After the First Death
Robert Cormier
288 pgs
Puffin (2006)
Subject Matter: death, terrorism, kids, loyalty
A school bus is hijacked by terrorists and the driver tries to save them by driving away. The bus is halted on a bridge and one of the children is shot. The story is told from the perspective of two foreign terrorists, Kate, a 16-year-old who is driving the bus and automatically becomes the caregiver of the children who she was driving to summer camp, and the son of the American general who is negotiating.
Review: Done very realistically and believable. Many heart strings are pulled as chapters are told by different perspectives.
Now You Know: Dramatic and colorful language
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Wednesday Wars
The Wednesday Wars
Gary D. Schmidt
272 pgs
Sandpiper (2009)
Subject Matter: religion, track, school, rats, creampuffs, Shakespeare
Holling creates a problem for Mrs. Baker right from the start. He is not of one of the main religions in his school and therefore has to stay in his home room while the rest of his classmates go to release times. At first Mrs. Baker tries to pawn him off to other teachers so that she may have a break from students for a hour. As the year goes on and Holling can no longer clean the erasers and he lets the rats of the cage when cleaning Mrs. Baker takes a special interest in him and they become quite good friends. She introduces Holling to Shakespeare which results in him playing a part in the Shakespeare festival. She arranges a meeting between Holling and the New York Yankees and saves and architecture firm from going under as she finds work for them. As her and Holling spend more time together Holling learns some secrets about this teacher that has her class under such strict demand.
Review: A touching teacher/student book of relationships and how they aren't always as bad as they seem to be at first.
Now You Know: Nothing in this book is bad.
Gary D. Schmidt
272 pgs
Sandpiper (2009)
Subject Matter: religion, track, school, rats, creampuffs, Shakespeare
Holling creates a problem for Mrs. Baker right from the start. He is not of one of the main religions in his school and therefore has to stay in his home room while the rest of his classmates go to release times. At first Mrs. Baker tries to pawn him off to other teachers so that she may have a break from students for a hour. As the year goes on and Holling can no longer clean the erasers and he lets the rats of the cage when cleaning Mrs. Baker takes a special interest in him and they become quite good friends. She introduces Holling to Shakespeare which results in him playing a part in the Shakespeare festival. She arranges a meeting between Holling and the New York Yankees and saves and architecture firm from going under as she finds work for them. As her and Holling spend more time together Holling learns some secrets about this teacher that has her class under such strict demand.
Review: A touching teacher/student book of relationships and how they aren't always as bad as they seem to be at first.
Now You Know: Nothing in this book is bad.
Spinners
Spinners
Donna Jo Napoli
208 pgs
Puffin (2001)
A ploy of Rumplestiltskin, a tailor wants to win the hand of his true love. She is pregnant with his child, but her father will not allow the communion because he does not believe that the tailor will be able to take care of his daughter. The tailor takes a magical spinning wheel without asking to spin a wedding dress of gold and spins so long into the night that his leg becomes cramped and crippled forever, preventing him from his workship. The beautiful maiden runs from him and his nasty appearance. The baby is born and the mother dies, but the baby is left with a gift for spinning and becomes famous for it.
Review: Incredible idea of the daughter having the spinning talent of her father and being able to make thread out of anything. Very intriguing.
Now You Know: It does not follow like the rest of Napoli's fairy tales. Saskia is her own person and does not have anything more in common with her father than her spinning.
Donna Jo Napoli
208 pgs
Puffin (2001)
A ploy of Rumplestiltskin, a tailor wants to win the hand of his true love. She is pregnant with his child, but her father will not allow the communion because he does not believe that the tailor will be able to take care of his daughter. The tailor takes a magical spinning wheel without asking to spin a wedding dress of gold and spins so long into the night that his leg becomes cramped and crippled forever, preventing him from his workship. The beautiful maiden runs from him and his nasty appearance. The baby is born and the mother dies, but the baby is left with a gift for spinning and becomes famous for it.
Review: Incredible idea of the daughter having the spinning talent of her father and being able to make thread out of anything. Very intriguing.
Now You Know: It does not follow like the rest of Napoli's fairy tales. Saskia is her own person and does not have anything more in common with her father than her spinning.
Me, Dead Dad, and Alcatraz
Me, Dead Dad, and Alcatraz
Chris Lynch
240 pgs
Harper Collins (2005)
For the first fourteen years of his life Elvin has been told that his father is dead and that all other relatives of his are gone. One day Elvin comes home from school to find an uncle, that his mother had never admitted to knowing, sitting on his couch. Apparently Uncle Alex has been in jail but is now willing to become the father figure in Elvin's life. Growing up with only his mother, Elvin has a hard time adjusting to another man in the house and does not appreciate the 'fixing up' his uncle tries to do for him, including nearly killing him at the gym with a vigorous work-out, getting his hair cut, and questioning his masculinity infront of his friends. Elvin does not welcome his uncle at all and does all that he can to get rid of him.
