Among The Free

Among the Free

Margaret Peterson Haddix (2006)

The conclusion to the Shadow Children series, a Big Brother dystopian saga of "third children" forced to hide. I read the first one, Among the Hidden, but skipped right to the last book (it was only one the Library had). Some adventure, some danger, lots of bravery and decisions to help others and the greater good. My first impression of the lead character is why is he still so weak and confused after 6 books? Seems like by now he would have a better idea of what's going on and where he stands.

Like Dystopian books? Here's a website with series titles, summaries, even teaching ideas: Dystopian Pathfinder. And here is the author's site, but I'm not sure it's been updated in a while.

Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone

by Leigh Bardugo (2012)

Several reviews call this "Hogwarts in Russia" -- orphan has magical powers, battles the dark power -- but it's not as imaginative or cute as HP and the teen romance gets a bit racier. But it is set in Russia, with snow and mythology and royal courts, and it does have some spooky creatures and dangerous battles, with an feisty underdog heroine and a quick pace that made it a good read.

Reminded me of a more serious, Santa-free The Guardians of Childhood, as well as Westerfeld's Leviathan and Pullman's Golden Compass.

The Silver Child

 The Silver Child

by Cliff McNish (2006)
Book One of the Silver Sequence

The first two chapters of this book were very impressive, original and thrilling, especially for a YA fantasy. Overall the book doesn't finish as strong as the opening, it gets a bit over dramatic and confusing -- narrator switches, too many narrator self-questions (Why did I..., What should I...), and proportion issues (just how big is the "angel"???) but I'm probably being over critical.

Children start to change, gaining X-men like powers and gathering in a city dump. These aren't cool Animorph changes, there's a lot of pain and confusion and the threat of something unknown yet dangerous coming, but between the invasion situation and the children's talents I'm actually looking forward to reading the next book in the trilogy (usually I'm "One and Done").

*Author's website*

Son

Son

Lois Lowry (2012)

The conclusion to The Giver etc....

Loved the first 60% of the book then suddenly there's some sort of magic involved??  Maybe it was late and I didn't read it right, need to finish it tonight.

Finished! And it turned out fine, just had me a little worried for a minute. The evil magic part is the weakest aspect, but it does tie in with the series characters having supernatural-ish "gifts" such as healing and future sight. It was an abrupt change from the rest of the book but I should have trusted the great Ms. Lowry. She does know what she's doing, after all. And of course now I need to go back and read all the other books.

Very well done conclusion (or is it?) to the series. The characters and stories all tie together, which may help students still confused and concerned over The Giver's ending. I might even suggest skipping from book 1 to book 4, then going back to the middle ones. I think Jonas was such a strong reader connection it is hard to have the ambiguous end to his story. The mother in this book, Claire, is also a strong character who shows courage, strength, fierce determination. Great Middle School discussion book, lots of Why's to ask.

Divergent

Divergent

by Veronica Roth (2011)

"The greatest book ever" says my 6th grade Son#3 and after months of bugging, and constantly re-positioning it at the top of my TBR stack, I gave in and read it.

Part Hunger Games, part Uglies series, part Hogwarts sorting hat, there's not much new; post-apocalypse society begins breaking down and young people must discover who they really are and, I presume by the end of the series, set the world heading in the right direction. The underdog heroine is likable, the parental deaths are tragic, and the questions/discussion possibilities interesting. Good action, although the climactic battle relied on far too much rote gun play. Teen romance does turn into teen sex, or at least the mention of it as a scary possibility, so now I guess it's time for the father/son birds and bees chat...?

I liked Hunger and Uglies better, but despite my aversion to trilogies I will go grab the next book off the shelf.

And it looks like Ms. Roth is a Blogger too: http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/


**Guest Review by Son #3**

Divergent by Veronica Roth is a #1 New York times best seller. A teenage girl, Beatrice,makes a choice that will change her life depending on who she is. Life is hard where she is after her choice, but this almost perfect world collapses when some one strives to discover some of their cities history. Only a group of people including Tris survived, now she and the other survivors must take their life back. This book is great for people who like the Hunger Games,The Uglies, and The Maximum Ride series. I like this book because it is TOTALLY AWESOME and is impossible to put down, because so much is always happening and there a surprise at every chapter.

Untouchable

Untouchable

Scott O'Conner (2012)

Not a children's book (wait until you're older, you wouldn't understand most of it, anyway) but a book I am recommending to any and all that will listen. It's dark, but with art and light and hope.  It's sad, but with love, unbreakable and true.  It's quiet, with emotions and memories and a pull that doesn't let go. It made me wish I could start the last school year over just so I could make sure there were no students like The Kid, hurt and ignored and misunderstood.

