Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde.
Freak the Mighty by Philbrick
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (I would consider it an “adult title” for YAs).
Born Blue by Han Nolan
Finding Fish: A Memoir by Antwone Fisher? It's along the Dave Pelzer lines, but with the movie as an extra programming tool. Also, Fisher's poetry book, "Who Will Cry for the Little Boy" is recommended in the Patrick Jones book, Connecting Young Adults and Libraries. Dave Pelzer's brother, Richard, also has a book out called A Brother's Journey: Surviving a Childhood of Abuse
Some of Torey Hayden's books might also work for kids who want to read more like Pelzer's books. Crying, shuddering, and screaming are all suitable reactions to what's happened to some of the kids she writes about.
If your students like to read all the Pelzer books, they will also like to read Wayne: An Abused Child's Story of Courage, Survival, and Hope by Wayne Theodore. He also writes about his first hand experience as an abused child. This book will not stay on the shelf. It is a real tearjerker.
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Inside Out, Terry Trueman…cried at the end!
Rilla of Ingleside - several parts toward the end of the book always have me in floods.
Also, I'd suggest two by Ellen Emerson White: Long Live the Queen, and The Road Home.
Not a tear jerker...but a real gut ripper is 'A Child Called It" and its sequels by David Pelzer.
Ordinary People by Judith Guest (The tears still fall after 30 yrs)
Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter (I dare anyone to read this and not cry)
Maybe it was just me, but I balled at the before/after transition in Looking for Alaska! I do think that this might fit your list though, because it is a stark view of teens greiving the loss of a friend.
I second anything by Sharon Creech. I just finished -The Wanderer- and last summer I read -Walk Two Moons- and both brought tears to my eyes!!
Also any book by Lurlene McDaniel
Jordan Sonnenblick's Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie
Philip Pullman's The Amber Spyglass
Wilborn Hampton's September 11, 2001: attack on New York City
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
For boys: Over the Wall, Touching Spirit Bear
For girls: The Devil's Arithmetic, Searching for David's Heart
The Great God Pan by Napoli. I don't want to spoil it, but it involves parent angst (Pan & his father) and also Pan & a human, Iphigenia.
I am so with you on Nicholas Sparks! A Walk to Remember is my absolute favorite book, and I always end up bawling even though I've read the book and seen the movie a thousand times. I would second someone's suggestion of Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson. He has another book, Sam's Letters to Jennifer that is similar to Suzanne's Diary- although I have not finished it yet, so I can't say whether or not it made me cry (but since I've also been known to cry over commercials as well, I'm sure I'll be crying!)
Adult book read by teens: I cried and actually threw the book across the room when I read _The Things They Carried_ by Tim O'Brien. It was the story about the water buffalo. I did pick the book up and finish reading and crying later on.
Kids' book: My daughter cried so hard during _Where the Red Fern Grows_ by Wilson Rawls that she got a nose bleed. She also cried during _Bud, Not Buddy_ by Christopher Paul Curtis and _Love That Dog_ by Sharon Creech.
Earthshine by Theresa Nelson for an older title.
I just finished Looking for Alaska by John Green yesterday and had to explain to my boss while I was sitting at my desk crying.
First They Killed My Father by Luong Ung - this is one of the most wrenching things I've ever read. I saw in Booklist that the sequel just came out, so I need to get my hands on that, too.
How Far Would You Have Gotten If I Hadn’t Called You Back? by Valerie Hobbs
More Than You Know by Beth Gutcheon (not YA, but adult with YA appeal)
Rilla of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery (I read this multiple times as a teen and cried fountains everytime)
Hanging on to Max made me cry... a lot
Say Goodnight Gracie made me sob when I was a teen.
How about an oldie: Flowers for Algernon.
"Stop Pretending: what happened when my big sister went crazy" by Sonya Sones
PUSH by Sapphire: It's a killer, a true tear-jerker, but definitely only for more mature YAs. I am currently reading INVISIBLE by Pete Hautman and that's another extremely powerful & emotionally involving book for YAs! Would certainly be appropriate on the tear-jerker list.
A Time for Dancing by Hurwin
Sammy and Juliana in Hollywood--and I don't cry easily!
The Bell Jar
If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Whale Talk , Chris Crutcher
My Sister's Keeper
Letters from Wolfie by Patty Sherlock (for all of us dog lovers) and Behind You (sequel to If You Come Softly)
The Cure by Sonia Levitin
Sex Education by Jenny Davis
Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson
Though these are not really ya fiction, which is what I think of first for tearjerkers for teens, some teens might like:Modoc: The True Story of the Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived-wonderful non-fiction
Gingerbread made me tear up pretty good, but I cry from commercials as well... BUT, if you REALLY want to cry, have you read Faithful Elephants? This is a children's book, read out loud in one of my classes this semester. Needless to say, I had to walk out of the class to avoid sobbing.
Must your list only contain fiction? Irena Gut Opdyke's In My Hands definitely made me cry, as do all books about the Holocaust. 33 Snowfish (F by Adam Rapp) made me cry, too.
TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE and THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU MEET IN HEAVEN both by Mitch Albom
EMAKO BLUE by Brenda Woods
The Lovely Bones
Good night, Mr. Tom by Michelle Magorian
Imani all mine by Connie Porter
A child called it by Dave Pelzer
They cage the animals at night by Jennings Michael Burch
Hope Was Here_ by Joan Bauer
Oh, and Vanessa, my 15-year-old says she, "Cried like a baby at the end of the FIRE-US trilogy."
Bringing Up the Bones by Lara M. Zeises
Pat Conroy's The Great Santini
The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Moss
Saturday, March 12, 2005
Flamingnet February Enewsletter
Flamingnet Book Reviews Enewsletter
Topics:
1. New and Advance Book Reviews
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
3. New Word Challenge Section
4. Flamingnet Content Rating
5. Become A Flamingnet Student Reviewer
5. How To Unsubscribe To Our Newsletter
1. New and Advance Books Recently Reviewed On Flamingnet
DELIVER US FROM NORMAL Kate Klise
What is normal, anyway? Kate Klise's book Deliver Us from Normal is an intriguing, adolescent view on what normal is and why it is
so important to children and teenagers.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=132Fdaw
ANACAEONA Edwidge Danticat
Quisqueya is the name of the land currently called Haiti, and the time now is 1490. Anacaona is a young lady, and heir with her brother Behechio to the throne of Xaragua, a section of Quisqueya. Anacaona gets her hair cut off, a Native American ritual sending her into adulthood. Now that she is in adulthood, she can marry. Caonabo', the chief of the land of Maguana, which is a different section of Quisqueya, is looking for a wife, and he chooses Anacaona.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=232Fdaw
HOW TO BECOME A PIRATE Cressida Cowell
Poor Hiccup. He wants to be as good a Viking pirate as his father, Stoick the Vast, but his absolutely average size makes Pirate Training Lessons harder than he thought. But with the help of his best friend Fishlegs and his loyal, if sometimes sulky, pet dragon Toothless, Hiccup is destined for great swordfights, meetings with mysterious strangers, and hilarious treasure- seeking adventures as he learns "How to Be a Pirate."
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=332Fdaw
HUNTER JoyCowley
Jordan and her brothers, Baxter and Robbie, are flying on a small plane, and they crash. Baxter has suffered some wounds in his arm. They all are hungry. They know they are miles away from civilization, so they have to survive on their own. Yet, they are not completely on their own.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=432Fdaw
MILLICENT'S GIFT Ann Rinaldi
Millicent is a fourteen-year-old girl with an incredible power. Millicent can do magic, and when she is fifteen she will have a wish that will absolutely have to come true. Of course, what should the wish be? Millicent comes to an extreme conflict. Should she use her wish for friendship, brotherhood, or for something she would want?
