A few students have asked me if I have read every book in the library, and the answer is an overwhelming "no". With that being said, I am trying to work my way through as many of the school's library books as I can, so this weekend I read The Possibility of Now by Kim Culbertson. I go back and forth about how I feel about this book. On the one hand, I relate to Mara, the main character, because of the never ending lists that she makes, and her anxiety and struggles to do well. If you are a list maker with crazy challenging goals that you aren't even sure are your own, you, too, will relate to Mara. In the middle of a calculus exam, Mara snaps; she feels that in the grand scheme of things (compared to global warming, world hunger, terrorism, insert whatever big unsolvable problem you can think of here), that the score on a test is meaningless. Here she is, overachiever extraordinaire, ripping up her test paper and causing a huge scene. And because we live in the digital age, someone caught it on camera and posted it on Youtube, thoroughly embarrassing Mara and opening up a forum for discussion on her actions. She wanted to put it behind her, but Mara realizes that calculus wasn't her problem. So what is? She leaves town (part of what I don't like about the book: that she has to run away to solve her problems, though she does learn a lot about herself and her family, so I guess it is okay) to go to Lake Tahoe and stay with her biological father. He might as well be a stranger, and his life is one without deadlines and expectations, the total opposite of what Mara is used to. This causes her lists and priorities to change: now she wants to learn to ski, learn about her dad, and learn about these kids whose priorities aren't school related. So to break down my opinion, I like it because most of the characters are relatable and/or recognizable. I also like it because Mara, and other characters, often demonstrates sarcasm. My criticisms include the fact that its premise is very much like John Green's Paper Towns in that it encourages people to actually live their lives, but it isn't as clever as Paper Towns. Also, it was predictable in a lot of ways. Overall, though, it was a good read that all might enjoy, and it is in our library.
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Okay zombie lovers, this one is for you. Courtney Summers brings the zombie apocalypse to a group of high school kids (parents, there is a bit of cursing in the book. Given the circumstances, it seemed understandable. Now that I think of it, the same goes for Yancy's books). Summers adds in additional drama by making her main character already be trapped inside a nightmare of an abusive home. Her older sister has just abandoned her, and she has no outlet of support because her shame and fear have caused her to isolate herself for so long. In fact, she is contemplating suicide until the world begins to fall apart. It causes her, and readers, to reflect on life and hopefully appreciate it. Overall, I enjoyed it. This is book one and two of Rick Yancy's The 5th Wave trilogy. If you don't know the premise, basically it begins with what you adults hypothetically warn you about: what happens when technology and electricity cease to exist? How will you survive!? Well, that is what happens, thanks to an alien invasion. Yancy's has a really interesting interpretation of what alien life would be like, as well as the physical and psychological warfare they would bring our way. He also asks some really interesting questions about humanity. Eventually the "others" are able to make all humans paranoid of one another, sometimes even themselves, thus ensuring the destruction of mankind. Can we over come this? Do we deserve to, or are we really essentially the cockroaches of the planet? Along with a lot of good stuff to think about, Yancy creates characters that I enjoyed. Cassie labeled herself a no body in the halls of her high school, but when all of this crazy stuff started to happen, she protected herself, kept moving, kept trying, and basically became a really impressive young woman that called it like she saw it. It helped that she had a little brother to motivate her to survive, and also an on again, off again love(ish) interest. On the other hand, Ben Parish, aka Zombie, was the epitome of the high school football star/popular kid, who still tries to use his charisma and smile to get by. He provides a mother perspective and comic relief. Speaking of multiple perspectives, Yancy lets a lot of the characters take turns narrating, and that really helped me to determine how much I liked and trusted them. In my opinion, book one was superior to book two. We have both in the library. I more than likely will not read book three, but it is because I cheated and read a summary of it online. It doesn't play out like I wanted it to, so now I am pouting and refusing to read it for a while.
