Book 9
Bibliography:
Crutcher, Chris. 2013. PERIOD
8. New York, NY: Harper Collins
Publishers. ISBN 9780061914805
Cover:
Summary:
Paul Baum known
as Pauly Bomb in school is a high school senior who always tells the truth no
matter the consequences or how it hurts.
This is the code for all who attend the sessions during Period 8. They must tell what is true and what you tell
stays in the room when you leave. Bruce
Logsdon called Mr. Logs by his students over sees the meetings. The students all bring their lunches and
problems to the sessions. Pauly, Hannah,
and all who participate felt it was a non-threatening environment and a way to
make sense of their problems. A classmate,
Mary Wells also known as Virgin Mary goes missing and someone is telling lies,
which almost gets Mr. Logs killed. Mr.
Logs begins each session with “What’s Up?” He thrives on helping his students. It keeps him grounded and gives him a reason
to look forward to his job. The suspense
really kicks in when Mary Wells is missing for the second time. Pauly receives a disturbing text from
her. Pauly tells his father and Mr. Logs
that he needs help. In the end Mary
Wells has a big secret that no one knows.
Commentary:
This was an
interesting book that you had to read between the lines. Once some students started disappearing you
really started to wonder why and where were they going. I think this would kind of be a tough read
for some young adults because it discusses some pretty deep things. The language is okay, but it has a lot of
criminal activity that still happens today.
I thought it was neat that the teacher, Mr. Logs had a good relationship
with some of the students. The students
could go to him whenever they had a problem and he was always there for
them.
Connections:
One way I though
this really connected to the textbook was that it related to so many
experiences that young adult students might be having. With the secrets and how we go through
something that we don’t know how to express.
There are some parts that I would assume most young adult don’t go
through, but still can relate to hard times.
Other books by Crutcher are RUNNING LOOSE, WHALE TALK, and STAYING FAT
FOR SARAH BYRNES.
Book 10
Bibliography:
Black, Holly. 2011. REDGLOVE.
New York, NY: Simon and Schuster
Children’s Publishing. ISBN 9781442403390
Cover:
Summary:
REDGLOVE, is a
suspenseful page turner of organized crime, curses, and magic. The characters have abilities unlike ordinary
humans. They are known as workers. With a touch of their naked hand, they change
people into objects, manipulate them with false memories or take memories
away. This is the reason they all have
to wear gloves. Cassel Sharpe, was a
rare transformation worker everyone wanted, but the problem was Cassel was good
and he did not want to join the criminal world.
His mom was an ex convict and emotion worker. Cassel did not approve what his mom did, but
helped her scam people when he was younger.
He always felt the need to protect her, but he wanted out. When Cassel’s brother Philip was killed
Cassel began searching for answers. The
only clue is a video image of a woman wearing a red glove. The other clue Cassel finds in the Garbage
House is a cracked amulet he made for a family member. Cassel’s character is one to admire, he works
hard to break free and become as normal as he can with his magical
abilities.
Commentary:
Black makes you
not want to put the book down because she keeps drawing you in with all the
clues she provides. This is a fun page
turning mystery full of suspense that keeps the readers on their toes. Black does an amazing job at making Cassel
the protagonist. She does this by him
following through with all the clues and solving the murder. The only time he uses his power is to help
others. Overall, Cassel’s character is
one to be admired! I really enjoyed this book.
Connections:
I think this
would be a great book to discuss different types of literary language. It has a great protagonist and an
antagonist. I just thought this book had
an awesome plot, conflict, mood and tone, and flowed so nicely. You really just didn’t want to put it
down. I can totally see what she is a
New York Times Best Selling author! Other
books by Black are THE COLDEST GIRL IN COLDTOWN, DOLL BONES, and WHITE
CAT.
Book 11
Bibliography:
Stead, Rebecca. 2015. GOODBYE
STRANGER. New York, NY: Random House
Children’s Books. ISBN 9780385743174
Cover:
Summary:
GOODBYE STRANGER
is the story of 7th and 8th graders doing what is normal
for that age. They bond, make packs,
form clubs, encounter bullies, disagree, but are friends forever. The author has developed a true to life and
believable characters. You laugh with
them, cry with them, feel their joy, pain, and uncertainty as to what choice to
make in life. Bridge, who is the main
character, survived an accident at the age of eight. Her heart stopped and when she finally came
to a nurse told her that she was alive for a reason. Bridge and her friends, Emily, Tabitha, and
Sherman spend all of their time together supporting and encouraging each other
through their junior high years. This book goes through the lives of each
character and the choices they make.