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=532Fdaw
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE Wendy Mass
Mia has a perfectly harmless yet rare condition where sights and sounds have a color in her head. Whenever she hears a noise, a color streaks across her vision. She has had trouble in school trying to figure out how numbers can be added together to get another number. To Mia the corresponding number they add up to does not match the color that the original numbers were. As long as she has known about it she has kept it a secret, until now.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=632Fdaw
CHILDREN OF THE LAMP P. B. Kerr
John and Philippa are twelve-year old twins that live in New York with a seemingly perfect mother and a short businessman father. It all starts with a trip to the dentist where John and Philippa find that they have to have their wisdom teeth removed. While they are under anesthesia, their djinn-uncle Nimrod puts himself into their dreams and tells them to meet him in London. The kids mysteriously convince their mother and when they ask their father, he seems scared to say no. When they meet their Uncle Nimrod, their mother's brother, they find out that their mothers side of the family is djinn. This means that they have magical powers.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=732Fdaw
GODS AND GENERALS Jeff Shaara
This prequel to The Killer Angels begins before the start of the Civil War; it goes all the way through the first part of the war and stops at the beginning of Gettysburg. It mainly follows four men, Robert E. Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. The reader learns about their personal lives and the lives they led as soldiers. Jeff Shaara turns these men's years as soldiers into a beautifully told story that educates as well as entertains.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=832Fdaw
LORD OF THE KILL Theodore Taylor
Ben's parents have left on a trip to India to do a story about Bengal tiger poachers. Ben's father is a conservationist that has made many people mad with his actions to stop the illegal killing of tigers. They leave Ben, their 18-year- old son in charge of the family's Los Coyotes Big Cat Preserve. Ben handles the responsibility well, and the job is easy, until someone breaks into the preserve.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=932Fdaw
SUPERNATURALIST Eoin Colfer
The book takes place in the future. It starts when Cosmo Hill, formerly an inmate in the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, escapes to a group that calls themselves Supernaturalists. The group now has four members, Cosmo, Mona, Ditto, and Stefan. What they all have in common is the ability to see a creature that they have named Parasites. They are supposedly sucking the last bits of life that injured people have left in them. The Supernaturalists fight these creatures by rushing to places where people have just been injured to ward of the Parasites with their electric rods. Soon, though, a person will give them information that will challenge what they are fighting for.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=1032Fdaw
3. New Word Challenge Section
On our home page, www.flamingnet.com, we have added a new link to a Word Challenge on our sister site, Laurensland.com. We have a database of over 6000 vocabulary words, many that appear on standardized tests. Students are presented a defintion and given four choices. For members of Laurensland.com there are two other vocabulary sections that include more difficult words with definition and context clues.
4. Flamingnet Content Rating (FCR)
Flamingnet feels that it is beneficial for readers, and those selecting and recommending books to preteens, teens and young adults, to have some idea about the sexual, drug and violent content of the books they are considering. Flamingnet Book Reviews, besides reviewing books, also rates books on content. Our content rating helps people determine the appropriateness of a particular book for a particular reader or group of readers. Our content rating system does not deal with the reading level of the book, just the content of the book. The vast majority of the books on our site are rated a FCR of 1, however, there are a few books on site that have a FCR of 2 or 3.
5. Become A Flamingnet Student Reviewers
We would like to thank those of you who have suggested students to us who are interested in becoming a Flaminget Student Reviewer. We still have a few more openings if there are others who have interested students who you feel would enjoy reviewing new and advance books for Flamingnet. Besides getting to see their review published on the Internet, in most cases the students can keep the book that they reviewed. For every five books they review, we send them a $15.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. There is a link on the home page of our web site where interested students can fill out an application to become a Flamingnet Student Reviewer.
6. To Unsubscribe
We promise not to send this too often or make it too wordy. We are dedicated to informing you about preteen, teen, and young adult books that you may want to know about. We would be disappointed if you choose to unsubscribe to this e-newsletter but if you would like us to remove you from our mailing list, simply email us back and ask to be unsubscribed.
Thank you!
Gary and Seth
webmasters@flamingnet.com
www.flamingnet.com
Topics:
1. New and Advance Book Reviews
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
3. New Word Challenge Section
4. Flamingnet Content Rating
5. Become A Flamingnet Student Reviewer
5. How To Unsubscribe To Our Newsletter
1. New and Advance Books Recently Reviewed On Flamingnet
DELIVER US FROM NORMAL Kate Klise
What is normal, anyway? Kate Klise's book Deliver Us from Normal is an intriguing, adolescent view on what normal is and why it is
so important to children and teenagers.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=132Fdaw
ANACAEONA Edwidge Danticat
Quisqueya is the name of the land currently called Haiti, and the time now is 1490. Anacaona is a young lady, and heir with her brother Behechio to the throne of Xaragua, a section of Quisqueya. Anacaona gets her hair cut off, a Native American ritual sending her into adulthood. Now that she is in adulthood, she can marry. Caonabo', the chief of the land of Maguana, which is a different section of Quisqueya, is looking for a wife, and he chooses Anacaona.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=232Fdaw
HOW TO BECOME A PIRATE Cressida Cowell
Poor Hiccup. He wants to be as good a Viking pirate as his father, Stoick the Vast, but his absolutely average size makes Pirate Training Lessons harder than he thought. But with the help of his best friend Fishlegs and his loyal, if sometimes sulky, pet dragon Toothless, Hiccup is destined for great swordfights, meetings with mysterious strangers, and hilarious treasure- seeking adventures as he learns "How to Be a Pirate."
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=332Fdaw
HUNTER JoyCowley
Jordan and her brothers, Baxter and Robbie, are flying on a small plane, and they crash. Baxter has suffered some wounds in his arm. They all are hungry. They know they are miles away from civilization, so they have to survive on their own. Yet, they are not completely on their own.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=432Fdaw
MILLICENT'S GIFT Ann Rinaldi
Millicent is a fourteen-year-old girl with an incredible power. Millicent can do magic, and when she is fifteen she will have a wish that will absolutely have to come true. Of course, what should the wish be? Millicent comes to an extreme conflict. Should she use her wish for friendship, brotherhood, or for something she would want?
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=532Fdaw
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
A MANGO-SHAPED SPACE Wendy Mass
Mia has a perfectly harmless yet rare condition where sights and sounds have a color in her head. Whenever she hears a noise, a color streaks across her vision. She has had trouble in school trying to figure out how numbers can be added together to get another number. To Mia the corresponding number they add up to does not match the color that the original numbers were. As long as she has known about it she has kept it a secret, until now.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=632Fdaw
CHILDREN OF THE LAMP P. B. Kerr
John and Philippa are twelve-year old twins that live in New York with a seemingly perfect mother and a short businessman father. It all starts with a trip to the dentist where John and Philippa find that they have to have their wisdom teeth removed. While they are under anesthesia, their djinn-uncle Nimrod puts himself into their dreams and tells them to meet him in London. The kids mysteriously convince their mother and when they ask their father, he seems scared to say no. When they meet their Uncle Nimrod, their mother's brother, they find out that their mothers side of the family is djinn. This means that they have magical powers.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=732Fdaw
GODS AND GENERALS Jeff Shaara
This prequel to The Killer Angels begins before the start of the Civil War; it goes all the way through the first part of the war and stops at the beginning of Gettysburg. It mainly follows four men, Robert E. Lee, Winfield Scott Hancock, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, and Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. The reader learns about their personal lives and the lives they led as soldiers. Jeff Shaara turns these men's years as soldiers into a beautifully told story that educates as well as entertains.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=832Fdaw
LORD OF THE KILL Theodore Taylor
Ben's parents have left on a trip to India to do a story about Bengal tiger poachers. Ben's father is a conservationist that has made many people mad with his actions to stop the illegal killing of tigers. They leave Ben, their 18-year- old son in charge of the family's Los Coyotes Big Cat Preserve. Ben handles the responsibility well, and the job is easy, until someone breaks into the preserve.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=932Fdaw
SUPERNATURALIST Eoin Colfer
The book takes place in the future. It starts when Cosmo Hill, formerly an inmate in the Clarissa Frayne Institute for Parentally Challenged Boys, escapes to a group that calls themselves Supernaturalists. The group now has four members, Cosmo, Mona, Ditto, and Stefan. What they all have in common is the ability to see a creature that they have named Parasites. They are supposedly sucking the last bits of life that injured people have left in them. The Supernaturalists fight these creatures by rushing to places where people have just been injured to ward of the Parasites with their electric rods. Soon, though, a person will give them information that will challenge what they are fighting for.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/205.cfm?enb=1032Fdaw
3. New Word Challenge Section
On our home page, www.flamingnet.com, we have added a new link to a Word Challenge on our sister site, Laurensland.com. We have a database of over 6000 vocabulary words, many that appear on standardized tests. Students are presented a defintion and given four choices. For members of Laurensland.com there are two other vocabulary sections that include more difficult words with definition and context clues.
