Summer Reading #25

Hidden Girl by Shyima Hall

Another book that I bought earlier this week. I was intrigued by the cover, so I read the back, and then I knew I had to have it.  This is a memoir of a girl (now grown woman) who was sold into slavery when she was eight years old.

Shyima was the seventh of eleven children, growing up in poverty in Alexandria, Egypt. When she was eight, one of her older sisters, who worked for a wealthy family in Cairo, stole from her employers. Rather than call the authorities, the wealthy family decided that Shyima could work off her sister's debt. They treated her terribly, slapped her, and called her stupid. After about two years, they relocated to the United States, and took Shyima with them. They continued to treat Shyima badly, and then, one day when she was approximately 13, she was rescued. She went into the foster care system in California, and was eventually adopted.

Obviously, the book goes into more detail than that, but that's all you need to know going in. My heart broke for this girl, but then cheered when she was rescued. It opened my eyes to human trafficking and slavery in a way that I might never have known about if I hadn't read this book.

Summer Reading #24

Forever by Judy Blume

I received my first Judy Blume book when I was nine years old, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. I was going into fourth grade, so my parents thought it would be cool for me to read about a kid my age. I fell in love with the characters, so Superfudge,  and Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great were naturally on my reading repertoire. I was grown with two kids when I read Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret because I'd never gotten to it as a teen. Needless to say, I am a fan. So, when I saw this on the shelf at the bookstore the other day, I knew I would be buying it.

Written in 1975, this was ahead of its time, as far as young adult lit is concerned. Now, in 2015, the things Blume writes about in Forever are fairly commonplace. Somehow, though, this book and its content, are timeless.

Katherine is a senior in high school. She meets Michael at a New Year's party, and although they don't hit it off in the first hours of their acquaintance, it doesn't take long (less than a day) for Kath to be swept up in all things Michael. Kath has dated before, but the way she feels about Michael is far more than she has felt for any other boy, and she thinks it's love. She's a virgin, and Michael is always pressuring her to have sex, which seems pretty typical.

They do finally have sex, and Kath, responsible girl that she is, gets herself on birth control. She is convinced she'll be with Michael forever, hence the title. The summer after senior year, they both get jobs that will keep them apart. This is not necessarily a choice on Kath's part, as her parents force her to get a job at a summer camp. They write letters, but, gasp, Kath meets a man that she develops feelings for. She is confused about her feelings because she still loves Michael, but she likes this other guy too. Michael doesn't like this much, and breaks up with her.

What I got from this, as a grown, middle aged woman, is that we are stupid when it is first love. We are willing to give up everything just to spend time with this one person. We are more easily coerced when we think we're in love. First love makes us more naïve than we might normally be.

Summer Reading #23

YOLO Juliet by William Shakespeare and Brett Wright

This in no way is a replacement for actually reading Romeo and Juliet, but by putting it in text speak, it helps to give the reader a better understanding of the play. I mean this in terms of plot. Everything is there, plot-wise. What's missing? The beauty of the language. All the paradoxes, imagery, oxymorons, and everything that makes reading R&J an experience.

So yeah, this was a cute read, but make sure you read the real thing.

Summer Reading #22

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora

I went to Barnes and Noble today to spend $70 in gift cards, which allowed me to get eight books-seven for me, and one for my daughter. I really had no clue what I wanted, so I was perusing every title in the young adult area. You'd think this wasn't my third trip there in two weeks the way I was checking out all the books. Ha! Anyway, I saw this, and it sounded pretty good.

Lucy, our narrator, Elena, and Michael are finishing their eighth grade year, and are given a summer reading list with 6-8 books on that. They are disappointed because their previous teacher, who died some months before, promised them they would only have to read To Kill a Mockingbird. All three kids had read the book, and it is Lucy's favorite. The kids thought everyone should read the book, and they set about finding a way to get people to read it.

They go to various bookstores and libraries in their state, and move copies of the book to different locations in the stores. Their logic is that if people think there is a limited supply for the book, more people would try to buy it and read it. They set up a website and several social media accounts, and people from all over the place start moving/stealing books too.

I thought it was cute because it is rare these days for kids to be so passionate about books that they would go to these lengths to get people to read.

