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Blog Reading List

1.      Not So Different: What You Really Want to Ask About Having A Disability by Shane Burcaw-Informational Book

2.       Go Ask Alice by Anonymous-Biography

3.      The Book with No Pictures by B. J. Novak-Picture Book

4.       School's First Day of School by Adam Rex, Illustrated by Christian Robinson

5.       No, David! by David Shannon

6.      Fly Guy’s Ninja Christmas by Tedd Arnold

**books 3,4,5,6 are Easy/Picture books

7.       Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell-Realistic Fiction

8.       I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard and Laura Neutzling, Illustrated by Sumiti Collina-Inspirational/Religious

9.       People Like Us by Dana Mele-Mystery/Suspense

10.   Girl Stolen by April Henry -Mystery/Suspense

11.   Separate Is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation by Duncan Tonatiuh-Multicultural & International

12.   Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum-Romance/Poetry

13.   Love Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han-Romance/Poetry

14.   The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig-Fantasy

15.   The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S Lewis-Fantasy

 Blog Set # 2

16.   Dog Man by David Pilkey- Graphic Novel

17.   Amulet Book # 1: The Stone Keeper by Kazu Kibuishi-Graphic Novel

18.   2x2: Festival of Colors by Kabir and Surishtha Sehgal, illustrated by Vashti Harrison (Simon & Schuster, 2018)

19.   IslandBorn by Junot Diaz (Tejas Star)

20.   Letters to the Lost (Lonestar 6th-8th list)

21.   Starry Eyes-High School  Tejas Star List

22.   Long way down-Jason Reynolds -NewBery

23.   Wishtree-Katherine Applegate-Tejas

24.   The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Bradley -Newbery

25.   Leave Me Alone  by Vera Brosgol -Calcott Award Honor

26.   The Poet X Elizabeth Acevedo - Pura Belpre Award

27.   Coming Home Soon by Jacquline Woodson- Caldecott Medal Winner or Honor Books

28.   The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy by Courtney Sheinmel

29.   Queer There and Everywhere by Sarah Prager-LGBT+

30.   The Day You Begin- Jaqueline Woodson- Tejas Star Award

31.   Islandborn by Junot Diaz-Award Winning Book

32.   A Monster Calls -Patrick Ness-Horror

33.   City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau-Science Fiction

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Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal

Genre: Award 

Image: “Festival of Colors” (2019). [image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297602-festival-of-colors?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=OFvlTmqYs2&rank=1

 Introduction:

             In Festival of Colors by Kabir Sehgal and Surishtha Sehgal, beauty is found in more than just one color.  The festival is called Holi (Sehgal, n.d).   The book states that “Holi is a festival of fresh starts. And friendship. And forgiveness” (Sehgal, 2018).  I like that idea because it kind of reminds me of our New Years celebrations.  It is a chance to start over and move forward.

 Evaluation:

 Festival of Colors was very short, but bright and colorful. It kept me interested until the end.  However, like many of the shorter books this semester, I struggled with how to review it because the book age wise is not for me.  I understand why children may like it, but I suppose my adult mind scrambles and all that comes out is “Why am I reading this?” My mind apparently rebels against liking shorter books for kids.

 Conclusion:

  I would recommend it for a small child who would be fascinated by all the different colors, words or no words.  The parents might enjoy it too, but since I do not have kids I am uncomfortable saying this for a fact.

  Reference:

 Sehgal, K. & Sehgal S (2018). Festival of Colors. NY: Beach Lane Books.

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Islandborn by Junot Diaz

Genre: Awards

Image: “Islandborn” (2019). [image] . Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35631757-islandborn?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=mtZccASvBt&rank=1

 Evaluation

 I feel bad for the main character Lola in IslandBorn by Junot Diaz! How can a teacher ask her to draw and talk about a place she’s never been to? Sure, she could ask someone in her family or other grownups, but it isn’t the same because they are not her memories.  She looks like she has fun going around to everyone asking about their memories and because of that she was able to understand and picture the island where she was born. Although it doesn’t say, I hope it made her want to visit her home island one day to capture memories of her own.

 Conclusion:

It is always good to know where you come from and have even a small connection to that part of you.  However, I am not sure I would recommend this book because I feel like the assignment by the teacher singled Lola out as different (which it is okay to be different), and was insensitive.  I am glad though that she was able to bond with everyone around her and possibly brought her closer to them as a result.  I really wanted to like this book because it is well illustrated, but I just couldn’t. This book was definitely not for me.

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Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson

Genre: Historical Fiction

“Chains” (2019). [image] Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3002300-chains?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=CbrzLJiw9Y&rank=5

  Introduction:

             I absolutely love historical fiction, but there are some time periods that I will always struggle with. One of those are the times that have slavery attached to it. Chains is one of those books. Every step of the story I was hoping for a good outcome because I know that Ruth and Isabel could have potentially be sold into a more dangerous situation made the hairs on my arms stand up. Now granted the ending was a cliff hanger, but I am comforted with the fact that it is only book one in the series because I NEED to know what happens next. I only liked a few characters in the first book, but I feel like that was intentional. Even so, I was kind of happy when bad things would happen to the Masters. I know that is so horrible of me!

