Archive for the 'Uncategorized' Category

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Published April 3, 2013 Award Winners , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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bruiser

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  328

RAC Book:  Yes

Tennyson and Bronte are siblings whose parents are English professors.  Tennyson feels very protective of his sister, Bronte, which is why he is upset when he learns she is dating Brewster who is known as Bruiser around their high school.  Tennyson tries intimidating Brewster and even follows him to try and get him to leave his sister alone, but what he ends up finding is that Brewster is covered in bruises and other injuries.  This leads Tennyson to believe that Brewster is being abused at home, but upon further inspection he realizes that Brewster’s situation is a whole lot more complicated than that.  Brewster, through no effort on his part, takes on the pain of anyone he cares about.  As Tennyson and Bronte start to get to know him they start to like having him around and vow never to tell Brewster’s secret.  The problem is that this unusual power is killing Brewster and he does not know if he can stop it before it’s too late.  What will he have to give to protect those he loves?

This story is very different and unique which is why it is so captivating and engaging.  Shusterman creates a set of characters that any reader can empathize with.  The chapters alternate between Bronte, Brewster, and Tennyson, which also helps the reader to see the situation through multiple perspectives.  This book is recommended for everyone, but could be especially useful with reluctant readers.

You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis

Published September 5, 2012 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Mystery

# of Pages:  289

RAC:  Yes

     Luna and her family are struggling to deal with the unexpected death of her mother.  A year after she was hit and killed by a taxi, Luna goes to her mother’s studio and finds her cell phone with seven unheard messages.  As Luna slowly listens to the messages she begins to learn things she never suspected about her mother.  Could it be possible that her mother’s death was not an accident?  Is there information her father is not sharing with her?

     The book lives up to its title in that there is information to be learned from the seven messages, but Luna does not linger too long on them and instead moves on to finding out more.  The relationship with her neighbor seems a bit tiresome at times, but Luna’s relationship with her father and brother are rich and help establish their home life before their mother’s death.  The ending is satisfying, but there is no surprise that the reader won’t predict early on.  Fans of Lipstick Apology will enjoy this title.

Artichoke’s Heart by Suzanne Supplee

Published August 29, 2012 Award Winners , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  276

RAC:  Yes

Iowa Teen Award Winner

     Rosemary has struggled with her weight for a long time, but whenever she gets upset she turns to food.  Her aunt constantly reminds her to lose weight, which doesn’t seem to help inspire her either.  One New Year’s she decides she is ready to take control of her life and begins dieting and exercising, not always in the best manner.  As she begins to lose weight she finds more confidence than she ever knew she had before.  It isn’t long before she has a new best friend, a boyfriend, and overall happiness.  That all comes crashing down when she learns that her mother is battling Cancer.  Her mother is not the best at opening up and sharing her feelings, which makes it all the more difficult for Rosemary to discuss the matter with her.  Can she help her mother cope with this devastating disease?  Can she do it without falling back into her bad eating habits?

     Rosemary’s story is something any teenager could relate to because she has many insecurities and things she would like to change about herself.  She reaches the point where she is mature enough to realize she has the power to take control and make changes to her life if she wishes, but is not ready to deal with truly tough issues yet.  Rosemary’s romance is sweet because her boyfriend likes her for herself and not what size she wears.  There are references to his family that shed light on his endearing personality.  Rosemary goes from wishing she could stop eating sweets to finding ways to help her mother during this difficult time.  It is a coming of age story that readers will enjoy.

The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall

Published August 16, 2012 Mystery , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 3 Comments
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Genre:  Mystery

# of Pages:  323

RAC Book:  Yes

Hope has a tough home life, but she never fails to look after her mute, autistic brother, Jeremy.  Her life turns upside down when Jeremy is accused of murdering the high school baseball coach with his bat.  She has T.J., her best friend, and Chase, the sheriff’s son she secretly has a crush on, to help her prove Jeremy’s innocence.  The evidence against Jeremy is overwhelming and he is not speaking to help explain what happened. Meanwhile, their neglectful mother obviously believes her son is guilty.   Can Hope prove her brother is innocent without pushing everyone away? Can she come to terms with the situation if he is in fact guilty?