4. Flamingnet Content Rating (FCR)
Flamingnet feels that it is beneficial for readers, and those selecting and recommending books to preteens, teens and young adults, to have some idea about the sexual, drug and violent content of the books they are considering. Flamingnet Book Reviews, besides reviewing books, also rates books on content. Our content rating helps people determine the appropriateness of a particular book for a particular reader or group of readers. Our content rating system does not deal with the reading level of the book, just the content of the book. The vast majority of the books on our site are rated a FCR of 1, however, there are a few books on site that have a FCR of 2 or 3.
5. Become A Flamingnet Student Reviewers
We would like to thank those of you who have suggested students to us who are interested in becoming a Flaminget Student Reviewer. We still have a few more openings if there are others who have interested students who you feel would enjoy reviewing new and advance books for Flamingnet. Besides getting to see their review published on the Internet, in most cases the students can keep the book that they reviewed. For every five books they review, we send them a $15.00 gift certificate to Amazon.com. There is a link on the home page of our web site where interested students can fill out an application to become a Flamingnet Student Reviewer.
6. To Unsubscribe
We promise not to send this too often or make it too wordy. We are dedicated to informing you about preteen, teen, and young adult books that you may want to know about. We would be disappointed if you choose to unsubscribe to this e-newsletter but if you would like us to remove you from our mailing list, simply email us back and ask to be unsubscribed.
Thank you!
Gary and Seth
webmasters@flamingnet.com
www.flamingnet.com
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen
Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen is about two children named Bryce and Julianna who grow up across the street from one another. Each chapter changes back and forth between Bryce and Julianna telling their story. Julianna raises chickens in her yard and sells eggs to all of her neighbors because her family needs the money. She gives the eggs free to Bryce because she likes him. Bryce does not want the eggs because he does not like her and feels they may be diseased. He does not tell her because he does not want to hurt her feelings so he throws them away every morning. One morning after Julianna has delivered the eggs she catches Bryce throwing them away. The story then flips and Bryce tries to win Julianna back because he realizes that she is a kind person and has a lot of feelings.
I liked this book but definitely feel that it is a "girl's book."
by Sister-of-Flamingnet
I liked this book but definitely feel that it is a "girl's book."
by Sister-of-Flamingnet
Tuesday, February 15, 2005
SUGGESTIONS FOR 6TH GRADE GIRLS
From Yalsa Listserv
East by Edith PattouColibri by Ann CameronAshes of Roses by Mary Jane AuchInkheart by Cornelia FunkeI Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee WilsonA Girl Named Disaster by Nancy FarmerTangled Threads by Pegi Deitz SheaZazoo by Richard MosherHeir Apparent by Vivian Vande VeldeEsperanza Rising and Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz RyanOnce Upon a Marigold by Jean FerrisAngel on the Square, Homeless Bird and others by Gloria WhelanWitch Child, Sorceress, and Pirates by Celia ReesChinese Cinderella : The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mahany Sharon CreechHow about these oldies but goodies:The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George SpeareUp a Road Slowly by Irene HuntRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. TaylorThe Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Jaqueline Woodson, Cormier's _THE RAG AND BONE SHOP_,some of the newer Konigsburg titles (_SILENT TO THEBONE_, _OUTCASTS OF SCHUYLER PLACE_), Mildred Taylor,Virginia Hamilton, Joan Bauer, Jerry Spinelli.
A great crying book is A Time for Dancing by DavidaHurwinI love Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen. It's awonderful coming of age story.The Sammy Keyes series are part real-life, partmystery.
*The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread (grown-up's fairy tale)
*Crispin, The Cross of Lead (great action)
*A Single Shard (very sensitive)
*Bud, Not Buddy (very "quest-like")
*Out of the Dust (sad, upbeat)
*The View from Saturday (a great Battle of the Books type)
*The Midwife's Apprentice (enough "yuck" for the boys)
*Walk Two Moons
*Hatchet (for adventure)
*An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (don't read this while eating a bowl of spaghetti)
*Island of the Blue Dolphins
*Where the Red Fern Grows
*The Secret Garden
and my two latest "favorites"...
*Coraline (I had no fingernails left after this one)
*The Thief Lord (magical)
And you can't beat "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown" for old-fashioned fun.
- The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty - I don't rememberanything offensive in this book but there may have been some language (Itend to miss those words for some reason)- Out of the Dust - Karen Hesse- Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine PatersonMaybe too obvious but L.M. Montgomery's books:- The entire Anne of Green Gables series, especially Anne of the Islandand Rilla of Ingleside (will definitely make them cry!).- The Emily of New Moon series - I remember several of my friendsbawling over these back in sixth grade, but they did nothing for me- The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - no one seems to have heard ofthis one, but it's Montgomery's most feminist work (for the time, not somuch at all any more!)Fantasy but with a real-life feel:- Beauty by Robin McKinley- East by Edith Pattou- The Theif Lord - Cornelia Funke
I just finished THE LEGEND OF BUDDY BUSH (Sheila Moses) and it did all those things. I think it would be a great title for 6th graders. Really well done.
What about A VIEW FROM SATURDAY (Konigsburg)? That's a great story. Not so sad but about real life and tons of fun.
Hesse's WITNESS might work too and also ALEUTIAN SPARROW.
A Year Down Yonder - Richard PeckWalk Two Moons - Sarah CreechNumber the Stars - Lois LowryJacob Have I Loved - Katherine PatersonA Ring of Endless Light - Madeline L'Engle
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt, and LOVED it and feel it would be terrific for your group. If only the cover was half as enticing as the book is great.
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
The Misfits by James Howe
Hope Was Here By Joan Bauer
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Any Sharon Creech
Any Sonia Sones
Sahara Special by Esme Raji CodellPictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly GiffHoot by Carl HiassenHush by Jacqueline WoodsonLeon's Story by Leon Walter Tillage (nonfiction)
Sahara Special by Esme Raji CodellPictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly GiffHoot by Carl HiassenHush by Jacqueline WoodsonLeon's Story by Leon Walter Tillage (nonfiction)
Ida B
East by Edith PattouColibri by Ann CameronAshes of Roses by Mary Jane AuchInkheart by Cornelia FunkeI Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade by Diane Lee WilsonA Girl Named Disaster by Nancy FarmerTangled Threads by Pegi Deitz SheaZazoo by Richard MosherHeir Apparent by Vivian Vande VeldeEsperanza Rising and Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz RyanOnce Upon a Marigold by Jean FerrisAngel on the Square, Homeless Bird and others by Gloria WhelanWitch Child, Sorceress, and Pirates by Celia ReesChinese Cinderella : The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mahany Sharon CreechHow about these oldies but goodies:The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George SpeareUp a Road Slowly by Irene HuntRoll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. TaylorThe Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Jaqueline Woodson, Cormier's _THE RAG AND BONE SHOP_,some of the newer Konigsburg titles (_SILENT TO THEBONE_, _OUTCASTS OF SCHUYLER PLACE_), Mildred Taylor,Virginia Hamilton, Joan Bauer, Jerry Spinelli.
A great crying book is A Time for Dancing by DavidaHurwinI love Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen. It's awonderful coming of age story.The Sammy Keyes series are part real-life, partmystery.
