I wanted to write one last post thanking you all for your support over the last nine years of writing this blog. I wrote my first post right after I became a middle school media specialist because I knew if I wanted to get my students excited about reading, I would have to read, read, read! And I would need a way to remember and keep straight all the YA books I was reading. Your support, emails, and comments have meant the world to me.
And now I have graduated to adult books and have just begun a new blog - I'm exactly 14 books behind on blogging, but I WILL catch up! You can find me at
[email protected]And for now... HAPPY READING!
Fifteen-year-old Joy has had a terrible life. She lives with her abusive mother in a broken-down trailer. Her mother has various boyfriends come to stay with her and this leads to even more problems for Joy.
Nothing in this novel is graphic, but I recommend
Stronger Than You Know to mature readers only because it deals with various kinds of abuse.
Joy is finally removed from her mother and goes to live with her aunt and uncle and their children. However, Joy still needs to deal with her past. She has panic attacks and can't even be in the same room as her very kind uncle.
Slowly Joy begins to heal. Although this is a very upsetting book, the final message is people can heal from the past and most people are good and caring.
What a sad, sad, book. Lex's brother commits suicide and nothing will ever be the same. Is there something she could have done to prevent this?
To add to Lex's guilt, her brother reached out to her that awful night, and she didn't respond to him.
Everything falls apart in Lex's life. She breaks up with her boyfriend, removes herself from her friends, and doesn't even get excited when she's accepted to MIT.
Cynthia Hand does a lovely job describing the love between Lex and her brother and the devastation that suicide causes.
This book may upset some readers, but mature students will be able to appreciate this story despite their tears when reading.
"I was sent here because of a boy. His name was Reeve Maxfield, and I loved him and then he died, and almost a year passed and no one knew what to do with me. Finally it was decided that the best thing would be to send me here."
So
Belzhar begins ...
Jam is sent to The Wooden Barn, a boarding school for emotionally fragile teenagers because she can't deal with the death of her boyfriend, British exchange student, Reeve.
At The Wooden Barn she is assigned to "Special Topics in English" where she and a handful of other students will read only one novel all semester and keep a journal. The novel is
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.
At first Jam doesn't want to write - why examine her feelings when she can barely make it through each day? But the first time she does write, something amazing happens .. something that can't be explained.
Belzhar is an emotionally wringing experience. I would only suggest this book to very mature readers eighth grade and up. The ending is mind-blowing and the reader's heart will break for Jam.
Davey and his family are on a long-awaited vacation on an island off the coast of Key West, Florida.
Davey's favorite thing to do is read, and on the first day of vacation he wakes up early and without telling anyone heads to a quiet spot on a secluded beach with his favorite book.
The water there is so warm and feels so good to Davey that he wades in farther and farther. Before he realizes it, he is up to his chest. But when he tries to swim to shore, he can't. Unbeknownst to him, there is a very strong riptide that is preventing him from swimming any closer. He is soon exhausted from his efforts and now must simply try to survive until someone rescues him.
Because the water is so clear, Davey can see fish swimming around below him. Some tiny fish nibble on his foot. He isn't panicking because he is sure someone will miss him soon and send a rescue team out to find him. Suddenly he sees a larger shadow below him ...
Read this exciting, fast-paced novel if you like books that you can read in one or two nights. I really couldn't stop reading this and read it in one afternoon - it was great!
Book trailer by Naomi Bates - thank you, Naomi!
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-wHb5Nsjhy0eThLSnJtQjh1T3c/view
Top Ten Reasons You Will Like This Book:
10. You like to read humorous books.
9. You want to take a break from all the serious books you've been reading.
8. You have or know someone who has diabetes.
7. You are a fan of the author who also wrote
Ask Again Later.
6. You like to read about first crushes.
5. You don't like to read books about stereotypical characters.
4. You like to try to solve the mystery in the book as you read.
3. You like to finish a book really quickly.
2. You don't like reading to be "painful" - it should be fun.
1. You don't want to be totally "clueless!"
This is a fun fast read about a group of teenagers who work in a Whole Foods-type of grocery store. They are all accused of a crime that is committed in the store and told they cannot leave until they are questioned by the police. Unfortunately, it is Christmas Eve and tonight of all nights, everyone wants to go home.
Told from Chloe's point of view, this story is a fast, funny, light-hearted read, that has just enough substance to keep you caring about all the characters.