This mystery has many great elements that will keep readers interested. First of all, there are many surprising plot developments revealed as Hope investigates what happened that fateful morning. The empty jars Jeremy collects provide a unique and interesting way of understanding Jeremy and of helping Hope learn what really happened to the coach. There are also many great characters with multiple dimensions and motivations including Jeremy’s lawyer, Chase, TJ, and Jeremy.   The truth is in front of the reader the whole time, but Hope has to put the pieces together. Overall, a good mystery.

Oracle Sunken Earth by C.W. Trisef

Published April 3, 2012 Uncategorized 7 Comments

ImageGenre:  Fantasy/Adventure

# of Pages:  348

RAC Book:  Yes

During a hurricane Ret Cooper is the sole survivor of a boat sinking and is adopted by a family who lost their father/husband in the terrible storm.  He looks different from everyone else, but is still optimistic as he begins a new school in the fall with his adopted sister.  The school principal and Geography teacher are not who they pretend to be and appear to be plotting against him.  As they throw obstacles in his way they find that he does indeed have some “gifts” they were expecting.  The problem is that he can only assume his full power if he finds the Oracle and no one knows for sure where that is.  As Ret slowly learns who he is and what he must do the story gets more and more exciting.

Fantasy lovers will instantly become enthralled with this story.  The character development is great, leaving just enough unexplained to push the story along.  The tasks Ret must complete make for exciting adventures and danger.  The overall goal is explained, but readers will quickly understand how long it will take to fulfill said goal and how difficult it will be for Ret to do as people try to stop him.  The premise seems familiar and yet unique all at once so readers will feel right at home.  This would be a good one for a classroom read as there is something for everyone. 

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

Published December 9, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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**Student Review** by Gabby Bierlein

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

The Jungle is a novel about a Lithuanian family who moves to Chicago to work in the stockyards. It tells about their struggle for survival in this harsh new environment and the hardships that they must endure. Aside from this, The Jungle also gives an accurate description of the meat-packing industry in the early 1900’s and how life was for many new immigrants at that time. The author’s purpose for writing this book was to show the world how terrible an unskilled laborer’s life can be. After reading the book, however, the things that stuck with me the most were the atrocious conditions of the packing plants and how lax health standards were at that time. Thankfully, Upton Sinclair’s novel showed the world that something needed to be changed. Although The Jungle is almost 400 pages long, it does not get boring or old. The author keeps you reading with exciting twists and turns on every page. While some of the events that occur in the book are a little unbelievable, they add to the story and make it more interesting.
Overall, I thought this book was a very good read. Not only was it entertaining and interesting, it also taught me a lot about American history. It opened my eyes to the realization that life in a new country, especially one whose culture and language are unknown to you, can be extremely difficult. I would definitely recommend The Jungle to history fans and anyone who is looking for a good book. Although the book is long, and there are some slow parts, it is well worth the read.

 

Discourse on the Methods by Rene Descartes

Published December 3, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

 

**Student Review by Fielding Montgomery**

Genre: Philosophy

In the book Discourse on the Method by Rene Descartes, Descartes writes about the method through which he claims to have proven the existence of God and make substantial advancements in all fields of study.  He describes his process in which he broke down all preexisting thoughts and biases he had and worked on individually reexamining these “truths” to try to discover what is really the truth.  He does this by sitting alone for long periods of time and conversing with his mind.  He lays out a lot of ground rules as to how you should act while using this method to develop your mind, comparing it a house.  He also mentions how this is something you can only do for yourself, you can’t force others to change their thoughts.  He first applies his method to algebra and geometry and has great success.  He later comes to the conclusion that the only thing he can truly prove is that “I’m thinking, therefore I exist.”  Because of this truth, he then decides that his mind must be separate from his body, helping him to prove the existence of God.  He does this by arguing that a perfect God cannot be imagined by an imperfect mind and through geometry.  He then goes on to discuss how he was going to put his work into a book but didn’t want to have controversy like Galileo did so he breaks it into essays.