Commentary:
This book is an
easy read because Stead makes a connection with the children. One of the characters says that she was put
on the earth for love. All the
characters show this throughout the book.
Stead divides this book into 5 sections.
Each section is divided with topics about the lives of the
characters. This story would relate to
junior high students because it is just friends doing typical junior high
stuff. They get in trouble, they
disagree, and they love each other. They
do have one rule and that is no fighting.
I think junior high kids probably would struggle with the no fighting
part, but it might be good to see that it kept this group of friends
together.
Connections:
I think this
story is great for early young adults.
Kids would really be able to relate to this book in some way shape or
form because there are different characters to relate to. I like how there are hardships in this book
that the character make the best of. She
lives her life with love! Students would be able to relate to different
experiences. Other books by Stead are
WHEN YOU REACH ME, PLAN B, and LIAR AND SPY.
Book 12
Bibliography:
Smith, Andrew. 2014. 100
SIDEWAYS MILES. New York, NY: Simon and
Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN 978144244495
Cover:
Summary:
Finn Easton
feels like he is made up millions of atoms and molecules. He is almost seventeen years old trying to
feel like a normal boy. He wants so
badly to feel like a regular human teenage boy and not like a character from
his dad’s science fiction book. He feels
he has been invented by someone else, mainly his father. Everything in his fathers book points to
him. His life has been written in his
father’s book, The Lazarus Door and there is nothing he can do about it. Finn had a best friend, Cade Hernandez; he
felt he was a God because he could convince anybody to do anything. Cade was an expert teacher button pusher. Finn was different then the other kids due to
his seizures he had. When he was younger
he and his mother were walking beneath a bridge when a truck overturned
overhead. When the truck overturned a
dead horse fell 100 sideways miles killing his mother and breaking his
back. Cade and Finn took a trip and
after their experiences on this trip he felt like he was in charge of his own
destiny.
Commentary:
I think this
book would defiantly be for older young adults because of the crude language
and it didn’t leave much to the imagination. I can’t see this book being in a
school library even though it did have a good message for young people to seek
their own destiny. A lot of teenagers
follow and do whatever other teenagers are doing. This book might encourage young adults to go
after what they want without the influence of others.
I liked how the
author divided the book into to events of Finns life. Every event in Finn’s life helped him become
who he was in the end. This would also
help teens see that everything happens for a reason, even if they don’t see the
why right away.
Connections:
This book was
really interesting to me. Students would
be able to relate to it and connect. I
didn’t love the language in it though. The way the boy has seizures and feels
like he doesn’t fit in is the way a lot of adolescent boys feel. Not all boys have seizures, but different
have other things going on. Other books
by Smith are THE ALEX CROW, GRASSHOPPER JUNGLE, and WINGER.
Book 13
Bibliography:
King, A.S. 2012. ASK THE
PASSENGERS. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group. ISBN 9780316194686
Cover:
Summary:
ASK THE
PASSENGERS is the moving story of a seventeen-year-old girl in search of love
and answers about her feelings for her girlfriend, Dee. Is it real love, is she gay, can she admit
the truth to her family, and will they begin to love her? Since she does not feel she has anyone to ask
she spends her time lying on a picnic table talking to passengers in the
airplanes overhead. They cannot see her
or judge her so she sends her loves to them. They get caught in a gay bar and
this is the beginning of events that help Astrid open up to her family and
friends. Astrid also has an imaginary
friend, Frank S, which she talks to in her mind to help her figure out what the
answers are. She wants to be her own
pilot in charge of what happens and when it happens to her. When she finally accepts the idea that she is
gay she doesn’t need her imaginary friend anymore, Frank S walks out the
door.
Commentary:
I think this
story would be good for any young adult that is struggling with something that
they don’t want to admit to others. She
finds outlets and people to talk to without taking her frustrations out on
other people because she just wants answers.
Astrid wants to break free of all the labels. I feel that a lot of high school kids want to
do this same thing. Astrid was that she
is gay, but someone else’s might be that they have problems with their body
image. The author does a good job at
showing the true feelings of what its like to struggle on the inside while
being afraid to let other people see it.
Connections:
This book kind
of reminded me of ANNIE ON MY MIND. This
would really connect with a boy or girl having the same problem. I like how she finds different ways to talk
to people and get out her feelings. I
think its neat the way she accepts it and doesn’t need her imaginary friend
anymore. This book might make it easier
to discuss because it shows you that more are going through the same situation
then you think. Other books by King are I
CRAWL THROUGH IT, EVERYBODY SEES THE ANTS, and PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ.
Book 14
Bibliography:
Satrapi, Marjane. 2003.