Budo has existed for five years which is a very long time for an imaginary friend. Nine-year-old Max relies on Budo for many things and Budo helps Max both in school and at home.
This very imaginative novel is told from Budo's point of view. We learn about Max's difficulties from Budo. We also learn about the lives of other imaginary friends. Budo looks pretty much like an real-life boy, but other imaginary friends may not be fully formed. Budo can walk through doors because when Max invented him, he imagined Budo walking through doors. Other imaginary friends may not even be human. Other than their "owner," imaginary friends can only be seen and heard by other imaginary friends.
Budo becomes even more important to Max when Max is abducted from school. No one but Budo has any idea where Max is. But since Max is the only person who can see or hear Budo, Budo can't really help very much.
I can't believe that a book about an imaginary friend could have me in it's grip, reading compulsively for just "one more chapter." And I can't believe I cried when Budo was describing his relationship with Max.
I loved this book and I love the way Matthew Dicks writes. Our teacher book club is reading this as our next selection, but I think students from 7th grade on up would also really enjoy Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend!
Melody has a photographic memory; she remembers everything she hears. She is insanely smart - the only thing is no one else knows. Melody can't speak, walk, or even eat on her own because she has cerebral palsy. Unfortunately, no one knows the "real" Melody.
She is in a special class in school with other students with disabilities. Teachers come and go with very little consistency; Melody is so very tired of learning the alphabet year after year. There is no interaction with other students in school until the school begins a new inclusion program where Melody and several other students from her class are integrated into several mainstream classes.
Told from Melody's point of view, this is the story of how Melody goes from the girl in a wheelchair who cannot speak, to a valuable member of the school's competitive quiz team.
All is not without many bumps in the road. Not every student is willing to look beyond Melody's disabilities. And many times this book made me very angry, but I am so very glad I read it.
Out of My Mind made me look at myself and wonder if I have ever prejudged someone; I'm sure I have, but this book has made me very aware that I never want to do it again.
Laureth's father has gone missing. He is not returning any of her texts, and her mother doesn't know where he is and doesn't seem to care. Laureth and her younger brother need to find him. The only clue they have is an email from a "Mr. Walker" who says he found her father's notebook. The problem is the notebook was found in New York City, far away from their home in London.
However, the biggest obstacle they face is that Laureth is blind. She must navigate the airport and New York City with just her young brother Benjamin leading the way.
Once in New York the suspense builds as Laureth and Benjamin try to find their father using very bizarre and disturbing clues they read in his journal.
This is a rather quick read. I would love to know what students think of the ending. So, please, let me know when you finish this book!
Calling all fans of The Fault in Our Stars ... you will love Maybe One Day!
Olivia and Zoe are best friends. They attend high school and ballet school together and have plans to go to New York City to join a professional ballet company. Their plans change when they are told they don't have a future in ballet and are dismissed from their school.
This becomes the least of their problems, however, when Livvie is diagnosed with cancer. Maybe One Day is the emotional story of true friendship and how two teenagers and their families deal with a life-altering event.
Although it's very emotional, there is also some romance and some light-hearted moments, too. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written story, but I did need some tissues close by.
Tripp and Lyla are about as different as two people can get. Tripp uses the practice room to escape from his home life as he pours everything he has into the guitar.
Perfect Lyla must share the practice room with Tripp on even days. She is a terrific student and award-winning cellist who is competing to get accepted at The Coles Conservatory of Music.
When Lyla arrives at the practice room and finds it a mess, with crumpled leftovers from Tripp's lunch, she's upset and leaves him a note:
Dear Odd Day Musician,
We are sharing this room. Please remove your trash from the music stand when you are done.
Thanks.
-The Even Day Musician
And then finds his reply:
Dear Ms. Even Day,
Thank you so much for the little note you left in the guitar case.
The napkin that I left on the music stand was not trash. I wrote a chord progression on it. Did you throw it away in your quest for a perfect spotless world?
Most Sincerely,
Mr. Odd Day
P.S. Please do not leave negative Even Day vibes all over the room. They will soak into this guitar, which will ruin it. Please clean up after yourself.
This Nutmeg nominee for 2014 is funny, engaging, and terribly sad. Anyone interested in music will love it, but even if you are not a musician, there is much that will engage you in this book.