This book is a very interesting read if you’re into philosophy.  It brings up interesting reasoning on many human things as well as the existence of God.  The quote “I’m thinking, therefore I exist,” is a very famous quote and very deep.  Decartes’s discussions with his mind provide a new way of thinking.  This book has a large vocabulary and is at times confusing to read.  Those who are not truly interested in philosophy will not appreciate this book.  Also, Descartes comes off as very arrogant in how he talks of himself, this could turn some away from the book.  Even through all this the philosophy and thinking is thought provoking.  This is definitely a suggested, short read.

-Fielding Montgomery

 

Numbers by Rachel Ward

Published October 8, 2010 RAC , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  325

RAC Book:  No

Jem has always seen numbers when she looks directly into people’s eyes, but she never knew what they meant.  When her mother overdoses and dies, Jem realizes that the numbers she sees spell out the day a person will die.  Naturally, Jem tries not to get close to anyone or look directly into their eyes because she cannot bear knowing such important information.  A boy named Spider tries to befriend her anyway, and Jem finds herself wanting to spend time with him, even though she knows his death day is mere weeks away.  Can she change his fate?

This story has an interesting premise, but drags in places and many readers will struggle to get through it.  The ending is fast paced and interesting, but the journey to get there may lose some readers along the way.  Jem’s character seems flat and uninteresting until the end when she accepts her role in life.  This was a clever idea, but only somewhat realized through the story.

Heist Society by Ally Carter

Published May 17, 2010 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  287 p.

RAC Book:  Yes

Katarina Bishop is the daughter of a notorious thief, but has decided to get out of the business in order to go to a prestigious boarding school.    When she is kicked out of the school for a crime she did not commit, she finds out that a powerful man has decided to target her father as the culprit for some paintings of his that were stolen.  If she is not able to find and return the missing paintings to him then he will hurt her father.  One way or another she finds herself back in the world of heists and cons.

For those who loved the Gallagher Girls books this will be another winner.  The characters are fun, the plot twists and turns, and there is room for a sequel.  Recommended for those who enjoy heist books or are simply looking for a fun summer read.

Books on Bullying

Published March 5, 2010 Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Click on the following link in order to view my video on books that include themes on bullying.  Some of the bullying is by other students, some is by parents, and some is even by the government.

Bullying.

The Fighter by Jean-Jacques Greif

Published September 2, 2008 Uncategorized 3 Comments

Genre: Historical fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 211 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Moshe is a Jewish boy living in Poland with his family in 1918 when the story begins. He has very weak legs and even when they grow strong enough to stand they are crooked. Due to the brutal bullying endured by Jewish boys during this time he must learn how to fight in order to defend himself since he cannot run away. When his family relocates to Paris and circumstances begin to get better for them he begins boxing in matches for fun. He marries and has a child, but then Germany invades France and he is sent to a concentration camp. He must use his skills as a fighter in order to survive.

This Holocaust story has the unusual twist that the main character is a boxer and because of that survives many difficult situations. It is based on a real man’s story that the author met, but some of the specific conversations are fictionalized. Life in the concentration camp is described from many aspects as Moshe moves through many jobs and sees a lot of what is going on. There are many graphic and violent incidents in the camp, so students reading this should have a basic understanding of the Holocaust before reading it. It is a translated story so it doesn’t flow as well as some stories, but it is still easy to understand and accurately depicts the story this author felt needed to be told. A good Holocaust story.

Crushed by Laura and Tom McNeal

Published August 19, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 1 Comment
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 308 p.

RAC Book: Yes

Audrey and her two friends grew up going to a very small school and feel uncomfortable finishing their education in a large high school where gossip and bullying are rampant. They all manage by supporting each other. All of that begins to change when a new boy arrives and begins giving Audrey special attention. He seems enamored with her big house and expensive clothes. Everything goes great until Audrey learns that her life is not as financially stable as she thought it was. At that point, the new boy’s interest in her begins to wane.  At the same time an underground gossip newspaper begins mysteriously appearing in the halls and revealing deep secrets of both students and teachers.

This book highlights some of the many issues facing high school students today such as gossip, bullying, dating, money, friendship, and status.  High school students often feel like nothing can hurt them and believe the best in everyone, but this is also the time when they start to experience how tough it can be to be an adult by facing harsh realities from their families, teachers, and peers.  Audrey thought the worst thing that could happen to her was bullying, but quickly learns that many of the aspects of her life she thought were stable were anything but.  Most high school students will be able to identify with some aspect of Audrey’s life whether it be an unstable homelife, bullying, trouble academically, and betrayal from those close to her.  A powerful, but realistic story.

