Undone

The day I received email notification that a copy of Brooke Taylor's Undone was available on Book Mooch I could hardly believe my good luck. I did not want to get too excited as often by the time I see the notification and go to get the book somebody else has already beaten me to it. I was ecstatic when I realized that I was actually going to get a copy of the book. Ever since I saw the YouTube video to promote the book I was intrigued and could not wait to get my hands on a copy.



I was not disappointed with the book. I enjoyed it because while it seemed a bit risque at times, it felt real. I could picture high schoolers I know relating to Kori and Serena and what it is like to be a teenager today. The more I read the book, the more I understood the depth and layers to the book. It was very intense. This week has been pretty hectic with conferences at school and other meetings, so I would come home exhausted each night, but I just could not go to bed without reading more of the book. Once I would pick it up, I had to tear myself away after staying up later then I should have each time. The book reminded me of Speak and The Lovely Bones for different reasons, both books that I thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated for their uniqueness. While aspects of the book reminded me of them it was also a fresh, new book in its own right. I loved watching Serena navigate through grief, discovering herself, and realizing what was important in her life. There were also proverbs from all different cultures throughout the book. It was fun to go back and reread the proverbs and more fully understand their significace after reading the whole book.

We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes

This weekend I enjoyed a fun, easy ARC quick read, We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes by Patrick Jennings courtesy of Harper Collin's Children's First Look program. I wish the front cover image was available on-line because the graphics in the book were part of what I loved about it. The front cover has Crusher, the narrator, and a mouse Breakfast looking at each other. The start of every chapter has a gray outline of a snake slithering over the pages from different angles. It was a cute visual touch.

I also loved that the book is told from the point of view of Crusher starting from the moment he is captured by Gunnar (and hence receives his name). Throughout the whole book he is trying to plan his escape and finds himself in weird relationships because of his captivity. We see insights into Gunnar's life through Crusher's observations of his parents who do not pay much attention to him, his obsession with video games, his uncontrollable anger, and his interactions with friends. As one of his ploys to escape Crusher tames himself and poses as Gunnar's pet and friend. However, we are left wondering if Crusher will become too attached with his "acting" or if he will maintain his mission to escape.

I think my middle school students would love this book, especially the creativeness of having a snake as the narrator. Look for this read in January!

Oldies but Goodies - Chasing Redbird

There are many books that I love that I have not blogged about because they were from my pre-blogging years. I decided to periodically do "Oldies but Goodies" posts on some of them. The books will not necessarily be classics as it may seem from the title, but rather books that I am not reading for the first time. They may be books I am rereading or just ones that I am thinking back to.

Sharon Creech is one of my favorite children's books authors. I have multiple copies of many of her books that I use at times for literature circles. Last year my middle school students read different Creech books and then chose three scenes to convert to a reader's theater script and present to the class. I just started reading groups in my class, and I decided to have the students who are doing literature circles choose one of three of Creech's books - Bloomability (the first Creech book I ever read when I was student teaching), Chasing Redbird, and Ruby Holler. Another group is reading Pleasing the Ghost in a guided reading setting.

Anyway, I have been so excited with the feedback about Chasing Redbird. The group of four girls can't get enough of it. The frequently "accidentally" over read their assigned section, they have lively discussions, and comment about the book in their free writing journals. This is the way every literature circle book should go! I hope that the rest of the year I can get as good of a match as this time. The other groups are enjoying their books but have not shown as much enthusiasm as the Chasing Redbird group.

Bridget Jones's Diary

As I was skimming the list for the New Classics Challenge I saw Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding. I had seen the movie when it first came out but never read the book. I thought it would be a perfect reason to finally read it. I was not sure how much I would enjoy it though since I typically like to read books first and then see the movie. Luckily, it had been long enough that I didn't remember all the details. I did chuckle, however, about scenes that vividly came back as I was reading, such as: Darcy in his sweater at the party where they meet, the computer communications between Daniel and Bridget, and the bunny outfit. I know there was one more particularly funny part that I can't think of now -- oh yeah, the news report from the fire station!

I recently read and blogged about Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. I had heard of it being compared to Bridget Jones' Diary, so I intentionally read them close together in order to see just how close they compared. Here's the connections I noticed: they're both about British females (different age groups) journaling about their lives in a hilarious narrative. I also loved this book because of the concept of goals that don't necessarily get met, even with the best intentions to do so.

I just put the next book in the series on my Book Mooch wish list, and as chance would have it there were already copies available. I can't wait to read it too!

