Where She Went

First, let me say that I love that cover. I seriously can't stop staring at it; so beautiful. Second, I also really love this book. Picking up three years after If I Stay ends, part two of Mia and Adam's story is told through Adam's perspective instead. I really don't want to give much away in terms of this plot or the way that If I Stay ends, so I'll just say that I wrestled quite a bit with frustration with characters as well as the paths I saw Forman taking the plot. I knew how I wanted it to go and I started to hyperventilate slightly every time I thought it wouldn't go that way. If that makes me seem like a shallow, too-girly reader...then I'd have to admit that that's probably true. I will say, though, that all of the twists and turns and emotional baggage that is explored and dissected throughout this book - all of which caused me to worry about the ending - I thoroughly loved every moment of this sequel. I think what I loved and appreciated the most is that Forman manages to write two different books about two very different plots that are told from the perspective of two incredibly different characters, but the two books still somehow feel as if they're woven together seamlessly. If I Stay is one hundred percent Mia and Where She Went is one hundred percent Adam, but I can hardly tell where one ends and the other begins. I felt comfortable inside the head of Mia in the first book, and I loved being inside the head of Adam during the sequel. The perfect blend of humor and heartache are continued throughout this plot just as they were in the first, and no matter how hard I tried not to I did end up crying during some unnamed scene towards the end. Just like the first book, I wouldn't want to include this one on my 7th grade classroom bookshelf, but it's perfect for mine. Loved, loved it.

The Widow's Broom

There's honestly not much for me to say about this book, except that it's super creepy and SUPER fun. A neglectful/forgetful witch lets her broom run out of juice and fall to the ground one night, and is taken in by a kindly widow who let's her recouperate from her fall in her home. The witch leaves in the middle of the night, however, leaving her supposedly dead and powerless broom behind. The widow soon discovers, though, that the broom is still more than capable of performing unique tasks like moving around on its own, gardening, and helping the widow take care of her home. When skeptical and angry neighbors become concerned about the broom's witchcraft and "devil's work," the widow has to take things into her own hands. It's a Chris van Allsburg book, so you know there's a nifty dose of surprise and spin to the ending as well.

This book would be a ton of fun for Halloween, but if you're looking for a deeper, more teacher-ey analysis then I would also say that it could work for a character study of the widow or a discussion of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst.

Walking to School

This book is really interesting, mostly because it dives into a current story line that I'm ashamed to say I know very little about. Using the cultural war between the Catholics and the Protestants in Ireland, the issues of race, prejudice, and unfair assumptions are explored with a vehicle that's different from our somewhat typical go-tos of America's black versus white and Germany's Holocaust. Those examples are extremely powerful and necessary, but the truth is that these issues exist elsewhere as well. I love that this unique picture book gives teachers or parents the avenue to discuss them with a brief plot that opens many doors for discussion. What's also interesting - and realistic, I think - is that the young protagonist is able to see so clearly what the adults around her cannot: both sides of this feud see themselves as wholly pure and righteous in their actions but scrutinize every action of the other side as foul and deserving of punishment. It's just simply not the case, and even this young girl is able to see that as she listens and observes. This would be a great introduction to a unit to get conversations started with kids, and to perhaps introduce a world of other examples of prejudice from all over the world.

Betti on the High Wire

I first heard about this book, like almost everything I read, from a book blog. The person reviewing it was enthusiastic about it and I remember them saying that it was great. Based on the description alone, I figured I would love it. A young girl living in an abandoned circus in a war-torn country who gets adopted by Americans and has to adjust to a strange new world? I am more than slightly obssessed with anything involving adoption, and who wouldn't love a book about a circus girl? And the cover is gorgeous. I have to be completely honest, though, and say that even though it has a lot going for it, I didn't love it as much as I thought/hoped/assumed I would. And what's weird is that I still can't really pinpoint why.