Summer Reading #21/Fall Required Reading

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

In the last year, I have learned that it's ok to give up a book if the reader isn't into it by page fifty. If this hadn't been required reading for the upcoming semester, I may have given up long before page fifty. Luckily, at page fifty, this book picked up, and a part of me wanted to read it. I hesitate to say that I liked this book, but it held my interest enough that I was able to finish it

Todd Hewitt is the last boy in Prentisstown, a settlement on New World, which is suspiciously Earth-like, where there are no women. All the males on New World can hear the thoughts of each other all the time. This is referred to as the Noise. There is something about Todd that is important to the Mayor, and after much argument, Todd leaves Prentisstown with his dog, Manchee.

Not long into his journey, Todd runs into the first female he has ever seen. Her family has died, and she joins Todd on his mission, which is to warn the other New World settlements about Prentisstown. He is unsure why the mayor and his men are hunting him, or why he needs to warn the other settlements. Todd and the girl, Viola, find that they need to get to Haven, the largest of the settlements, because only they are large enough to stand up to the army of Prentisstown.

**Spoiler Alert**
During the course of the whole book, there is a crazy priest out to get Todd. No matter what happens, he doesn't seem to die. He even kidnaps Viola. Even though Todd rescues Viola, he has to make a choice, Viola or Manchee, and Todd chooses Viola. Manchee dies a violent death. Any chance of me liking this book ended with the death of the dog. It made me mad, and I ended up reading the rest of the book just to see if the dog died in vain.

Also, the ending angered me. It angered me enough that there is no way I'll read the rest of this trilogy. The ending came out of left field, and is abrupt. I realize that this is the first book in a trilogy, and there is some expectation that the book will just leave the reader hanging, but usually, there is some kind of closure. Not this one. No closure.

Summer Reading #20

Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell

I liked the title when I saw it at the bookstore on my 39th birthday the other day. I flipped it over, read the blurb, and knew this was going to be my next read. It's lived up to my expectations.

It starts out with Nick at the grocery store. He sees a beautiful redhead who has all the mannerisms of his ex-girlfriend. His ex-girlfriend who died in a house fire twenty years ago. He tries to talk to the girl to see if she is in any way related to the family of his ex, but she bolts. Later, Nick gets a visit from the police because the grocery store girl was found dead with his address in her pocket. That all happens in the first twenty pages, and I really thought I had the whole thing figured out. I was about half right.

The death of this girl brings Nick back to the love he lost in a fire, and he finds himself searching for the girl's killer. He learns some truths from the past, but it doesn't necessarily help.

This was an edge of your seat, I had to make myself stop reading at 2am so I could get some sleep type of book. I loved the suspense, and didn't want it to end. I will definitely be checking out some og this guy's other books.

Summer Reading #19

We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach

I was drawn to this book because of the cover. It's all black, with an asteroid at the top, and five teenagers at the bottom looking up at it. It was simple, and I was intrigued, so I read the front flap. The blurb on the flap indicated that this book would be about an athlete, a slut, a slacker, and an overachiever. Sounds similar to a movie from the 80's that I love, so I knew I'd eventually get it.

There are ten main chapters, counting down from ten to zero, and within those main chapters, are subchapters, each told by one of the characters. The premise of the book revolves around an asteroid that is passing very close to Earth, with a 66.6% chance of wiping everything out, and the way the lives of these four teenagers change over the course of ten weeks.

One wants to fulfill their dream of being a singer. Another doesn't want to die a virgin. One more wants their life to mean something. The last one just wants to believe in something. None are really friends at the beginning, but they somehow come together during all this craziness.

It was a pretty good read, and considering this is the author's first published book, I think we can look forward to more interesting reads in the future.

Summer Reading #18/Fall Required Reading

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

I liked this book, I did, but I had a hard time staying focused on it. It took more than a week to read, and this is only partially because I read another book in the meantime, plus I went on two weekend trips. It's about vampires, so if you dig them, you'll like this.