Third Grade Baby

Third Grade Baby by Jenny Meyerhoff was a fun read in the format of a short chapter book that reminded me of Junie B. Jones. When I first got the book I did not think it would be appropriate for my 6th grade classroom library as it seemed too young for them. However, after reading I think that some of my reluctant readers or readers who are not quite at grade level will really enjoy it just as they enjoy Junie B. even though she is a much younger character.

In the book Polly has an inner conflict of being torn between wanting to do "baby" things and to be seen as a big girl at the same time. She still has not lost a tooth, and when she does lose her very first tooth she excitedly awaits her first visit from the tooth fairy. Yet, she is worried that maybe third graders are too old for the tooth fairy. A new boy at school is a major influence on Polly's insecurity of being a baby as he constantly teases her. While she feels bad for him since he does not have any established friendships, she also thinks maybe she does not need to be nice to him after his embarrassing behavior toward her. A third major dilemma in Polly's life is that her parents do not seem to have enough time for her because of her baby brother.

I enjoyed the mixture of pictures and text in the book and laughed along with Polly's personality and thought process. I am excited for my daughter to be just a bit older so that she can enjoy this book. However, I will have to make sure that she does not believe in the tooth fairy anymore because the book does show that the mom is the tooth fairy.

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging

Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging: Confessions of Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison is hilarious. It was the perfect book to ready while kicking back and relaxing in order to unwind after a long day. I first heard about this book four years ago when I was student teaching. One of my 8th graders loved Rennison's books. I am so glad that I finally read one of them and will be ordering more. I don't think her wit and humor would ever get old. I have heard this book compared to Bridget Jones's Diary, which is one of my next books up to read. I have seen the movie but haven't read the book. I am excited to see the comparisons.

The whole book is told through Georgia's diary. The teenage drama and Georgia's voice makes for a smashing novel. I also loved that there was a fun British terms glossary in the back, explained by Georgia of course.

Here are some examples excerpts that had me laughing out loud:

"tuesday may 4th
8:10 a.m.
[...] Assembly, math, physics...there is not one part of today that is worth being alive for.

4:30 p.m.
Home, exhausted from laughing" (190).

"Woke up and thought my face was paralyzed. It was quite scary--my skim was all tight and stiff and I couldn't open my eyes properly. Then i remembered the egg yolk mask. I must have fallen asleep reading" (12).

"I have no friends. Not one single friend. No one has rung, no one has come around. [...] Perhaps I am dead. I wonder how you would know? If you died in your sleep and woke up dead, who would let you know?" (pp. 15-16).

"Looking through the old family albums. I'm not really surprised I'm ugly. The photos of Dad as a child are terrifying" (17).

I could go on and on reliving the moments that I loved about the book. If you like humor, I highly recommend Georgia's confessions. (I almost forgot, she calls her crush SG for Sex God...lol).

La travesía de Enrique

I could not wait to read La travesía de Enrique by Sonia Nazario (Enrique's Journey) and quickly ordered it from Amazon the first time I saw it. However, once I started reading it it drug on and on. After a while I found myself skimming in order to get through it. I was captivated with the author's thorough research and method (she researched for five years including retracing Enrique's steps of travelling undocumented from Hondurous to the United States even though it was very dangerous). It reminded me of the same sense of awe I felt after reading A Hope in the Unseen (a book that I have to reread someday) and then reading the author's note at the end. Yet, the book did not meet up to my overall expectations.

At first glance I was turned off from the book because it was bogged down with details. I would have preferred that Enrique's life represented one scenario rather than mixing in random details of others' lives. Yet, I can see how the author wanted to include show glimpses of different people and to support what she observed from Enrique, especially after so much time went into the research.

Spoiler ahead:

When Enrique finally reunited with his mother I was momentarily gripped with the book once again, and it maintained my interest while it narrated alternatively between Honduras and the United States. All the while there was another nagging reason why the book frustrated me. I realize that it is clearly a personal reason and is just that the book did not match my expectations. I have a niece and nephew who had to stay behind in Mexico while their parents were in the United States working. I know many people who have been or are still living under similar circumstances (except in Mexico). I was excited to see a book that would illustrate the huge conflict parents and children face when they are separated for economic reasons. I wanted the story to show overall triumph of the family working through the difficult situation. As a teacher, I wanted the book to be an inspirational story for immigrant students. That sense of solace never came.

