Sam is haunted by the number eleven which keeps showing up in his dreams and in the wisps of memory that haunt his conciousness. He finds another clue on a newspaper clipping sticking out of a locked box in the attic. He can make out the word “missing” over a photo of himself, but he is unable to read the rest.
Sam can’t read words on the page, but he can read the feel of wood as he works with his grandfather in his furniture shop. So Sam recruits the new girl, Caroline, to read the pages for him. They piece together clues as well as a castle they build together before Caroline is moving on again. She never stays anywhere long enough to make friends outside of the books she constantly reading.
I enjoyed the suspense that builds on Sam’s frustration with reading–or rather his lack of reading as the letters squirm across the page like spiders. I also liked the growing friendship between Sam and Caroline as they piece together the puzzle of Sam’s past. This would be a good book for those fans of Caroline Cooney’s Face on the Milk Carton series. With Eleven (Scholastic, 2008), Patricia Reilly Giff has created a mystery that explores frienship and the power of words.
The town of Darlington–formerly known as Highsmith–is in deep trouble. All the heros left years ago, including Mason’s father. Their services were no longer needed after the Duke offered his protection services. Unfortunately, the Duke’s scam has been found out and orcs and goblins are on the way to attack.
That’s where Mason and his best friend Cowell come in. They may not be heroes, but they are the town’s only hope. They set off with a borrowed sword on a borrowed horse with some borrowed gold to find some real heroes to come back to save the town. Along the way they encounter a sleeping swordsman, vicious pixies, a cross-dressing bully, a witch-in-training, vicious whats-its, a werewolf, and a town that wants nothing to do with heroes.
Their best guide is Quayle’s Guide to Adventures for the Unadventurous. According to it, neither Mason no Cowell has what it takes, but just what is a hero? They do discover that “Outside of the songs,however, there were decisions, which were irritatingly always accompanied by consequences” (Anderson 139).
Take the quiz and find out if you have what it takes to be a hero.
I know this is a week late. St. Patrick’s Day was last week–on a Thursday, no less, but I’m fascinated by the whole concept of flash mobs. This one is too good not to share. Kick up your heels and enjoy the dancing.
How much of your freedom would you be willing to give up in the name of safety and security? How far would you go to fight to get your freedom back? Cory Doctorow raises those questions in this scarily believable tale in Little Brother (TOR, 2008).
Marcus is one of those students I’d love to strangle–bright and rebellious. If he put half the time he spent getting out of work into his work, he’d be done with plenty to spare. Instead, Marcus has figured out every possible way around his school’s security system. He skips school with his friends to play their online games/scavenger hunt.
That’s where he is when terrorists blow up the Bay Bridge in San Franscisco. After fighting their way through the panicked crowds in the subway tunnels, they are picked up by the Deparment of Homeland Security. Instead of protecting them the DHS holds them and interrogates them for their role in the bombing. Upon their release, Marcus discovers that the DHS has turned San Francisco into a police state.
Marcus, teenage hacker, vows to take them down. Depending on who you ask, he is either a homegrown hero or terrorist.
There are many things I love about this book. Here are my top 10:
My mind is still spinning with the questions and ideas raised–four days later.
All the geeky computer stuff I know nothing about is woven into the story–including the math behind it.
All this history and math and literature doesn’t bog the story down. It actually advances the plot and makes it all more believable. BTW, the title, Little Brother, is a play on Big Brother–not the reality show, but the original Big Brother is Watching from George Orwell’s1984. Go find it and read it.
Even though Marcus is serious about taking down DHS, the teens throughout San Francisco have fun doing so–the communicate through computer games.
Marcus struggles with his choices and the consequences they have, especially when things spiral out of control.
There’s even romance! Not mushy, but some very good kissing scenes.
While some journalists in the story maintain the status quo, it is an investigative journalist who blows the story open and reveals the truth.
The extra stuff in the back tells more about security, Internet freedoms, hacking, and how to learn even more. I’m ready to start tearing apart computers.
Did I say my mind is still reeling with questions? What freedoms would you be willing to give up in the name of safety and security? How far would you go to fight to get them back?
Fans of Percy Jackson will not want to miss this take on modern Greek gods, or rather their descendents, in Oh. My. Gods. (Penguin Group, 2008) by Tera Lynn Childs. Instead of being chased and nearly destroyed by mythical monsters, these kids of the gods gather at the exclusive Academy on the Aegean island of Serfopoula. The ony entrance requirement? Be descended from one of the Greek gods, big or small.
Phoebe Castro thinks she has her life all planned out. After winning the final race of the USC summer cross country camp, all she has to do is keep her grades up and have a strong cross country season her senior year. The she will be set to accept a full running scholarship to the University of Southern California and enjoy college with her best friends since kindgergarten, Nola and Cesca.