Evaluation

I feel like Chains was one of those books that everyone should read. It shows a harsh reality that even though is in a fiction story, it is grounded in truth.  Isabel and Ruth constantly have to watch themselves because to the people of that time they are not people, but property. I did not like that and it constantly made me angry. I struggled with reading Chains because of the feelings it brought out. People should not have owned people. Ever! The only thing that made it “bearable” was how Isabel takes care of Ruth and tries her hardest to keep her safe. Her actions warmed my heart.

 Conclusion

Isabel’s personality and the characters the reader meets along the way make the book worth reading. I would definitely recommend it to everyone adult and teen alike. I am really looking forward to reading the second book!

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City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

Genre: Science Fiction 

 Image: DuPrau, J. (2019). City of Ember [image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/307791.The_City_of_Ember?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=AsBwVCrynw&rank=1

 The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau was another one of this semester’s books that I enjoyed so much I forgot about the assignment attached to it.  Of course, it was slightly predictable at the beginning when where they lived is starting to deteriorate and after a certain amount of time the citizens enter the work force to help build the city back up. I am not even sure where the book properly started anymore all I know is that by the end I was sincerely hoping Lina was able to figure out how to take care of those she cared for.  Although I enjoyed this book immensely, I felt like it blurred together at times and the idea is one that I’ve read several times before.  With that being said I would recommend this book solely based on the character of Lina. She is determined to do what she can and do what is right.  I think City of Ember is the first in a series, but I haven’t decided if I am going to continue reading the series though the last few pages definitely make me want to see what happens next.

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The Poet X by  Elizabeth Acevedo

Genre: Pura Belpre Award

image: “The Poet X” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33294200-the-poet-x?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=n2CMwFrgsl&rank=1

   Introduction:

             Sometimes trying to find and understand yourself is one of the hardest parts of being a teenager. Trying doing so when your body seems to grow faster than your mind. That is what seems to have happened to the main character Xiomara in The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo. Guys do not see her; they just see her growing body. Nobody sees the damage being done by her circumstances.  When she discovers poetry, that is when she finally finds a way to let the damage inside her heal.

 Evaluation:

           As someone who absolutely loves to write, the passage that talks about Xiomara’s brother, who she just calls Twin for most of the book, giving her a notebook to keep track of her writing in made me beam with happiness.  Xiomara says “My brother says I don’t talk enough so he hoped this notebook would give me a place for my thoughts. Every now and then, I dress my thoughts in the clothing of a poem. Try to figure out if my world changes once I set down these words” (Acevedo, 2018, p. 41).  I’m not sure what it is, but there have been a few books this semester that have had quotes in them that have punched me in the gut and this was definitely one of them. I understand the idea of not being able to speak in words, but expressing herself more so through writing.  I am not like Xiomara in any way, but being able to write to speak is something I could definitely relate to.

           It is because of that sentiment that I enjoyed the book as entertainment.  It did not drag on like some of the books have this semester, but the words themselves had power behind them. They were chosen for the page for a reason. Xiomara’s fight to find herself, but still connect to those around her made me happy about the outcome.  

 Conclusion:

Family. Friends. Love. Writing.  There is something in The Poet X for everyone and there is no shame in whatever age wants to read this book. I would recommend it for anyone who is deciding if they should read it.  It is a good teaching tool to learn how to find your voice, and it is a great read to lose yourself in because the characters are so relatable coming from overbearing family to that best friend who will keep you going until you can’t anymore.  I believe that as a reader you will not regret reading this book. It isn’t long enough to feel like you’re dragging through, but it isn’t so short that the story doesn’t emerge. The story is beautiful.

 References

Acevedo, E. (2018). The Poet X. NY: HarperCollins.

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A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Genre:Horror

 Image: Ness, P. (2019). A Monster Calls. [image]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Monster-Calls-Inspired-idea-Siobhan/dp/0763655597/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

  Introduction:

 How is a boy supposed to act when his mom is sick, his dad is gone, and his grandmother treats him differently? How is a boy supposed to act when everyone at school only shows him pity (except Harry which I’ll get to him later), and not much else? That’s the main character, Connor, in a nutshell.

  Evaluation

He’s a young boy plagued with nightmares, but the reader doesn’t know about or understand these nightmares in the beginning. A monster shows up every day at 12:07 on the dot. Connor doesn’t understand why any of this is happening. All he understands is that it has always been just his mom and himself, that’s it. Now everything is changing and it seems to Connor it is because of this monster that keeps appearing. The monster doesn’t give much away.

The theme for the majority of the book seems to be hope. Connor is holding out hope that his mom will get better even when the outcome seems bleak. Other themes seem to include healing and grief. These become apparent in two different ways throughout the book. The healing and grief at the beginning of the book helps shape how they look at the end of the book.

Something that irritated me, although I understood it by the end, was the bully Harry’s role. Sure, he was the typical antagonist, but the reader also sees as time goes on that being picked on by Harry is the only “normal” part of Connor’s life. It is one of the only constant things he has. When that changes, he acts out because unlike everyone else, Harry “doesn’t care” that Connor’s mom is sick. To him Connor is just another kid to pick on and push around. Granted, I can’t say I blame Connor when he finally does push back because people can only take so much before they snap. That turning point unraveled a revelation that helps the reader truly understand Connor as a character.

 Conclusion:

  Everyone has dealt with grief in some way.  Everyone has dealt with bullies. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness has something everyone can relate to.  The different emotions that ran through me while reading this book is the main reason I would recommend A Monster Calls.  It is a book for everyone, not just a particular age group.

