Written by Victoria Aveyard, Red Queen is like The Hunger Games meets X-Men. I think that says enough. We have it in the library.
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I liked this book a lot, and was really disappointed to find out it was part of yet another series and those books had yet to be written. The best way I can describe this is Gossip Girl meeting the illuminati. I say Gossip Girl because there is a lot of talk about fashion, as well as boys, and the illuminati because the whole book centers on very powerful "families" that secretly rule the world. Literally, even down to the popular music and shoes. So why did I like Maggie Hall's The Conspiracy of Us? I enjoyed her female lead, Avery. She isn't really what you would call a strong female lead, but she wants to be. Avery has grown up with a single mother that has forced her to move around, a lot. Avery thinks these moves are for work, and after awhile just gets used to them. In the process, though, she shuts herself off to life because it hurts too much to make friends and connections just to leave them behind. All that changes when she meets Jack, the boy who may be able to help her find her father's family. That is, if she is willing to trust him and fly to another country. Avery decides to be an active participant in her life, and demonstrates how strong and smart she is when, come to find out, her family isn't anything close to average. It was an easy, quick read, filled with fashion references, sarcastic quips, and first love. Not sure the fellas would enjoy this one, but we have it in the library if anyone wants to give it a read. Michael Grant has created a series that forces kids your age to take control of the world. Or at least their town. Every adult has just disappeared without warning. Where did they go? Who knows? But the kids remaining will go there too once their 16th birthday rolls around unless they can figure out how to beat it. I will admit, it was an interesting idea. I think Netflix has a similar series of its own, though I have not watched it. Gone's main character, Sam, is the kind you want to read about. He can step up and be the hero, but he won't brag about it because he would rather be minding his own business at the beach. Gone also has some pretty horrible characters. Bullying seems to run rampant in this world; the bullies truly do go after the weakest people, which just demonstrates how pathetic they truly are. Along with having strong characters, the book has a lot of mystery (why did this happen? how can we stop it), adventure (there is essentially a battle toward the end where those that have powers use them pretty impressively), and a bit of romance. The series has a good number of books, and I don't know if I am committed to read all of them, but we do have them all at the school library if you would like to. By John Green, this book explores the life of a child prodigy as he approaches college. As most people don't realize, being a child prodigy is not the same thing as being a genius, so a lot of pressure is put on our main character as he struggles to meet everyone's expectations of him. Because of this, he develops an odd fixation on girls named Katherine, and when one breaks his heart, he works to create and solve an equation that will show whom will break up with who in a relationship. Pretty funny, but not my favorite of Green's works.
Earlier in the year, I wrote about the Cinder series that manipulates various fairy tales into new, futuristic scenarios. In Between the Lines, Jodi Picoult and her daughter also attempt to manipulate a fairy tale. I didn't love the story, but I do really appreciate what Picoult and her daughter explore: what happens to the characters in a story when we are not reading it? Picoult creates a fairy tale with a prince, because they all have to have a prince, who is tired of being stuck inside the pages of his book pretending to love a princess he has no interest in. On the outside of the book is Delilah, a real girl who is looking for acceptance in high school- not always an easy thing. Long story short, the two are somehow able to hear each other, and they fall in love. Now they have a new problem: how to find a way to be with each other. It is a cute story, and it was successful enough that Picoult and her daughter have followed it up with a sequel. You will learn about slavery in America often throughout the course of your academic career. But depending on the classes that you take, the teachers that teach them, and the interest you take in the rest of the world, you might allow yourself to be unaware of the kinds of slavery that still exist in today's society. Lakshmi is a young, village girl, about your age, from Nepal; her family is struggling due to crops that won't grow and a stepfather who swindles their money away. When a monsoon destroys all the hopes they have of paying off their debts and fixing the roof of their hut, Lakshmi's stepfather tells her she must go to town to work in order to make money for the family. Many girls do this; these small village girls become maids or servants for wealthy families in cities surrounding the mountains. Unfortunately, many girls are often sold, as well, for labor that they should never be forced to do. Lakshimi is far from home before she realizes that she is one of the latter; she doesn't know the language and she has no friends, other than the one she makes in her same situation. Lakshimi, once and innocent girl happy to play with her mother and pet goat, is now trapped in the world of sexual slavery. This book discusses very serious issues, so you should only read it if you think you are mature enough to handle it. Why do I suggest it at all? Because this is the truth of the world we live in, and if we do not inform ourselves of the happenings of the world, how can we help to change the world? I went back to another childhood favorite of mine with this one. I loved this book and the movies even more. Anne with her carrot red hair, large vocabulary, and over exaggerated imagination was just a hot mess. Despite all of her shortcomings, you can't help but love the little orphan girl, though. That is what happens to the brother and sister that adopt her to help around the house, and that is what happens to the rest of the small town in which they live. Anne finds herself in trouble countless times, but she also finds ways to better herself and her situation. Probably more of a read for ladies than for gentleman, this classic is one you should not miss.
