Category: Bookshelf

Hoot

They call this type of fiction realistic–and I guess it is, if you use “realistic” to mean that any given event in the story could conceivably happen in the world as we know it. There’s no magic, and no not-yet-invented technology.

On the other hand, I often found my plausibility stretched (the kid with good, involved parents disappears for an afternoon, and isn’t even grounded afterward?)

Still, I found the story engaging, and I wanted Roy to succeed–to fit into his new school in his new town, to get out from under the bullying jerk who has it in for him, to find the intriguing young man who runs by the bus stop barefoot, and eventually to save the endangered owls who are threatened by a pancake franchise.

It’s fun to participate in Roy’s journey toward achieving these things. The characters are well-drawn, the setting immersive, and the voice delightfully humorous. For me, this would have been a love instead of a like if I hadn’t frequently found myself thinking, “no way would that ever happen.”

Because of Mr. Terupt

One of the advantages of tutoring in English is that I sometimes get the chance to read books for young people that I hadn’t heard of before.

This one is fun. It features an unconventional teacher and his students–several of whom narrate the book.

The multiple narrators annoyed me a bit at first–I didn’t have a strong sense of whose story it was. But I came to appreciate the different voices, the different views–and the way each student was affected by this remarkable teacher.

I think many of us have a teacher like this in our lives–someone who inspires growth in both our heads and our hearts. My own was Mrs. Legato (eighth grade history). This story reminded me of her and also helped me think about how young people are profoundly affected by the people who teach them.

All in all, it was a pretty good book, sometimes funny, and occasionally poignant. I’m not sure I liked it well enough to go on to the sequels, but I’m glad to have been introduced to it.

Cinder

My fourteen-year old has been begging me to read this one for at least a year now–and it’s spectacular. I love the world-building. Everything from Cinder’s cyborg parts to her stall in the market is shown in beautiful detail that makes the story come alive.

And, of course, fairy-tale retellings are among my very favorite kinds of stories. This Cinderella remake is absolutely delightful. Yes, I’m reading the other books (just as soon as I make some headway on my to-do list).

flying in a cage

Ivory hears music in everything–in birdsong, and wind chimes, yes, but also in the noise of traffic and the rhythm of a dishwasher.

There is also music in her heart, making sense of the world and her feelings–much more sense of these things than she can make without it.

I liked this look at Ivory’s world, though I found it difficult to get into the story-in-verse form at first. Perhaps that is a good thing, though–it helped create a sense of disorientation that might be a bit like what Ivory felt all the time.

All in all, a good story, well told.

Opposite of Always

I enjoyed this fun, romantic YA, though it reminded me a bit more of Groundhog’s Day than I would prefer. (Yeah, I was never that fond of that movie.)

Still, Jack is a great character, and I love how he grows throughout this book, figuring out what is important to him.

Kate is also a well-rounded character, and I love that she refuses to be defined by her illness.

My favorite part of the book, though, might have been Jack’s friendships with Jillian and Franny, and how he (eventually) figures out how to not let his budding romance keep him from being a good friend.

I also appreciate the family dynamics here–there’s a couple of mostly functional families, and a few that are less functional–but all of them feel realistic and important to the kids in them.

All in all, a book well worth reading.

Charlie Franks is A-OK

Charlie’s not like Coco.

So, when everything seems to be going wrong, she’s determined not to be a drama queen. But keeping all her frustrations inside turns out to be a less than perfect plan.

I like how Charlie insists on being herself, and love how she comes to evaluate what’s most important to her. I kind of wish, though, that at some point she’d let somebody close to her know how she was really feeling. At the end of this book, it seems like Charlie is just as likely to keep unpopular opinions to herself as she was at the beginning, and that feels a bit isolating and confining–as if she’s only allowing herself to feel things she’s supposed to feel .


Restraint can be both wise and kind, but repression?

This story raises some interesting questions–a kind of Sense and Sensibility for a modern era.

I’m just not sure Charlie’s central problem (which I saw as her unwillingness to be open with the people around her, even those who clearly loved her) is as resolved as she thinks it is.

Check out my review of the previous book in the series, Love and Muddy Puddles (about Coco) here.

Micah McKinney And The Boys Of Summer

This was a fun read that reminded me of all the intense emotion of going into middle school.

Micah may have more serious issues in her life than most young teens, but most will relate to her difficulties adjusting to the way her body, her life, and her relationships are changing.

I liked the realism of this piece, and the young voice. It reminded me a bit of Judy Blume, in good, modern ways. Micah has some heavy stuff to deal with, including her mother’s death, but I feel like she’s handling these things in a healthier way at the end of her summer than at the beginning. And the friendships she develops–with kids her own age and with older teens–are one of the highlights of this story.

The Book Thief

Wow.

Sometimes I read a book, and it’s so good, that I’m a bit in awe. This one is like that.

I didn’t know what to think, at first, of a book narrated by death. But it grew on me. And seemed so appropriate–Death telling a story about World War II–a time when he was unusually busy.

Liesel is a great main character, but I think my favorite was Hans Hubermann–a man both ordinary and extraordinary at the same time. He doesn’t look like anything special. He’s not super-well educated (though he teaches Liesel to read and encourages her love of words). He doesn’t have an impressive job (though he’s a competent and reasonably hard-working painter). He’s not particularly talented (though he plays the accordion with gusto).

But–he keeps promises, and he loves in extravagantly practical ways. If, at the end of my days, as much can be said of me, I will have lived well.

I haven’t cried so much reading a book in a long time.

Love and Muddy Puddles

I don’t quite relate to Coco Franks’s quest to be popular, but I totally get what it’s like to have your parents tell you you’re moving away from the life you know, and your feelings about it don’t matter.

Of course, my parents never moved me anywhere quite so remote or primitive. We always (always!) had running water.

I never before realized how lucky I was.

This is a fun book, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I cringe every time Coco makes more trouble for herself, but in my heart, I get it. Sometimes life is grossly unfair and lashing out feels like the only way to get people to pay attention to what you’re feeling. Even if the only person that hurts is yourself.

Link to the book here, if you’re interested: https://smile.amazon.com/Muddy-Puddles-Charlie-Franks-novel-ebook/dp/B00HOCA7D2/

Look Both Ways in the Barrio Blanco

Jacinta and Miss learn a lot from each other in this sweet and sometimes sad foray into the life of a young woman and her “amiga.” At the beginning, neither one understands much about the others’ world, and that lack of knowledge leads to sometimes funny and sometimes heartbreaking problems.

This was a good story (though I got somewhat annoyed at the highlighted vocabulary words–and I believe I would have been even more annoyed by them when I was the target age for this story–I was very touchy when I felt people were talking down to me back then).

Despite that, I found this story enlightening. Reading it as an adult, I’m reminded that in life, good intentions are often not enough. Fools rush in…

Way too often, I’m a fool.