Along For the Ride

Book Review

Dessen, Sarah, Along For the Ride, Penguin Group, April 2011, ISBN- 0142415561

Experiencing divorce as strong as her parents typical teenager Auden realizes that stills need to live life a little.  Auden works hard to please both of her parents by remaining academically acceptable. To get a break from academics Auden decided to visit her father and stepmom for the summer that lives on the beach.  Auden also has a new sibling in her life.  On her vacation opportunity reveals itself to Auden she has a chance to work for her stepmother in her boutique, meet other teens, and her social life develops with parties and more. She meets a young man named Eli and develops a strong liking for him. Author Dessen depicts a divorced family, a blended family, friendships, death and maturing from the eyes of a teen that has learned to cope with life issues and makes the decision to explore life.  Dessen presents the characters in such a real manner the reader instantly connects Dessen used language with expression typical of teenagers “it was simply annoying just like everything else about my stepmother, Heidi”.  The plot is so realistic it keeps the attention of the reader and provides encouragement to turn the next page.  Dessen reveals the growth of teens in a positive way.  This book’s cover provides a hint of mystery which sparks interest at the front of the book a map that makes you wonder where it will lead.  This book is a great easy read the author brought realism to the highest level imaginable.  

Discussion questions after reading.

  What do you think made Auden decided to have a change from her normal pace of academics to visiting her father?

 How do Auden and Eli connect?

  How are the dynamics of these character similar to your or someone you know?

The Horn Book Review- “Rounding out her latest offering with richly depicted female friendships, Dessen offers up a summertime tale of self-discovery”

Kirkus Review- “This wacky ride through affairs of the heart never grows predictable”

Indigo Teen Read Award, 2010

Colorado Blue Spruce Young Adult Book Award, 2011
Iowa Teen Award, 2011-2012

     

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.



Speak- Book Review

Kathey Smith

Bibliography-
Anderson, Laurie Hasle, Speak, Mandy Siegfried, Listen Library: New York 2006, ISBN-0374371520

Plot Summary- Attending a party high schooler Melinda is raped by a popular senior and calls the police.  She becomes an outcast at school for runing the party.  Melinda is so tramatized she can not speak about what happened and the ordeal haunts her over and over.  A few postive people in Melinders life work to crack the shell.  When Melinda can no longer take the trauma she yells out


Analysis- Anderson captured the listners attention in the audio with her interesting and personal plot.  She really captured the feelings of Melinda and the listener can imagine the look on Melinda's face as she expresses her negative views " It was ugly but I'm not going to think about it" as a peer stated she hated melinda.  Anderson also introduce Melinda as she comes to herself and realizes that she is not the cause of what happend to her when she surrender and say" not going to let it kill me".  Anderson captured the high school scene perfectly.   This audio book is very believable.

Excerpt(s)
" This is a gripping account of personal wounding and recovery"  The Bulletin of the Center for Children's books.
" The plot is gripping and the characters are powerfully drawn" Kirkus
" the novels real power lies in the story of Melinda's gradual reclaiming of herself through the help of acompassionate art teacher, her concerned parents, and some caring students, and her ultimate redemption" Children's Literature.

Connections-
Activities- encourage students to write about issue that may have happened to them or someone else and how they reacted allow to share if they choose.
This book is a good resource to talk about rape, or drinking.

Related books- 
A Separate Peace by John Knowles ISBN- 0743253973
Night by Elie Wiesel ISBN- 0374500010

Lunch Lady and the Summer Camp Shakedown

Kathey Smith

Bibliography- Krosoczka , Jarrett. Lunch Lady and the Camp Shakedown, Alfred A. Knopf, New York: 2010. ISBN 9780357860959

Plot Summary-  Three elementary students attend a summer camp in an area that has a reputation of a swamp monster that appears at night.  The lunch lady and her assistant  from the elementary school are working at the camp.  The lunch lady prepares food items to use to attack the monster, the kids help by using squirt guns to squirt food at the monster.  

Analysis-  This graphic novel by Krosoczka  with two-color art is fun, silly, and really lends a hand for the reader to use their imagination even beyond the book.  This book is great for grades 3-5 with a superhero theme that comes from a all too familiar territory the cafeteria. 

Excerpt (s)

"Younger kids with an appreciation for silliness will love it"- Children's Literature

" A delightfully fun escapist read." Kirkus

" A tough, capable herine plenty of silliness and slapstick" Publishers

Connections- 

Other related books-

 Judy Moody and the not Bummer Summer by Megan McDonald ISBN- 9780763653514

 Junie B. First Grader Toothless Wonder by Barbara Park ISBN- 9780355822230

Have students create their own fiction, fantasy, and young adult literature.





Joey Pigza Loses Control

Kathey Smith - Book Review










Bibliography- Gantos, Jack, Joey Pigza Loses Control, Listen Library, 2009, ISBN 31668042690542

Plot Summary- Joey is  young boy with behavior problems who lives with his mother.  She decides he needs to visit his father for about six weeks so the Joey and his mom take a drive to another city where Joey's father lives.  Although Joey has not seen his father  he is determined to gain the likes of his father.  Joey's father posesses little postive parenting skills and thinks it's best to teach Joey how to take control of his life by not encouraging his to use his medicine as needed for his behavior. Joey knows whats best for him however he wants to please his father.  Joey has a hard time by trying to live up to his fathers instruction and his keep his mothers instructions as well.  Evidence of Joey's wanting his fathers approval is presents in the story when he compares his encounter of snipping the end of a girls nose to his father butting someones nose at a bar.  Joey worked hard to connect with his distant father who suffered from the same behavior disorded as Joey but he still missed his mother and felt as it was a Joey for mom and a Joey for dad because of the two different life styles of each parent.

Critical Analysis- Gantos author and reader of this audio book does a wonderful job with voice inflections and keeping the listener engaged.  Gantos lays out each charcters personality well enough that the listener can imagine how they look and sound.  Gantos shows that Joey is an intellegent kid and is well aware of what is going on with him Joey says " I knew I could be wrong most of the time"  Gantos make Joey a very in touch kid inspite of the behavior problems.

Excerpt (s) "Readers will sympathize with Joey and his father" Children's Literature
"This story is more than a message it is a truly memorable read" Booklist
" A tragic tale in many ways, but a triumph too" Kirkus
 Awards-    Newbery Honor Book 2001, Maine Student Book 2002, Parents Choice 2000 , 2003, White ravens 2001.

Connections- This would be a great book for middle school students who has ADD or know someone with ADD, this book could as be used to help students talk about alcohlism, or father son relationships.