*The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread (grown-up's fairy tale)
*Crispin, The Cross of Lead (great action)
*A Single Shard (very sensitive)
*Bud, Not Buddy (very "quest-like")
*Out of the Dust (sad, upbeat)
*The View from Saturday (a great Battle of the Books type)
*The Midwife's Apprentice (enough "yuck" for the boys)
*Walk Two Moons
*Hatchet (for adventure)
*An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 (don't read this while eating a bowl of spaghetti)
*Island of the Blue Dolphins
*Where the Red Fern Grows
*The Secret Garden
and my two latest "favorites"...
*Coraline (I had no fingernails left after this one)
*The Thief Lord (magical)
And you can't beat "Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown" for old-fashioned fun.
- The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty - I don't rememberanything offensive in this book but there may have been some language (Itend to miss those words for some reason)- Out of the Dust - Karen Hesse- Bridge to Terabithia - Katherine PatersonMaybe too obvious but L.M. Montgomery's books:- The entire Anne of Green Gables series, especially Anne of the Islandand Rilla of Ingleside (will definitely make them cry!).- The Emily of New Moon series - I remember several of my friendsbawling over these back in sixth grade, but they did nothing for me- The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery - no one seems to have heard ofthis one, but it's Montgomery's most feminist work (for the time, not somuch at all any more!)Fantasy but with a real-life feel:- Beauty by Robin McKinley- East by Edith Pattou- The Theif Lord - Cornelia Funke
I just finished THE LEGEND OF BUDDY BUSH (Sheila Moses) and it did all those things. I think it would be a great title for 6th graders. Really well done.
What about A VIEW FROM SATURDAY (Konigsburg)? That's a great story. Not so sad but about real life and tons of fun.
Hesse's WITNESS might work too and also ALEUTIAN SPARROW.
A Year Down Yonder - Richard PeckWalk Two Moons - Sarah CreechNumber the Stars - Lois LowryJacob Have I Loved - Katherine PatersonA Ring of Endless Light - Madeline L'Engle
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary Schmidt, and LOVED it and feel it would be terrific for your group. If only the cover was half as enticing as the book is great.
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
The Misfits by James Howe
Hope Was Here By Joan Bauer
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Any Sharon Creech
Any Sonia Sones
Sahara Special by Esme Raji CodellPictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly GiffHoot by Carl HiassenHush by Jacqueline WoodsonLeon's Story by Leon Walter Tillage (nonfiction)
Sahara Special by Esme Raji CodellPictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly GiffHoot by Carl HiassenHush by Jacqueline WoodsonLeon's Story by Leon Walter Tillage (nonfiction)
Ida B
Saturday, February 12, 2005
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo
Kensuke's Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo is a twist on "the castaway landing on a deserted island" theme, a Robinson Crusoe like story set after World War II. My daughter and I just finished it. She is in seventh grade and found the way the boy comes to the island, as well as the ending, a bit hard to accept. I must agree, especially the ending. The interactions between Kensuke and the castaway, Michael, are interesting and make the reader think about what they would do in similar circumstances. The initial language barrier was an intriguing obstacle that was overcome within a rather short period of time, thanks to Morpurgo's creativeness within the story. Overall, we both enjoyed this book and recommend it as an easy, enjoyable read for fourth and fifth graders, or for reluctant readers. It is also for readers seeking a Hi/Lo book.
Flamingnet January Enewsletter
Flamingnet Book Reviews Enewsletter
Topics:
1. New and Advance Book Reviews
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
3. Student Reviewers
4. Please Tell Your Students and Friends
5. How To Unsubscribe To Our Newsletter
1. New and Advance Book Recently Reviewed On Flamingnet
THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK
Stuart Hill
Stuart Hill's first novel, The Cry of the Icemark, is a brilliantly written tale of destiny and personal discovery. It concerns a fourteen year old princess, who after her father has just died in battle, finds herself ruler of a country on the brink of war. With the help of a witch's son she makes allies with Vampires, Snow Leopards and Werewolves who agree to join her in her battle against a greedy, unstoppable nation.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=132Fdaw
CHASING THE FALCONERS Gordon Korman
Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman is the exciting first book in a series of non-fiction action tales. Despite the drab and misleading cover, this book is filled with suspense and adventure. Aiden and Meg Falconer are being punished for their parents' crime of treason by living in the custody of the "supes" at Sunnydale Farm, a Juvenile Detention Center. Upon escaping this horrible lifestyle, they transform from innocent, high society children, to young fugitives on a mission to prove their parents' innocence.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=232Fdaw
SMILER'S BONES Peter Lerangis
Famous Artic explorer, Robert Peary, takes a young Eskimo, Minik, and five other Eskimos from their native land. Peary brings them to New York City to be presented at the American Museum of Natural History. They are treated like circus acts, and soon four of the six Eskimos are dead including Minik's father, Smiler. Out of the two remaining, one goes back to Greenland, leaving Minik in New York City. The story tells of the unjust way Minik was treated and how it ruined his life forever.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=332Fdaw
SHADOW LIFE Barry Denenberg
The story of Anne Frank is told through her sister's eyes in a fascinating and compelling tale of the human will to live. Author Barry Denenberg's masterful portrayal of realities for Jews living during the WWII era makes for a fascinating read. Denenberg fills readers in on historical facts and goes on to re-create the diary of Margot, the sister of Anne Frank. The final sections of this book shed new light on the fates of Anne and her companions from 263 Prinsengracht.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=432Fdaw
DOCTOR ILLUMINATUS Martin Booth
Pip and Tim move into an ancient English home, Rawne Barton, built in 1422. As soon is they are settled they notice that there is another person in the house. They uncover a boy, Sebastian, who has slept in the house for almost 600 years. The explanation he gives Pip and Tim is that his father was a great alchemist who fought an evil alchemist named de Loudéac. Also, he says that, just before Sebastian's father was going to be burned at the stake, around 1440, he told his son to continue his fight against de Loudéac. Now, in our modern day, Sebastian tells Pip and Tim that he needs their help to defeat de Loudéac who has slept just like Sebastian so that he may live longer.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=532Fdaw
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
UNDER THE SUN Arthur Dorros
Ehmet lives in the Bosnian town of Sarajevo during their civil war. When his father tries to send he and his mother to a safer place, his mother ends up dying and Ehmet must survive on his own. He hears from a friend that there is a place where orphaned children are living in peace and helping to rebuild a village and their lives. Ehmet makes his way through war torn Bosnia looking for this haven of peace. This is an excellent book that all our reviewers loved!
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=632Fdaw
INTO THE ABYSS David Marsh
Ashlyn and Autumn Miller live in their grandmother's house on the coast of Oregon because both of their parents have died. One day the two siblings are exploring Deadman's Bluff down at the beach, when they are caught in a storm and almost drowned in a whirlpool. Miraculously, something in the water saves their lives. Soon, Ashlyn becomes aware of strange sounds inside his head. At first he thinks nothing of it, but before long the sounds turn into messages. He follows the messages and finds he has been chosen. He and Autumn venture into the bottom of the ocean and discover secrets beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=732Fdaw
TRUESIGHT David Stahler Jr.
Jacob is blind, his parents are blind, and everyone in his community is blind. Jacob lives on the planet Harmony, a place where everyone is genetically engineered to be blind. In his community they believe in the idea of Truesight, that sight corrupts people and leads them to have no values. As Jacob is preparing to find out his job for life, something strange starts to happen to Jacob and the world become much clearer than it was.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=832Fdaw
CHILDREN OF THE LAMP P.B. Kerr
This book is about the life of two young djinn, John and Philippa Gaunt. In a dream, their Uncle Nimrod tells them that they need to come to London immediately. Little did they no that a simple trip to see a relative would turn into a journey of self-discovery, adventure, terror, magic, and mystery.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=932Fdaw
HIDDEN TALENTS David Lubar
This book is about kids who in one way or another are strange. They are so strange that they are sent to an alternative school. This school is the end of the line as schools go. Martin, who is the main character in the book, has been thrown out of 3 schools, cub scouts, and his baseball team. This is the reason he ended up in the alternative school called Edgeview. At Edgeview he has to deal with bullies but he makes 5 new friends in the end. Just when it looks like the end of the road for Martin and his friends, they find out something that could change their lives forever.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=1032Fdaw
3. Student Reviewers
Flamingnet Student Reviewers work very hard to read, review and recommend books for the visitors to our web site. Currently we have about 20 student reviewers, from fifth grade to college. We are always looking for conscientious students who are good readers to review for Flamingnet. Please, therefore, email us if you know of students who would make good book reviewers and would be interested in applying to be Flamingnet Student Reviewers. If accepted, we would send them books to review, that in most cases they can keep. Each student reviewer must be sponsored by an adult who would be responsible to assure that their reviews were completed within 4 - 6 weeks from the time they received their book assignments.
