tales of the MADMAN underground (532 pages)

The back flap telling us about author John Barnes presents a fascinating read in itself. Barnes co-authored a book with astronaut Buzz Aldrin and has written science fiction, and over 100 nonfiction articles. He has taught college classes in English, math, theater, speech, and communications, designed stage scenery and lighting, drawn weather maps, etc. etc. etc. He is multi-talented, and if nothing else shows us that it is never necessary to stick with one line of work for life! AND, I did not include everything he has accomplished!This book was a Printz Honor book, and I started to read it at the onset of my husband's illness, couldn't concentrate, put it down, and just recently picked it up and began reading it from the beginning. It is an interesting book about family, love, friendships, and loyalty. The main character is Karl Shoemaker, a senior in high school, who along with a very tight group of friends,has been in a required therapy group since middle school. Every kid in the group has major problems at home. Many have endured awful experiences. Karl vacillates between wanting to be "normal" and out of the group and wanting to remain with his loyal buddies. His dad has died, his mother has become a drunk, Karl has to take care of her, as well as try to take care of the house, as well as hold down a ridiculous number of jobs. The language in the book can be a bit harsh at times, but I think many teens will relate to what these kids are going through. Much of the book is hysterically funny, some of it is maddening, but overall, it is a good read!

Jasper Jones (310 pages)

Craig Silvey is an Australian writer, and this is the first book of his I've read. It's definitely a High School read, and it won't be the last book of his I'll read! There were moments when I laughed out loud, and moments when I cried. Let me give you a couple of laughs. Charlie Bucktin's best friend is Jeffrey Lu. Jeffrey and his family are from Vietnam and live down the street from the Bucktins. The two boys are constantly teasing each other and one of their favorite things to do is to create a play on words. So Jeffrey will say, "Cheeses Christ, Charlie!" or Charlie will leave Jeffrey saying, " I bid you fond a Jew." There are several more of these that come out of nowhere and just make the reader giggle...if s/he picks up on them! In their town, there is a teen who is the town's "bad boy." His name is Jasper Jones, and one night he knocks on Charlie's window asking for help. Charlie knows Jasper only by reputation, but Jasper is very convincing, and Charlie leaves his room via his window and follows Jasper to a secret place near the edge of a river. There they come upon a young girl hanging from a large tree. Now, Jasper is definitely NOT a bad boy (even though he smokes and drinks every chance he gets), and the girl hanging from the tree was the love of his life. She was also the oldest daughter of the town's mayor. The mystery of how she was killed, what happened to her body, and how it all effects Charlie is a spine-tingling read. The language is a bit raw, but this is a great read and I think both boys and girls will enjoy it very much!

7 Days at the Hot Corner ( 150 pages )

I think I've read every book Terry Trueman has written, once I was hooked by his writing in Stuck In Neutral. However, it has been several years since I've read one of his texts. This is a book about baseball and friendship and family. What happens when, in your senior year of high school, you find out that your best friend since 2nd grade is gay. You find this out at the end of the baseball season. You play third base which is known as the hot corner. Baseball is your life, your love, and your dream of becoming a pro. This is a very short read,but it is a terrifically important read. It is a book that will interest many, many students and be great for discussion. Wow! Way to go, Terry Trueman; you've hit a grand slam homer this time!

Where Things Come Back (228 pages)

Okay, I'm going to be honest with you and say that I don't know how I really feel about this book. I got it and read it for two main reasons: 1) It won the Printz award for 2012. (For those of you who don't remember what the Michael Printz Award is, I will recap for you. It is to secondary students what the Newberry award is to elementary and early middle school students.) The award usually picks books that I agree should be so honored. I'm not so sure about this one. I didn't dislike it; I just kept wondering how students would take to it. I'm usually pretty good at nailing what books kids like. Okay, reason 2) It was written by a man named John Whaley. I had a grad student at Fairfield University whose name was John Whaley, and so I couldn't pass up reading it, even though I was sure it wasn't the same John Whaley...and those of you who were in class with him will appreciate my curiosity. I think. The book is about a young man who lives in a small town in Arkansas with his mother, father and younger brother. Then two things happen almost simultaneously: a kind of nutty scientist announces that he has spotted a woodpecker that was thought to be extinct for years, and the younger brother disappears. The book covers some wonderful relationships of a real friend, and an incredible bond shared by both brothers. But then the main character starts seeing zombies, which kind of turned me off, because I feel about zombies about the same way I felt about vampires. I'd really love it if one of you would read the book and responded as to your feelings in this blog. Post your own thoughts because maybe I'm crazy and this book deserved its award....

The Lions of Little Rock ( 291 pages )

Kristin Levine has written about a 12 year old white girl entering middle school the same year that the Little Rock Nine attempted to integrate the city's schools. This is not the first book on this subject, but I believe it is the first written from the point of view of a Caucasian. Set in 1958, Marlee is one of those kids who doesn't want to draw any attention to herself; so she doesn't talk (except to her sister and brother)! She's a math wiz, however, and uses the repetition of prime numbers to keep her from feeling totally over-whelmed. And then she meets Liz, and for the first time in all of her years of school, she has a friend. Liz is bright, bold, and unknown by Marlee, an African American passing as white. The novel shows that it is possible for a 12 year old to take a stand on something s/he believes to be the correct course to follow. This would pair nicely with Fire In The Rock by Sharon Draper.

Black Boy White School 246 Pages

When I first got into Brian Walker's book, I was VERY hesitant to continue reading and even more so to write about it in this blog. The use of the "N" word seemed more than harsh and grating. I started asking myself, "Why does it seem to be okay for black people to call each other by this term, but white people are viewed as offensive when they use the word?" Then I thought of all of the Jewish comics who made Jewish jokes that seemed funny to Jews, but might not have seemed so funny if gentiles were saying them. Hmmm, so it's okay for us to poke fun/laugh at ourselves, but people outside of "the fold" had better not? Anthony is one of a few African Americans attending a prep school in Maine. What happens is that he finds he doesn't feel comfortable at school and he then doesn't feel comfortable at home. When he is at school, he misses home, and when he is at home he misses school. This book will evoke much needed conversation about racism in America....even in Maine!

I'll Be There 392 Pages

Holly Goldberg Sloan has written a wonderful read for both boys' and girls' enjoyment. It is about two young boys, Sam and Riddle.Sam is 14 and Riddle is much younger. Riddle has several things going against him: he doesn't speak, he has terrible asthma, and he has never been to school. Sam has never been to school either, and he has assumed the responsibility for keeping his brother alive. Their father is an ex-con and an alcoholic. So when their mother dies, he decides to take the two boys, pack them up in his truck, and hit the road. They keep moving as the father would steal license plates from cars, jewelry from homes, and anything else he could easily get his hands on without creating too much suspicion. And then Sam meets Emily, and everything changes for both boys. But when their father discovers just what this meeting has meant to the boys, all hell breaks loose.He has a plan to drive out of state,into a deserted area and kill both boys. Your students will love this book.