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.

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).

Forged by Fire

After finishing Tears of a Tiger, I had no choice but to immediately launch into the sequel. I was actually introduced to Sharon Draper's Hazlewood High trilogy through my student teaching experience, and it was Forged by Fire that was being read as a read-aloud by my Cooperating Teacher. We hadn't gotten very far by the time I left the classroom, and I have honestly been looking forward to finding out what happens to Gerald and his family. And now that I've successfully read the book in its entirety, I can say that I loved this book just as much as I loved Tears of a Tiger. Everything I said about Draper's style in the first book - her graceful and careful handling of extremely difficult content - rings true here as well. Gerald's life, starting here in his toddler years and much before the timeline of Tears of a Tiger, is extremely difficult and heartwrenching to read, but Draper once again manages to write about these circumstances while keeping the book very PG-rated. This book ties into the plot of its predecessor well by beginning with Gerald as a toddler and then gradually moving forward in time until it "catches up to" Tears of a Tiger in the order of events. Because of this, the book - which would still be extremely powerful on its own as a stand-alone novel - becomes more emotional for readers who know what will happen to the boys as the plot continues because they have already read about the accident in the first book. Forged by Fire would be an excellent book to recommend to a student for silent, individual reading but would also be great for an engaging and emotional read-aloud as well. My only word of caution is that there are clear mentions and suggestions of sexual molestation in this plot that repeatedly comes up, so it would be wise to know where those parts are and know how you will skip over them and/or edit them for a read-aloud if you are uncomfortable reading them straight from the text. They are only implied and suggested, rather than described explicitly, but you may still feel that it's necessary to edit somewhat. Overall, though, the Hazlewood High trilogy continues to be fantastic, and I can't wait to get my hands on Darkness Before Dawn.

Tears of a Tiger

I'm back! It's been a while, but grad school's got to get finished somehow and jobs don't get applied to for you. Graduation is tonight and the interviews are finally starting, though, so I'm back to casually reading on occasion. And the first one I picked up was Tears of a Tiger, written by Sharon Draper. I'd heard about this series for the first time during student teaching in the fall; the English department had been given sets of the trilogy and my Cooperating Teacher used the second book in the series as a Read-Aloud. I only got to hear some of the second book during my time in her classroom, but I was hooked and knew that I would want to read all three books at some point. So...here we go:

Andy and his good friends - including his best friend Robbie - are out celebrating that night's basketball victory over a rival school. They're riding around in Andy's car - after many drinks each - when the car crashes and Robbie is killed almost immediately. The other three boys, including Andy, manage to escape much physical damage but the emotional damage is endless. This becomes especially true for Andy, who was driving the car the led to his best friend's untimely death. Although many characters remain focal points throughout the story, the bulk of the plot surrounds Andy and the rest of his school year.

I think what I really appreciated about Tears of a Tiger is that even though Draper deals with realistic and heartwrenchingly mature themes, she does so in a really classy and appropriate way. I've read "Young Adult" books that focus on the same issues and same subgroup of adolescents and they were virtually unreadable because of the profanity and sexual content. Even if those elements are realistic of true life, we don't always need that level of reality in our faces when we're reading books aimed at young audiences. It really bothers me and has completely eliminated books from my teaching arsenal because I can't support or recommend them. This one, though, deals with traumatic storylines such as underage drinking, accidental death, teenage relationships, abusive parents, and suicide but manages to remain profanity and sex-free. Sometimes the effect is a little similar to watching the movie Remember the Titans: you know that these boys yelling at each other would be cussing each other out like crazy, and the lack of cussing seems a little corny but you appreciate the fact that you're not having to hear it. I truly do appreciate that. Beyond that, though, the plot is also really interesting and engaging. The end is fairly traumatic - even more so than the beginning - and I will say that it wouldn't be a light and fun Read-Aloud, but it would definitely provide good conversations about deeper subject matter than most books. The fact that it's written in a unique prose-ish format makes it easy to zip through as well (I read it in one day. I know I'm not a middle school student, but still). I highly recommend this one, and I'm excited to see what happens next in Forged by Fire!

To Kill a Mockingbird

Well...I finally finished it. "Finally" not referring to the fact that it was hard to get through or that I wasn't able to plow through it out of excitement, but because life got busy and responsibilities piled up a little bit and I couldn't make enough time to read. I loved this book. I know I said just last week that The Westing Game is one of my new favorite books and I meant it, but Mockingbird is now my official new favorite. I am in love with this book. The story, the writing, the characters...I laughed out loud and yes, I did cry.

