Posts Tagged ‘science fiction’

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis

Oh. My. Goodness.  Fasten your seatbelts and hang on for one wild ride as Beth Revis presents the stunning conclusion to the Across the Universe trilogy with Shades of Earth.  I was anxious to read and find out what happens to Elder and Amy as they leave Godspeed and explore Centuari Earth.  It was worth the wait.   It was even worth winning the tug of war with my daughter to read it first.

I don’t know how she did it, but Revis packed in even more twists and turns and nonstop action than she did in the first two books.  Once the shuttle reaches the ground, nothing is what it seems and danger lurks within every shadow–terrifying creatures and hostile aliens and deadly plants..  Amy is desperate to wake her parents, but their arrival does not solve all the colony’s problems.  Instead, Amy must come to terms with their faults and imperfections (much as does Meg in my favorite science fiction book A Wrinkle in Time) and the possibility that her parents may even contribute to the problems.  The Earthborn and Shipborn regard each other with distrust, but their survival depends on working together.

Elder and Amy must figure out what secrets are still being hidden before truth can set them all free.  There are even more clues to help them if they can solve the riddles in time.  But ultimately, every choice leads to one final showdown.

I am sad to see this series come to an end.  I will miss Godspeed and the dream of starting a new world.  I can’t wait to see what my students think of this last book, too.  What will you miss about Godspeed?

The Kill Order by James Dashner

I have been intrigued with The Maze Runner series by James Dashner even though they have too much violence for my tastes.  I keep reading hoping to find a reason to redeem the cruelty and violence, but I keep finding more and more reason for despair.  These are popular books with fast-moving plots, and they raise plenty of questions about ends and means.  The Kill Order, the prequel to the series, is no different.  The more answers that are given to why the world of the Maze Runner came to be, the more questions I have.

Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix

I read the first book in the Shadow Children series by Margaret Peterson Haddix quite a while ago.  I was surprised to that the series now includes seven books.  I figured it was time to finish off the series set in a future world where overpopulation and food scarcity have given rise to a government that allows only two children per family.  The Population Police enforce these limits by any means necessary.

Among the Hidden (Scholastic 2000) introduces Luke, an illegal third child.  All his life he has remained hidden in his family’s house and woods.  Now that the government has built big fancy houses close by, Luke must remain inside at all times.  However, the new neighbors open him to new possibilities when he discovers another illegal third child, Jen.

 

 

Among the Imposters (Scholastic 2002) follows Luke, now Lee, as he attends Hendrick’s School for boys.  The school is very odd and hides many secrets.  Who can Luke trust with the truth?  How can he help the other boys who tremble at every sound?

 

 

 

Among the Betrayed (Scholastic 2002) gives Nina a choice. Will she betray her new friends and herself in her desperation to stay alive?  Will she give into the demands of the Population Police who hold her in prison and gloat over the betrayal by the boy she loved?

 

 

 

Among the Barons (Scholastic 2003) draws Luke/Lee further into the Grant family.  His little “brother” Smits shows up at Hendricks School with a body guard.  Will he protect Luke’s secret or betray him.  Luke is caught in a web of lies until he no longer knows who he can trust.

 

 

 

Among the Brave (Scholastic 2004) provides Trey an opportunity to discover the courage within himself.  Everyone that Trey has depended on–Luke, Mr. Talbot, Mr. Hendrick–has disappeared as the Population Police overthrow the government.  It is up to Trey to decide what to do and to take action.  As he stumbles from one challenge to the next, he learns that courage is not the absence of fear, but the willingness to act through your fear.

 

Among the Enemy (Scholastic 2005) finds Matthias alone, separated from Percy and Alia.  Everything he does seems to go wrong from the very beginning.  When he tried to save Percy and Alia from the Population Police roundup, he ends up killing several other children and injuring his friends.  When he tries to save Mrs. Talbot, he ends up saving a Population Police officer and finds himself as a new and favored recruit.  When he encounters Nina at Population Police headquarters, will he be able to set aside his grief and disappointment and fear to work with the resistance.  How can he know what is the right choice when there are no good options.

Among the Free (Scholastic 2006) follows Luke through the fall of the Population Police as he struggles to understand what it means to be free.  Luke can’t see how he and the others are having any success in their attempt to undermine the Population Police from the inside, but somehow, they still fall.  Even so, the danger is not past for third children.  When it comes down to it, what will Luke choose to do?