4. Please Tell Your Students and Friends
Please spread the word about Flamingnet Book Reviews. The more we grow, the better we can become. http://www.flamingnet.com
5. To Unsubscribe
We promise not to send this to often or make it too wordy. We are dedicated to informing you about preteen, teen, and young adult books that you may want to know about. We would be disappointed if you choose to unsubscribe to this e-newsletter but if you would like us to remove you from our mailing list, simply email us back and ask to be unsubscribed.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Gary and Seth
Topics:
1. New and Advance Book Reviews
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
3. Student Reviewers
4. Please Tell Your Students and Friends
5. How To Unsubscribe To Our Newsletter
1. New and Advance Book Recently Reviewed On Flamingnet
THE CRY OF THE ICEMARK
Stuart Hill
Stuart Hill's first novel, The Cry of the Icemark, is a brilliantly written tale of destiny and personal discovery. It concerns a fourteen year old princess, who after her father has just died in battle, finds herself ruler of a country on the brink of war. With the help of a witch's son she makes allies with Vampires, Snow Leopards and Werewolves who agree to join her in her battle against a greedy, unstoppable nation.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=132Fdaw
CHASING THE FALCONERS Gordon Korman
Chasing the Falconers by Gordon Korman is the exciting first book in a series of non-fiction action tales. Despite the drab and misleading cover, this book is filled with suspense and adventure. Aiden and Meg Falconer are being punished for their parents' crime of treason by living in the custody of the "supes" at Sunnydale Farm, a Juvenile Detention Center. Upon escaping this horrible lifestyle, they transform from innocent, high society children, to young fugitives on a mission to prove their parents' innocence.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=232Fdaw
SMILER'S BONES Peter Lerangis
Famous Artic explorer, Robert Peary, takes a young Eskimo, Minik, and five other Eskimos from their native land. Peary brings them to New York City to be presented at the American Museum of Natural History. They are treated like circus acts, and soon four of the six Eskimos are dead including Minik's father, Smiler. Out of the two remaining, one goes back to Greenland, leaving Minik in New York City. The story tells of the unjust way Minik was treated and how it ruined his life forever.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=332Fdaw
SHADOW LIFE Barry Denenberg
The story of Anne Frank is told through her sister's eyes in a fascinating and compelling tale of the human will to live. Author Barry Denenberg's masterful portrayal of realities for Jews living during the WWII era makes for a fascinating read. Denenberg fills readers in on historical facts and goes on to re-create the diary of Margot, the sister of Anne Frank. The final sections of this book shed new light on the fates of Anne and her companions from 263 Prinsengracht.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=432Fdaw
DOCTOR ILLUMINATUS Martin Booth
Pip and Tim move into an ancient English home, Rawne Barton, built in 1422. As soon is they are settled they notice that there is another person in the house. They uncover a boy, Sebastian, who has slept in the house for almost 600 years. The explanation he gives Pip and Tim is that his father was a great alchemist who fought an evil alchemist named de Loudéac. Also, he says that, just before Sebastian's father was going to be burned at the stake, around 1440, he told his son to continue his fight against de Loudéac. Now, in our modern day, Sebastian tells Pip and Tim that he needs their help to defeat de Loudéac who has slept just like Sebastian so that he may live longer.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=532Fdaw
2. Other Recent Book Reviews
UNDER THE SUN Arthur Dorros
Ehmet lives in the Bosnian town of Sarajevo during their civil war. When his father tries to send he and his mother to a safer place, his mother ends up dying and Ehmet must survive on his own. He hears from a friend that there is a place where orphaned children are living in peace and helping to rebuild a village and their lives. Ehmet makes his way through war torn Bosnia looking for this haven of peace. This is an excellent book that all our reviewers loved!
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=632Fdaw
INTO THE ABYSS David Marsh
Ashlyn and Autumn Miller live in their grandmother's house on the coast of Oregon because both of their parents have died. One day the two siblings are exploring Deadman's Bluff down at the beach, when they are caught in a storm and almost drowned in a whirlpool. Miraculously, something in the water saves their lives. Soon, Ashlyn becomes aware of strange sounds inside his head. At first he thinks nothing of it, but before long the sounds turn into messages. He follows the messages and finds he has been chosen. He and Autumn venture into the bottom of the ocean and discover secrets beyond anyone's wildest dreams.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=732Fdaw
TRUESIGHT David Stahler Jr.
Jacob is blind, his parents are blind, and everyone in his community is blind. Jacob lives on the planet Harmony, a place where everyone is genetically engineered to be blind. In his community they believe in the idea of Truesight, that sight corrupts people and leads them to have no values. As Jacob is preparing to find out his job for life, something strange starts to happen to Jacob and the world become much clearer than it was.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=832Fdaw
CHILDREN OF THE LAMP P.B. Kerr
This book is about the life of two young djinn, John and Philippa Gaunt. In a dream, their Uncle Nimrod tells them that they need to come to London immediately. Little did they no that a simple trip to see a relative would turn into a journey of self-discovery, adventure, terror, magic, and mystery.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=932Fdaw
HIDDEN TALENTS David Lubar
This book is about kids who in one way or another are strange. They are so strange that they are sent to an alternative school. This school is the end of the line as schools go. Martin, who is the main character in the book, has been thrown out of 3 schools, cub scouts, and his baseball team. This is the reason he ended up in the alternative school called Edgeview. At Edgeview he has to deal with bullies but he makes 5 new friends in the end. Just when it looks like the end of the road for Martin and his friends, they find out something that could change their lives forever.
http://www.flamingnet.com/enewsletter/index.cfm?enb=1032Fdaw
3. Student Reviewers
Flamingnet Student Reviewers work very hard to read, review and recommend books for the visitors to our web site. Currently we have about 20 student reviewers, from fifth grade to college. We are always looking for conscientious students who are good readers to review for Flamingnet. Please, therefore, email us if you know of students who would make good book reviewers and would be interested in applying to be Flamingnet Student Reviewers. If accepted, we would send them books to review, that in most cases they can keep. Each student reviewer must be sponsored by an adult who would be responsible to assure that their reviews were completed within 4 - 6 weeks from the time they received their book assignments.
4. Please Tell Your Students and Friends
Please spread the word about Flamingnet Book Reviews. The more we grow, the better we can become. http://www.flamingnet.com
5. To Unsubscribe
We promise not to send this to often or make it too wordy. We are dedicated to informing you about preteen, teen, and young adult books that you may want to know about. We would be disappointed if you choose to unsubscribe to this e-newsletter but if you would like us to remove you from our mailing list, simply email us back and ask to be unsubscribed.
Happy New Year to everyone!