It's the summer before her senior year of high school, and Tana has attended a party. She passed out at the party, and when she wakes up, she finds herself in the middle of a massacre. Vampires have attacked the place, and this is not cool because the vampires are supposed to stay in Coldtown-places set up around the country to house vampires and those that have been infected. As she is leaving, Tana sees her former boyfriend tied to a bed, meant to be a vampire snack. He's been bitten, so he is infected, and has to go to Coldtown. She also rescues a vampire named Gavriel. Tana agrees to take them to Coldtown. Along the way, they meet Midnight and Winter, a sister and brother who desperately want to become vampires.

Once they get to Coldtown, Tana  gets a marker so she can eventually leave. She may or may not be infected, but only time will tell. Her former boyfriend, Aidan, becomes a vampire, as does Midnight. Then all hell breaks loose. Gavriel, as it turns out, has a bounty on his head, and the main guy in Coldtown is looking for him.

I won't go further than that. I didn't think it lived up to the hype on the back, but it wasn't a bad read either.

Summer Reading #17

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

If this seems choppy, it is because I am writing part of this as I go along. There are things that occur to me as I am reading that I would rather document as they happen than chance losing.

Before I get into the book itself, I want to say this: I have looked forward to reading this, for better or worse, since I heard back in February of this year that it was being released. Based on comments of many of my friends on social media, the fact that I am reading this at all may turn me into a pariah. It will be worse if I ultimately end up liking the novel. This is a chance I am willing to take.

A little background on some of the controversy surrounding this novel, if I may. First, some think that Harper Lee didn't write this, or that the publication is a result of elder abuse to Ms. Lee. This is actually the manuscript that was rejected by publishers, and ultimately turned into To Kill a Mockingbird. It was thought this manuscript was lost, but then, somehow, it turned up after the death of Ms. Lee's older sister. She has had the opportunity for more than fifty years to publish this, so people think Ms. Lee was coerced into its publication.

Another controversy stems from reviews that indicated Atticus is a racist in this book. Many people made the decision not to read this because of these allegations. As I am not finished with the book at this time, I will revisit this when I do finish.

SPOILER ALERT! If you plan to read this novel, and don't want to know specifics, I suggest you don't read any further.

On the Friday before the book was released, July 10, the first chapter was presented to the public in an effort to increase interest. I didn't read it, but many people I know did, and commented on it. They took exception with the fact that Jem has died, and Ms. Lee didn't elaborate. Many felt that it wasn't doing justice to Jem. Jem's death is actually revisted many times throughout the novel. This is what happens when you don't see the whole picture, but only a tiny piece: potentially unfair judgments are made.

I really love the flashbacks to events of Scout's childhood. Those are the parts where I could definitely see the connection between both of Ms. Lee's books, and it also solidified for me that this was, in fact, written by Harper Lee. Based on the online reviews I have seen on Amazon, many people think this is badly written. I am not seeing that at all. I guess it is because this novel is written in third person, where TKaM was written in first person. For me, this doesn't take away from the story that is being told, but it is obviously one of the changes that were made in the creation of TKaM.

I am finding this easier to read as a stand alone novel, rather than one that is being considered a sequel. Yes, most of the characters are the same, but there are enough differences in their actions and reactions, that it is almost like reading about different people. Scout isn't even called Scout, for crying out loud.

Some differences that I have encountered so far include the character of Henry "Hank" Clinton. Apparently, he was close in age with Jem, and he would hang out with Jem and Scout during the school year when he lived in town, but not in the summer. He is Jean Louise's love interest, but it's hard to reconcile him growing up with the Finch children when he isn't so much as mentioned in TKaM.

Another difference is the Tom Robinson trial. It is briefly mentioned, or what we are to assume is the trial is mentioned. In this novel, Atticus defended a black man accused of raping a white girl of fourteen, but the man is acquitted. I took this to be another change that was made going into TKaM. Because this is the manuscript that was changed and edited to become something else, it makes sense to assume that there would be some inaccuracies. This is one of those.

There are some nice additions too, though. For example, we get a glimpse into what became of Dill. We also learn the name of Jem and Scout's mother, as well as a few more details about her death. Those things that were left out of TKaM that I sometimes wondered about. Uncle Jack, referred to as Dr. Finch most of the time, has a much bigger part in this novel, and this was endearing to me. In many ways, Uncle Jack was her compass in this novel.