I Have Lived A Thousand Years

I Have Lived A Thousand Years: 
Growing Up In the Holocaust

by Livia Bitton-Jackson (1997)


Not an easy book to read.  And they all shouldn't be easy, should they?  A 13 year old Jewish girl and her family are forced into ghettos, labor camps, and concentration camps under Nazi Germany.  The point is made very clear that it is a daily miracle any of them survived the inhumane treatment.  Strong story of will, of family, of caring for others and not allowing oneself to be changed or beaten by a terrible ordeal.

The degrading violence and personal humiliations are not white washed, the facts of daily conditions in the camps are clearly presented.  Great opportunities for a variety of lessons across the curriculum.  I remember visiting a camp, Dachau I think, when I was 11 or 12, and the strongest memory I have is how small and cramped the sleeping areas were, how little room there was between the bunk levels. Still very clear to me 30+ years later.

While I think it's important for children to be aware of the Holocaust and of similar historical and current events, I don't think I'd introduce a book this frank and real until 6 or 7th grade.  Having the students/readers the same age as the author when she lived through these horrors could be more personal and powerful.

And now I want to go read The Book Thief again.

Hereville

... How Mirka Got Her Sword

Barry Deutsch (2010)

Entertaining and Educational! Learn numerous Yiddish phrases and all about the Sabbath while enjoying a cute story of a rebel girl and a magic pig.  And a troll. Who knits.

The website has interesting looks at the creative process as Deutsch readies the next book of Minka's adventures, including sketches and rough drafts.

Fullmetal Alchemist

Fullmetal Alchemist

by Hiromu Arakawa (2002-10)

 update: Whew! Finally finished the series. The last few books encompass the Final Battle so they are basically 90% cartoon fighting and explosions, but nothing graphic and good triumphs in the end. The coda is very well done, sweet and heartfelt without being corny. I've found a lot of manga too creepy, too YA, but the stars here are younger boys and they are working to save family and country while taking responsibility for their actions.

original post: Manga, so it took a bit to not turn the pages the wrong way, and get my eyes to focus on the correct corner to start reading -- read a lot of pages in the first 2 books multiple times... to add to my confusion, the library only had 4 of 6 books and one we're missing is #1!

All that aside, cool story, connectible characters (although Al is quite enigmatic until the flashback in book 5 literally fleshes him out), and several instances of life lessons (family, maturity, responsibility) thrown in to add some redeemable qualities. Battles and humor but literary devices as well, def recommendable for 10+ boys... maybe some of the plot will be hard to connect/understand, but there is so much in the sub-plots it's not a big issue.
 
Then again, it might have something to do with skipping a few books in the series...

Nicholas St. North

... and the Battle of the Nightmare King

William Joyce and Laura Geringer (2011)

Very cool, on so many levels. Not the least of which is the author is the guy who created Rolie Polie Olie.  The illustrations are cool, the chapter titles are cool ("In Which a Twist of Fate Begets a Knot in the Plan"), the setting is cool, and the posters for the upcoming movie are cool.

Too much with the "cool"?

Good story, lots of familiar yet altered characters (Santa Claus, before he became a claymation TV star, was a thief and weapons expert?), orphans, magic, and of course the battle between good and evil. Characters grow and change, the mind is valued over muscle, and people/creatures look out for each other.  Very imaginative, visual, and has a lot of good vocabulary words, which is why I think it's going to beat out The Hobbit for my end of year read aloud.

update: Finished the sequel last night, E. Aster Bunnymund... (2012).  Not as action-filled as the first book, but more illustrations (love the wry captions), more playful interaction between characters, and more humor -- including the dreaded puns on "egg" -- would have been a good book to read before the spring break. Pitch, the bad guy, is back, and the search continues for the means to stop him.  

One more cool: the website for the books, especially where Mr. Joyce visits the moon.

The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games Trilogy

Suzanne Collins (2008-2010)

Ah, another ultra-violent book (and movie*) that is not only accepted and okay-ed but exalted because it will "get the kids to read" -- not sure if there's a grrrrr here or merely a hmmm...

As my three regular readers know (what? Can't count myself? Not famous or eccentric enough to speak in 3rd person?) Ok, as both my regular readers know, I sometimes wail and rant against the amount of violence surrounding us, specifically in children's pop culture. But I did enjoy the book, I found the characters compelling and the violence/Government control/blind faith in leaders as abhorred and rejected by the main characters, the book, and the author.  So it's all good, don't toss the message out with the bloody bathwater, as the saying sort of goes.

I think Katniss is a strong role model, not just for females but for encouraging the questioning of that's just the way it is and because we've always done it that way. Problem solving, putting others first, caring for family, taking responsibility, exploring and understanding how those (of us) in charge are not always right and/or good. I won't let my students read it, and neither will our Librarian, unless parents say ok, and even then I'd be hesitant, if only because I don't want them to miss the good stuff by reading literature/vocabulary over their head. If all they take from it is a desire to shoot something with bow and arrow, did we really "get the kids to read"? FULL DISCLOSURE: My 5th grade son read book 1 and loved it, but he's stuck with me as TeacherDad so you can be sure he'll be stuck discussing thematic elements at the dinner table.