Then mom shows up. With a guy. A guy from Greece named Damian, who just happens to be headmaster at the Academy. Now Phoebe is dragged halfway across the world to spend her senior year at a school where nobody wants her because she is nothos, not god-descended. She must deal with her evil stepsister Stella while drooling over one god-of-a-dude who is charming one minute and devastatingly cruel the next.
The only way Phoebe can get her life back is to keep running (even if her shoelaces become zapped together) and keep her scholarship to USC. Fortunately new friends Troy and Nicole guide her through a high school not quite like any other.
Childs captures the drama of high school (complete with the ability to zap things) with humor and good fun. Phoebe finds herself over her head among all those godly students, but she keeps her head up and charges headlong into and out of trouble. Maybe there’s more to her than meets the eye.
Coming soon: I hope to finish Goddess Boot Camp this week and release both titles into the classroom. I also just signed up for an ARC tour of Fins Are Forever, (the sequel to Forgive My Fins), coming out this summer.
What other books about mythical creatures do you recommend?
Keisha has finally made it to her senior year, and she hopes things are finally looking up. She is still haunted by the suicide of her ex-boyfriend Andy and the death of their friend Robby (Tears of a Tiger), but her friends, old and new, help her get through and thrive. Rhonda and Tyrone fall more in love. Gerald (Forged by Fire) has a serious crush on the new girl Jalani. Little sisters Joyelle/Kiara and Angel are finally freshmen.
Then there is Jonathan Hathaway, the twenty-three-year-old track coach and principal’s son. He is a “lemon drop wrapped in licorice” whose interest in Keisah has her feeling more like a college woman than a high school girl. Their secret relationship eventually takes a frightening turn, and Keisha must learn to lean on her friends to find her way out of the darkness and back to the light.
I first learned of Sharon Draper when several students–all boys who didn’t like to read–brought me a copy of Forged by Fire and whispered, “This is the best book. You have to read it.” They were right, and many students since then have read and enjoyed their first book with one of Draper’s titles. Darkness Before Dawn (Simon Pulse, 2001) will not disappoint those fans.
There are many things to love in this book: the hope that life goes on after tragedy is a powerful message. The characters are relatable and believable, down the the smallest appearance. My favorite character is Edna, the homeless woman who appears twice in the novel. Despite her brief role, she causes me to stop and look–to really see–the person she is and not just the caricature of a homeless person.
Which Sharon Draper book or character is your favorite?
Who knew that writing about the zombie apocalypse could be so beautiful? I should have known. I’ve been hearing about this book–nothing but good things–for a long time. Thanks to one of my students, Mistina, I moved this one to the top of my pile to read over spring break.
Carrie Ryan creates a world that is both beautiful and terrifying in The Forest of Hands and Teeth (Delacorte Press, 2009) . Mary lives in a village that is bound by both the fence that surrounds it and by the Sisterhood that guards its secrets. Outside the fence roam the living dead, zombies that endlessly hunger for human flesh. Inside the sisterhood lurk secrets that the sisters would kill to protect.
Within this world, Mary is torn by the choices she must make: between the one she loves and the one who loves her, between the freedom she yearns for and the commitments she is expected to honor. Once the unthinkable happens–the Unconcecrated breach the fence–she must confront the Forest in order to claim her life.
I love how Mary’s yearning weaves through every page of this novel. I stand with her at the fence, wondering if there is any other life out there. The mysteries are never completely revealed, but the action keeps Mary and me moving forward to life and hope.
I may have come to this one late, but I will be ready to devour the next one, The Dead Tossed Waves and the next one, The Dark and Hollow Places (available March 22). You can even see Carrie herself when she’s on tour. Here’s the closest she’ll be to us:
Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 1:00 PM Cincinnati, OH Joseph Beth Booksellers
2692 Madison Road
Cincinnati OH 45208
(513) 396-8960
As a new teacher I struggled to find ways to connect my students with the power of words through reading and writing. I looked for more I could do to improve my teaching and their learning. As I read and researched, I kept coming across references to the National Writing Project. The more I learned, the more I knew I wanted to be a part of this professional development opportunity. Since I didn’t know anyone involved at the two local sites closest to me (Hoosier Writing Project and IUS Writing Project), I downloaded nomination forms for each, filled them out, and asked my principal to nominate me.
I didn’t know exactly what I was getting myself into, but I knew I wanted to be the best teacher I could be, and the National Writing Project offered me a way to do that, just as it has done for thousands of teachers across the country for more than thirty years. Check out the research to see just how effective the National Writing Project is on student learning. The impact spreads much beyond a single teacher.
I spent the month of June surrounded by twenty of the best teachers I have ever met at the IUSWriting Project. We taught children from first grade through twelfth grade. We taught reading, writing, math, science, history, and art. We spent eight hours a day together for four weeks with one common purpose: to strive to be the best we could be. We wrote, we researched, and we shared our best lessons.