Because of the time that this book takes place, race relations are not in a good place in many areas of the South. Maycomb is no different. While Scout is home, Calpurnia's favorite grandson is jailed for running an older white gentleman over with his car. Scout goes to see her, but Cal treats her like she doesn't know her; like she hates her. Scout has a hard time reconciling this Cal to the Cal who raised her.

Atticus...... I can see how some people think he is a racist. He attends KKK members, which, apparently, makes a person an automatic racist. In Atticus' case, he was going to the meetings to try to find out whose faces were behind the masks. He wanted to know who the "problem children" were, if you will. Know your enemy, and all that jazz-I can understand that motivation. What brings all this up for Scout is she sneaks into a council meeting in the courthouse, and sees Atticus and Hank with an over the top racist, white supremacist guy. Atticus does try to explain this: the meetings aren't usually like that, that the racist guy asked to speak at their meeting. It all seems very innocuous.

What is problematic and makes Atticus seem racist are some of the comments he makes-like the negroes are childlike. He doesn't mean that they are like children, per se, but that as a whole, since the Civil War, they are growing into their rights. Atticus believes that if things had been left to develop naturally, without the NAACP stepping in, things would have been fine. I personally cannot speak to whether this is true or not, as I have no life experience from this time. Atticus believes in states' rights first, and doesn't think the federal government should have stepped in. I think, this Atticus is a product of the time period and location, and as such, this is not a problem for me. It is, however, a stark contrast from the seemingly color blind Atticus from TKAM, and that, I think, is where people have a problem.

Another thought I have on the Atticus/Scout dynamic where this is concerned is this: TKAM is told by adult Scout, looking back through a child's eyes. It's told by a child, basically. GSaW is told by Jean Louise as an adult learning some realities about life. Think about it this way: when you were a kid, you probably idolized someone, and put them on a pedestal. Then as you grew up, you learned things about the person you adored, and it tarnished your thinking about them. This is what happened with Scout. When she was a kid, she could see no wrong in her father, but as an adult, she finds out there were things about him that had always been there, that she didn't/couldn't see. It hurts when you finally see the truth.

What you have to remember is that this novel was the rejected manuscript. This is what ultimately became the greatest American novel. If it hadn't been for this, TKaM would never have existed. That is a point I think people are forgetting. If Ms. Lee hadn't reworked this, we wouldn't have Atticus and Scout as we know them. THAT is why I read this book, and you know what? I liked it.

Summer Reading #16/Work Related

Book Love by Penny Kittle

Three colleagues and I are implementing reader's/writer's workshop on our campus in the upcoming year. This was the book we chose to use for the reading component. There are so many great ideas in this book to turn students, even reluctant ones, into readers. Additionally, there are suggestions for assessing the reading component without giving tests or essay questions.

One thing I liked about this book is that the author included actual student work, as well as student profiles about some of the students who benefited from her class. This shows me that what I am about to implement actually works. Since there are people on my campus who believe this is not a legitimate teaching tool and likely to fail, this gives me encouragement that the naysayers are wrong. I only hope we achieve some of the success that Ms. Kittle did.

Summer Reading #15

Blankets by Craig Thompson

I ordered this last week because a friend/co-worker recommended it to me, and it came in today. She told me it was more than 500 pages long, but easy to get yourself lost in. Admittedly, I forgot how long she said it was, so when it came in today, it was daunting. Not to mention that it is a graphic novel, which I have already stated I am not necessarily a fan of. I finished it in only a few hours.

This is an autobiography by Craig. At the beginning, we see him as a young boy of eight or nine, with his younger brother. He, Craig, is bullied by jerks at school. Something happens with the babysitter to Craig and his brother, and although we don't learn what it is until later, it's not good.

We then see Craig in high school, at church camp. He meets a girl, Raina, and he is smitten. They write and phone each other, and Craig goes to visit her for two weeks in the spring. Craig is head over heels for this girl, but she has too much going on in her life for her to commit just yet. Throughout the whole story, Craig wrestles with his faith.

Between the artwork and the story, you feel everything Craig feels. When he hurts, you hurt. When he is happy, so are you. I love books that draw you in like that.

Having finished two graphic novels today, I have learned that they have a lot to offer, and I shouldn't discount them just because they have pictures.