PERSEPOLIS. New York, NY: Pantheon
Books. ISBN 9780375714832
Cover:
Summary:
This graphic
novel is all about growing up in Iran.
They are just like us more than you think they would be. The people who run the country are evil, but
not the ones who live in it. Marjane
grew up in Iran right when it started to get ugly. She went through a lot of horrific things
such as bombings. She also went through
a lot of protests, through it all she just kept living as normal as a life as
she could. She is able to leave Iran, go
back, and then leave again. You learn a
lot of history in this book and a lot about her family.
Commentary:
This is an
amazing graphic novel. The black and
white pictures along tell such a story.
I think that this is a great book to have because it shows another
culture than our own or ones that we are very familiar with. When you hear Iran you think bad, but they do
some of the same things we do. It is an
eye opener along with a great read.
Connections:
This is such a “window”
book. I think it was so neat to read
someone else’s experiences in a story format.
For kids that really like graphic novels this is a great one to show
history and another culture. Another book
by Satrapi is BRODERIES. I though this
YouTube video about her book and how she felt about making a movie was pretty
cool.
Book 15
Bibliography:
Ness, Patrick. 2008. THE
KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO. Somerville,
MA: Candlewick Press. ISBN 9780763645762
Cover:
Summary:
Todd is a boy in
a town called Prentisstown full of men, no woman. His ma and pa died when he was a baby, so Ben
and Cillian look after him. He will be a
man very soon, so he’s not the only boy in town. He can hear everything they are thinking and
they can hear everything he thinks. He
can also hear all his dog, Manchee’s thoughts too. He doesn’t really want Manchee, but he keeps
him. Todd knows something isn’t right in
the town. Even though you can hear
everything and basically know everything that is going on there is still a
really big secret. Todd goes down to the
swamp and heard silence, which turns out to be a girl. Todd and Viola, the girl set off away from
Pentisstown and start a new journey.
They keep trying to get further and further away, but they run into some
complications and its like they can’t get away even though they are getting
further and further.
Commentary:
I listened to
some of this book on audio. Nick Podehl
who performed it did an amazing job. He
is so animated and you just don’t want to turn it off. I read some chapters and that was still great
because it is such an intriguing and imaginary book. The way you hear everyone’s thoughts really
brings the book to life. This book is very
deep and can be kind of dark in some places, but overall it is an excellent page-turner
that you aren’t going to want to put down.
This book is the first book is a series, so that makes it even more fun!
Connections:
Woah! This book
has so much imagery going on. I think
this would be a fun read for older young adults. There is some language in it and I think it
would just be a better fit for older.
When you finish this book you can read the second in the series, THE ASK
AND THE ANSWER, then the third, MONSTERS OF MEN!
Book 16
Bibliography:
Green, John. 2005. LOOKING
FOR ALASKA. New York, NY: Penguin Group.
ISBN 9780525475064
Cover:
Summary:
Miles Halter
left his family in Florida to attend boarding school in Alabama to seek a Great
Perhaps. There he met his roommate Chip
Martin better known as Colonel because he was know for his military style
planning because of the pranks he planned.
Colonel introduced Miles to Alaska who lived 5 doors down in the same
dorm. Alaska sells cigarettes to the
two. They would meet at a lake to smoke
and drink cheap liquor. Miles feels he
might have stumbled into what his mother refereed to as “the wrong crowd.” Alaska suffered problems silently. Alaska felt she was a failure in life and was
always searching for a way out of the labyrinth of suffering. She needed to find a way out of the
maze. She felt suffering was
universal. The only way out was straight
and fast. Alaska spends her holidays on
campus because there are too many ghost at home. Alaska didn’t leave enough of herself behind
for her friends to know her after her death, but she left Miles enough to
rediscover the Great Perhaps.
Commentary:
I think this
would be a good story for young adults.
It was full of friendship and heartaches that some young adults face
today. Some of the problems were much
more severe, but some are still relatable.
It teaches them that awful things that happen to us are survivable. The author organizes the book around Alaska’s
death. All before the death Green counts
specific number of days before. Then he
starts to do the specific days after her death.
I loved the way Green did this because it really built up the anticipation
of the book.
Connections:
I really enjoyed
this book. I think this would be great
book for an older young adult that is about to head to college. I felt that it shows that you are going to
meet different people when you go off to school then what you were surrounded
with at home. I think it also show that
you can’t handle everything on your own; sometimes you need to ask for
help. Other books by Green are
PAPERTOWNS, THE FAULT IN OUR STARS, and AN ABUNDANCE OF KATHERINES.
No comments:
Post a Comment