Posts Tagged ‘Young Hoosier 13-14’

Which book will survive?

Today is our rescheduled meeting for Survivor Book Club.  If you couldn’t make it, check out the books we presented.  Which book will you read?  Which book will be your favorite?

Hidden by Helen Frost

Two girls are brought together by a carjacking turned kidnapping.  Years later their paths cross again at summer camp.  The alternating voices in this novel in verse will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Emerald Atlas by John Stevens

Three children are taken from their parents and hidden in orphanage after orphanage.  At their last stop, they discover a magical atlas and a dangerous prophecy that says they must save the world from the power of an evil witch and her friends.  The only bad news—this is the first of three books.

City of Orphans by Avi

The streets of New York City in 189 are a tough place to be if you’re a kid like newsie Maks or orphan Willa.  Can they avoid the Plug Ugly gang and free Maks’ sister from jail with the help of only a washed up detective?

Amelia Lost:  The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming

I thought I knew a lot about my favorite flyer, but I learned much about her life and the search for her after her plane disappeared.  I loved the photographs!

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans

I suspect that Micheal Vey:  The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans will be among the more popular of the Young Hoosier Books with my students this year.  It has just enough science fiction to give it quite the cool factor.  Who wouldn’t dream of being able to electrically shock the school bullies when they have you down?  It’s not so far out that the science fiction will turn off readers who don’t think they like science fiction.  Other than having cool powers, Michael Vey and his new friend cheerleader Taylor Ridley seem like perfectly normal high school kids.  Even though Michael’s best friend Ostin Liss has no super powers, his brains help them out more than once on their mission to rescue Michael’s mom from kidnappers.  Even the bullies come around to help fight the evil scientist.

Since my students are creating book trailers on Animoto this week, I decided to give it a try tonight.  Here is my trailer for the book.  Enjoy!

Make your own slide show at Animoto.

Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen

imageThe Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen is one of the most inspiring and heart-wrenching books I’ve read in a while.  There are so many things I love about it.  In addition to winning the Schneider Family Book Award (awarded to three books each year for the artistic expression of the disability experience for children or teens), this book has a a whole list of reasons why you will love it, too.

  1. Jessica is devastated by the accident that causes her to lose a leg.  Since she is no longer a runner, she’s not sure who she is.  Yes, she is strong and determined and inspiring, but she is also whiny and impatient and angry.
  2. Fiona is the best friend everyone should have.  She is bossy and organized and simply will not let Jessica waste away in despair for too long.  Not to mention, she can through an awesome party!
  3. Rosa is a math wiz who rescues Jessica from certain failure in her toughest class.  Not only is she smart at math, but she is also wise and funny.  At first Jessica has a hard time seeing past Rosa’s disabilities from cerebral palsy, but once she does, she wants the rest of the world to see Rosa, too.
  4. Romance is in the air, but not too much.  Jessica has long had a crush on Gavin, the popular, good-looking student body president.  Is he paying attention to her now out of pity, or might there be something more?
  5. A bad guy (or in this case girl) who you can love to cheer against.  This racer from another school is such a sore loser that she blames her loss on Jessica’s presence at at a track meet.  Can you believe the nerve of blaming a lost race on someone who just lost a leg?  It
  6. I love orphan stories (especially those involving magic), but it is refreshing to see parents in YA who are believable.  Mom and Dad love Jessica and want what’s best for her, but they are struggling with her accident as much as she is.  My favorite scene is when Mom comes home and finds Jessica upstairs by herself.
  7. Teachers and coaches who can be tough and fair and even surprise their students every once in a while.
  8. An amazing dog named Sherlock stays loyal to Jessica even when they can’t go on their morning run together any more.  Hey, every good story needs a good dog.
  9. I’m glad to find a book that focuses on a different sport–track.  There are track meets to win and even a 10-mile race to complete.
  10. The structure of the book seems backwards at first, but it fits perfectly.  The story begins at the finish line and works its way backwards through the stages of a track event until it ends at the starting line.  It works.

Hidden by Helen Frost

imageI cannot wait to introduce Hidden to my seventh graders.  There are so many things I loved about it–the innovative poetic structures, the multi-layered tension, and most of all the two girls whose lives intersect in unbelievable ways.

