stubborn stick-to-itiveness, Hattie faces frost, drought and blizzards. Despite many hardships, Hattie forges ahead, sharing her adventures with her friends–especially Charlie, fighting in France–through letters and articles for her hometown paper.

Her backbreaking quest for a home is lightened by her neighbors, the Muellers. But she feels threatened by pressure to be a “Loyal” American, forbidding friendships with folks of German descent. Despite everything, Hattie’s determined to stay until a tragedy causes her to discover the true meaning of home.

Student Review:  I enjoyed reading Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson and I am glad that I did. The conflict that Hattie faces to prove up her homestead is believable. The troubles she encounters and the obstacles she has to find a way to overcome find their way to make the novel out to be very convincing. The setting enabled the book to be all the more intriguing, but was not overdone with all the unnecessary usual boring details. The sky is described often, and at first the title troubled me until I learned that Montana is known as “Big Sky Country.” Now that I know this knowledge, I feel the novel name fits perfectly.

I favored the pace, the humor, and the fact that it is historical fiction. I also commend the author on how she included letters consistently through from Hattie’s uncle and her “school chum” Charlie. I found the ones Hattie received back to be of interest. It was always exciting to see those italicized words that the letters held. I never found any part of the book confusing.

I felt as if I knew Hattie well and thoroughly. I admired the way she always stood up for herself and the deep care she possessed for others. She’s determined, persistent, and at times hard-headed. The other characters were described efficiently as well. Her love-hate relationship with Traft Martin made the book seem even more realistic. Even though Hattie’s aunt was not a main character, the author still found a way for the reader to understand her aunt’s ways and opinions completely.

The only factor I would say turned out to be disappointing is the way the author finished off the novel. I felt like the resolution was rushed, and did not turn out the way that it needed to or should have. The ending chapters gave me the impression that the author became sick of writing, and therefore the last chapters are dissatisfying. If the conclusion would have been better, this novel would have been a five-star rating by my judgment.

Far as recommendations go, the people who would like reading this are the ones who prefer or have at least a bit of interest in the genre of historical fiction. Anybody with an open mind might find themselves pleasantly surprised by how much they would enjoy this novel also.

Review: Leverage by Joshua C. Cohen

31 Jan

Title: Leverage, 425 pages

Author: Joshua C. Cohen

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (Penguin Group)

Released: February 17th, 2011

Interest: Cybils Y.A. Fiction finalist / 2011 Debut Author

Source: Purchased

Summary (From Goodreads): The football field is a battlefield

There’s an extraordinary price for victory at Oregrove High. It is paid on – and off – the football field. And it claims its victims without mercy – including the most innocent bystanders.

When a violent, steroid-infused, ever-escalating prank war has devastating consequences, an unlikely friendship between a talented but emotionally damaged fullback and a promising gymnast might hold the key to a school’s salvation.

Told in alternating voices and with unapologetic truth, Leverage illuminates the fierce loyalty, flawed justice, and hard-won optimism of two young athletes.

Joshua C. Cohen is an author to watch!  Leverage is an edgy, emotional, gripping debut.  It will appeal to those who enjoy sports, but it’s about more than sports.  It’s about loyalty, courage, and standing up for what’s right, even when the odds are against you.

Kelly at Stacked has been telling me to read this for months, but I can’t say why I put it off for so long.  I’m actually made at myself for waiting so long to read Leverage.  When I told my students about the Y.A. Cybils finalists, one of my Y.A. Lit students asked if he could read it for his project (sports in Y.A.).  He reported back to me as he was reading it, and eventually another student in class went to our library to get himself a copy.  Once my student finished Leverage, he came into class telling me all about it and preparing me for some of the events/scenes in the novel.  After this interaction with him, I started it right away.  Just like my student, I came into school and kept up our conversation, this time sharing my thoughts about the story.  This kind of interaction/relationship with my students is why I love sharing books with them.

I’m happy one of my older students read Leverage first because it’s a mature read.  I knew something bad was going to happen as the prank war escalated, but even after my student’s warning, I never expected it to get as bad as it did.  Without spoiling the novel, one scene in particular is horrific and haunting.  I had a feeling something like that might happen, but I hoped it wouldn’t.  It’s a graphic scene, so if you’re working with younger students, you  might want to read Leverage first before you hand it to one of them.  Or at the very least, let these readers know that it’s a mature and sometimes graphic novel.  While I was heartbroken after this event, I understand why Cohen included it.  It really sets up the characterization of Danny and Kurt.

I really enjoy novels that switch points of view, because it allows for more understanding of the events in the story.  Kurt and Danny are written so well, that I couldn’t choose which character I preferred more.  Both characters are flawed and motivated by their emotions.  Kurt has a past  no person would wish on another, and Danny is searching for praise and perfection.  Kurt’s goal is to leave his past behind, so he’s working out constantly in hopes for a football scholarship.  Football also allows him to release his anger and frustration.  His helmet helps him speak without a stutter, which makes him feel more powerful and in control.  He can also hide his scars, both physical and emotional.  Danny’s mother died, so now it’s just him and his dad.  His dad doesn’t seem to take Danny’s sport seriously, he sees gymnastics as a hobby.  Danny’s hoping to become captain one day and receive a scholarship, but he also wants his dad’s approval and recognition.  Danny and Kurt may play different sports and be vastly different physically, but both have similar aspirations.  It’s not really until the heartbreaking scene that these two characters come together and work towards justice.  It’s this scene that really shows how flawed Danny and Kurt are, but even while I was yearning for them to do something, I understood their hesitation.  Joshua C. Cohen not only created complex characters, he has written a novel that makes the reader question what he/she would do if placed in Danny or Kurt’s position.  Once you think about this from the character’s perspective, it’s difficult to judge them for their actions and/or inaction.

Leverage isn’t a novel for the faint of heart, because like Kelly told me, it will devastate you.  And while much of the novel is dismal, I knew there would be some hope towards the end.  Although the ending itself, I’m not so sure about.  Parts of it didn’t feel very believable to me, but that might depend on the reader.  If you decide to read Leverage, be prepared for an intense reading experience and an emotional connection to the characters.  Leverage is a story about bullying to the extreme, and it’s one that I highly recommend.

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