When I was in middle school, the contemporary series that was popular was the Vampire Diaries books (that's right, the show is based on books!). My friends and I tore through them, and then reread them when the show premiered so many years later. Shutter isn't about the Vampire Diaries, but it is about the supernatural, so if you enjoy shows like Vampire Diaries, The Originals, or Teen Wolf, you might enjoy Shutter. Courtney Alameda, the author, has Michelene Van Helsing lead a crew of other teenagers into the word of ghosts, demons, and vampires, or what is left of the vampires. Yes, Van Helsing, as is the Dracula story. Michelene and her closest friends are afflicted by soul chains, something that, unless they can stop it within a week, will drag them into an underworld of sorts. If that isn't enough, Michelene has to deal with a controlling father, saving the world, and dealing with the loss of her mother. I admit, there were parts of the story I felt Alameda spent too much time on, and other areas I wish she would have added to, but overall I enjoyed it. I am adding it to the library's wish list, so hopefully we will have it for you to enjoy soon. Entry 47 48, and 49- A Solitary Blue, The Runner, and Come a Stranger (The Tillerman Cycle)9/2/2016 A while ago I mentioned the books Homecoming and Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt, books that focused on brothers and sisters who were abandoned by their mentally ill mother and walked across hundreds of miles to find their grandmother. The first two books in the cycle focus mainly on Dicey, the oldest Tillerman, but books 3-5 stray from the siblings. A Solitary Blue is all about Dicey's friend Jeff and his family's dynamic after his parents have separated.The Runner is about Dicey's uncle growing up in the time of Vietnam. For those of you who enjoy history, you get a high school student's perspective on things like the draft, the war, and the integration of black and white students in school. Come a Stranger focuses on Mina, a character that does become friends with Dicey. It seems Mina always has the right answers, but in this book we see the struggles she faced before meeting Dicey due to her race. All three of these books continue Voigt's great story line while enhancing our understanding of life in America
A few months back I wrote about Gayle Foreman's If I Stay. This book is the sequel, and while I don't want to say too much (because that would ruin both books), I will say that I appreciated this book because it was from the perspective of Adam, the boyfriend that was left behind while Mia was in the coma. He has received all kinds of success with his band since then, but it seems the accident still haunts him. The book reminds us that when bad things happen to us, they happen to our loved ones too. We have both books in our library. Though the title may not seem like it, Made You Up is realistic fiction that explores the life of a teenage girl that has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. Alex really wants to live a normal life. She has a job, she goes to school, she does her homework, and she has a small circle of friends. But Alex can't tell what is real sometimes. Armed with a camera and a magic 8 ball, Alex fights to hold on and make it to college. Things become a little much for her when she realizes that her parents have been lying to her and she isn't sure if the boy she has been turning to is real. This is an intriguing, and assumedly small, look at the difficulties that those with paranoid schizophrenia. I think the book both tells a good story and reminds us of the need to be compassionate. I think all readers would enjoy Francesca Zappia's characters and sarcasm. We have the book in the library. You all know my opinion on series, and this one goes beyond three books, but this is where stop with the series. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it. I think it was a good presentation of a young lady and two young men trying to find their place in the world. All of us feel as though we should live up to the expectations of others, and at some point we have to figure out what is really important to ourselves and what our role in this world is going to be.
To explain, the Selection is what the royal government refers to as the period of time when the prince must pick his princess. This country (what once was America until China and our own stupidity wipe us out) does not marry their princes to princesses; instead, to boost the spirits of the people, they choose a commoner much in the style of the show The Bachelor. Fifteen girls compete for the heart of the prince while learning how to become a princess and future queen. While this contest is happening, Prince Maxon has to decide what kind of king he wants to become, America has to decide if being a princess is something she would even want despite the fact that it would save her family, and Aspen fights to create a better life for himself and his family while trying to prove he is good enough for America. But the book is more than just a love story. Much like the Hunger Games series, the society has been broken down in to classes, like a caste system. There are many who have little to nothing, and have no hope of changing that. Additionally, Kiera Cass, the author, begs the question of how history impacts us. America realizes that many people know very little of the country's history. There are no history textbooks in schools, just stories passed down. So how do they know it is the truth? There are people that want to know the truth and those willing to fight to bring the country back to what it should be, and that causes problems for our prince. If this sounds interesting to you, we have the first four books in our library. This summer I have read a number of books with strong female protagonists, and this book is no exception. Hazel lives in a small town that happens to be surrounded by a forest filled with tricky fairies, goblins, and the like. She knows how to not be fooled by them, but she also knows how to fight and kill them. And when these forest creatures decide to bring a battle to her doorstep, it is Hazel that has to lead her friends against them. With corrupt kings, princes sleeping for hundreds of years, loyal knights, magic, and couples falling in love, The Darkest Part of the Forest fits the part of a modern day fairy tale. But don't expect for the princess to be sitting around and waiting for the prince to save her. I think this is a book for all readers, and while we do not have it in the library yet, I hope to at the beginning of the school year. 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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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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