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Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager

Genre: LGBTQIA+

image: Prager, S. (2019). Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World [image]. Retrieved on November 20, 2019 on https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35046241-queer-there-and-everywhere

Introduction

           Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World by Sarah Prager was interesting to read, but I admit I struggled believing some of the stories that were included in it. This statement is based on the people written about that I am familiar with which was only about five people. Granted some of them were difficult to believe because if someone were to do a basic search on Abraham Lincoln for example, they might not find information about his friend/partner Joshua that paints him in the light this book does.  I tried to read these stories with an open mind, but it was slightly difficult to do so. It is with this thought in mind that I focused on characters, tone, and style and language.

 Evaluation

           Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World shows readers how the different people can make a difference. It just so happens that these people all have one thing in common. They are a part of a community that has been relatively hidden over time and now they are being brought forward to show those of this time that they aren’t alone.  According to Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016):

It is impossible to identify with or have feelings for a person unless we know the individual, and it is the author’s job to show us the character’s personality in such a way that we can become involved with his or her life (Tunnell et. al, 2016, p. 17).

I feel like that for this book and this collection of the stories the people—characters—in them are the most important part. I mentioned Abraham Lincoln as an example earlier, but I wanted to flush out his story (which is in this book) a bit more.  According to Prager (2017): “According to Joshua, ‘no two men were ever more intimate.’ and Abraham’s law partner said that the future president “loved this man [Joshua] more than anyone dead or living.” (54). Now while reading this story I struggled with the idea that this relationship could have been more than just a deep friendship. I do not wish to undermine what the author is trying to do, but it is difficult to connect the dots without doing more in-depth research on my own.  I am not a fan of history or the presidents so I’ll admit while this subject is on the surface fascinating, I would not care to unravel those threads.  While I wish to understand this subject, this book only shows so much. I feel like in these cases we only see one side of the story. I feel like one would have to fill several books to get the entire picture for these characters. There is more to these characters than this book gives. Although the stories in this book gives a good background, I feel like it leaves out so much. Then again, we all have more than one stories that involves just one side of us all.

           Now the next part of the book that I wanted to try and understand is the tone.  While each story had its own unique feel to it, the overall tone was one of pure hope. I may not understand or feel completely comfortable with this lifestyle, but I cannot deny the power that telling these stories held. It took guts of the author to put these stories together, and I for one won’t diminish that despite my own feelings of the subject.  The different stories held individual tones such as despair and pain, but there were others that showed that being who you feel like you should be is just as powerful as those negative parts. One couple that had such an impact was Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon. An example from the book is the following:

“Del and Phyllis did more and more for the lesbian community over the years after they stepped back from the DOB in 1966. … “In 2008, Del and Phyllis were the first same-sex couple to get married in California when the state ban on gay marriage was struck down…. The mayor of San Francisco performed the ceremony in City Hall for the two elderly women, who both wore colorful pantsuits” (Prager, 2017, pp. 156-157).

This quote proves that there can be a positive outcome for people who embrace who they are. Although, some, including myself do not fully understand what those in the LGBTQ community have gone through, I am glad to see that there is someone out there who is willing to bring their fight to the forefront-both the good and the bad.

           The final aspect I want to look into is the style and language of the stories.  In fact, this book has a glossary of different terms that the community uses.  According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “How a story is told is as important as the story itself. Style is the way the writer manipulates all the facets of language—such as word choice, syntax, and sentence length to tell that story (see Chapter 3)” (17).  Along with the glossary of terms, there is an introduction that shows the reader that Sarah Prager wrote this book to bring importance to the people and their stories.  The words used is a significant part of that. In the introduction, Prager wrote the following about the word queer: “For this purpose of this book, “queer” means anyone not totally straight or not totally cisgender –anyone outside society’s gender and sexuality norms. “Queer” in this book does not only equal gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender (terms often lumped together in the abbreviation LGBT or GLBT” (Prager, 2017, pp. 2-3). The truth is that although these are the words that most people equate with this community, there are more terms out there “…labels like genderqueer, panromantic, and asexual, as well as identities of people who showed characteristics of queerness (like gender nonconforming or same-sex loving) before we had any labels for them” (Prager, 2017, p. 3) and that is just the beginning.

           When thinking about the Williamson article and the question of “How much does the text agree with your views of the world, and what you consider right and wrong?” (Williamson, n.d) I struggled with how to answer it.  Quite frankly, Prager’s book made me uncomfortable.  I could say this is because I was raised as a Southern Baptist and have been a Christian since I was eight years old and while my beliefs are vastly different than the people within this book and while those facts are true that isn’t the main reason behind my discomfort.  My discomfort comes from the fact I do not know or understand enough about the community, and while I was grateful for this impromptu history lesson,  I feel like some of the stories did not give me enough information about the “characters” to make me feel like I knew them and their contributions to their cause to really connect with them.   I had a conversation about this recently and I believe my answer in this conversation is the best way I know to answer this question. I was asked how I feel about this type of “stuff”? How I feel about people who are LGBT+? My answer was as follows: I do not agree with the lifestyle. I am aware of what most translations of the Bible state that it is an abomination and sin.  However, I try not to judge people because I do not know what led them to that place.  Everyone has their arguments about whether or not they chose to be this way versus they were born the way they are.  I try to love people regardless. They'll have to answer to Christ and God the same as me.  I have friends who are LGBT and while I don't understand all of it, I am going to love them and pray for them regardless. My heart hurts that they struggle as they do, but Christ is the only one who can take that pain. I can point out verses all day long but if someone decides to turn away from Christ in their time of need instead of to him then all they can make it right. They may think their lifestyle isn't a choice but how they respond to God and Jesus Christ is. I mean I do worry about my friends’ salvations but all I can do is plant a seed. The rest is up to Jesus Christ and the person he is trying to reach. We are all made in his image, but none of us are perfect. We fall short. (personal communication, August 29th 2019). So, I guess the answer is it does not match at all.  To say any more than that would overstep in a way I am not willing to do. I am willing to give my opinion, but I hope it is clear that is all it is.  I do not personally know the “characters” within the book so to state anything more would be wrong.