Summer Reading #14/Fall Required Reading

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

First of all, graphic novels are not really my thing. That is not to say there was anything wrong with this book, but, if given the choice, I prefer text to graphics. Sorry, I just do. But, as this is required reading for one of my classes, I thought I'd go ahead and give it a go.

Sadly, there's a lot I don't know about Middle Eastern culture. In my role as a teacher, I have had some great opportunities to learn more, but I am still woefully ignorant about much having to do with the Middle East. This book gave me a chance to learn a little more.

This graphic novel is the autobiography from ages nine through fourteen of Marji. She is Iranian, and this story occurs during the fall of the shah, when Muslims started to take over the country. Marji and her family are staunch communists, and they are not fond of the strict regulations placed on them by the new regime. Friends and family members are jailed and executed for their "crimes," females are forced to wear veils, anything Western is forbidden, bombings occur regularly, etc. Marji though, she's a bit of a rebel. She gets in trouble at school for wearing jewelry and nail polish, for telling the truth about what is going on around them.

Mostly what I got out of this was that Marji was loved by those around her, but due to circumstances beyond her control, her life kinda sucked. I will say this: I am not sure why this book is frequently challenged. Seriously, there was nothing to object to, except the one time the f-bomb is dropped.

Summer Reading #13

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Obviously, I have read books about people who are depressed, try to kill themselves, and end up in a psychiatric facility, but this was like none I have read before.

Craig is depressed. It all started when he began to go to this super competitive high school in Brooklyn. Even though he's making A's, it's not good enough, and he finds himself overwhelmed. He is prescribed Zoloft, but stops taking it when his prescription runs out. Not a smart move. He also has a thing for his best friend's girl. Also not smart.

One night, Craig decides he's going to kill himself. While his family sleeps, he calls the suicide hotline, and they suggest he go to the emergency room. This was a good call. Almost immediately, Craig starts to feel better about things. That seems unrealistic to me, but it does move the story along. Craig meets people, makes friends, and finds himself.

In all, it was a cute story. More lighthearted than most about depression, and I liked that.

Summer Reading #12

Some Boys by Patty Blount

In many ways, this is similar to the book, Speak, that I read a month or six weeks ago. In both, a girl is raped at a party, and the boy is a scumbag. The biggest difference is that the protagonist in Speak doesn't tell anyone about what happened to her for a long time, and in this one, Grace has talked about it, and identified her attacker.

This is told in two perspectives: Grace and Ian. Grace was raped at a party by the captain of the lacrosse team. She was drunk, like everyone else at the party, and was allegedly dressed like she was "asking for it." Grace claims she was raped, but the rapist posts a video to social media "showing" she was into it. Because of that, no one believes her. She loses her friends, the whole school is calling her a slut and a whore, and one of the times she stands up for herself, she ends up having to do manual labor over spring break.

Then there's Ian. He is the rapist's best friend who once had a crush on Grace. He doesn't want to believe his best friend is a slimeball. He tries to see both sides of the story, and eventually sees the truth of the matter for himself.

Most of the book takes place over the week that Grace and Ian are forced to do manual labor. Will someone finally see Grace for who she is, not what they think she is? Was she, in fact, raped? If so, will she ever get justice?

My daughter was drawn to this book, but she wanted me to read it first to make sure it was ok for her. I am glad she did. This is one of those books that every teen should read. Maybe if they did, the societal norm of victim blaming would go away. One could only hope, anyway.

Summer Reading #11

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Every time I go to the bookstore, I contemplate buying this book, but never do. After striking out on two other books I started this week but couldn't get into, I found this on the school library ebook site, and thought I'd give it a shot.

Anna Oliphant, daughter of a very Nicholas Sparks type author (and by that I mean someone who thinks they are brilliant, but tells the same story every time), is sent to Paris for her senior year of high school. It is not something she wants, but is something over which she has no choice. She has to leave behind her family, her best friend, and the boy she has a crush on.

In Paris, she makes some friends, and immediately develops a crush on one of them, St. Clair, who has a girlfriend. Anna and St. Clair face challenges together (his mother's cancer, her best friend sleeping with and dating the boy at home that she has a crush on), and you keep hoping that they'll get together.

In a nutshell, it's your basic love story, but it is just different enough to make it worth your time reading it.