*I thought the movie was very well done. As a movie, it was exactly what going to the theater and becoming immersed in the big screen and the story is all about.  It reflected the book yet stands alone. It looked a little TV movie-ish for the final battle scenes, but District 12 more than made up for that. I'm glad I didn't take my 10 year old, although half my 5th grade class said they went opening weekend. He'll see it on video, and he'll see enough in his life, there's no rush to desensitize him.

"Violence" Tag

I've tagged books "violence" not because they're full of death, murder, and mayhem, but because there is some sort of violence at some level -- bullies, fist fights, on up to wartime settings.  Most of the books with this tag are very mild.  ...Fried Worms gets the tag because the friends fight -- really no big deal, but if I had a Quaker student with really strict parents...?  I think I've put the tag on a few books like Paulsen's Hatchet series, even though the violence is very realistic and largely deals with wilderness survival.

101 Ways to Bug Your...

...Friends and Enemies

by Lee Wardlaw (2011)

A little Jane Austin for the miniature golf crowd -- lots of relationship intrigue and discovering of romantic feelings, as well as lessons in friendship as people grow and change.  A lot going on, the numerous characters (and ailments, and accents, and...) in the first chapters had my head swimming, but everything and everyone ties together nicely at the end.  Genuinely funny, and without the usual base juvenile book humor. Loved the Hawaiian golfer character, something different and fresh.

Although I do wonder why I feel the urge to rent Roxanne ...?

http://www.leewardlaw.com/books.htm

Mouse Guard

by David Petersen (2007)

Medieval mice having battles and adventures -- themes of loyalty, courage, sacrifice, and beautiful art.  Some of the panels were a bit confusing in the beginning, and the mice have so very tiny eyeballs I couldn't find them sometimes, but those are minor quibbles.  A collection of the monthly comic Winter 1152 is out, as are other stories involving the fearless and fearsome mice.

Bull Run

by Paul Fleischman (1993)

Various accounts of the Civil War's opening battle.  An interesting idea but too many viewpoints to be a cohesive "story" -- prob better used to supplement a history/social studies unit, or even a readers' theater style to contrast pov.

History Dudes

By Odin's Eye, a caption!

Kenny & the Dragon

by Tony DiTerlizzi  (2008)

The classic story: rabbit finds dragon, dragon quotes poetry, local knight brought out of retirement kills dragon... no, not really.  This rabbit is brave and resourceful, and refuses to allow the traditional violent end to his new friend.  Nice story of a family working together, trusting in each other and working together to creatively solve a problem, as well as an excellent example of using words, voicing fears and concerns, to communicate instead of inaction.

The Last Book In The Universe

by Rodman Philbrick (2010)



I read about this book skimming through The Book Whisperer, which is next on my I Read, Therefore I'll Get Hired list, and had to grab it off the shelf.  A little dreary and depressing, but well worth it.  A bit freaky to read during our recent rash of earthquakes, but it's just fiction, right?



The world is separated into the protected, advanced, "ideal" people and the struggling, dying, "left overs" fending for themselves in apocalyptic conditions. Of course there is contact, and our narrator/(anti-)hero becomes part of a bridge that might just save everyone.  Discussions on family, personal and societal responsibility, the effect of decisions.  Lots of cool invented vocabulary, some tough to decipher but a good challenge for students, and a timely story with the year 2012 coming soon...

Leviathan

Leviathan

by Scott Westerfeld (2009)

An adventurous, thought-provoking, historical, steampunk re-imagining of the causes and beginnings of The Great War.  Moving back and forth between the machine-based "Clankers" and the DNA-manipulating "Darwinists" until the two main characters collide, Westerfeld creates quite an amazing world of 8-legged tanks, flying whales, and young people caught up in a Europe on the brink of war.  Great illustrations, old fashioned pen & ink, and a lot of invented vocabulary.

Good for many discussions, including reasons for war, loyalty, evolution, decisions that alter history, gender roles...

Of course, there is more to the story that goes unresolved than not, as this is surely part of a planned... trilogy? hexology? octology?  


I used the "sex" tag only due to the references, early, few and not dwelt on, to what our hero(ine) must hide, and is glad she does not have ample of, in order to pose as a boy.  I suppose most 4-5th graders could understand and handle it, but ya never know...

Skulduggery Pleasant

Skulduggery Pleasant

by Derek Landy (2007)

Similar to Alchemyst but in more of a gangster (with an er) crime setting; I really like the main characters and wish the story would have gone deeper into our heroic skeleton... but since this is probably 1 of umpteen in a series, maybe that's for another book.
Didn't really like the video game violence, pages of "then she answered with a scissor kick, only to be met with a sweeping blow to..." gets boring. Then again, I'm not 10 anymore...