           However, I am willing to give my overall opinion of this book as asked in Williamson’s article.  I enjoyed learning things about people I have never heard of. The ones I had heard of I didn’t know enough about, but it felt like reading this book gave an interesting twist to who they are and to whom they might have been.  With the way the LGBT community seems to be constantly changing and evolving, I enjoyed getting to read more about the community. I have heard and understand what most of the general terms mean, but I also felt this book helped me learn a great deal more, not just about the people, but about certain terms and connections in and around the community. I was very glad for the glossary of terms that the author included in the back of the book.  One pair of terms that I have heard, but always felt were similar are “asexual” and “aromantic”.  According to the glossary in Prager’s book asexual is defined as “not experiencing sexual attraction, or experiencing sexual attraction very rarely.” …aromantic, on the other hand, refers to “a person who does not experience (or rarely experiences) romantic attraction” (Prager, 2017, p. 217).  The way I see it one cannot grow and learn unless they step outside their comfort zone.

 Conclusion

 There are some times where being cautious about stepping outside your comfort zone is a good thing. However, I did not find this to be one of those times.  Although I did not necessarily agree with certain things, I read about I am grateful for the learning experience.  It made me see certain experiences and people in a new light.  It raised questions which the more I reflect on this book the more I realize that might have been the point.  Sure, it was written to give those in the community more of a reason to step out and speak out, but it gave those of us outside the community cause to question and consider what we have been taught in the past and how we see this community going into the future.  Despite my personal discomfort with this book, I would recommend it because of the learning experience it could bring.

  Reference:

Prager, S. (2019). Queer There and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World. NY: Harper

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

  Williamson, O.M.  (n.d). “Reader Response”. Retrieved from

http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm

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The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson

Genre: Tejas Star Award

Image: “The Day You Begin” (2019).  Retrieved from 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/37506301-the-day-you-begin?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=UVm29oHyo3&rank=1

Introduction

I am sure being the new kid is horrible. I’ve never been the new kid so I can’t even imagine it.  In The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, the main character Rigoberto just moves from Venezuela and the way they are treated is horrible in the beginning.

 Evaluation:

However, I feel like the more I read the more confused I became even though I understood the scenes perfectly. I think that was why The Day You Begin was not one of my favorite books to read. It was too dense and wordy even for me. I can’t imagine trying to read this to a child. It felt like every scene was trying to dissuade the reader from understanding or caring for the child. There were hopeful parts, but not enough that I didn’t feel like sighing and slogging through the book with every page.

 Conclusion:

           I question if my reaction has to do with the facts that I do not have kids. As someone who is not a parent, the idea of trying to talk a child through a tough situation did not register with me or maybe I don’t see how this book would help.  Honestly, I would not recommend this book unless the reader or parent has patience enough to sit there and explain when questions come up.

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The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Genre: Newbery Award Book

Image: “The War That Saved My Life” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20912424-the-war-that-saved-my-life?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=lw68LuPZR5&rank=1

  Introduction:

             I really enjoy books that have a historical background to them. I realize that I am not reading this for my historical fiction book, but I just wanted to put that out there.  The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley is now one of my favorite books and I cannot wait to read book # 2: The War I Finally Won.  It reminds me that are physical battles are not the only battles a person can fight.

 Evaluation:

 Ten-year-old Ada is a child that has a damaged foot. I refuse to call it anything other than that.  It is because of this that her mother is abusive to her. From the first page it is obvious that because of Ada’s difference that she is treated as nothing more than a burden. I struggled reading about how her mother treated her because no mother should treat their daughter the way Ada’s mother does.  I guess though that Tunnell et al., (2016) statement: “Fiction without tension is bland” (19) is true.  However, I felt uneasy reading about Ada’s treatment none the less.  Wars change people into someone very few people recognize. I kept this in mind while reading, but soon I was so swept up in the story I struggled with taking notes for this review because The War That Saved Me was such an interesting read that I sometimes forgot that I was reading it for an assignment. It didn’t hurt that while the chapters were short, they packed a lot of action. One of the characters by the name of Maggie made a point that stuck with me and brought out images from the words. Maggie states to Ada in one scene:

I saw you the day you got off that train. You look like you’d already been through a war. Then you looked better the day you helped me. And now!...Your eyes are different too. Before, you looked scared to death (Bradley, 2015, 201).

I could picture Maggie talking to Ada in a way only a friend can and knowing that Miss Susan was making a difference even if Ada didn’t know it yet made my heart smile. The truth is I read this book in only a few days and even after I was finished it stayed on my mind because in a way the characters saved each other more than the war did and I really want to know how this story ends.  The end of the book wasn’t a cliff hanger, but as I stated before there is a second book and I want to see if and how Ada’s life will change because of Miss Susan and all the new characters who are friends.

