What I Saw and How I Lied

Review

Blundell Judy, Scholastic, Inc., 2010, 0439903483

Blundell gently introduces fifteen year old Evie and all the turmoil in her world. Evie has the sheer pleasure of living with her mother Beverly, and her stepfather.  Evie’s mother and stepfather are both living a bit of a foil life, contrary to the belief of Evie.  Blundell created a setting after World-War II in America; nevertheless this teen experienced a full fast road which encourages her to grow up fast.  Evie is dealing with a strong crash on young handsome Peter whom her parents know and appears to be in some type of business with. Evie is also slowly and quietly uncovering elements of her parent’s life and behavior that are least desirable.  Blundell does a great with the descriptive language as Evie’s mother describes her feelings for Evie’s biological father “ I Loved him like a fever” Blundell revealed family togetherness, business, cheating, stealing, lying, bitterness, maturity, honor, and love, all in the same book. This book will really be good for high school students to explore Evie’s life and how she contributed to the family situation.  The author keeps the reader involved in this book each page has a hint of wondering.  This novel is full of adult action however it’s viewed through the eye of a teenager.

Response Activity – Question for students. Have you ever lied?  Allow student to recall a time the lied, and ask what the reason was? And would you do it again and why or why not?  Ask questions before reading of the book.

What suggestions do you have for Evie?  -  Ask students after reading the book

“unforgettable novel with romance, twist, and surprises”   Children’s Literature

“Judy Blundell has crafted a noir novel for YA’s set just after WWII” KLIATT Review.

Winner of 2008 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature

    

The Chocolate War

Review

Cormier, Robert., The Chocolate War, Random House Children Books, New York, New York., 1974, 0440944597

Robert Cormier did a fairly good job capturing a high school student’s life. The author addressed activities the high school students are faced with such as extra curricula activities and extra issues such as peer pressure. Jerry is a high school football player, and Archie is the head of a group or society club called the vigils who runs the school, this group wants to sale a great deal of chocolate. Jerry is pressured into joining them and selling chocolate, but he does not want to be a part of this. Cormier perfectly presents real life drama of high school students, but lacked some detail of the characters. Cormier did display true to life activities such as not so good language, stealing, verbal and physical abuse among peers. The author engages the reader by revealing a small amount of the plot at a time make the reader want to continue reading. This book was full of many turns through by offers a great reality look at bullying and personal identity. This is a good read for ages 13 and up. This book was a bit hard to get into and follow at first however due to the slow development it keeps the reader’s attention.

Responsive Activity - Think about a bullying situation for you or someone you know three fold a sheet of paper and list What you/ someone else did?, What you wanted to do about the situation? And what should you have done?

School Library Journal " The Characterization of all the boys are superd"

Kirkus " Compellingly immediate... Readers will respect the uncompromising ending"

The First Part Last

Book Review
By Kathey Smith

Review

Johnson, Angela., The Frist Part Last, Simon & Schuster, 2003, 0689849222
Johnson did an awesome job capturing the unpredictable life involving teen pregnancy. The main character Bobby appears so real that the reader has clear view of Bobby and, his family, and his issues. Johnson takes the readers through the past and the present smoothly. Bobby is caught unprepared to be a father; however that’s not all he is unprepared for. Bobby's life starts to fall like stacked dominos, when not only he learns he is going to be a father, from his currant girlfriend Nia, his family is parted due to this issue, the child's mother suffers a tragedy. This book offers a good look at teen pregnancy from a not so common view.  Emotional spouts are present that represents the emotional aspects experienced by the teen father that makes the reader want to reach out and help this character. This book is a good read and will appeal to many teen readers due to the real like life issues with family, and friends the author addresses about the character faces.  Although there is robust language used Johnson continues to let her reader know this is a boy on the way to manhood. The cover of this book alone can serve as a hook for many teen readers, as well as a teen father beginning an uncertain era of life and ending life as he knew it.  Teens may want to ask Bobby or other's like Bobby  and ask what thoughts came to mind first when they found themselves in this sitution?  And what would they do differently.  What suggestions for Bobby do the teen reader have for Bobby.  What do you think Bobby did about his sitution?

Publisher Weekly "The author skillfuly relates the hope in the mist of pain"

Childres's Literature "the entire novel attemps to teache about life, growth, and maruity"

Winner of 2004 Coreeta Scott King Author Award.

Winner of 2004 Michael L. Printz.