Gary and Seth
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
2004 Must-read Books From YALSA Listerserv
The Earth, My Butt and Other Big Round Things, Carolyn Mackler
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
East by Edith Pattou
My Heartbeat by Garrett Freymann-Weyr
Fat Kid Rules The World by K.L. Going
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau
Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
Godless by Hautman
Double Helix - Nancy Werlin
Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge
Alt Ed. By Catherine Atkins
Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
A Fast and Brutal Wing by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Al Capone Does My Shirts
How I Found the Strong
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
The Faerie Wars and its sequel The Purple Emperor by Herbie Brenan
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Pirates! by Celia Rees
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
The Beckoners by Carrie Mac
Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
Amaryllis by Craig Crist-Evans
Under the Sun by Arthur Dorros
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Mortal Engines and its sequel by Philip Reeve
Lord of the Nutcracker Men
The Lightkeeper's Daughter
B For Buster by Iain Lawrence
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick
The Fire Eaters by David Almond
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Witch Child by Celia Rees
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Saffy's Angel and Indigo's Star, by Hilary McKay
Sea of Trolls, Nancy Farmer
Feed, M.T. Anderson
An American Plague, Jim Murphy
The Gifts by Ursula Le Guin
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Sight by David Clement-Davies
Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt
The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams
Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor
Fat Kid Rules the World, KL Going
My Heartbeat, Garrett Freymann-Wehr
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks
The Weetzie Bat books by Francesca Lia Block
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
Zeises' Bringing Up the Bones
Flinn's Fade to Black (new)
Carolyn Mackler's Vegan Virgin Valentine
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
The Cup of the World by John Dickinson
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
My sister's Keeper (Jodi Piccoult)
Light on Snow (Shreve)
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Contents Under Pressure by Lara Zeises
Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt
Tithe by Holly Black
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
King of the Mild Frontier by Chris Crutcher
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain
Science by John Fleischman
In the Heart of the Sea by Nat Philbrick
Fight On: Mary Church Terrell's Battle For
Integration by Dennis Brindell Fradin
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Hopeless Savages and Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero by Jen Van Meter
Georgia Nicolson novel by Louise Rennison
Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson books such as A Parallel Universe of Liars.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier.
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
East by Edith Pattou
My Heartbeat by Garrett Freymann-Weyr
Fat Kid Rules The World by K.L. Going
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau
Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris
Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton
Godless by Hautman
Double Helix - Nancy Werlin
Stoner and Spaz by Ron Koertge
Alt Ed. By Catherine Atkins
Inventing Elliot by Graham Gardner
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
A Fast and Brutal Wing by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson
What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
Al Capone Does My Shirts
How I Found the Strong
So B. It by Sarah Weeks
House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta
Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos
The Faerie Wars and its sequel The Purple Emperor by Herbie Brenan
The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud
Pirates! by Celia Rees
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
The Beckoners by Carrie Mac
Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Sue Limb
Amaryllis by Craig Crist-Evans
Under the Sun by Arthur Dorros
The First Part Last by Angela Johnson
Mortal Engines and its sequel by Philip Reeve
Lord of the Nutcracker Men
The Lightkeeper's Daughter
B For Buster by Iain Lawrence
Honey, Baby, Sweetheart by Deb Caletti
Becoming Naomi Leon by Pam Munoz Ryan
Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
The Dark Horse by Marcus Sedgwick
The Fire Eaters by David Almond
The Ropemaker by Peter Dickinson
Witch Child by Celia Rees
One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies by Sonya Sones
Saffy's Angel and Indigo's Star, by Hilary McKay
Sea of Trolls, Nancy Farmer
Feed, M.T. Anderson
An American Plague, Jim Murphy
The Gifts by Ursula Le Guin
Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier
The Curious Incident Of the Dog In The Night-time by Mark Haddon
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseni
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Sight by David Clement-Davies
Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt
The Golden Hour by Maiya Williams
Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor
Fat Kid Rules the World, KL Going
My Heartbeat, Garrett Freymann-Wehr
True Confessions of a Heartless Girl by Martha Brooks
The Weetzie Bat books by Francesca Lia Block
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty
Zeises' Bringing Up the Bones
Flinn's Fade to Black (new)
Carolyn Mackler's Vegan Virgin Valentine
Luna by Julie Anne Peters
So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld
The Cup of the World by John Dickinson
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
My sister's Keeper (Jodi Piccoult)
Light on Snow (Shreve)
Born Confused by Tanuja Desai Hidier
Contents Under Pressure by Lara Zeises
Raising the Griffin by Melissa Wyatt
Tithe by Holly Black
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Geography Club by Brent Hartinger
King of the Mild Frontier by Chris Crutcher
Phineas Gage: A Gruesome But True Story About Brain
Science by John Fleischman
In the Heart of the Sea by Nat Philbrick
Fight On: Mary Church Terrell's Battle For
Integration by Dennis Brindell Fradin
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray by Chris Wooding
Hopeless Savages and Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero by Jen Van Meter
Georgia Nicolson novel by Louise Rennison
Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson books such as A Parallel Universe of Liars.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Book Like Alex Rider
Books like Alex Rider
(another list courtesy of the brain trust of the YALSA listserv)
Tomorrow When the War Began (series) by John Marsden
Pendragon series (MacHale)
Cirque du Freak (series) by Shan
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Temple by Matthew Reilly
Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly
Where Eagles Dare by Alistair Maclean
Guns of Navarrone by Alistair Maclean
The Way to Dusty Death by Alistair Maclean
Rurouni Kenshin
Beet the Vandel Buster
Rebound
Initial D
Whistle
Prince of Tennis
Kindaichi Case Files
Case Closed
Ranma ½
Naruto
Artemis Fowl (series)
Fastback Beach
Tough Trails
Bull Rider
Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen
Deathwatch by Robb White
Acceleration by Graham McNamee
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Tom Clancy Net Force
Robert Ludlum
Spy High by Butcher
Vampire High by Douglas Rees
(another list courtesy of the brain trust of the YALSA listserv)
Tomorrow When the War Began (series) by John Marsden
Pendragon series (MacHale)
Cirque du Freak (series) by Shan
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Temple by Matthew Reilly
Scarecrow by Matthew Reilly
Where Eagles Dare by Alistair Maclean
Guns of Navarrone by Alistair Maclean
The Way to Dusty Death by Alistair Maclean
Rurouni Kenshin
Beet the Vandel Buster
Rebound
Initial D
Whistle
Prince of Tennis
Kindaichi Case Files
Case Closed
Ranma ½
Naruto
Artemis Fowl (series)
Fastback Beach
Tough Trails
Bull Rider
Red Midnight by Ben Mikaelsen
Deathwatch by Robb White
Acceleration by Graham McNamee
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Tom Clancy Net Force
Robert Ludlum
Spy High by Butcher
Vampire High by Douglas Rees
Thursday, January 20, 2005
The 2005 Best Books for Young Adults
The 2005 Best Books for Young Adults list is now available on the YALSA website.
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/o5bbya.htm
http://www.ala.org/ala/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/o5bbya.htm
Wednesday, January 19, 2005
Biographies - Memoirs
Courtesy of YALSA listserv
Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada
Eleanor's Story by Eleanor Garner
The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by James Cross Giblin
Geisha by Mineko Iwasaki
Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger
Jefferson's Children by Shannon Lanier
Destined to Witness by Hans Massaquoi
At Her Majesty's Request by Walter Dean Myers
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
The Oasis by Petru Popescu
Black White and Jewish by Rebecca Walker
Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren
Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada
Eleanor's Story by Eleanor Garner
The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler by James Cross Giblin
Geisha by Mineko Iwasaki
Red Scarf Girl by Ji Li Jiang
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez
The Wilderness Family by Kobie Kruger
Jefferson's Children by Shannon Lanier
Destined to Witness by Hans Massaquoi
At Her Majesty's Request by Walter Dean Myers
My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen
The Oasis by Petru Popescu
Black White and Jewish by Rebecca Walker
Surviving Hitler by Andrea Warren
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Holocaust Books For Preteens and Young Adults
Courtesy of YALSA Listserv
Cherie Bennett's Anne Frank and Me (Fic)
Clive Lawton's Auschwitz (Non Fic)
Milkweed by Jerry SpinelliFriedrich by Hans Peter Richter
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Thought of High Windows_ by Lynne Kositsky (yound adult)
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Room in the Heart by Sonia Levitin
Malka by Mirjam Pressler
One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: the diary of Julie Weiss
Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs
Bodie Thoene's Zion Covenant and Vienna Prelude
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss (NF)
Run, Boy, Run by Orlev
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene G. Opdyke & J. Armstrong
Sky by Hanneke Ippisch
Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli
Play to the Angel by Maurine Dahlberg
Dreaming in Black and White by Reinhardt Jung
Maus and Maus II (Graphic Novels by Art Spiegelman)
Daniel Half-Human and the Good Nazi by David Chotjewitz
Forgotten Fire by Adam Badasarian
Songbird : a novel / Walter Zacharius
Sisterland / Linda Newbery
Hana's suitcase / written by Karen Levine
The lost childhood : a World War II memoir / Yehuda Nir
Surviving Hitler : a boy in the Nazi death camps / by Andrea Warren
Lost hero : Raoul Wallenberg's by Danny Smith
The Seamstress : a memoir of survival / Sara Tuvel Bernstein ; with Louise Loots Thornton and Marlene Bernstein Samuels ; introduction by Edgar M. Bronfman
Torn Thread / Anne Isaacs
Final Journey by Gudrun Pausewang
Night by Elie Wiesel.