[For those of you who may be like me and have managed to go 20-something years of life without reading this classic...] Scout Finch narrates this book as an eight year old girl, telling the story of one of the most important moments in her childhood. Growing up with a single father, defense attorney Atticus Finch, and her big brother Jem, Scout is a rough-and-tough tomboy who is fully capable of keeping up with Jem's antics as well as having a political debate with her highly educated father. At the center of the plot, however, is a particular case in which Atticus defends a black man charged with rape and consequently puts his family in danger.

I've already said that I love this book and it is now at the very top of my favorites list, so I guess I shouldn't say it again [Oops. I guess I just did, huh?] What I haven't really said is why I love it so much. The witty dialogue and hilarious interchanges between Scout and...well...everyone, are endearing and bond the reader to the characters immediately. To see the world - such a Depression-era, racist, sometimes backwards world - solely through the eyes of a girl wiser and more vocal than her years is a priceless opportunity. Rather than being just another adult caught up in the silly gossip and judgments of this culture, you become acutely aware of the practicality of truth. Example? Okay. The biggest moment of clarity that hit me came about forty pages or so from the end, when Scout goes on a tirade about how her teacher and classmates hate Hitler for discriminating against the Jews just because of their race but they themselves hate black people and see them as second-class citizens just because of their race. Personally, I loathe every concept and inkling of racism or discrimination on the basis of race, and it's been a hot-button topic with me for a long time. But I'm not sure that I ever really connected those dots: how did the American public feel the way they did towards Hitler in the 1940s and yet have the cross burning, murder, and vicious violence of the 1960s? How on earth was that possible? It's so simple, and so indicative of human nature, and yet it had gone completely unnoticed by me until Scout pointed it out. [It should probably be said that the historical timeline seems to be slightly off-set here...Americans were not nearly as aware of Hitler's racial cleansing practices in the 1930s, when this book takes place, as we were during the 1940s, but the point is very well made.] There is so much that I love and appreciate about this book, and the tears did in fact flow in the final pages. I won't tell you what my absolute favorite scene is because it would spoil the entire book if you haven't read it, but I will say that it simultaneously broke my heart and made me sing for joy. If you've read the book, you probably know what scene I'm talking about. If you haven't...well...read it.

The Westing Game

After years and years of listening to my sister go on and on and ON about how great this book is, I had to finally admit that maybe I should read it too. So it entered my "list"...that ever-growing, impossible-to-catch-up-on list that haunts me and overwhelms me (aka: it wasn't ever read). But then this week I was assigned the task of planning an entire thematic unit with two other good friends of mine from class and we decided upon the theme of Mystery (could there be a cooler theme? I think not) and this book seemed to fit perfectly as the centerpiece for my English unit...except I should probably read the book before writing five lessons about it. So read it I did. And I couldn't put it down. Well...I did put it down at times, but only because I had to be doing big girl things like sleeping and eating and going to work. But I immediately became fully engrossed in the plot and the characters and the complex but extremely interesting mystery elements. There are so many twists and turns and vital pieces of information that the author has purposefully kept from you the reader just as she has kept them from the characters themselves. The basic, brief plot overview is this: sixteen hand-chosen people become the participants in a Clue-like game, the object of which is to determine who killed Sam Westing (the man running the game from the grave) and receive his millions. Needless to say...it's a good one. And highly, highly recommended by me (and...everyone else who's read it). I had to force myself to just simply read the book rather than take notes during the whole thing, though, about how I'm going to use it in my unit. Now that I'm done, let the note-taking commence. I'm pretty excited; stay tuned for an update on that.

Love That Dog

This is one of those books that I've seen around and heard mentioned a couple of times, but didn't really know much about it [as it turns out, this happens to me much more than you might think]. But I read it yesterday and I am now in love with it. Written entirely in poetry, Love That Dog takes you through Jack's entire school year via his poetry journal he keeps in his English class. Although he starts his school year writing poetry that grumbles about writing poetry, and even at times writes poetry that mocks writing poetry, Jack slowly begins to embrace this method of communication and outlet as the year progresses. The reader - and Jack's teacher - immediately see that this young boy has a definite talent for composing poetry; his teacher requests to use his words as an example for the class on several occasions. This book is encouraging for an English teacher hopeful like myself: this boy didn't even know how talented he was and was writing brilliant poetry while trying to make fun of it. It's also encouraging because I too am a bit intimidated by poetry at times, but the fictional teacher in this story makes it come alive for the students; Jack is able to form opinions about poems, connect with poems, and be inspired by poems. I also see this book as a handbook for how to encourage students to feel safe and able to share insights into their personal lives so that you can form a connection with them and know them better. Any opportunity for a window into the mind of a student is worthwhile and exciting. I would use this book as a hook for a poetry unit - or the beginning of the year, if you plan to incorporate poetry throughout all units - and/or as a conversation piece for forming classroom community. It would also be a valuable tool for showing students that composing poetry doesn't have to be scary or rigid, but that it's a free expression of you, the poet...Jack's poetry illustrates this point brilliantly. As a teacher who will share poetry with students but who has also been intimidated by poetry in the past, this is especially encouraging to me as well.