Kayla, Gabie, and Drew all work at Pete's Pizza. One night Kayla goes on a delivery and doesn't come back. This novel becomes even more intense when we find out that the man who ordered the pizza asked if the girl with the Mini Cooper was delivering pizzas that night. Fortunately for Gabie, the owner of the Mini Cooper, she switched nights with Kayla and Gabie was home and not working that night. Did the kidnapper take the wrong girl?
But since Gabie was the intended victim, is she next? And is Kayla safe?
Students who like scary, intense books, will love this one. Other students may have nightmares, so be aware - this book may be too intense for some students.
Darcy is just 18 years old and a writer. Her novel is actually getting published! When she moves to New York instead of attending college, her parents are concerned but allow her to go and live on the advance money from her publisher.
The tag-line on the novel's cover really says it all:
Darcy writes the words.
Lizzie lives them.
Both Darcy and Lizzie tell their stories in alternating chapters. The book begins when Lizzie survives a horrible terrorist attack at the airport. She plays dead and is the only survivor. Yami, an afterworld guide, arrives to help her navigate this strange ethereal world.
Chapters and events interweave and it is so interesting following the stories of both girls. This is a "smart" novel. One that you need to think about when you read. Students who like to write or are interesting in writing and the publishing world will love this novel. English teachers will LOVE this novel.
There is romance throughout the novel including same sex dating. If your parents don't want you to read books with foul language, you may want to put this novel on hold for a few years. But over-all, many students will love following Lizzie's adventures in the underworld and Darcy's adventures in New York.
March Madness has begun! Michigan is heavily favored to win, but Troy State has heart.
The entire book takes place in the time span of a single game. As the announcer does his exciting play-by-play throughout the game, the back story of four key players is also told.
This is not only the story of two very different teams, but also the story of four very different basketball players. Malcolm is from the inner-city, is VERY talented, and is called "one and done" because of his plans to join the NBA after his freshman year.
Roco Bacic is from the war-ravaged country of Croatia where his uncle, a journalist, was killed by a car bomb. Basketball is his ticket to freedom and an education.
Along with the basketball action, there are also some very pertinent issues explored in this novel. Universities make millions off the ticket sales, etc. of their varsity teams, but the players (many of whom come from very limited economic families) go through their college careers without being able to profit at all.
This was a riveting read. Basketball fans will especially enjoy this novel, but I think most everyone will be drawn into the back stories of these players. Some foul language
This is going to be a big one - this book was great!
Callum Hunt does NOT want to be a magician. Call's mother and father were both mages, but his mother is dead and his father both hates and fears magic.
When Callum turns 12 he is required to be tested to see if he is qualified to be educated in the realm of magic. He tries to fail every test, but is admitted to magic school despite his efforts. Once he begins school, Call finds he enjoys his lessons much more than he thought he would. Why does his father want him to come home? Will magic lead to something much more sinister?
Despite(or maybe because of) its similarities to Harry Potter, I enjoyed this book very much and look forward to the sequels!
Very different novel told from SEVEN different points of view!
"The creative writing teacher, the delivery guy, the local Starbucks baristas, his best friend, her roommate, and the squirrel in the park all have one thing in common—they believe that Gabe and Lea should get together. Lea and Gabe are in the same creative writing class. They get the same pop culture references, order the same Chinese food, and hang out in the same places. Unfortunately, Lea is reserved, Gabe has issues, and despite their initial mutual crush, it looks like they are never going to work things out. But somehow even when nothing is going on, somethingis happening between them, and everyone can see it. Their creative writing teacher pushes them together. The baristas at Starbucks watch their relationship like a TV show. Their bus driver tells his wife about them. The waitress at the diner automatically seats them together. Even the squirrel who lives on the college green believes in their relationship.
Surely Gabe and Lea will figure out that they are meant to be together...."
Summary above from:
http://teenreadersdiary.blogspot.com/2014/08/playlist-giveaway-little-something.htmlGirls will love this romantic story that almost happens over and over and over. Will they EVER get together???
Check out the songs that go along with this novel at the link above.
Josh and Jordan play basketball. And they are GOOD! Their father was once a pro basketball player so perhaps it's in their genes. Unfortunately, there is something wrong with their father but the boys don't exactly know what.
This novel is told in verse/rap format, but don't be put off by that - it's great:
A bolt of lightning on my kicks...
The court is sizzling.