I am glad I finished the series.  Because Haddix introduces new third children and focuses on different ones throughout the series, I never got bored with the books or found them too predictable.  Even though we don’t live is the terror of this future world, we can still connect with the questions raised and choices made by these characters as they learn to be brave and to be free.

Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

This is my retro book review running over at the Nerdy Book Club site today.  Remember you have until tomorrow to submit your favorite books of 2012 for a Nerdy Award.

I don’t remember the first time I read Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams (probably sometime during my high school or college years), but every year that I have been teaching eighth grade I make it my mission to put this little book in the hands of just the right reader.  I love it when the magic happens and I can revel with another reader at the myriad of improbable events and and snicker any mention of the number 42.

If for some reason you have version the many versions of this classic sci if comedy (Listen to the radio show! Watch the movie or televison show!  Play the video game! Peruse the comics!), let me introduce you.

Poor Arthur Dent is a befuddled human who is fascinated by digital watches and worried about all the wrong things.  It simply doesn’t matter is city hall is going to bulldoze your house if Vogons are waiting up above to demolish the Earth to make way for a hyperspatial express route.  Fortunately, his friend Ford Prefect is not from Guilford, but is from a small planet somewhere near the vicinity of Betelgeuse.  Ford also writes for the best-selling Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  When the Vogons show up, Ford is past ready to hitch a ride away from Earth, and he takes Arthur with him.

As they make their way across the universe, they escape the horrifying effects of Vogons poetry (while strapped into poetry appreciation chairs), survive being thrust into the vacuum of space (improbable to the odds of two to the power of two hundred and seventy-six thousand, seven hundred and nine to one against), are picked up by the the Heart of Gold (stolen by Ford’s cousin Zaphod Beeblebrox who just happens to be President of the Imperial Galactic Government), and visit the mythical planet of Magrathea (which designed the Earth as an experiment to discover the question to the Life, the Universe and Everything.  The answer is 42.).

Believe it or not, these seemingly random and improbable events (along with many more) come together in a way that is both brilliant and hilarious.  After all, I’ve never laughed at a  squashed sperm whale before, but it is the characters that I love and remember the most.  Arthur may be bumbling, but he manages to surprise even Ford on occasion and even says something more intelligent than “tea” every once in a while.  Ford may be a suave travel writer (or at least he thinks he is), but he is a loyal friend and cousin when it counts.  Zaphod may be stupid, or it may be just an act.  Even he doesn’t know why he does the things he does, but a secret brain surgery has convinced him there is a method to his madness.  It’s a good thing he has Trillian, a mathematician and astrophysicist, to look after him.  My favorite, though, has to be Marvin, the depressed robot.  You are bound to feel better about your situation after spending time with him.

Quick, grab a copy of Hitchhiker’s and a cu of tea and settle in for the ride of a lifetime.  The journey can continue with the ever growing series, including The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, Life, the Universe, and Everything, So Long and Thanks for All the Fish, Mostly Harmless, and now And Another Thing written by Eoin Colfer.  If all else fails, DON’T PANIC keep your towel handy.

PS -There are only 177 days left until Towel Day on May 25.

 

Graphic novel roundup

My students this year are loving graphic novels, and I am feeling the lack in my book collection.  I currently have only three books on that shelf.  That’s been pretty typical this entire year.  At the Scholastic book fair this week, I stocked up on some more titles.  I’m reading them as quickly as I can so I can put them in the hands of students.  Here they come!

Poe by J. Barton Mitchell (writer), Dean Kotz (art), and many more (BOOM! Studios 2011)

At first I wasn’t sure how to take this fictional biography of Poe, but the further I got into it, the more I liked it.  The story line of Poe’s supposed life is as dark and twisted as his short stories and poems.  He’s haunted by a Raven and sees visions of gruesome death’s.  As Poe helps his police detective (a word Poe creates in this story) brother, they escape one bizarre event after another.  The most fun for me was recognizing elements from Poe’s stories in their adventures. The dark artwork lends even more doom to the mood.