Nineteen Minutes

I have to be honest, I've gone back and forth about what to say about this book since I finished it last night. There are so many contradicting thoughts and reactions floating around in my head. I didn't like it and had to make myself continue despite things I didn't like for the sake of finding out what happens...but I enjoyed reading it. I thought that the language and sexual content pushed it into the "Not Appropriate for Middle Schoolers" category...but I thought it was applicable to middle schoolers and think it could be an excellent tool to discuss bullying if you used excerpts. I was annoyed by the main characters...but I felt like I knew them and I could relate to some of them while sympathizing with others. See? I'm struggling with my reaction.

This is the first Jodi Picoult book I've read, and even though I had two more of hers on my list originally I think I'm okay with not reading anymore. Part of that is coming from my conflicted reactions. I liked it...but I'm also fine with not reading any more of hers, I think. Picoult wrote this story beautifully and in an extremely engaging way as she flipped back and forth in time, telling you the story of the characters with puzzle pieces; you don't find out everything until the very end, when you see that nothing is what it truly seemed throughout. Despite the elements of the story that I didn't love - the surprising foul language, the detailed descriptions of Matt and Josie's sexual relationship, the hints toward the issue of gun control - I did continue to be drawn into the plot and the unraveling of the story because of her writing style. Typically, I really like that method of story telling, whether it's in a book or a movie, and so I was a fairly easy sell from that standpoint. Maybe it's the fact that I tend to be more conservative when it comes to literature selection, or the fact that I've been really immersed in Young Adult fiction recently, but I thought that there were enough other elements of Picoult's writing that would keep me from recommending/allowing it to be read by middle school students - in whole, anyway.

Honestly, the character and element of the book that I found the most fascinating and interesting was Peter, the school shooter. I like him. I felt extremely sorry for him as I was given more and more pieces of his past throughout the book, and I understood why he chose the route that he did. I also, though, am fully aware of the fact that I loved Peter because I know Peter. When I read about this fictional character, all I could see were the faces of a couple of key people in my life that fit his description eerily...I went to school with Peter, and I taught Peter. Peter exists, and it would be hard for any reader to not see someone they know in the face of this character. It's when I look at this book through that perspective and with those names cycling through my mind that I continuously question what fortunate event stopped the Peters in my life from taking it to this level...and pray that the ones who still have the opportunity will choose differently. For that reason, I will probably always feel an emotional bond to this book, even if I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.

The Wednesday Wars

Remember all that time when I was done with Mockingjay but hadn't written my review of it yet? I was reading this book. This was one of my book fair purchases from a month or so ago, and I chose to read it then mostly as a placeholder for the rest of 2010 while I was waiting to read my first Historical Fiction book for the 2011 challenge. When I first started the book - and for the first 35 or 40 pages - I didn't really find this book all that interesting. I wanted it to be interesting, what with the fun cover and the fact that it takes place on Long Island during the Vietnam war and the interesting plot of a teacher at war with a student. It was a struggle to keep pushing through it...until I hit the page that finally grabbed me and from then on I was sucked in. I can honestly say that I love this book. It does, in my opinion, have a slow start, but once you push beyond that it's fantastic. The characters feel real...they act and sound and speak like seventh graders. The relationship between Holling, the main character, and his teacher Mrs. Baker is genuine, to the point of making me laugh out loud in one particular scene where Holling gives her advice on what not to do in front of the classroom ("don't stand with your arms folded" was one that I identified with...I have to admit I was told that once while I was in front of a classroom). Holling's family is complex and heartbreaking at times, and it's easy to find yourself becoming emotionally invested in the events that shape their relationships. I think this book is written beautifully, blending hilarious moments with truly touching ones. I highly recommend this book...you'll love it.

Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go, by Jerry Spinelli, was one of my book fair purchases. As has become the routine, I finished the fourth Percy book and didn't have the fifth at home with me, so I grabbed this one off the shelf. I bought it on a whim that day at the book fair; I hadn't ever heard about it but the name of Jerry Spinelli caught my attention - I've heard so much about him but never read any of his books - and the summary on the back of the book intrigued me. Despite what I thought was a slowish start, I really loved this book. The characters were sincere and relateable, and I laughed out loud all throughout the story as topics such as friendship, sibling fighting and the woes of unreturned crushes pester the main character. A tragic but realistic surprise towards the end of the book endears you to the characters even more (even in the face of somewhat predictable responses to the tragedy) and the final pages even made me cry. As my first Jerry Spinelli book, I was thoroughly impressed, and am now extremely interested in reading some more of his work. Any suggestions?

The Outsiders

After hearing about this book for what felt like my whole life, I finally got to read it this summer. (I know...I've gotten a little behind in posting these.) Despite the fact that the dialog is, honestly, a little dated, this book is pretty great and I really enjoyed it. This book explores the cliques and gangs that exist amongst high school kids, and in this plot - and, often, in real life as well - it's the haves versus the have-nots. The story is told from the point of view of Ponyboy Curtis, a young member of the Greasers who is being raised by his two older brothers and under the leadership and example of several rowdy boys who are less than perfect. When disaster strikes, though, the gang bonds together and fights for each other against some incredibly overwhelming odds. This book would be a great instrument for teaching friendship, loyalty, and character development. It's also excellent for appealing to middle school students who may come from adverse backgrounds and be exposed to gangs. Gangs are an integral and primary part of the plot of The Outsiders, but Hinton writes it in such a way that it's not extremely controversial or inappropriate for young students. There is some mild language and there is a murder in the beginning of the book, but if you are concerned about exposing your students to the controversies of Gangsterz or other books similar, then this would be a great second option. I actually had the priviledge of observing a 7th grade English classroom today that is currently reading this book, and the kids were thoroughly engaged and interested in this book. And these were students that I have had the priviledge of teaching before, and who are extremely difficult to engage; they also unfortunately all have lives somewhat similar to the characters in this book, which made it easily and instantly relateable. I highly recommend this book (and the movie, which is basically the word for word script of the book...and which has some extremely amusing footage of teenage Tom Cruise, Patrick Swayze, Emilio Estevez, etc.)

The Lovely Bones

I'm a little delayed in posting this, but I read The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold over the summer, and was pretty disappointed. This was one of those books that I'd heard about for years and always been intrigued by, and finally had the opportunity to actually read. It was a very interesting plot and it definitely kept me interested, but there was too much content that I found inappopriate and unnecessary for middle school students. The plot of the novel is by nature fairly advanced and inappropriate for young students, but I thought this Sebold took the content to places that were unneccessary (quite a bit of teenage sex, pedophilic fantasies, strange depictions of life after death, etc.). It's an interesting book, but I would definitely not recommend it for middle school students.

Durango Street

The book Durango Street, written by Frank Bonham, focuses on the struggles of a teenage boy who leaves juvenile detention and immediately faces the danger of gangs in his neighborhood. When members of a gang attack Rufus on his first night home, he is faced with the impossible decision of whether to join a rival gang in order to gain the protection it would provide, or attempt to survive on his own.

I first heard of this book through the movie Freeedom Writers, in which the teacher gives this book to her students in order to draw them into the literature and give them a plot they could relate to on a personal level. For that reason, and the fact that I saw this plot as one that would be more interesting to male students, I was very interested in reading this book myself. Although there were some dry-ish spots throughout the book in which I had a difficult time engaging with the content, I really enjoyed it overall. I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the entire book remains almost entirely clean from inappropriate content, which is always appreciated. I also see male students being completely interested and engaged with this plot.

After Tupac and D-Foster

After Tupac and D-Foster, written by Jacqueline Woodson, is about three middle school girls and their adventures together as they struggle through the unexpected events of life. Neeka and her best friend - the cleverly unnamed narrator - have lived across the street from each other and been best friends their entire lives, and when an elusive and unique girl who refers to herself as "D" appears one day on their street, she becomes and instant and revolutionary member of their clique. D is a foster child and has already experienced things that the other two girls never imagined were possible from their sheltered and protected life in their neighborhood. As the story progresses, the girls all learn from each others' vastly different perspectives and form incredible friendships. A unique and fun side-story that brilliantly parallels the girls' story is that of Tupac, the popular rapper and his tumultuous and controversial life. The plot is engaging and unique and the characters are endearing and easily relateable; I highly recommend this book for middle school instruction.