My sweat is drizzling.
Stop all that quivering.
Cuz tonight I'm delivering.
Read this - it's a fast read and it's great!
Can a twelve-year-old boy really change the world? Tevor is one of the few students in his class who accepts the teacher's extra credit assignment to come up with a big idea that will change the world for the better.
Trevor's plan is simple: he will do good deeds for three people and instead of getting paid back, he asks the recipients of his good deeds to "pay it forward." He wants each person to do good deeds for three other people. Think about it - if each of us does good deeds for 3 people and each of them does good deeds for three more people the effects of his little experiment could easily spread to hundreds, then thousands of people!
It really would be so interesting if we could try this in our own school .....
This is a very inspiring story that is loosely based on the life of one of the authors.
Kara is a popular junior in high school who is dating the captain of the water polo team. She is a shoo-in to become this year's Homecoming Queen.
But driving home from a party, Kara gets into a terrible accident and wakes up two weeks later in the hospital not able to feel her legs.
Her boyfriend deserts her.
Her ex-boyfriend visits her every day.
But Kara just wants things to return to normal. How can she go back to school in a wheelchair? Why won't her boyfriend even look at her or return her texts?
I recommend this book for fans of The Fault in Our Stars. You won't need as many tissues when reading this book, but you will want to read until the end to find out how exactly Kara copes with all she has been dealt.
Recommended for eighth grade and up: some drinking and a little "heavy" dating
Aislinn lives in a dysfunctional family. She takes care of her younger siblings all summer while her mother and father work. Although Aislinn is just twelve years old, she realizes her father is an alcoholic who is drinking more and more. Although Aislinn is a typical preteen who just wants to hang out with her friends and go to her first boy-girl party, she is even more concerned about her father.
Nothing seems to work as Aislinn's father spirals out of control. He loses his job and becomes more and more abusive. He forbides Aislinn to even speak to boys on the phone.
No one in the family knows what to do. Aislinn finally comes up with a plan that may embarrass her family ... but will it work?
This is a wonderful book that will draw the reader in and have everyone rooting for Aislinn. I know I am!
Emily and Sloane have their summer all planned. They are dating best friends, are planning on getting a summer job in the same place, and have plans to just do a lot of hanging out and having fun.
But at the beginning of summer Sloane disappears and no one knows where she is. Her cell phone goes to voice mail and her house is empty.
One day a letter comes in the mail from Sloane. The only thing in the envelope is a summer to-do list for Emily.
Apple picking at night.
Dance until dawn.
Kiss a stranger ...
Morgan Matson is one of my favorite authors for girls, right up there with Sarah Dessen and Jenny Han. Her characters are so believable. Girls will love this!
I'm only half-way finished with this book but wanted to briefly write about it because I know many students are looking for books for summer reading. Our library received this book at the very end of the school year, and the one boy who read it said it was one of the best books he's read. If you are looking for a believable dystopian book, pick this one up!
What seems like a typical day at school changes very quickly when all the computers and cell phones shut down. At first it seems like an every day power outage, but when students are dismissed, they find the only cars that start are the very old ones that don't rely on technology.
At first I thought this book would be a typical dystopian novel, but what sets it apart from many, is how believable and real it seems.
More of a review to follow when I finish the book, but right now, I would recommend
The Rule of Three to students grade 7 and up. I think this will be a really, really popular book in our media center next year.
By the author of
The Summer I Turned Pretty (which I also really enjoyed)
If you are looking for a great summer read, look no further! I loved everything about this book and read it in two days. I know many girls will pick this book up and declare it as one of their very favorites.
Sixteen-year-old Lara Jean has never had a real boyfriend, but she has been in love exactly five times. Each time, she writes a letter to the boy and pours out all her feelings and emotions. She can be very honest because when she finishes the letter, she seals it in an addressed envelope and hides it away. The boys will never see these letters, but it is a way for Lara Jean to get over her obsession with them.
This seems like a very healthy way to deal with her emotions, until the day she arrives at school and heart-throb Peter is holding her letter and wants to know why she wrote it.
I loved the characters in this book, especially Lara Jean and her two sisters. This book could have been just a fluffy, beach read, but each character was complex and interesting. I would recommend this book to girls, eighth grade and up, looking for a contemporary romance. There is no overt sex, but there are some brief conservations about when teenagers should be sexually intimate.