The premise of this book gripped me from the front cover.  Two girls–Wren and Darra–meet in Cabin 8 at Camp Oakwood.  Even though they have never seen each other, they recognize each other from a life-changing moment in their past six years earlier.  Darra’s father had stolen a car, not knowing Wren was hiding in the back.  Wren hid for days in their garage, desperately seeking a way out.  Darra guessed the truth and left food and water out for Wren, but she was devastated by her father’s eventual arrest.

Now that their paths have crossed again, will they be able to confront–and forgive–their shared history?

I wish I had read the Helen Frost’s note on the poetic structure first because as soon as I did read it, I had to go back and reread the book again to experience another level to the story.  On second thought, it was totally worth reading again.  Part I is in free verse poetry from Wren’s voice.  Once the girls arrive at camp, Darra and Wren alternate telling the story.  In the form Frost created for Darra, the end words in the long lines create new sentences that reveal Darra’s hidden thoughts.  Part II shares her memories of her dad before the kidnapping.  Part III reveals her thoughts during Wren’s kidnapping.

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

imageKate, Michael, and Emma have been shuttled from orphanage to orphanage–each one worse than the one before–ever since their parents left them on Christmas Eve ten years before.  Now they find themselves in a run-down castle on a remote island that time seems to have forgotten.  As they explore the deserted rooms, they discover that magic is real and that evil waits for them behind every shadow.

Enter the darkly textured world of The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens.  Our three heroes may be young, but they dare take on all that the evil witch, the Countess, can throw at them as the travel in and out of the past.  Isn’t there always an evil witch wanting to take over and destroy the world?  The countess was surely inspired by the White Witch of Narnia, but her desire for power is all her own.  Kate, the oldest, takers seriously her promise to protect her little brother and sister.  She does not understand all that it means, but she rises to the challenges placed before her–from ghoulish monsters to howling wolves.  Michael is bookish and knows everything there is to know about dwarves.  It’s a good thing since they are captured by a dwarf patrol who arrest them for trespassing.  Emma will take on anyone in a good fight and usually win over much bigger opponents, including bullies and grown men.  She can even say “please.”

Fortunately, the children do not have to fight alone.  They are helped by the mysterious wizard Mr. Pym, who keeps showing up in different times; the gruff butler/groundskeeper/photographer Abraham, who gives them just the right pictures when they need it; the strong and scarred fighter Gabriel, who finds a kindred spirit with Emma.

I didn’t intend to read all of this book today, but once I fell into this magical world, I didn’t want to leave.  The good news is that there are two more books to come.  The bad news is I have to wait for them.

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl

imageI could present Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl as historical fiction, but I think the tagline on the cover says it much better:  a novel of intrigue and romance.

Even though the story takes place in London of 1836 and involves historical characters such as the Princess Victoria, it is much more Downtown Abbey than dry history tome.  Poor Liza may have been born into a life of wealth and privilege, but her entrance into London society is blocked by the tragic death of her parents.  Now alone and penniless, she desperately accepts a job as a lady’s maid to the young Princess Victoria.

It’s certainly not what she expected–more maid than lady-in-waiting.  If she survives the gossip below stairs and the trickery above stairs, she just might be able to take control over her life, find true love, and secure the throne for her future king.  If she fails, she could live out her short days in a dungeon.

Liza is plucky and determined.  Even as fate turns her life upside down, she vows to do the right thing even when it means befriending a spoiled princess and a lost orphan boy.  She must learn who in the household she can trust, and who she cannot.  My favorite of her allies is one from outside the house–Will, a somewhat honest newspaperman.  He’s all for the power of the press, but doesn’t let the facts get in the way of good story.

Dragon Castle by Joseph Bruchac

imageNot only can Joseph Bruchac write historical fiction, he can also rock fantasy.  Dragon Castle is now one of my go to books of classic fantasy.  Bruchac intertwines two stories–those of Rashko and his legendary ancestor Pavol–that pulse with magic.

Rashko is the only one in his family that seems to have a clue–other than the servants who really keep the household going.  His mother and father have ruled their kingdom with kindness and peace, but not much wisdom that Rashko can determine.  Still, when his parents disappear just in time for the evil Baron Temny to show up with a formidable army, he’s not sure he’s ready to defend the castle and kingdom.  To make matters worse, his brother Paulek quickly falls under the spell (entirely magical) of Temny’s beautiful daughter Poteshenie.