Flames of Tiger, by John Wilson
Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams
PARALLEL JOURNEYS by Ayer/Heck
REUNION by Fred Uhlmann
Daniel's Story by Carol Matas
I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson
Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
The Devil in Vienna by Doris Orgel
If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
Tunes for Bears to Dance To by Robert Cormier
Good Night, Maman by Norma Fox Mazer
Kinderlager by Milton J. Nieuwsma
SMOKE AND ASHES by Barbara Rogasky
Cherie Bennett's Anne Frank and Me (Fic)
Clive Lawton's Auschwitz (Non Fic)
Milkweed by Jerry SpinelliFriedrich by Hans Peter Richter
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Thought of High Windows_ by Lynne Kositsky (yound adult)
The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Survivors: True Stories of Children in the Holocaust by Allan Zullo and Mara Bovsun
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
Room in the Heart by Sonia Levitin
Malka by Mirjam Pressler
One Eye Laughing, the Other Weeping: the diary of Julie Weiss
Torn Thread by Anne Isaacs
Bodie Thoene's Zion Covenant and Vienna Prelude
The Upstairs Room by Johanna Reiss (NF)
Run, Boy, Run by Orlev
In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer by Irene G. Opdyke & J. Armstrong
Sky by Hanneke Ippisch
Stones in Water by Donna Jo Napoli
Play to the Angel by Maurine Dahlberg
Dreaming in Black and White by Reinhardt Jung
Maus and Maus II (Graphic Novels by Art Spiegelman)
Daniel Half-Human and the Good Nazi by David Chotjewitz
Forgotten Fire by Adam Badasarian
Songbird : a novel / Walter Zacharius
Sisterland / Linda Newbery
Hana's suitcase / written by Karen Levine
The lost childhood : a World War II memoir / Yehuda Nir
Surviving Hitler : a boy in the Nazi death camps / by Andrea Warren
Lost hero : Raoul Wallenberg's by Danny Smith
The Seamstress : a memoir of survival / Sara Tuvel Bernstein ; with Louise Loots Thornton and Marlene Bernstein Samuels ; introduction by Edgar M. Bronfman
Torn Thread / Anne Isaacs
Final Journey by Gudrun Pausewang
Night by Elie Wiesel.
Flames of Tiger, by John Wilson
Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams
PARALLEL JOURNEYS by Ayer/Heck
REUNION by Fred Uhlmann
Daniel's Story by Carol Matas
I Have Lived a Thousand Years by Livia Bitton-Jackson
Alicia: My Story by Alicia Appleman-Jurman
The Devil in Vienna by Doris Orgel
If I Should Die Before I Wake by Han Nolan
Tunes for Bears to Dance To by Robert Cormier
Good Night, Maman by Norma Fox Mazer
Kinderlager by Milton J. Nieuwsma
SMOKE AND ASHES by Barbara Rogasky
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
Books About Bullying
This list was compiled by the YALSA listerv
General:
THE MISFITS by James Howe
PROJECT X by Jim Shepard
PLAYING IN TRAFFIC by Gail Giles
TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR by Ben Mikaelsen
HOOT by Carl Hiaasen
FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K.L. Going
INVENTING ELLIOT by Graham Gardner
THE CHOCOLATE WAR by Robert Cormier
ROMIETTE AND JULIO by Sharon Draper
BAD GIRLS by Cynthia Voigt
NAMES WILL NEVER HURT ME by James Adoff
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Burger Wuss by Matthew Anderson
Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins
Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman
Quit It by Marcia Byalick
The Goats by Brock Cole
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
On the Fringe by Don Gallo (ed.)
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
Stitches by Glen Huser
Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge
Stoner & Spaz by Ron Koertge
Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja
The Girls Koss by Amy Goldman
The Losers' Club by John Lekich
One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte
Hidden Talents by David Lubar
Slot Machine by Chris Lynch
Who the Man by Chris Lynch
Liar by Winifred Morris
Shooter by Walter Dean Myers
Behaving Bradley by Perry Nodelman
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci
After by Francine Prose
The Kidnappers by Willo Davis Roberts
Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write About Bullies, Cliques, Popularity
and Jealousy by Rachel Simmons (ed.)
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser
The Shadow Place by Carol M. Tanzman
6th Grade
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
The Misfits by James Howe
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The River by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Guts by Gary Paulsen
7th Grade
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
On the Fringe by Donald R. Gallo
8th Grade
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Every Day and All the Time by Sis Deans
General:
THE MISFITS by James Howe
PROJECT X by Jim Shepard
PLAYING IN TRAFFIC by Gail Giles
TOUCHING SPIRIT BEAR by Ben Mikaelsen
HOOT by Carl Hiaasen
FAT KID RULES THE WORLD by K.L. Going
INVENTING ELLIOT by Graham Gardner
THE CHOCOLATE WAR by Robert Cormier
ROMIETTE AND JULIO by Sharon Draper
BAD GIRLS by Cynthia Voigt
NAMES WILL NEVER HURT ME by James Adoff
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Burger Wuss by Matthew Anderson
Alt Ed by Catherine Atkins
Please Stop Laughing at Me by Jodee Blanco
Tangerine by Edward Bloor
Walking Naked by Alyssa Brugman
Quit It by Marcia Byalick
The Goats by Brock Cole
We All Fall Down by Robert Cormier
Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes by Chris Crutcher
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn
On the Fringe by Don Gallo (ed.)
Shattering Glass by Gail Giles
Stitches by Glen Huser
Alice, I Think by Susan Juby
The Brimstone Journals by Ron Koertge
Stoner & Spaz by Ron Koertge
Buddha Boy by Kathe Koja
The Girls Koss by Amy Goldman
The Losers' Club by John Lekich
One Fat Summer by Robert Lipsyte
Hidden Talents by David Lubar
Slot Machine by Chris Lynch
Who the Man by Chris Lynch
Liar by Winifred Morris
Shooter by Walter Dean Myers
Behaving Bradley by Perry Nodelman
Big Mouth and Ugly Girl by Joyce Carol Oates
A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck
Hangman's Curse by Frank Peretti
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
What Happened to Lani Garver by Carol Plum-Ucci
After by Francine Prose
The Kidnappers by Willo Davis Roberts
Odd Girl Speaks Out: Girls Write About Bullies, Cliques, Popularity
and Jealousy by Rachel Simmons (ed.)
Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser
The Shadow Place by Carol M. Tanzman
6th Grade
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place by E.L. Konigsburg
Silent to the Bone by E.L. Konigsburg
The Misfits by James Howe
The Girls by Amy Goldman Koss
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
The River by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Winter by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Return by Gary Paulsen
Brian’s Hunt by Gary Paulsen
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Guts by Gary Paulsen
7th Grade
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass
On the Fringe by Donald R. Gallo
8th Grade
Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher
The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
Kit’s Wilderness by David Almond
Every Day and All the Time by Sis Deans
Cirque Du Freak Look Alikes Courtesy of YALSA Listserv
The Afterlife by Gary Soto
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Klause
The Boy Who Couldn’t Die by William Sleator
Calling all Monsters by Chris Westwood
Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde
Dangerous Girls by R.L. Stine (and Taste of the Night – book 2)
The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce (Plus the other books in the series)
Demon Witch (Ravenscliff 2) by Geoffrey Huntington
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody
In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (also mentioned the other Vampire Chronicles books.)
Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn
Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Rats by Paul Zindel
Raven’s Point by Melinda Metz
Reef of Death by Paul Zindel
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
The She by Carol Plum-Ucci
The Silver Kiss by Annette Klause
Sorcerers of the Nightwing (Ravenscliff 1) by Geoffrey Huntington
A Stir of Bones by Nina Hoffman
Thirsty by M.T. Anderson
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Klause
The Boy Who Couldn’t Die by William Sleator
Calling all Monsters by Chris Westwood
Companions of the Night by Vivian Vande Velde
Dangerous Girls by R.L. Stine (and Taste of the Night – book 2)
The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce (Plus the other books in the series)
Demon Witch (Ravenscliff 2) by Geoffrey Huntington
Full Tilt by Neal Shusterman
The Gathering by Isobelle Carmody
In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (also mentioned the other Vampire Chronicles books.)
Look for Me by Moonlight by Mary Downing Hahn
Midnight Predator by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Rats by Paul Zindel
Raven’s Point by Melinda Metz
Reef of Death by Paul Zindel
Salem’s Lot by Stephen King
The She by Carol Plum-Ucci
The Silver Kiss by Annette Klause
Sorcerers of the Nightwing (Ravenscliff 1) by Geoffrey Huntington
A Stir of Bones by Nina Hoffman
Thirsty by M.T. Anderson
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Friday, January 07, 2005
Grounding The Giver
A recent article out of Kansas City discussed the outrage of parents in their school district when their middle schoolers were assigned to read The Giver. It is difficult to believe that this Newbery winner, and perhaps classic of our time, is being attacked for its violence and sexual content. The article can be viewed using the link below (you may need to sign up for access to the site) but it is worth reading to remind us that the world is made up of many different people and points of view. The Giver's message of thinking for yourself and not being afraid to be your own person is an important one for all ages and one that parents should not be afraid to teach their children.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/10575220.htm
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/10575220.htm
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Loser by Jerry Spinelli
After reading Maniac Magee and Stargirl, my daughter and I decided to read another Jerry Spinelli book, Loser. We enjoyed it, but it was very Spinelli. I guess that's what we wanted.
Donald Zinkoff is different, something that becomes more evident as he gets into middle school. Other students consider him invisible, a nothing, but he seems to be in his own world, insulated from their harsh comments by the unwavering love of his parents. Zinkoff, however, has something that other kids do not seem to have, compassion. It is this quality that others come to recognize in him and that begins to awaken his peers.
We found that the message in Loser is not as straight-forward and easily understood as in Maniac Magee. The ending was also a bit abrupt and probably has left many an 8 - 12 year old scratching their head or missing its true significance in the context of the story. The book overall is an easy read with a message for preteens, and we recommend it.
Donald Zinkoff is different, something that becomes more evident as he gets into middle school. Other students consider him invisible, a nothing, but he seems to be in his own world, insulated from their harsh comments by the unwavering love of his parents. Zinkoff, however, has something that other kids do not seem to have, compassion. It is this quality that others come to recognize in him and that begins to awaken his peers.
We found that the message in Loser is not as straight-forward and easily understood as in Maniac Magee. The ending was also a bit abrupt and probably has left many an 8 - 12 year old scratching their head or missing its true significance in the context of the story. The book overall is an easy read with a message for preteens, and we recommend it.
Wednesday, December 01, 2004
Proposed Flamingnet Content Rating System
The Flamingnet Content Rating (FCR)
Flamingnet feels that it is beneficial for readers, and those selecting and recommending books to preteens, teens and young adults, to have some idea about the sexual, drug and violent content of the books they are considering. Flamingnet Book Reviews, besides rating each book on a 1 – 10 scale depending on how our reviewer enjoyed a book, also rates each book on content. Our content rating helps people determine the appropriateness of a particular book for a particular reader or group of readers. Our content rating system does not deal with the reading level of the book, just the content of the book.
A smiley face stands for general readers, for any age. Book with this designation contain nothing that would be considered offensive. These books are generally absent of violence, sex, drugs, swearing, and crude comments.
A frowning smiley face rating means that we recommend adult guidance when considering this book. These books may contain some profanity, sexual comments, and can also deal with the issue of drugs and alcohol. Parents, teachers and librarians may want to read these books before recommending it to a student.
Books rated with a pirate smiley face rating are suggested for mature readers only, and contain material that is deemed unsuitable for children to young teens. These books can contain, sexual situations, extreme profanity, and extreme violence.
Understandably, our content rating is somewhat subjective, placed on books by our reviewers. We value your comments if you disagree with the rating of a particular book.
Comments????
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Hi/Lo Books
As many parents, teachers, and librarians know, not all children are good readers or even care to read. Some even have learning disabilites and reading difficulties that have made it painful and a chore to read. Hi/Lo books are written with these children in mind and are books that are intended to stimulate a high interest but are written for a lower reading level. Vocabulary, text print and page layouts in these books are usually crafted to appeal to children and young adults who usually do not like to read for various reasons.
It has not been easy to find good lists of Hi/Lo books for young adults and teens on the Internet. Some of the best sites I found are:
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/youth/booklists/highlow.html
http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklisty.htm#yarr
I would be interested in learning of any other good Hi/Lo sites or lists on the Internet.
It has not been easy to find good lists of Hi/Lo books for young adults and teens on the Internet. Some of the best sites I found are:
http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/youth/booklists/highlow.html
http://www.waterborolibrary.org/bklisty.htm#yarr
I would be interested in learning of any other good Hi/Lo sites or lists on the Internet.
Monday, November 15, 2004
Stargirl
I just finished reading Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli to my daughter (12 1/2 years old). He has also written one of our favorites, Maniac Magee, as well as Milkweed, Wringer, Crash, and My Daddy and Me. Stargirl is very simiar to Maniac Magee, in a sense. This book is about a teenager who is quite different from her peers. She has a very carefree, natural, sincere and caring nature all her own. Her differences eventually lead to her being shunned by her classmates who have trouble understanding and accepting her. When she tries to be like them she is still ostracized and eventually returns to herself, only to finally win them over.
We liked Stargirl and it was amazing how many people in my daughter's class at school were similar to some of the characters in the book. This provided for interesting discussions about school friends and how they act. Even though the ending was somewhat predictable, Spinelli's Stargirl makes the reader think about differences in people and how we react to them. I think it is a book best read aloud to lower and middle school students so they will get the most out of the story. Older readers who read it alone will enjoy it as a quick, fun read with a message.
We liked Stargirl and it was amazing how many people in my daughter's class at school were similar to some of the characters in the book. This provided for interesting discussions about school friends and how they act. Even though the ending was somewhat predictable, Spinelli's Stargirl makes the reader think about differences in people and how we react to them. I think it is a book best read aloud to lower and middle school students so they will get the most out of the story. Older readers who read it alone will enjoy it as a quick, fun read with a message.
Tuesday, November 09, 2004
Tom Sawyer
Tonight I finished reading to my daughter The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. It was the original text. She is in seventh grade and had been assignd to read it by herself. A truly great book but given the writing style I felt it was best if we read it together. I also introduced her to Spark Notes. We enjoyed it but I feel she would have gotten more out of it if she had been assigned the Penguin Classic edition where the language and writing has been modified to make it easier to understand and read. The original text seems a real challenge even for advanced readers in her age group.
Friday, October 29, 2004
Flamingnet Student Book Reviewers
Over the past year, we have been lucky to have some excellent middle and upper school students read and review many of the new and advance books sent to Flamingnet. Recently we also extended an invitation to review books for Flamingnet to college students either to fullfill an English course requirement or in order to advance their portfolios (especially if they are interested in doing reviews of books, magazines, and movies as a career). The response has been excellent and these reviews should be appearing soon on Flamingnet. If you are a school teacher or college professor who would like to offer this opportunity to your students, or a student who would like to review books for Flamingnet, please email us at webmaster@flamingnet.com. As Flamingnet has grown so have the requests we receive for book reviews. We, therefore, will appreciate your help.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)