Avengers by Paul Toben and others (Marvel worldwide 2010)

I read this one for my students.  I am not a huge superhero fan, but I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would.  I wss surprised by the somewhat silly humor and allusions.this is a collection of previously collected comics Superheros, Supernova, and Tails of the Pet Avengers.  If have to confess that my favorites were from the Pet Avengers.  Classic superhero artwork carries the story along with the text.

Excaliber: The Legend of King Arthur: A Graphic Novel by Tony Lee and Sam Heart (Candlewick Press 2010)

No matter what form it’s in, I love stories of King Arthur amd the knights of the Round Table.  This version focuses closely on Arthur and how his decision to forget the Lady of the Lake bring about his death and the end of Camelot. Lancelot and his love for Arthur’s Guinivere also are prominent. Lush illustrations add to the fantasy components with the faerie, both seelie and unseelie.

Trouble Maker by Janet and Alex Evanovich, art by Joelle Jones (Dark Horse Books 2010, 2011) 

Explosions, kidnappings, and angry chickens lead Alex Barnaby and Sam Hooker on a non stop thrill ride through the streets of MiamI and the swamps of the Florida Keys as they try to outsmart a voodoo priest.  The trouble begins when Lorna is kidnapped and held hostage for a statue stolen by her boss, Walter Percy.  The nefarious Nitro will stop at nothing to get him back.  Can Alex and Sam rescue Rosa and return the Baron Samedi statue to the museum before it’s too late?  Vibrant colors bring Miami and South Florida to the page.

 The Clique: A Graphic Novel by Lisi Harrison & Yishan Li (Yen Press/Hachette Book Group 2010)

I have never gotten around to reading the popular Clique series even though my middle school girls have raved about it for years.  When I saw this graphic novel edition at the book fair, I had to grab it.  I can see why middle school girls love it.  Massie and her friends are the ultimate mean girls, but newcomer Claire manages to hold her own and even get sweet revenge as she navigates the very expensive social customs of her new school.  The manga illustrations are perfect for these girls.

I know these graphic novels won’t stay on my shelf for long.  Which ones do you want to read?

Fall Break Reading Challenge

For the past year or so, I’be joined friends from The Nerdy Book Club in taking on the book-a-day challenge.  I don’t always succeed in reading a book every day of break, but just accepting the challenge has helped me increase the number of books I read.  This past week I wanted to read the stack of books I got from the last book order so I could release them to my classroom library.  I have several students who are eagerly awaiting them.

I also talked with my students about setting their own Fall Break Reading Challenge.  Some chose to read some evey day.  Others had books they wanted to finish.  Many rushed to the library to check out play-always to listen to during car trips.  I can’t wait to hear how they did with their challenges Whe I get back tomorrow.

How did I do with my challenge this week?  I didn’t read all the books in my stack, but I did finish nine books, one for each day of vacation.  I didn’t keep up with writing book reviews for all of them, so here is the short version of what I thought of each.  I also include a link to the author’s web page and Goodreads if you want to learn more.

Underworld by Meg Cabot (Point 2012): I loved this one even more than Abandon.  Time is is compressed in this novel, which happens in just one day, but the action and danger is intensified.  Piersin isn’t sure about being trapped in the Underworld with John, but she is desperate to escape when she learns that her cousin Alex may be in danger. Oh yeah, the Furies are still after her.  I loved learning more of John’s history and meeting new characters like Frank and Henry.

Caught by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Scholastic 2012): once again Jonah and Katherine are headed to the past to try to restore a missing child and fix time.  This time, though, Haddix throws in several unexpected twists And ups the danger with all of time freezing.  Of course, Jonah shouldn’t expect things to be simple when returning Albert Einstein’s daughter.  I loved learning more about Mileva, Einstein’s wife, who is as brilliant as he was.  However, even though Jonah asks, we still don’t know which missing child from history he is.

Bar Code Prophecy by Suzanne Weyn (Scholastic 2012): I was very satisfied with the ending to The Bar Code Tattoo and The Bar Code Rebellion, but I was delighted to learn Weyn had added a third book to the story.  Global-1 is back to their dirty work, but is anyone still listening to Decode? Grace works for Global-1 and believes their problems were isolated and past.  But once she turns 17, her life falls apart.  Can Eric, the guy she has a crush on, save her and lead her to answers?  Once again after entering the world in this book, I have an urge to unplug and live off the grid.