The basic plot is pretty much what I just described. The plot is told from Betti's point of view, and after she arrives in America she has all kinds of funny and strange ways of interpreting the culture we so quickly think of as normal; that provides many moments of both humor and reflection as the reader sees their life through new eyes. Your heart breaks for Betti as you watch her try to communicate with people and fail, either because words she knows are forgotten in the moment of pressure or because she doesn't understand what's going on. Her adoptive parents, however, are gracious, patient, and unconditionally loving. No matter how many plans Betti enacts to try to convince them to send her back home, they forgive immediately and show her that they will never become so tired of her or so angry with her that they send her away. All of these are wonderful and endearing qualities in this book, and so I still can't figure out why I didn't love it even as I sit here and type this. But the truth is that I didn't love it...I liked it very much and I thought it was very sweet, but there I felt that the majority of the plot was slow and somewhat boring. I'm not sure if many middle school students would fall in love with it, but it's completely appropriate for the age group and will be included on my shelf if not only for the sake of having it available. Maybe a student will read it and be able to explain to me why I didn't love it...or maybe why I should, afterall.

Wintergirls

For all the intensity that Laurie Halse Anderson's famous book, Speak, provides, I have to say that Wintergirls provides more. Words that flashed through my mind while reading this book - which explores the world of teenage anorexia, cutting, and suicide - include heartbreaking, frustrating, haunting, and shocking. Anderson gives the reader a window into the mind of her main character Lia in a way that surpasses nearly every other fictional book that I've read. I know that's a bold statement, but let me put it this way: while reading this book, I caught myself turning down a muffin fresh out of the oven because I could be strong and resist. I am not exaggerating and I am not speaking lightly; this book gets inside your head as you get inside Lia's, and it's more than a little disturbing.

Lia and her best friend Cassie have been competing to be the thinnest for years; Lia's chosen method is anorexia while Cassie is bulimic. When Cassie kills herself, though, in the first few pages of the book, and Lia is left alone. Battling against her parents, doctors, teachers, and potential friends, Lia tries her hardest to cheat the systems set in place to protect her and continue spiraling downhill towards the "goals" she's set for herself, even though her best friend is no longer with her. Another small hiccup is that Lia and Cassie had abruptly gone their separate ways months before Cassie's death, creating a world of guilt and inner turmoil for Lia that she doesn't share with anyone but you are an eyewitness to. Just like Speak - and so many of Anderson's books, as I'm finally learning - this book immediately draws you in with its unique writing style, beautiful vocabulary choices, and heartbreaking honesty. I can't even begin to imagine the research that must have taken place in order to write from inside the mind of a girl struggling with anorexia and cutting, but it definitely paid off.

Despite its incredible positives, I am hesitant to bring it into my classroom, not because it's inappropriate but because it's so deeply disturbing and troublesome that I think it would be difficult for many 7th graders to read and appreciate fully. (By the way, I'll be teaching 7th grade this Fall...just found out!) There are definitely 7th graders who could handle it, but I wouldn't want to have it on a community shelf for anyone to pick up. It's deep, it's painful, and it seriously messes with you. I wasn't exaggerating at all about me starting to pay attention to what I ate and how often I was working out...I would never in a million years want an impressionable middle school girl to pick this book up and interpret the wrong message, leading to the development of an eating or exercise disorder. I may, however, consider having a "behind the teacher's desk" bookshelf, which contains books such as this that may be fine for some but not for all, and that, with teacher's and parent's approval, be specially checked out. I've seen 8th grade teachers do that and it worked well. That all being said, this book is excellent, and highly - if not cautiously - recommended by me.