With the absence of his mother Enrique eventually makes unwise decisions. He starts drinking heavily and using drugs. He always blames all of his problems on his mother. When he is once again with his mother he has a momentary euphoria before he starts to turn back to alcohol and drugs. In addition he always argues with his mom...and she argues back. To make matters worse he finds out he left his girlfriend in Honduras pregnant. While he criticizes his mom for abandoning him, he is continuing the same cycle with his daughter. Worse, he spends copius amounts of money on his vices rather than to work toward reuniting his family. In the end of the book his girlfriend ends up coming to the United States leaving their daughter without either parent. Of course their intention is that they will work hard and go back soon, but I would not be surprised if they both stay. If it is hard enough for parents who come to the US from Mexico, it would be even more difficult for those from Central America who have to cross more countries undocumented in order to return to the US. Enrique had already made indications that he wanted his girlfriend to go there because he is used to the comfortable lifestyle in the United States. Worst of all the mom does not even say goodbye to her daughter. She leaves the car at the station without even hugging her or anything. She does not think she is old enough to explain to her where she is going, so she just does not even try.

I know this is a true story, and it represents HIS story. I should just accept it for what it is. However, I was left with a sense of lacking since it did not end up being as I expected - to represent my niece and nephew's situation (while very difficult their family did not disentigrate) and to be inspirational for my students (like Francisco Jiménez's books). It did not necessarily have to have a happy ending, but I wanted to see some growth and ownership in Enrique's decisions. At least by the end of the book he was working to free himself of addictions.

To be read additions

My stack of books to read just keeps increasing! There are so many great books to read and not enough time to keep up with my growing pile.

Today I had a nice surprise waiting for me when I got home. Stella at My World-Mi Mundo recently did a book giveaway as part of Hispanic Heritage month. For some reason I never could see the graphic of the eight books included in the giveaway. I thought they were going to be books for younger kids/teens that I would include in my classroom library. When I got them today I was pleasantly surprised that they were actually geared to adults. Also, they were all new books except, Bless Me Ultima, which I read but would love to reread. One of the books (General Jaguar) was canceled because it was out of stock. Here are the seven that I got:
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Brownsville: Stories by Oscar Casares
GunMetal Black by Daniel Serrano
The Hummingbird's Daughter by Luis Alberto Urrea
Tomorrow They Will Kiss by Eduardo Santiago
The Gifted Gabaldón Sisters by Lorraine López
Dream in Color: How the Sánchez Sisters Are Making History in Congress by Linda and Loretta Sánchez with Richard Buskin
I seriously still can't believe that I just got seven brand new books for free. I love that they are from a wide variety of genres and can't wait to get reading! A big thanks to Stella and Hachette Book Group.

I also received Brook Taylor's Undone from Book Mooch. Ever since I saw the YouTube book trailer, I couldn't wait to read it.

This week I was browsing Wal-Mart's Spanish section for a present for my husband's birthday. I saw that they have Twilight (Crepusculo) in Spanish now. I have heard so many people rave about these books. I decided to get it for my husband because one of my students even said she has read it eight times she loves it so much. When I told her I got the Spanish copy she informed me that she is now reading it for the ninth time! It was pretty funny when my husband opened it along with his other presents because he hasn't heard all about it, so he was a little thrown and asked "What is this?" I am interested to see what he thinks of it, and I can't wait to read it too.

Today I found out that Pearson sent me to ESL books that will be released in 2009. They are in my car right now, and my husband is running errands, so I don't know the exact titles. I can't wait to read them though, especially one that focuses on literacy - my favorite field.

As if I didn't have enough books I am dying to read. I realized that I have other new books on my big bookshelves in the living room, such as Rain of Gold.

Whew! Let's get to reading...

The Lovely Bones

Intensely chilling! I had heard about The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold years ago and wanted to read it but never did. Since time had passed I could not remember comments about the plot, but I took advantage of the New Classics Challenge to finally read it. I got a copy of the book but did not read the back. Boy was I in for a surprise when I started reading the book Friday night and realized that the narrator is Susie Salmon, a 14 year old girl who is explaining when she was raped and murdered. My house was silent with my whole family asleep, and I was riveted to the book. I read it every chance I had this weekend until I finished it.

From a literary standpoint the craft was genius. Sebold was creative in having a dead teenager narrating from heaven. Her situation gave her the ability to be a rare first person omnipotent narrator who could spy on different scenes from heaven. She also unveiled piece by piece starting with her murder and then shifting around to various time references to fill in the gaps. Susie shows us insights into a diverse group of characters, such as: her parents, her brother and sister, her crush, a seemingly random girl at her school, the detective, her grandma, and her killer.

