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Au Revoir Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Published September 13, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction/Mystery

# of Pages:  190

RAC:  Yes

Perry is constantly pressured by his parents to get into an Ivy League School and become successful.  They even make him work after school at his dad’s law firm in the hopes of acquiring a letter of recommendation from one of the partners.  Perry does everything they ask without too much complaint, which is why he’s so upset when he is ordered to take their weird foreign exchange student to the prom instead of going to the important gig his band had set up.  Ever since Gobi had come to stay with them she had been distant, cold, and just plain strange.  When they actually head out to prom, Perry is in for a surprise when he learns she is actually an assassin who has been training for this night where she plans to kill multiple people and use him as the getaway driver.  Can Perry stop her or at least come out unscathed?

This fun novel reads like a movie.  Perry is upset with having to take Gobi to the prom and becomes shocked when she suddenly transforms into this sexy assassin with her sights set on killing very powerful people in the city.  The novel twists and turns as facts surrounding her plans are revealed and the ending is very satisfying.  Recommended for people looking for a fun, short, and exciting read.

Crazy by Han Nolan

Published September 6, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Realistic Fiction

# of Pages:  348

RAC:  Yes

Iowa Teen Award Winner 2013-2014

Jason tries to blend in at school and not draw anyone’s notice because he doesn’t want anyone to know how bad his home life is.  His father has always had some mental issues, but when his mother suddenly dies he finds it is up to him to take care of his father and everything else.  When he tries to rebel against some of the rules in class, however, he ends up having to meet with other troubled teens in a counseling session every week.  Soon, he comes to find that others have difficult issues to deal with as well and begins to open up a bit.  Will his new friends help him keep his secret even after they see his deplorable living conditions and the fact that he is solely responsible for his father’s survival?

This is a powerful story about a group of young kids who deal with more than most students can probably imagine in a single day.  Loss of parents, illness, infidelity, divorce, mental illness, and substance abuse are all discussed as these high school students try to help each other cope.  The counseling sessions do help Jason come to terms with the fact that he is not alone and he can reach out to people.  Reading this book could help high school students to be more understanding of each other and hopefully not as superficial.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

Published August 30, 2013 Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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Genre:  Historical Fiction

# of Pages:  298

RAC:  Yes

Iowa High School Award Winner 2013-2014

In this prequel to Frankenstein, Victor desperately tries to find a cure for his twin, Konrad, when he mysteriously falls ill.  They had always had a spirited rivalry in everything in life, including their mutual interest in the young girl who lives with their family, but despite all the competition Victor simply cannot imagine life without Konrad.  He decides to seek the help of an eccentric scientist in the area who believes he can find the Elixir of Life.  There are many tasks to complete in order to acquire the ingredients for this mixture and Victor must make many difficult decisions in order to try and save his brother.  What is Victor willing to give up in order to save Konrad?

The tasks Victor must complete in order to gather the materials for Konrad’s cure are exciting, dangerous, and in many cases frightening.  Readers will enjoy the journey as Victor tries to save his brother, while also harboring feelings for Konrad’s girlfriend.  The ending is exciting and leads into a sequel.  This title is a hard sell for students who do not like historical fiction, but once they start it they find it is a wild adventure they want to take.

Bruiser by Neal Shusterman

Published April 3, 2013 Award Winners , RAC , Realistic Fiction , Uncategorized Leave a Comment
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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 6 Comments
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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 8 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.

 

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