 

November Blues by Sharon M. Draper

Published June 26, 2008 RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 21 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of Pages: 316 p.

RAC Book: Yes

In this sequel to The Battle of Jericho November Nelson is dealing with the death of her boyfriend after a hazing ritual went bad. To make matters worse, she discovers that she is pregnant. She was planning to spend the summer in an Ivy League summer program which would hopefully lead to a very productive senior year. When she tells her mother about her pregnancy she is understandably upset. November faces a lot of difficult decisions as she endures this pregnancy.

Meanwhile, Jericho, the cousin of the boy who died, is having an equally difficult time coping with his friend’s untimely death. He decides to try football in order to have something new to do instead of the band, which he previously loved but now feels is a painful reminder of his cousin. He tries to help November in any way he can, but is struggling with his own emotions as well.

This was a good story about teenage pregnancy and death, but addresses similar concepts to The First Part Last. The characters were complicated and interesting and were the strength of the story. Nothing these characters were dealing with was easy and was not portrayed that way. The ending took an unexpected turn, but was a little predictable nonetheless. Most readers will guess what November’s decision will be, but will enjoy it anyway.

 

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings

Published May 29, 2008 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized 87 Comments
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Genre: Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 12 and up

# of Pages: 208 p.

RAC Book: Yes

2008 Iowa Teen Award Winner

Brady loves living so close to the Chesapeake Bay. His father is a crab and oyster fisherman and he has two best friends, Digger and J.T. One day Brady sees the neighbor’s red kayak out before the boys go to school. He debates whether to yell and tell them it’s too dangerous to be out, but his friends convince him they will be fine. Brady is pulled out of school by his father later that morning because the kayak never returned and it contained the neighbor and her son. Brady had babysat for Ben and wanted to help find him.

As the search and rescue teams start heading off down the river Brady learns that the woman was found but was in shock. By chance he finds Ben and tries to resuscitate him while driving the boat back to the ambulance. By the time he gets there they have a pulse and Brady is hailed as a hero for the rest of the day. Things begin to go terribly wrong, however, when he starts to suspect that the kayak sinking was no accident and wonders how he should proceed.

This book was captivating in the way the story was revealed and in how it was explained. Brady faces one difficult decision after another and must decide who he should protect and who he should hurt. His father helps him decide that finding the right decision is easy, it’s just hard to act on it. This book will be a hit with teen boys due to its short and to the point nature, as well as for its interesting content. It would be good for classroom discussions on responsibility and making choices that will affect the rest of your life and many other people’s lives as well.

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

Published May 6, 2008 Mystery , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre: Suspense, Realistic Fiction

Age Level: 14 and up

# of pages: 310 p.

RAC Book: Yes

The story begins when Alice who has just left her two week old baby for the first time ventures out for two hours and comes home to find she does not know the baby in the crib. She believes that someone has come into her mother-in-law’s house, where her and her husband live, and snatched her baby only to replace it with another newborn. Her husband becomes angry with her as she refuses to accept that this is her baby and insists on calling the police. The police have a difficult time deciding how to proceed since no babies have been reported missing and there is a baby present at the house.

The story alternates between Alice and one of the police detectives. He is generally accepted to be a really good detective and feels that this case is not as innocent as it first appears. He does not know if he believes Alice about someone switching the babies, but believes something is amiss. His colleagues all believe Alice is crazy and suffering from depression and psychosis from her difficult delivery.

The mystery was intriguing all the way up until everything is explained.  The resolution is not as good as one would hope after such an intriguing mystery has been set up.  There are moments where Alice’s husband shows tortuous feelings toward her for casting doubt on their family. It is never fully explained why she allows him to do this to her. The ending is satisfying, but unbelievable. The details provided weave together to form a good pace and some surprises as details are revealed, but again the motivations of the characters in their actions is not always fully explained. Readers who enjoy mystery and suspense will enjoy this, but anyone who has difficulty with people undergoing very degrading and difficult situations will find it troubling.

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