  Conclusion:

 I recommend The War That Saved My Life to everyone. I can’t explain why other than the story captured me in a way that a story hasn’t in quite some time. It is worth the time, heartbreak and heartache you will invest in these characters. I promise you will not regret it.

 References:

Bradley, K.B. (2015). The War That Saved My Life. NY: Dial Books for Young Readers.

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy  by Courtney Sheinmel

Image: “The Kindness Club” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33590825-the-kindness-club?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=KaVC1UC0Yx&rank=2

 Introduction:

           I like the idea of young kids having dreams. It makes me feel like the world still has hope for the future.  The main character is named Lucy in The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy. She wants to be a fashion designer. She is all about fashion. She is all about helping others and being kind too. Her friends Chloe, Theo, along with her make up the kindness club. It is a club that is dedicated to doing good deeds for others.

 Evaluation:

           I really enjoy books that teach the reader a lesson.   However, I was thrown off initially by the fact Designed by Lucy is number two in the series and I hadn’t read book one. Although from the sound of it, it doesn’t seem like it truly matters. The book could be read as a stand-alone.  In the case of The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy, the reminder or theme is that we should always be gentle and kind to one another.  It’s strange that characters who are children are the ones to remind us of such things. Usually, it should the other way around.

           The main themes for this story are kindness, friendship, and maybe peace as well because kindness brings peace. Kids need to be reminded of what peace and kindness can do, especially now with the way the world tends to be.  The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy reaffirms my belief in being kind to others. Everyone is affected in one way or another by someone else.

Conclusion:

           I really enjoy The Kindness Club: Designed by Lucy because the characters are so positive and uplifting even in troubled times. I would recommend this book to everyone regardless of age because who doesn’t need the reminder to be kind and what kindness can do for you and others.

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Wishtree by Katherine Applegate

Genre: Texas BlueBonnet Award

 Image: “Wishtree” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33158525-wishtree?from_search=true&qid=iTzglF6eBu&rank=1

 Introduction:

             I never thought I would read a book that had a tree as a character and like it.  Enter Wishtree by Katherine Applegate. Her character, whom everyone in the book calls “Red”, is an Oak tree.  He watches over a certain part of the neighborhood and is relatively old as far as trees go.  While reading I kept imagining a tree having a voice that sounded a bit like a teenage boy who is excited about something so he talks a bit fast, but you can’t help but smile because it is kind of adorable.  Part of me wonders why this book wasn’t written when I was a kid. I would have loved to read it before now. This was one of the few books that made me ponder the question: why adults don’t read more kids books?

 Evaluation:

             According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “point of view is the position taken by the narrator” (19) and I feel like Wishtree is more about the point of view than the actual character of the tree.  He is continually referred to as “The Wise Old Tree” and when you read lines such as “The truth is,” …”it doesn’t matter what size you are, Bongo. We grow as we must grow, as our seeds decided long ago” (39), it makes all the sense in the world, although I’m not sure if children are able to fully appreciate how awesome that is.  In a way, Red’s point of view is telling the reader to keep being optimistic and joyful in face of trials and tribulations which is a great sentiment for adults, not just kids, to follow.

           Another aspect of the book that jumped out at me was the mood of the book. According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “The mood is the atmosphere evoked in the writing” (19).  Due to Red’s character, there were several moods throughout the book, mostly cheery and upbeat.  Although Red never explicitly stated it, I felt like wishing day was the main reason (along with his friends/residents) Red continued to stay positive and upbeat. Wishing day is when people came around and put their wishes on Red. The way he talks about it in the book is as follows: “One more round of hopeful people wishing for better things” (50).  The first wish I believe set the mood after a certain point.  A character made the wish “I wish for someone to love with all my heart” (Applegate, 2017, p. 136), and I believe that wish set the tone for hope and every good feeling that comes with it.  That feeling of hope stayed throughout the whole book even during a part of tension that made me enjoy it more.

  Conclusion

           I cannot put my finger on just one thing that allowed me to enjoy the book overall. All I can think to say is that I would recommend it to both children and adults alike because of the story itself and the sense of magic the reader would hopefully take away from it. It ends with peace and friendship, and I don’t think many kid’s books can get better than that.

 Reference:

 Applegate, K. (2017). Wishtree.  NY: Feiwel and Friends.

Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds

Genre: Newberry Medal 2018

Image: “Long Way Down” (2019). Retrieved from 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22552026-long-way-down?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=c0jntE2kXm&rank=1

 Introduction:

             Death is senseless. Death is horrible and painful. There aren’t enough words to describe death.  Long Way Down tries to talk about how death affects people. It tries to talk about how death and the long cycle of death isn’t the answer.  People die every day, but when it comes from something other than natural causes, it makes you stop and think and hopefully ask questions. When we stop asking questions, I believe we stop caring. We stop feeling.  I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to feel when I began, but I can tell you by the end, I was feeling a little bit of everything. Anger. Sadness. Both hope and hopelessness because I don’t know what to make of the ending.

   Evaluation

 I liked the way the story was written. It was a quick read that packed a big punch at the end because it is left opened ended. The reader doesn’t know Will’s decision even after all he has seen and been through up to that point in time. The reader knows what leads him to that choice, but it is up to us to decide if he took his shot or not.  The fact we don’t know what happens after the story ends is a story in itself. We believe what we choose to believe based on the evidence we’re given.

