Reunited (325 Pages)

Hilary Weisman Graham has written a terrific novel about friends and frienimies.  I know that really isn't a word, but one of my kids made it up about one of her friends with whom she had an on again/off again friendship. One day they were BFFs, and the next they were enemies. Here is a book that is about the relationship of three girls who are best friends in middle school, and then they go separate ways in high school  Their middle school years are spent listening to the band Level 3, and imagining relationships with the boys in the band. Then the band breaks up, and as though it was the glue that cemented the girls' friendship. The book shoots ahead four years, and the girls are about to graduate, when Alice hears that the band is going to have a one time concert. Alice decides that this would be enough to bring the girls together. Alice, Summer, and Tiernan, do get back together (sort of) and commence to take the "Pea Pod," an old VW green bus Alice's parents own and traveled in when they were young. Readers will laugh and sympathize with the results. It is a fun read!

the realm of possibilities (210 Pages)

David Levithan has written a terrific book for YA readers. In the realm of possibilities characters come alive as they seem to represent all of the possible roles, worries, loves, interests, and concerns of high school students today. The book is written in free verse, each poem being the voice of a particular student. There is the voice of the "jock", the voice of the student who is coming out of the closet, but my very favorite "The Patron Saint of Stoners" made me cry. It is a wonderful poem that covers, love, loyalty, and the understanding of a person's character by one teen about another. If this is the only poem you read, I urge you to read it. The poem is on page 127 in my paper back copy. I won't say another word about it, because I don't want to give anything away!

Before I Fall (470 Pages)

Ok, you folks better sit down, because this is going to be my very rare negative review. Lauren Oliver has written several YA books, but this one was just plain weird! First of all, I think the message for YA readers is all wrong. The main character, Samantha, dies in a car accident. Then she dies again and again and again. Each death varies a little, but she wakes up in her bed, in her home, at her school. Her relationship with her friends will probably read as very familiar to today's students, those relationships being positive and some may think as negative. Her relationship with her family will ring likewise. Yes, she does some really good things. Yes, she shows love and caring to her little sister. Yes, she finally comes to her senses about her boyfriend. But I felt that in spite of these things, Sam sort of glorifies death. We have too many kids today who need to know that with suicide people don't mourn forever. They get on with living. Every time a young person dies, as sad as it is, life goes on. Others may read this book differently, and I would love to hear their comments.

Every Day (322 Pages)

In this book, David Levithan has created a fantasy in which a sixteen year old high school boy (known only as A) wakes up in a different body. some days he's a boy; other days he's a girl. Some days he's in the body of a drug abuser; some days he's in the body of a person who is gay. But the one day that creates a problem for him is the day he's in the body of another junior boy who is "going with" a girl that A finds very attractive. That one day he falls in love with her. They spend most of the day at the beach, where he is much sweeter to her than her boyfriend could ever be. But he'll never be that boy again. Regardless of the body he's in, A keeps in touch via email with this girl. Eventually he tells her about his situation. They see each other again, but this time he's a girl. This is a very strange book. While reading it, the reader knows this could never happen, but in spite of that, the characters seem so real, that it's forgotten. Very interesting....

Shelter (304 Pages)

OK, so without input from you guys, I'd probably continue along life's path sublimely making mistakes and never knowing what I'd done. Friend and former student, Katie, informed me that I'd read Harlan Coben's book Seconds Away before reading the book that came first in what is bound to be a wonderful series. Shelter is the book that introduces the reader to Mickey Bolitar and his friends. It sets up the background information for Seconds Away. This book will be enjoyed by both boys and girls. It is exciting, fast moving, and interesting. One of the things I found interesting was the explanation of The Bat Lady who is Lizzy Sobek, the young girl who escaped from Auchwitz during WW II. I also found out about the Abeona Society, a group committed to "saving" young girls who are in a dangerous life situation. Mickey's mother and father were working for this society all around the world,  before moving to a town and settling down. It is here that Mickey makes a commitment to continue his Dad's work. Enjoy!

Beautiful Lies ( 422 Pages)

Jessica Warman has written an incredible book about two identical twin girls. Now, I had two sets of identical twins in my class in high school. As I got to know them, I was always able to tell them apart, but my teachers couldn't. So they switched places every once in a while. Often on April 1st, but sometimes on other days as well.  But in this wonderful new read, Alice and Rachel have more in common than just looks. They are able to literally feel each other's hurt.  Rachel disappears as the twins are with friends at a local fair. Alice knows something horrible has happened to her. Now, Alice is the one who always seems to get in trouble, feel angry, struggle with school work. So with Rachel's disappearance, Alice becomes Rachel to everyone else. When raw marks appear on her wrists, and bruises appear on her face, she makes sure to cover them up. She explains that as embryos they shared the same amniotic sac, and that is why they feel each other's pain. The switch will be a surprise to some readers, and I'm not going to talk about the end of the book, but I was so amazed by the ending that I found myself going back and reading it a second time, and then a day after finishing it, I went back and read the end again! It's quite a read!

The Story of My Thinking- Professional Book

This book, co-written by Gretchen Bernabei and Dottie Hall, gives teachers expository writing activities for 13 teaching situations. It is definitely for secondary teachers who are trying to move away from the 5 paragraph essay, yet maintain strong writing. With direct links to CCCS, the book assures teachers that it is not only possible, but desirable to create academic writing that has voice, narrative, addresses audience, and is interesting to read!  Early in the book the authors say,"This book is for teachers who need a lesson, but don't have time to read a book before applying it!" Included are such fun lessons as giving students paper plates, telephone answer pads, coffee filters and more to write their own "indelible moments" on. Indelible moments  is an idea from Tom Romano, and I think it's a great one to keep in mind. Believe me when I say that the book is filled with absolutely yummy teaching ideas that will help your students' writing improve AND have fun doing so!