I cringed as I read certain scenes but could not help moving on with the book. Various scenes tugged at my emotions. In one instance I could not help getting teary when the dad finally had to explain to Susie's little brother the truth that Susie was dead and not just "away". After reading a bit I decided I should read the back of the book and quotes from critics since I had been so blindsided after forgetting the premise. One quote by Ron Charles, Christian Science Monitor said, "Don't start The Lovely Bones unless you can finish it. The book begins with more horror than you could imagine, but closes with more beauty than you could hope for...Alice Sebold has done something miraculous here." Thus as I was reading I knew that the book would have some closure at the end. I did not know if that would mean that her family would finally recover her body or if her killer would be caught. I was not sure what would happen to the many characters whose lives were intertwined and had changed course after Susie's death. Yet, I never could have imagined the twist that awaited me at the end of the book. The Lovely Bones was brilliant!

Class of 2k8 Challenge

It's official. I have decided to do a self-imposed challenge to read the 27 Class of 2k8 books by June 2009. I loved Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head and The Emerald Tablet so much and am intrigued by information about many of the other books (The Possibilities of Sainthood, Sleepless, and Undone) that I know I will be missing out if I don't read them all.

Want to join me in my challenge? Feel free to post about this challenge idea on your sites.

I just added all of the books (except the two I already have) to my Book Mooch wish list. Undone is already on its way, and there was also a copies of Third Grade Baby and A Horse of her Own available. I will be stopping by Amazon for some of the other books.

Here is a list of the Class of 2k8 books:
The Unnameables by Ellen Booraem
The Gollywhopper Games by Jody Feldman
The Emerald Tablet by PJ Hoover
Third Grade Baby by Jenny Meyerhoff
Bringing the Boy Home by N.A. Nelson
Dragon Wishes by Stacy A. Nyikos
The Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas
My So-Called Family by Courtney Sheinmel
Up and Down the Scratcy Mountains by Laurel Snyder
I So Don't Do Mysteries by Barrie Summy
Autumn Winifred Oliver Does Things Different by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head by Nancy Viau
A Horse of her Own by Annie Wedekind
A Difficult Boy by M.P. Barker
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Read My Lips by Teri Brown
A Curse Dark As Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Sleepless by Terri Clark
Bewitching Season by Marissa Doyle
Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer
The Possibilities of Sainthood by Donna Freitas
The Opposite of Invisible by Liz Gallagher
Alive and Well in Prauge, NY by Daphne Grab
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder
La Petite Four by Regina Scott
Undone by Brooke Taylor
The Lucky Place by Zu Vincent

Also some author's have their second books out already!

The Emerald Tablet ARC

This week I was in fact able to make reading at home a priority. Last night I stayed up later than I should because I just could not put down P.J. Hoover's The Emerald Tablet until I finished it! Lately fantasy has been one of my favorite genres since I started reading middle grades/young adult fantasy in order to be able to recommend books for my students.

Hoover's book starts out at the start of Benjamin Holt's summer when he finds out that he will be teleport to a summer school of an unknown location in a matter of minutes. It ends up that Benjamin is not human as he has always believed. Rather he is a telegen from Lemuria an underwater continent in the Pacific Ocean (their is a shield so they are not actually in the water). Many surprises and friendships await Benjamin, and much to his surprise he absolutely loves his summer school. He instantly clicks with a group of four other people (one of which was his friend from his hometown) and discovers that he has been chosen to carry out a mission to save the world.

At summer school he and his classmates hone their special abilities, such as telekinesis, teleportation, and telepathy. My personal favorite was teleportation. Although, telepathy gets pretty interesting when middle schoolers can pick up on each other's thoughts. These unique traits made for quite an intriguing plot.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book as anything was possible. I loved that Benjamin was chosen for a special mission but that he had a lot of help problem solving by way of his friends inspiring the importance of team work and collaboration. There was mystery trying to figure out who were the good guys and who was trying to work against Benjamin and his alliance. The book had a perfect ending that made me wish the next installment was already available. Right as one major issue was resolved there was a big twist leading to vast possibilities.

P.J. Hoover is another Class of 2k8 author. I just may set up my own personal challenge to read all 27 of the books by Class of 2k8 authors since the two that I have read so far have been hits. I was so excited earlier in the week to mooch a copy of Brooke Taylor's Undone. When I saw the email notification, I tried to not get too excited knowing that someone else might have beaten me to it. I was elated to see that it was still available, and it is currently in the mail. YEAH!