I would recommend this to everyone even if it is simply to show them revenge isn’t worth it. All it does is bring more pain to what you are feeling on the inside. Grief is a strong emotion in itself and Will grapples with it while trying to hold up to society’s standards is heart-wrenching, but worth the read.  The reader is able to see the past, present, and what might have been the future if certain events hadn’t occurred.  It broke my heart because I don’t know what Will chose to do. Did he break the cycle or become part of it?

 Conclusion

We all struggle with parts of ourselves and our lives that we wish we could go back and change. The rules told Will that he couldn’t cry, shouldn’t snitch, and had to get revenge (Reynolds, 2017, 31-33).  That left him with very few choices because no matter what Will chose to do his life would be changed. Sometimes the circumstances we are in makes us and sometimes the choices we make because of those circumstances break us.

  Reference:

 Reynolds, J. (2017). Long Way Down. NY: Atheneum

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Leave Me Alone by Vera Brosgol

Genre: Caldecott Medal Winner or Honor Books

Image: Brosgol. V. (2019). “Leave Me Alone”. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27414464-leave-me-alone?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=5XOLyM5Z8J&rank=5

 Introduction:

             I have to admit I have never related so much to a character as I did to the grandmother in Leave Me Alone. It’s odd because it doesn’t have a real plot to it other than the grandmother running away to find peace and quite so she can knit. I guess I can relate to wanting to run away for some peace.  Despite the fact it is a very short book, it packs a whole lot of truth into it.

  Evaluation:

 I liked the bright illustrations. They immediately caught my attention and made the world the author spoke about come alive. It also made me uneasy because the idea of having so many people in one house is overwhelming. The quote “The old lady was at the end of her rope” (Brosgol, 2016) sounds about right. The reader can see through the illustrations the details that are put into each scene. For example, the woman is very angry to see how her yarn is being mishandled and that’s what sparks the change and the woman to walk away. She takes care of business and then does all she can to disappear. There are images of her in the woods, in the mountains, on the moon, and finally in a blackhole.  The reader can vividly see her annoyance at her being disturbed every time she goes somewhere new to knit. It makes me laugh because I can understand that annoyance even if mine has nothing to do with knitting.

My being able to relate to this character may have something to do with the point of view. According to Tunnell et al., (2016): “point of view is the position taken by the narrator” (19).  Although I am not the same age or stage of life as this character, I understand her. There have been many times recently where I wish I could be like her and scream “LEAVE ME ALONE!” except not as nicely as she seems to do.  She just wants to take some time for herself and stop worrying about everything and everyone else.  I can’t say I blame her. From her point of view, everyone is making a mess of her yawn, not allowing her time to knit, and just doing stuff they should not being doing.  Haven’t you ever wanted to just be left alone for a little while without having to worry about the world around you? I don’t blame the old lady for finding herself a black hole to crawl into. I wish I could.  I could have gone into her black hole with her. She could have done her knitting and I could have read or listened to music without her disturbing me or me disturbing her. It sounds fantastic!

I realize by the end of the book one of the main themes is not wanting to be alone. However, I don’t necessarily agree with it. Sure, for a children’s book it is a fine theme or moral, but what does it actually tell children? That the idea of wanting to be alone is bad or that not knowing how to figure out how you feel makes them strange? I struggled with this because the last few pages have the woman coming back and not saying anything. All of a sudden everything is better? I struggle to believe that and I don’t understand what a child would get from this story.  I would not recommend this to children because I feel like they would get the wrong idea from it.

 My overall reaction to the book is that young readers might get the wrong idea from the message.   In fact, the end made me mad because it made it sound like when the grandmother got bored and lonely that’s when she decided to go back to her life. It also made me mad that when she got back, the author ended the book with “…she didn’t say a word” (Brosgol, 2016) like all is good now. She had no reason to feel whatever it was she was feeling. I had a hard time believing she relented so quickly. I liked the book, but I cannot say I would recommend it because of the message it may give to children telling them they can get mad, but the only way to get over it is to realize how lonely you will be otherwise.

 Conclusion

 Emotions allow us to be human. I feel that was what the grandmother was trying to be. She ran away because she wasn’t appreciated and just wanted to be alone at least for a little while.  I feel like this book kept trying to say how wrong it is to feel any type of negative emotions.  I was not okay with that because I feel like trying to stop from feeling any emotion whether positive or negative will do a person no good in the end.  Allow the person or in this case, child, to feel what they feel, but teach them ways to cope with it. Don’t let them think they have to do it on their own. It just isn’t right.

  Reference:

Brosgol, V. (2016). Leave Me Alone! NY: Roaring Brook Press

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett

Genre: Texas Library Association Reading List for Middle and High Schoolers 

Image: “Starry Eyes” (2019). Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35297469-starry-eyes?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=W2SKiFW0Ex&rank=1

Introduction:

           There were a few books in our list this semester that I read without thinking much about the review/assignment part of the deal. I just fell into the story and let it take me away.  The main characters are Zorie and Lennon in Starry Eyes. They were best friends then one day they weren’t. What happened? There is speculation, but only they know the truth…or think they do.