Rashko has grown up with the tapestry that shows the story of his ancestor Pavol–who rescued the kingdom from the Dark Lord.  It is said that he defeated a dragon and raised their castle, Hladka Hvorka, overnight from the mountain.  Pavol supposedly survived the Dark Lord by pretending to be Pavol the Fool, but during his reign he became known as Pavol the Just.  Can Rashko live up to Pavol’s legacy and rescue his kingdom from the threat of evil again?  It will take every bit of his swordplay and wit to turn away Temny.  It’s a good thing he doesn’t have to do it alone.  Help comes from unexpected places as Rashko discovers that not everything is as it seems and that there is much magic hidden underneath appearances.

I wish I had read the author’s note at the end before reading the story.  In it, Bruchac explains the inspiration for the story that comes from his grandparents’ heritage in Slovakia.  I think I just discovered a whole new world of folklore to explore.

Which book will survive?

We kicked off a new year of Survivor Book Club on Thursday with four fantastic books.  By the time we left, all of the library copies were checked out!  Check out these trailers for the four books and see for yourself.

Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt combines bullying older brothers, Audobon’s bird pictures, violent family problems, and an eccentric actress into a year that will never be forgotten.

Legend by Marie Lu packs kick-butt action with evil government secrets to reveal a stunning and deadly secret.

Close to Famous by Joan Bauer is filled with hidden secrets, delicious cupcakes, new friends, and a menacing prison escape.

Titanic Sinks! by Barry Denenburg blends fact and fiction to bring you all the behind the scenes details of the magnificent ship and its tragedy. There is not a trailer for the book, so here is a computer simulation that explains how the ship sank.

I’ve read all four of these, and I’m not sure which one I like best.  They are all good.  Which one do you want to read? Can you stop with just one?

City of Orphans by Avi

imageI am always amazed by the variety of voices and genres that Avi writes in.  City of Orphans gives yet a new voice in Avi’s historical fiction works.  The streets of New York City are a rough place to be as a kid in 1893.  Even though many things have changed since then, I couldn’t help but think of city streets today as I read.

Our hero, Maks Geless, sells papers for the The World, but he he hounded by Bruno and the rest of the Plug Ugly Gang.  While running from Bruno and the gang, Maks is rescued by Willa, a street kid with an uptown accent.  He brings her home where they learn that Maks’s older sister has been arrested and sent to the city jail known as the Tombs.  She’s accused of stealing an expensive watch from a patron of the Waldorf Hotel where she works.  Maks has four days to prove her innocence with no one to help but an eccentric lawyer, Bartleby Donck, who guides them in the art of detection.  Meanwhile, Willa tags along and searches for answers of her own.

Believe it or not, all these different characters and storylines are connected by threads they cannot see, and neither does the reader until close to the end.  The narrator brings the city streets to life–filled with crowds and dirt and danger.  For the most part I enjoyed the voice of the narrator, who gives the story the feel of an old detective show (the really old shows like Dragnet), but sometimes the strong voice interrupted the flow of the story when  giving too much commentary on the action.

Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming

imageI have been fascinated with Amelia Earhart for as long as I can remember.  I have wanted to read Candace Fleming’s new biography of the pilot ever since I first heard of it.  I was thrilled when I learned that Amelia Lost:  The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart was included on the Young Hoosier Award list for the coming year.  Now that I’ve read it, I will be pushing it on everyone.

I like how the chapters alternate between the search for the Amelia and her navigator Fred Noonan and the events of her life.  The suspense builds even though we know the story ends in tragedy.  In addition to the search by the Coast Guard cutter the Itasca and later the US Navy, several civilians picked up possible transmissions from the downed pilot over their shortwave radios.  None of it was enough to find them.

Fleming presents the captivating image that Amelia and her publisher/publicist and husband George Putman showed the world, but she also digs behind the image to reveal the woman behind it.  Yes, Amelia was brave and funny, but she was also stubborn and cavalier.  She didn’t always make the best choices, and some of those choices may have led to her disappearance.

Here I am with Amelia and her plane at the Smithsonian.

Here I am with Amelia and her plane at the Smithsonian.

If you want to learn even more about Earhart, Fleming provides a list of helpful resources in the back of the book.  In addition to archives and books written by Earhart herself, there are books and collections from her husband and family.  Much information is available online, too, and she gives those web addresses.

Even so, Amelia Earhart inspired–and continues to inspire–generations of women to dare to dream big dreams.  If you want to hear for yourself how warm and funny and inspiring she could be, check out her own book, For the Fun of It.  Since no one has taken the hint and given it to me for Christmas, I’m just going to have to buy it for myself.

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