Paper Towns was written by John Green, the man who is responsible for The Fault in Our Stars, which I think you have at least seen the movie of by now(shame on you, read the book, too). I will leave you to mull over what you think the title may mean (and trust me, it is relevant to the book), but I will say that I really enjoyed this book for the following reasons: -The main character, Q, isn't especially popular, but he has a great group of friends that help to keep the reader laughing out loud due to their ridiculous antics and responses. - Most of the beginning of the book depicts Q's wild night with the girl he barely knows but is totally obsessed with, Margo. He helps her to exact revenge on her cheating boyfriend and worthless friends, and while in real life, that vindication is unnecessary, it was really fun to read about. - Green shows us that sometimes we need to see beyond what is right in front of us or what we are expected to see. Margo seems to be searching for something real, and in Q's search for the mysterious Margo, he finds something real, too. The book will be released as a movie this summer, so read it first. I recommend it for all. Both written by Laurie Halse Anderson, these two books are part of her Seeds of America series. I really enjoy historical fiction because I think it allows you to learn not only about the themes of the book or the characters, but also about the historic time period the book is set in. Anderson explores the issues of American slavery and the outbreak of typhoid fever in Philadelphia in these titles. To help engage the reader, she creates strong leading characters, and this is really important, because right now you are probably thinking, "yea, Mrs. P, I know all about slavery already. It was bad, that is why we don't have it any more." This puts us in it the thick of slavery, though. Imagine not even being able to hold on to the name your parents gave you at birth because someone else legally owned you. Imagine having no part of your day for yourself (you think your life is consumed by homework and projects, but you have it easy). It is nice to think that we have put this part of American history behind us, but as I have pointed out to you in class, history has a way of repeating itself if we let it. It isn't enough to remember that slavery was bad, but if you immerse yourself in the world that Anderson builds through 13-year-old Isabel, you will take hold of the true atrocity.
As for Fever 1793, Anderson allows us to question so much about gender stereotypes and class roles in American society. While presenting these historical issues, she is also pointing out how many people are willing to turn their back on their friends and neighbors just to ensure their survival for another day. It is sad to think about. Both come highly recommended. :) Laurie Halse Anderson explores the world of a 9th grade girl who is afraid to speak out against an attacker. Instead of telling the truth about the events of an average high school party gone wrong, Melinda Sordino (her last name actually translates to mute) suppresses them at the cost of everything. Instead of joining clubs, getting good grades, having friends, and being what most parents and teachers would label "normal", Melinda regresses and hides in an abandoned janitor's closet for most of the school year. It isn't just about being attacked that Melinda does not want to speak of; it is everything. Her parents think she is crazy and needs help, and she does, but not for the reasons they think. Sometimes, though, not speaking out does more harm than good, and the collateral damage can reach far and wide. Anderson really demonstrates this very real, very delicate situation in a way that is both eye opening and relatable. We see how important it is to be a good friend to someone and to consider our actions, but we are also reminded how often those around us can disappoint us, especially those closest to us. It is easy to say that Melinda's best friends should have known something was wrong, or her parents should have known, but at some point we all have to learn to advocate for ourselves. |
Note From Ms. PIt will probably come as no surprise that I am an avid reader. I have also been spending a lot of time in the Dawn Hodges Library here at WAAS evaluating what books we can add to have students really READING. Some of you already read on your own, which is great because reading opens your mind to new ideas and possibilities you might not otherwise think of. It helps you to imagine and live in a new world for a little while, which is something we all need sometimes. Archives
February 2019
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