Those four weeks transformed me as a teacher. Not only did I return to schoool with a three-inch binder crammed with lessons and research on teaching writing, I also built connections with teachers as passionate about teaching and learning as I was. I continue to go back for more as I strive to improve my teaching year after year. Teacher Consultants from local Writing Project sites share their best ideas through conferences, learning networks, and in-services. All that I learn goes straight into my classroom to share with the 120 students I teach each year.
Though many of our politicians claim to want to support education and improve student learning, their actions contradict those claims. Many of the current fads (charter schools, merit pay) have little research to to support them. The best that can be said is that the results are mixed. The National Writing Project, on the other hand, has over thirty years of improving student writing. Why would an administration and legislature who want to improve education cut funds for a program that works?
If you want to improve education, there is no more effective and no more powerful model than that of teachers teaching teachers. Learn more about the impact of the National Writing Project on on teachers, students, and classrooms by visiting Chad Sansing’s blog for an archive of #blog4NWP entries. What can you do to restore funding and for and support the National Writing Project?
Sometimes young adult books address hard topics–drugs and alcohol, abuse and crime, eating disorders and cutting. Some of my students face this same hard stuff in their own lives. Sometimes when the right books drops into the hands of the right student, something powerful can happen as a book offers a lifeline. A student discovers that “I am not alone.” A student realizes that “someone gets where I’m coming from.” A student gains empathy and understanding for others.
I received three of these books last week. It all started when an adult complained to a library about Scars by Cheryl Rainfield and asked the library to remove it from their collection. To show support for Cheryl, another author, Beth Felbaum, hosted a giveaway of two books–Rainfield’s Scars and Fehlbaum’s Hope in Patience. I won the contest, and Beth was gracious enough to send me her first book, Courage in Patience, as well. They came in the mail last week, and once I started, I couldn’t put them down. I devoured one a day until I turned the last page. I want to share them with you. All three are powerful, intense stories.
Kendra is haunted by her hidden memories of sexual abuse. Through counseling, she is remember the crimes committed against her, but she can never see her abuser’s face. As the memories become stronger, so does the danger she is in. Her abuser is following her–threatening to kill her if she remembers and tells. Even though her mom is afraid to confront the truth, Kendra finds support from a variety of people: her counselor Carolyn, family friend Sandy, art teacher Mrs. Archer, and new friend Meghan. A gifted artist, Kendra paints the truth in her pictures. When everything gets to be too much, Kendra turns to cutting her arms to relieve the pain.
I meant to save Scars (WestSide Books, 2010) to read over Spring Break, but once I peeked at the first few pages, I couldn’t put it down. I read it straight through that evening. Cheryl Rainfield weaves tension through every page. Kendra jumps at every sound and constantly looks over her shoulder. The terror increases as the hidden abuser draws closer and closer right until the dramatic revelation. Even though Rainfield gives a close look at the devestation sexual abuse can cause, I found this to be a hopeful book in the end. Kendra is strong. She will inspire and give hope to readers that they can survive their tragegies, too.
Both Courage in Patience (Kunati, 2008) and Hope in Patience (WestSide Books, 2010) by Beth Fehlbaum tell the story of Ashley Asher. After years of escalating abuse by her stepfather, Ashley finally finds the courage (through the support of her theater teacher) to tell her mother what has been going on. Instead of providing safety and support, Ashley’s mother turns away and blames Ashley for destroying their family. Ashley begins a new life with the father she never knew (her parents divorced when she was a baby, and her father never made contact except for child support payments) and his new family. Unlike Ashley’s mother, her dad and stepmom are eager to build new relationships that provide safety and support. With their love and the work of a therapist, Ashley begins the difficult task of rebuilding her life.
Like a good Chris Crutcher novel, Beth Fehlbaum packs much into these two books: sexual abuse and survival and recovery are front and center, but she also tackles racism, religious bigotry, violence, censorship (of a Chris Crutcher novel, no less), homophobia, and the power of a dedicated teacher.
I found all three of these novel compelling reading. I am grateful that my parents were able to love and support me. I hurt for those children whose parents hurt instead of help them. I hope that each of them can find the support to grow and thrive. Just maybe, these books can help them feel less isolated point the way to adults who care.
What books have inspired you to make a difference in your life?
Alex Rider is often described as a young James Bond. If you like action and adventure, check out Anthony Horowitz’s series about Alex. His story begins with Stormbreaker and ends with Scorpia Rising.
For even more fun on a Friday, I learned this week that this blog was listed as one of the Top 50 blogs for reading teachers by the website Accredited Online Colleges. Check it out. I’m keeping some pretty good company.
Sam is haunted by the number eleven which keeps showing up in his dreams and in the wisps of memory that haunt his conciousness. He finds another clue on a newspaper clipping sticking out of a locked box in the attic. He can make out the word “missing” over a photo of himself, but he is unable to read the rest.