Speak

There are some books that speak (no pun intended) to you so profoundly that you keep thinking about them long after you finish the last page. This is one of those books, as is the other Laurie Halse Anderson book that I've just finished and will be reviewed in the next post. Anderson's unique style of writing gives you a front-and-center vantage point to all the pain and inner thoughts of Speak's main character, Melinda, who is dealing with the aftershock of being raped as well as outcasted by her entire group of friends due to a misunderstanding. Anderson's choice of writing style, which feels like a stream of consciousness more so than a diary or a typical first-person narrative, allows the reader to see not only Melinda's actions but also her thoughts and motives behind those actions. Sarcastic wit and humor are sprinkled throughout the story to keep you laughing occasionally despite the majority of the plot's upsetting details. Melinda's coping mechanism of choice is to stop speaking almost entirely with the hope that she would just disappear. Shockingly, she almost succeeds. You get to witness her parents' indifference, her teachers' ignorance, and her friends hatred all from Melinda's honest perspective; this front row seat will break your heart.

Aside from the beautiful writing and heartwrenching plot, I love this book because Anderson manages to handle extremely difficult and graphic material in a completely appropriate way. With very little bad language and almost no sexual content (the description of Melinda's rape is handled with extreme grace), I would happily share this book with students. I will say, though, that I will be sharing it only with discernment and careful selection. This book probably won't be on my classroom bookshelf open to just anyone, only because I want the students who read this plot to be able to handle it maturely. Rape is an extremely sensitive issue, and I think students who open themselves up to this book should be sensitive enough to handle it. I'll get into that more with the review of Anderson's other book, Wintergirls, next.

The Last Song

I need to be clear: for most of my life now, I've been a Nicholas Sparks snob. I love the movie The Notebook, but I have quietly made fun of the other movies, seeing them as cheesy and predictable. I loved the book A Walk to Remember when I read it in high school, but I told no one and never mentioned it again. I can't really say where this snobbery came from, but it's been there and I need to confess it. When I dropped a copy of The Last Song into my shopping cart after it first appeared, I was confused by my own actions. Aside from this being a Nicholas Sparks book, it's also starring Miley Cyrus: the book was written FOR the movie and therefore the protagonist's role was written FOR Miley. As much as I haven't been a Sparks fan, I'm much less of a Miley fan. So I still really don't understand how I own it. Even though I bought it, I didn't read it for...what? A year? A year and a half? I started it once and couldn't get past the annoying Miley voice in my head so I put it down. But for whatever reason, I picked it up a couple days ago, and....I loved it. And I have some apologizing to do.

To be fair to myself, I need to comment on the fact that Sparks reuses themes and plot devices quite often, and that some of his dialogue is cheesy and weak, and that the Epilogue was a little bit too Band-Aidey. But with those criticisms said, I really did enjoy this book a lot. I got hooked almost immediately this second time around, and I only got more hooked the more I read. The romance was sweet and snagged me instantly (if you've read any of my other posts you know that I'm such an easy sell for an attractive male character, despite my best efforts), and I appreciated the lack of sexual content SO much. There were two almost-scenes that didn't amount to anything, which was refreshing. Foul language was also basically nonexistent. (If I sound a little bit like a prude, it's just because I don't ever want to be accused of supporting/recommending/promoting books that a parent would be offended by for their middle school student, and any book that I can peacefully choose to leave on my classroom shelf rather than take off of it is a book I appreciate.) The story of Ronnie's (aka Miley's) relationship with her estranged father and annoying little brother is wonderful, full of heartwarming and heartbreaking goodness. Contrary to what I expected, I also found lots of surprising plot twists scattered throughout that kept me guessing and wondering how it would all play out. The fact that chapters rotate narrator also provides a great opportunity to discuss voice and perspective between characters.