 Evaluation:

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016) state that “a good plot shows what happens to the characters in such a way that the reader cares about the outcome” (Tunnell et al., 2016, p. 18).  At first, I wasn’t sure what the plot was supposed to be, but none the less the first paragraph made me want to keep reading. Bennett wrote the following as the opening to the book

Spontaneity is overrated. Movies and television shows would like us to believe that life is better for partygoers who dare to jump into pools with their clothes on. But, behind the scenes, it’s all carefully scripted. The water is the right temperature. Lightening, and angles are carefully considered. Dialogue is memorized. And that’s why it looks so appealing---because someone carefully planned it all. Once you realize this, life gets a whole lot simpler. Mine did (Bennett, 2018, p. 1).

I have never read such an exciting first paragraph that drew me in so quickly.  The more I think about it, the more I realize just how much I understand the snap shot of Zorie that the writer gives us.  At the same time,  it makes me ponder the question Williamson asks in his article “How much does the text agree with your views of the world, and what you consider right and wrong?” (Williamson, n.d).  I like having my life planned out to a certain extent. I do not do well with change. I need to ease into it.  That is why I think I was drawn into Starry Eyes because of how much I related to Zorie’s personality.  I may not be as neat in a lot of areas as she seems to be, but the more I read the more I was nodding along.

  Tunnell et al., (2016) states when it comes to characters in a book that:

It is impossible to identify with or have feelings for a person unless we know the individual, and it is the author’s job to show us the character’s personality in such a way that we can become involved with his or her life (17).

Well, I can tell you that I was invested in Zorie from the get go. More so when I read the following paragraph:

Look, I know nothing about the Great Outdoors. I’m not even sure I like being outside. Seems to me, society has progressed far enough that we should be able to avoid things like fresh air and sunlight. If I wanted to see wild animals, I’ll watch a documentary on TV (Bennett, 2018, p. 6).

I burst out laughing when I read those lines because I’ve never read something so true.  I knew from that point forward Zorie was going to become a character I will never forget. I believe Starry Eyes is a favorite now too just because of her.

           As for a theme, there were several. My favorite came in a phrase that I may have to keep in mind from this point forward. Bennett wrote it as something Zorie’s mom would always say “Don’t be cautious. Be careful” (Bennett, 2018, p. 13).  In life when something bad happens it causes us to reevaluate how we go about life which can be a good thing, but when something makes us stop living all together. Starry Eyes seemed to have many themes wrapped up in quotes. Another one that caught my eye was around page 140: “You don’t care about someone for years and then just decide to quit”. (Bennett, 2018, p. 140). I know that the writer was talking about missing their friendship, but by this point the idea of more had been planted. I have to admit the theme of friendship turned love punched me the gut with this line because once again, I understand it so well.

           Let’s be honest here, Starry Eyes might be classified as Young Adult, but this book was written for everyone.  It has family dynamics that people of all ages can relate to and the feelings that come with love and loss (in more ways than one). Whether it about Zorie’s dad not liking Lennon’s parents for whatever reason or trying to understand Zorie’s friendships with Lennon, Regan and the others, there is something for everyone to latch onto and keep them reading.

 Conclusion:

           If you are looking for characters who you can see yourself in, Starry Eyes is your book.  Readers read fiction to escape, but also to connect with parts of themselves that they may have tried to forget or figured they were too old to still harness.  However, if the book keeps you reading and entertains you in the end, then who cares about what the age range is supposed to be.

   Reference:

Bennett, J. (2018). Starry Eyes. NY: Simon Pulse

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

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Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer Texas Library Association Reading Lists for Middle and High School Readers Lone Star 6th-8th Grade Image: “Letters to the Lost” (2019). [image].  Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30038855-letters-to-the-lost

Introduction: 

Letters to the Lost by Brigid Kemmerer is about loss and what can come from that loss. It started with a written letter. However, though it started with letter writing it just ends showing that there is more than one way to communicate. Juliet and Declan both lost people that meant more than the world to them. It is because of these losses that communication has become difficult for them. It is because of this storyline that I enjoyed the book as much as I did.

  Evaluation

           The truth is I read Letters to the Lost for the story. I wasn’t too worried about trying to keep up with the different parts that I would need to focus on for this review.   I enjoyed getting to know Juliet and Declan through the letters they wrote to each other and was rooting for the secret to be revealed.  Sometimes words on a page reveal more about someone than anything that could said in person. The page allows the writer to feel a certain degree of freedom that comes with either no one reading it or being able to become anonymous. Granted, the way the story started with Declan inserting himself into a private moment wasn’t the best, but it worked out in the end.  Letters to the Lost is full of a plot that tugs on the readers heart if done right.  According to Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016): “Well defined plots introduce a question early on that will be answered yes or no by the end of the story.  Such a question is referred to as the “major dramatic question” (Tunnell et al., 2016, p. 18).  What was the dramatic question in Letters to the Lost? The inside of the book cover asks the reader “Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met?”  While I believe that is a good question, I don’t believe that was the most important question.  I’m inclined to believe that the question that was to be answered was can death truly heal someone by bringing people together? I found that the answer was yes because coming together and finding a way to move forward is the only way Declan and Juliet healed in the end.