Review: A humorous book that allows a fourteen-year-old boy to be himself and describes the difficulties of growing up and not being happy with one's self, as we all have done before.
Now You Know: There isn't anything in this book that would be seen as offensive.
Chris Lynch
240 pgs
Harper Collins (2005)
For the first fourteen years of his life Elvin has been told that his father is dead and that all other relatives of his are gone. One day Elvin comes home from school to find an uncle, that his mother had never admitted to knowing, sitting on his couch. Apparently Uncle Alex has been in jail but is now willing to become the father figure in Elvin's life. Growing up with only his mother, Elvin has a hard time adjusting to another man in the house and does not appreciate the 'fixing up' his uncle tries to do for him, including nearly killing him at the gym with a vigorous work-out, getting his hair cut, and questioning his masculinity infront of his friends. Elvin does not welcome his uncle at all and does all that he can to get rid of him.
Review: A humorous book that allows a fourteen-year-old boy to be himself and describes the difficulties of growing up and not being happy with one's self, as we all have done before.
Now You Know: There isn't anything in this book that would be seen as offensive.
Donna Parker in Hollywood
Donna Parker in Hollywood
Marcia Martin
282 pgs
Whitman (1961)
Subject Matter: Hollywood, ganesha, illness, famous people
Donna is living with her glamorous aunt and uncle for the summer in a town a little south of Hollywood. Donna is from the east coast and finds that there are stereotypes about her home that she did not know of and that she does not fill. She is invited to lunch with one of the more popular girls of the area but becomes better friends with the girl next door. Donna is a naive girl from the east coast and does not understand publicity and the problems that go with it.
Review: A good leisure reading book as it tells of what we all wish would happen to us
Now You Know: very drawn out, not very adventuresome and a lot of time spent to thoughts that are not made clear from actual words said.
Marcia Martin
282 pgs
Whitman (1961)
Subject Matter: Hollywood, ganesha, illness, famous people
Donna is living with her glamorous aunt and uncle for the summer in a town a little south of Hollywood. Donna is from the east coast and finds that there are stereotypes about her home that she did not know of and that she does not fill. She is invited to lunch with one of the more popular girls of the area but becomes better friends with the girl next door. Donna is a naive girl from the east coast and does not understand publicity and the problems that go with it.
Review: A good leisure reading book as it tells of what we all wish would happen to us
Now You Know: very drawn out, not very adventuresome and a lot of time spent to thoughts that are not made clear from actual words said.
Fighting Blood
(There is no cover art for this book) Fighting Blood
William Heyliger
248 pgs
The Goldsmith Press (1932)
Subject Matter: football, leadership, coaching, team captain
Tarly Ball came into high school with the attitude of making something of himself. The school football team has not won a game in many years and is coached by a teacher who would rather be writing scientific papers than out on the field yelling orders. Sophomore year Tarly is elected captain of the team and makes them work hard enough to win. He continues to be captain through to his senior year and coaches with that title. He spends his time thinking football and making up plays in his free time. His senior year the school hires a real coach who Tarly is intimidated by because he fears the control he has being taken from him. Tarly feels he has ownership over the team because he brought them from the dust but he learns that there is still much to be learned. Through a long, hard fight, Tarly is humbled and his leadership crumbles as he becomes a member of the team rather than the head lion.
Review: Definitely written in the 30's. It is not clear, concise language and takes a little bit to get into the roll of it. Interesting plot line and a boy who enjoys football I think could wrestle through it.
Now You Know: There is nothing in this book that needs to be censored. Just a good book about football and being humble enough to learn football and not just play.
Keesha's House
Keesha's House
Helen Frost
128 pgs
Farrar (2007)
Subject Matter: teen pregnancy, teen troubles, peace, comfort, worry
It's not really Keesha's house, it is Joe's house. Joe was taken in by his aunt when he was 12 and always invited friends over who had nowhere else to go. As he grew older and his friends grew older a younger generation began to occupy Joe's house and Keesha is the girl that invites them all and tells them all about the haven behind the blue door. This is a collection of poems of the kids who stay at Keesha's house, their problems, why they are there and why they stay. Also are poems from those who care about them, their mothers and fathers and coaches or grandparents. Each poem could stand on it's own, but together they weave a beautiful story of co-dependent people that have nothing in common but their problems.
Review: So good! Each poem had it's own message and story and yet they all seemed to link together with the characters knowing each other and such.
Now You Know: This is a book of problems. Each kid has their own set of problems and they are spelled out in poetry, but some are frightening all the same.
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