So...I'm sorry. I'm sorry Nicholas Sparks, and I'm sorry unnamed friend of mine whose favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. I never should have laughed/scoffed/turned up my prideful nose at either of you. Or the rest of the Sparks-loving world. I was wrong.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

This is another one of those books that I have seen around for so long and have witnessed kids get super excited about them, but I haven't made the time to read them yet. After reading this first one, though, I can see why they're so popular. This book is written in a diary style (obviously) and incoporates narrative and drawings into the story's plot. Greg, a slightly nerdy sixth grader wants desperately to be cool and normal, but keeps getting put into situations where he is seen as anything but. Between his awkward parents, mean big brother, annoying little brother, and socially inept best friend, Greg epitomizes the sixth grade experience that so many middle schoolers are either experiencing, afraid of experiencing, or have already experienced. Hilarious and unpredictable, you can't help but cringe and shake your head as you see this poor child's first semester of middle school take place. The fact that a lot of the book is made up of pictures also helps you breeze right through it quickly, despite your reading level. Struggling readers would also find comfort in the pictures, as they do a great job of explaining what the text describes. I highly recommend this book, and can't wait to read the other ones. (A quick note: I categorized this book as a graphic novel, even though it technically isn't; it's about as close to a graphic novel as you can get, though, so there it is.)

If I Stay

Before I get into my review/thoughts about this book, let me say this: I will not be putting it on my classroom shelf. With an - only slightly - graphic pre-sex scene and a healthy dose of f-words scattered throughout, I can't in good conscious put it on my classroom shelf. I would be happy to see my students reading it and will probably recommend it to specific students who I know don't have a problem with language or whose parents are okay with it, but I can't put it on my shelf and effectively endorse it for every student. I understand the reality of the language middle schoolers use and read and hear, but I've chosen to keep my classroom library as clean as possible for my own protection as much as for the protection of my students. That being said...

I. LOVED. THIS. BOOK. It's been on my list for years and so when I found a partially spent gift card in my purse I snatched the opportunity to get it. I wasn't disappointed (except for the f-words that will keep it off my classroom shelf...). Seventeen-year-old Mia has a semi-perfect life. She's an incredibly talented cellist who loves classical music despite her former rocker parents. She's dating a rockstar whose band is rising in popularity, has a great little brother, and she is relatively happy. When her family gets into a tragic snow day accident, however, and she is the only one who survives but is trapped in a coma, Mia has some choices to make. Will she stay and live her new life that barely resembles the one she loved, or leave to escape the pain of having lost everything?

This story was heartbreaking but sweet, emotional but joyful. I cried throughout the book, but not for the reasons I expected. The character development was phenomenal, the storytelling was fluid and endearing, and the twists and turns were so refreshing. I couldn't put it down, and I immediately passed it on to my sister who ate it up as well. We can't wait to get our hands on the sequel; the first chapter of Where She Went was in the back of my copy of If I Stay, and I have to say that I am already freaking out about the plot twists and unexpected direction that Gayle Forman is taking Mia's plot. Basically, read this book immediately (but maybe not if you're in middle school...unless your parent says it's okay or you're not bothered by repeated use of the f-word).

Antsy Does Time

It's been forever since I've updated this blog and posted anything, but I've been reading like a maniac. This book, even though I actually read it a couple weeks ago at this point, has made a lasting impression on me. I loved this book. LOVED it. I thought it was hilarious, unique, witty, and memorable. Since I finished it, I've tried to pass it on to several people - ranging in age from 10 to 17 to 30 - and even though I haven't gotten anyone to read it yet, I'm determined.

Antsy Bonano, protagonist/narrator, starts the plot's ball rolling when he makes a kind and seemingly harmless gesture toward a dying classmate, Gunnar: he signs over a month of his life. News of this gesture spreads throughout the school and ultimately the community, and Antsy quickly becomes the poster child for generosity and compassion. As more and more people decide to follow suit and sign over months of their lives to Gunnar as well, things begin to spiral out of control. Add in an involved Grapes of Wrath project, a crush on an older and beautiful girl, and parents who are highly distracted by the family-run restaurant, and Antsy Does Time comes together with an original and hilarious story. There's also no inappropriate content and very few - minor - curse words, which I always appreciate as well. I should also mention that this is technically a sequel, but I haven't read the first book, The Schwa Was Here, yet and it was completely fine. I never felt like I couldn't follow what was going on or that I was missing plot points from the first book. I loved it, and will be recommending it to as many people/students as I can.