           As for the pacing of the story, it was interesting because although the chapters were short, they had enough story in each one to keep me interested. According to Tunnell et al., pacing is defined as “how quickly or slowly a story moves” (18). In the case of Letters to the Lost, the story moved quickly, but not so quickly the reader couldn’t keep up.  The story doesn’t focus on the little points unless it is relevant to the overall picture. For example, Juliet’s mother was a well- known person in the photography industry and that love of photography she passed on to Juliet. It is because of this that it is important to note the almost constant mention of her mom’s equipment after she passed away.  Some readers may think these pieces of information would slow the pace of the story down, but really it gives us what we need to know about Juliet’s mother and their relationship in order to fully see the impact of the mother’s death.  My favorite line that shows the pacing and story is about to change is “He made a comment about how vulnerable people are protected by rules and guidelines, but people like him can be attacked without question, because people assume he deserves it.” (Kemmerer, p. 198).  I found this statement to be a turning point in the story and wondered if the pacing would change from this moment on. Luckily, it did not.

           Tension is what makes most books readable. Tunnell et al., (2016) states: “Fiction without tension is bland” (19), and I found that to be true here.  I am grateful that the fight that both characters seem to have with themselves as well as each other.  As the reader continues to read, it becomes apparent that neither character realize how much they can learn from one another and their bickering is just confirming that there is more to them than they are letting the other one sees.  Death will do that; grief will do that. They will warp how the mind understands how the world works because for both of these characters without the respective people in their lives, the world seems broken whether it is because of the death itself or the circumstances surrounding it.

           Williamson’s article (n.d) mentions the question “How well does it address things that you care about and consider important to the world?” The truth is other than the connection of grief, this book was mere entertainment for me.  Sure, it broke my heart that they both lost someone close to them and I understand how that brought them together, but it didn’t really focus on anything I would consider important to the world as the question puts it. If I had to choose something, I would say the way Declan is treated is important because everyone makes mistakes, but no one tries to see past those for him. To everyone he is what he has done and that was it. They didn’t see or know what brought him to that point.  It just reminds me of the fact no one should judge anyone else’s story because our own could be seen as horrible by someone else.  

 Conclusion

           Overall, I enjoyed the text so much that I didn’t really consider the assignment part of it. I felt that way for only a handful of books this semester, and I am glad Letters to the Lost was one of them. I really look forward to reading book number two, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who asked me about it.

 Reference:

Kemmerer, B. (2017). Letters to the Lost NY:Bloomsbury.

 Tunnell, Jacobs, Young, & Bryan (2016).  What is a Good Book? in Children’s Literature Briefly, (pp 17-23). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

 Williamson, O.M.  (n.d). “Reader Response”. Retrieved from http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm

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Coming On Home Soon by Jacqueline Woodson

Genre: Caldecott Medal Winner or Honor Books

 Image: Woodson. J. (2019). Coming On Home Soon [image]. Retrieved from https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/262471.Coming_on_Home_Soon?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=dsdj2NGMe7&rank=1

 Introduction

 Coming On Home Soon tugged on my heart because it’s about a little girl who misses her mother as she away working on the railroad.  They mention a war, but without further research I’m not sure which one the characters are referring to.  Her mother has gone to work on the railroad and the character Ada spends the time during the story hoping to hear from her mom and that she would come home soon.

 Evaluation

             The theme of Coming On Home Soon seems to be patience.  One scene in the book has the following dialogue “…Mama’s been gone a long time. With no letter or money from her coming. “

“Keep writing to her, Grandma says.”

“So, I do.” (Woodson, 2004).

The main character seems to love and worry about her mom very much. All she knows is that her mom is in Chicago working trying to send money back to them to live.  This book teaches us all about how to be patient with one another, especially with family because each one has their own part to play to make their life work like its supposed to.  I have to admit that part of the time the dialogue just made me sad because although we can see that Ada and her mom were close, without knowing how she was doing. it was difficult not to fear the worst even though Ada’s grandma continues to remind her not to. “I’ll be coming on home soon” was the dialogue refrain that kept hope alive.  It reminds me as it should remind us all that patience and hope together form a bond that is not easily broken.  The book didn’t tell us that Ada’s mom came home, but it left me with a feeling that maybe Ada would see her mom again soon when her work was done.

             This book was a reminder about the idea of working hard and to keep looking toward the future. What does the text have to do with my life, asks Williamson? The truth is I am struggling to get through life in this season.  I have to constantly stop and remind myself to slow down and just put one foot in front of the other daily. I can’t rush myself no matter how fast my head might be spinning to get to the next phase.  I related to Ada because no matter how much she wished to hear from her mom and wanted her to come home, all she could do is wait. She filled her time with a silly and quite ugly cat.  Ada reminded herself, as I have often have had to remind myself, that all work is important no matter how mundane is might be.  Keeping busy makes the time pass and sometimes that’s a good thing while other times not so much. As a little girl, she wouldn’t have considered the longer her mom is away the more of Ada’s life she is missing.  Although the book didn’t mention it, I was sad at the thought when the book ended that Ada could be a grown-up teenager or young woman by the time her mom came back, if she did. The letter Ada receives doesn’t give us many details. I am left to fill in the blanks and use my imagination past the ending. So, I believe that Ada’s patience served her well and that she was able to see her mom again after the war.

 Conclusion

           It will never matter how old someone is patience will always be a virtue and family should always have a place in your heart. Families come in all different shapes and sizes, but it warmed my heart that Ada is also including her grandmother and a cat. My biggest lesson from Coming On Home Soon is that one should never lose hope even during the toughest times because that is when it is needed most.

References:

Williamson, O.M.  (n.d). “Reader Response”. Retrieved from http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/engl0310link/readerresponse.htm

 Woodson, J. (2005). Coming On Home. NY: G.P. Putman’s Sons.