Things Hoped For

Things Hoped For

by Andrew Clements (2006)

meh. Liked a big part of the book, might have liked the other part of the book if it wasn't so rudely crammed in with the better part.  This is the story of an author that tells a cool story then writes another book and thinks no one will read it unless it tells that same story over again.  Actually it's an interesting story of a girl worrying/studying/practicing to get into a great music school and her aging (then missing) grandfather.  It's about dreams, hard work, sacrifice, family.  It shouldn't be about a creepy invisible English voyeur, but that gets shoved into the book and takes away from the power of the real story's ending.  I'm told creepy spy Brit is part of the next book, but he certainly didn't fit in here.

I would still recommend this book -- music/jazz, Yeats and Wordsworth, New York, higher learning, and a thought-provoking solution that can be food for great discussion/debate.

After Tupac & D Foster

After Tupac & D Foster

by Jacqueline Woodson (2008)

Newbery Honor Book

Three 11-13 yr old girls deal with families, foster parents, growing up, a gay brother in prison, and the music/death of Tupac.   Very well done, the girls deal with personal freedom and maturing while staying respectful of adults and their own self-worth and potential.  Positive role models, coming of age.

Bud, Not Buddy

Bud, Not Buddy

Christopher Paul Curtis

Newbery Medal 2000

This was supposed to start my summer reading, but for some reason something else kept getting shifted to the top of the stack.  My loss.  Now that I finally got to it, the week before school started, I wish I would have read it earlier so I could flip back to page 1 and read it again.

I like books I can connect to music; reading this in class would be accompanied by jazz and 1930's tunes.

The Grey King

The Grey King

by Susan Cooper

Newbery Medal 1976

One of the middle books in a series, The Dark is Rising Sequence, of which I have not read any of the others, but each story seems able to stand alone. Magic spells, prophecy and destiny, Good vs. Evil, English boy in Wales.

Very poetic,

connections: A Wrinkle in Time, The Golden Compass

Yolanda's Genius

Yolanda's Genius

by Carol Fenner (1995)

Newbery Honor Book

Very nice story, a lot going on -- moving from city to suburbs, plus-size females, musical talent, making friends, missing father, drug dealers, etc. etc... -- the book could've been twice as long, but it focused the last 3rd and ended interestingly. The same book could be written from Yolanda's brother Andrew's POV.

I really like the cover art also; sometimes I don't look twice at a cover, but I kept glancing back at this one...

connections: Chicago blues music, The Sound and the Fury

The Wall

The Wall

by Peter Sis (2007)

nothing to do with Pink Floyd... an artist's story of growing up in Communist Czechoslovakia, the suppression of individual rights and the government's efforts at mind control... I found it strange that it's out now, 10-15 years after it would be more timely/relevant, and that it's designed like a children's story ("oh look Timmy, here's a pretty book about a baby suffering from ideological crimes")... but the art and the info inside is very cool, and it would be a nice quick companion to a history or art lesson... also talks about 60's rock and roll...

connections: Adolf, Anne Frank, The Giver, the Berlin Wall, contemporary government/race issues (E. Europe, Africa), artistic freedom of expression

Jimi & Me

Jimi & Me

Jamie Adolf (2005)

Coretta Scott King New Talent Award 2006

written in free verse, sometimes very rhythmic and lyrical, makes yer head bob while reading... a boy loses his dad suddenly and then learns some hard truths about him, and about life. Not preachy, good surprise at the end, many music references.

Good to use for poetry/music, even for younger kids (some parts)...

connections: music, Jimi Hendrix, poetry, race relations

Small Steps

Small Steps

Louis Sachar (2006)

A "follow-up" to the immensely popular Holes, putting a couple of characters into a new predicament... not up to Holes level, a much lighter story/quicker read, but enjoyable. I was concerned at first because the main character wasn't exactly exemplifying excellent ethics (say that 3x fast!), which even given the setting and personalities of Holes, it seemed to be missing the redeeming tone of the first book. But by the second half all is well, and the story brings up quality points and is worth the read.

connections: Holes, career plans, pop music, writing lyrics, seizures, ethical dilemmas

Autobiography of My Dead Brother

Autobiography of My Dead Brother

by Walter Dean Myers (2005)

National Book Award Finalist

Inner city boys, struggling to stay out of gang/crime life, unsure of how to stand up and act like a man, and unsure how art and music and childhood friendship meshes with the violent world they're faced with. Contains drawings and cartoons by narrator/1st person lead, a graphic novel feel. Music of gospel & jazz.

Worldview/Teaching Philosophy I need to work out: I think kids (and adults) of all race/culture/socio-economic backgrounds should read a wide variety of points of view, but not just to say "see, black people write books too..." or "some kids grow up this way..." -- I want to remind kids of the common bond they shared in kindergarten, the commonality of daily life that goes under skin color...

I'll have to come back to this...

Drums, Girls...

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pie

by Jordan Sonnenblick

Both #1 and #2 Boys loved this book, probably because they both have a little brother, there are drum sticks constantly being drummed (struck? drum struck?), and because the hero is a dork, just like my pride and joys...

Told from the view and voice of the eighth grade protagonist, the story is easy to follow and the characters easy to believe in and root for... plenty of humor, admiration and confusion regarding the opposite sex, clueless parents ("rents"). Good book for empathy, seeing both sides of situations (even the parent's), and discussing health issues such as cancer.

A lot of music in the story, so I made a playlist of artists and styles mentioned such as Brubeck, Gilespie, and be-bop for the Boys, which could also be played in the classroom... which led me to wonder what other books have a "soundtrack" that could be created?

Any ideas?

coupla days later...

I read back through the book and found Duke Ellington (Satin Doll), Dizzy Gilespie (Manteca, Cubana Be-Cubana Bop), Dave Brubeck (Take Five) and the Barney Miller tv show theme, then added some Louis Prima and Buddy Rich... gotta teach these boys, life ain't all Bon Jovi or Nirvana...

I am the Messenger

I am the Messenger by Markus Zusak

I almost didn't finish this one, or get very far into it -- after a funny, catchy opening it was turning into the story of a slacker and his life of beer and sex... but then it turned into a great story: a little melodrama, some violence, a potty-mouth mom, and positive messages... the ending was a little weak, but maybe just from an adult's POV. 9th grade (?).

Bone by Jeff Smith

a graphic novel, or comic book if you prefer.... heard a lot about these, but picked up one in the center of the story arc. Looks cool though, will find the others....