The Statistical Probability of  Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith  (Little, Brown and Company 2012): I had read good reviews of this title and was not disappointed.  A missed flight brings together Hadley and Oliver on a flight to London. They end up sitting together and maybe falling in love, but different paths await them in London.  Flashbacks fill in Hadley’s history with her parent’s divorce, but Oliver just hints at his family’s story.  If you are looking For a contemporary love story, look no further.

Pinned by Alfred C. Martino, narrated by Mark Shanahan (Listen and Live Audio 2005, Houghton Mifflin 2005): I listened to this one from the Sync YA downloads offered this summer.  It is the gripping story of two New Jersey wrestlers.  Ivan Korski and Bobby Zane are both driven to become the state champion in the 129 pound weight class their senior year.  They come from very different backgrounds and face different pressures on and off the mat, but they share a desire to win.  The book alternates between their stories as they head to the final showdown.  By the time I neared the end, I didn’t know which boy I wanted to come outmoded on top.  It didn’t matter because the ending is a cop-out.

The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story of Adventure, Heroism, and Treachery by Steve Sheinkin (Scholastic 2010): I keep telling you that your history textbook leaves out all the good stuff from history.  Sheinkin fills in all the juicy details about Benedict Arnold.  Arnold could have been the first comic book Hero or action figure if not for one choice which left him villain instead.  I read this one on the edge of my seat.

Through Georgia’s Eyes by Rachel Victoria Rodriguez and Julie Paschkis (Henry Holt and Company 2006): We visited the Eiteljorg museum today and I head straight to their two Georgia O’Keefe paintings.  I found this picture book biography in the bookstore.  The illustrations evoke O’Keefe’s paintings while the text shows her independence and determination to see the world her way.

My Name Is Georgia: A Portrait by Jeannette Winter (Sandpiper 2003) If I ever move into another life where collecting art is a possibility, I would own at least one of Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings. The flowers are my favorites, but I also love the desert landscapes and the bones. This picture book biography hints at the beauty and power of an O’Keefe painting while giving the broad strokes of her life and vision.

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts (Little, Brown and Company 2011):  If  you liked Diary of a Wimpy Kid (I sure did), you will want to add this title to you stack of books to read.  Rafe has a plan. He is going to break every rule in the student handbook and earn points doing so.  Who knows what the prize might be (survival?), but can he do it before he loses his three lives?  I enjoyed the conversational tone as Rafe confesses all.  Oh yes, Rafe is an artist, and the drawings are my favorite part of the book.

I had hoped to finish Between Shades of Gray (no, not THAT book) by Ruta Sepetys, but I’m writing this blog post instead.  I’ll tell you more about this gripping historical fiction novel later.  It wont’ take long to finish because it’s hard to put down.  How did you do with your reading challenge?

Fun on a Friday: Book trailer for Unwholly

Unwind just might be my favorite book by Neal Shusterman.  It is the story of a future United States torn apart by a second Civil War over the issue of abortion.  In the compromise to end the war, the concept of unwinding is born.  Babies will live, but teenagers (between the ages of 13 – 17) can be harvested for the body parts for transplants.  If your parents declare you too unruly, if you a not-good-enough ward of the state, or if you were born for it, you can be unwound.  You’re still alive, just in pieces spread throughout many different people.

Unwholly continues the story.  It came out this week, and here is the trailer for it.  Only watch it if you dare:

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Fun on a Friday: Fahrenheit 451

With the popular success of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, dystopian literature is on the top of many TBR piles.  But dystopian literature is not new.  Writers have been imagining terrible futures for a long time.  I remember reading George Orwell’s 1984 in high school back in the dark ages of the 1980’s.  Even then I wondered whether the real 1984 would be as bleak as Orwell’s predictions even while I squirmed at the similarities my teenage brain could already pick out.  Doublespeak and revisionist history anyone?

I had the same sensation when I first read Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.  Even though firefighter’s don’t burn books (oh wait, some people do burn books they don’t like), have you noticed people distracting themselves from the world of ideas and nature with large screens filled with mindless entertainment?  John Green gives his take on Fahrenheit 451 in the video below.  If you’re intrigued, I dare you to read Fahrenheit 451 for yourself and join in the conversation.

Then for a real treat, head up to the new Indy Reads bookstore (911 Massachusetts Avenue) Friday evening to meet John at a book reading and signing from 5 – 7 pm.  Not only is Indy Reads a bookstore, but it also community service to promote literacy for all.  How cool!  I planning on heading up there and picking up the last two Green books I haven’t read yet–Looking for Alaska and Will Grayson, Will Grayson.  Maybe I’ll see you there!

Wake by Lisa McMann

Lisa McMann has written a seriously creepy book with Wake (Simon Pulse 2008).  I have just one warning:  Don’t read this one right before dropping off to sleep unless you want to visit your nightmares.

You see, Janie has a sleeping problem.  Or rather, she has a problem with other people’s sleeping.  Whenever she is near a sleeping person, she gets sucked into their dream.  The falling dreams are getting old, but the worst are the nightmares that leave her helpless and terrified.  No matter how bad it gets, Janie is determined to keep her secret (who would believe her anyway) and escape from her alcoholic mother.  But as she goes through her senior year, it gets harder and harder to avoid her sleeping–and dreaming–classmates.  Then one boy with secrets of his own, Cabel, starts to notice a little too much and tries to get a little too close.  Can Janie trust him with her secret, or will he break her heart while partying with the rich kids on the hill?

I found Wake to be a fast read that kept me turning pages.  I was guessing about Cabel through most of the story.  I was also desperate to discover the secrets behind Janie’s dream power.  I was surprised that she did not try sooner to figure it out for herself.  Janie’s a smart girl, but I guess she was so concerned with keeping her secret that she never considered unraveling the mystery.  My favorite character, though, was Mrs. Stubin.  Mrs. Stubin is one of the residents at the nursing home where Janie works, and she shows up in the most surprising places.  I know my students who like a little scare with their books will enjoy this one.  I am definitely looking forward to the rest of Janie’s story in Fade and Gone.

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

I love, LOVE Going Bovine by Libba Bray.  I do recognize that it may not be the book for everyone, but it is definitely my kind of book.  Let me list the ways I love it.

  • It’s a chaotic, Quixotic quest to save the world as well as save Cameron’s life.  Cameron has just been diagnosed with the human form of mad cow disease.  Before his brain turns completely into mush, he must close up the wormhole opened by Dr. X before the fire giants destroy the world with their dark matter.  Just maybe, if he can find Dr. X in time, the missing scientist can give Cameron a cure for himself as well.
  • It’s a road trip, man.  Cameron and his sidekick Gonzo (a hypochondriac dwarf) ride a bus to New Orleans and buy an old Caddy with longhorn hood ornament to get to Florida.  Along the way Cameron just might travel through the eleven dimensions of time and space.
  • I am now inspired to find and read Don Quixote.  I’m ashamed to say I’ve never encountered this classic tale.  The story of Don Quixote is woven throughout Going Bovine.  Once I read the classic, I’m going to have to read Going Bovine again to pick up what I missed the first time around.  I love it when one book leads me to another.
  • Music is the power behind travel through the eleven dimensions.  Music is the force that can change the world.  The music ranges from the jazz trumpet of Junior Webster playing “Cypress Grove Blues” at the Horn and Ivory to the mysterious Inuit band Copenhagen Interpretation whose music opens the eleven dimensions.  Don’t forget the sorrowful love songs of the Great Tremelo who saves Cameron from certain humiliation at the Party House.
  • Balder is not just a garden gnome.  He is a Norse warrior looking for his ship Ringhorn to take him home again.  He remains loyal to Cameron until the very end.  He has also suffered humiliation at the hands of vacationers who want to take his picture in front of various monuments around the world.
  • Dulcie is a punk-rock angel who sets Cameron on his quest and shows up from time to time to deliver messages.  She paints her wings with various images to fit her mood and rocks the pink hair and fishnet hose.  No one sees her except for Cameron, and Oh, she becomes so much more, but I don’t want to spoil it for you.
  • Random events are connected.  Somehow Bray creates a story that seamlessly ties together dysfunctional families, Disney’s “It’s a Small World” ride, Schoedinger’s Cat, Star Fighter, Norse mythology, Don Quixote, snow globes, reality television, and mad cow disease.
  • Ultimately, what is real as in factual is not nearly as important as what it means to really live.  We will all have to face the Wizard of Reckoning at some point.  What will you say when you finally look under his visor and see who is there?

Now, I must go and find the rest of Libba Bray’s books and read them all.

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