Not another teen runs away from home book!

Almost Home is the story of seven teens living on the streets. The cast of characters includes such catchy names as Eeyore, Rusty, Squid, Scabius and Critter. Then we have the common names of Laura and Tracy. The story is interwoven so you get every characters perspective of life on the streets. The book doesn’t hold any punches and is gritty and realistic.

Overall I enjoyed it. I think Ms. Blank does an excellent job of showing the reader how brutal life on the streets really is. This is her first novel and I look forward to her second.

With that said, I think I have had my fill of these types of books. I mean how many teen runaway books can someone read in a year? I am clocking it at three for 2008. I’ve read Miles from Nowhere and Living at the Edge of the World in addition to Almost Home. They are all very good and compelling novels, but I think I am burnt out and therefore this is the best review I can write.

So I’ll say this…

For students who are interested in the tale about runaway teens that is gritty and realistic then this is the book for them. If you are looking for something different and have had your fill of runaway teen books then I strongly suggest you pass!

Have a great new year everyone!

What a girl wants

There has been some comparison to the book Climbing the Stairs. While both are set in India during World War II, they are different books. I felt that Keeping Corner had more detail about Indian culture and I came away with a better understanding of a young woman's plight not so very long ago.

In Keeping Corner we have twelve year old Leela who has been married at a very young age. Leela is your typical girl, and that's what I love about her. She isn't bookish and she really doesn't care about politics. She is interested in looking nice and wearing pretty clothes and jewelry. That is the extent of her life, and I think that makes her so much more interesting as a character. I mean what young adult doesn't like those things? Leela's life is turned upside down when her fiancé dies. Now she is a widow at a very young age and must "keep corner." She has to shave her head; lose her pretty clothes and jewelry. The community views her as bad luck. Leela is trapped insider her house for an entire year.

While she is in mourning Leela's schoolteacher comes and helps her with her lessons. Leela doesn't want to be taught anything. She dislikes school. Yet, as time goes on Leela becomes more interested in her studies and she enjoys hearing about Gandhi. She grows as a character and realizes there maybe something out there for her. Maybe she can change how people view women.

Keeping Corner is an excellent story that has a lot of great details about the era and the plight of women. There is also an index in the back (something Climbing the Stairs didn't have).

I think students who are interested in historical fiction will enjoy this novel as well as students who enjoy reading about other cultures. There is no romance in this novel however, so that may turn some teens away from the book. However, I strongly encourage people to read this novel.

Who ya Gonna Call?

For Halloween I thought I’d read a cool ghost story. Who doesn’t like a nice gothic tale of ghosts a mystery and more ghosts? The Spirit has gotten great reviews on Amazon, and it was about a Victorian couple so I thought I’d give it a go, seeing how I love historical fiction and ghosts. Win/win. Right? Wrong.

First I need to stop reading teen historical fiction because it makes me want to bang my head up against a wall. Ok, that was harsh. Let me rephrase that. Historical fiction for teens set in the Victorian Era makes me want to bang my head against the wall. There. I said it.

Tess and Tobias Goodraven are seventeen and they are married. Oh and they are quite rich as well. Yes, of course they are..hmmm. Anyway, the first chapter is something I didn’t quite understand about a lake and a father and a daughter. Maybe I shouldn’t have been watching the nightly news and trying to read this at the same time. But anyway in the second chapter we meet the main characters. Who have had a tragic past, wrote lots of letters throughout the years because they were separated at a young age, and when they see each other after X amount of years they marry. I think the main reason for marriage is because Tess wanted to get away from her governess.

So we have a madly in love couple, who barely know each other. Check.
They are very rich. Check.
They live alone in a very expensive rich house. Check.
They are ghost hunters. Check.
The story was too absurd for me to continue. Check.

I couldn’t get past the checklist above and to be honest from what I read (3 chapters..or maybe it was 4) I wasn’t impressed by the writing. I wanted a neat gothic story, but all I found was this contrived story that couldn’t hold my interest. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe other readers will enjoy it more. If you did, please tell me why. I’d love an explanation.

Sing my Angel of Music

The Queen’s Soprano is based on the true story of Angelica Voglia and is set in 17th century Rome.

Pope Innocent XI has made a decree that women are not allowed to sing in public. But Angelica was born with a beautiful voice and she wishes to sing. In addition she wants to marry an artist and live a happily ever after. Her mother, on the other hand has other ideas for Angelica. She wants her daughter to move up the social latter and marry a rich man.

Unable to endure her mother’s plans for marriage Angelica runs off into a quarter of Rome that is ruled by Queen Christina. She is a Swedish queen who allows women to perform even though the pope is outraged. Angelica thinks her life will be better.

The story follows Angelica as a young, naive girl, longing for love to a young woman making difficult choices about her future and experiencing great pain.

This story was interesting because it’s something I had never known existed. I did enjoy it, but at times I felt if fell into the typical “mom wants to marry me off but I love another…” plotline that is getting a little tedious in historical fiction. For once I would just like to see the girl made to marry the man, though I'm sure readers wouldnt enjoy that.

For teens looking for a good historical fiction novel about a unique time period I'd say give this one a go. This is a chick book, so gentlemen beware.

What is your path in life?

Vidya isn't a typical Indian woman because she dreams about going to college. The thought consumes her and she can think of nothing else. She likes to read and enjoys school, and unlike other girls around her she doesn't want to get married.

Everything is going well for her, until the day her father is brutally beaten by an English soldier. With her father unable to work she must move into her grandfather's house, which is occupied by an interesting cast of characters, including some cruel family members. Vidya's life is miserable. The only solace she finds is going upstairs to the library where she reads for hours. However, going into the library is entering the men's quarters and it is forbidden. No woman is allowed in the library.

While in the library Vidya meets a young man named Raman. He's unlike the others in the household because he treats her like an equal and encourages her to read. As time goes on Vidya begins to develop feelings for Raman but she doesn't know if she is willing to give up college for a man. Vidya must choose her path in life, marry like a proper Indian woman should, or be an outcast and go to college.

This book was differend compared to so many that I have read; because this novel takes place in India during World War II. Ms. Venkatraman does an excellent job of immersing the reader in Indian culture. She explains the foods, festivals and different customs. The caste system is explored in this book as well as the gender roles.

The only drawback to this book is there was no glossary. The author uses so many Indian words, which is wonderful, but I think the addition of a glossary would have helped students.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I think it would be an excellent book for a social studies teacher to use.

For teens who like to read about history, politics and other cultures this is the book for them.

A Powerful novel about Hurricane Katrina

No doubt some are thinking "this chick is like Volponi's personal cheerleader!" Well, you'd be right. Anyone who can get my teenage students, especially the boys, to read a book is someone that needs to be talked about. Frankly, I think the man is amazing.

Once again Mr. Volponi creates a fast paced story that will engage readers. Miles cannot stand living with his mother and his new stepfather. The apartment is too cramped, there are too many kids. Miles has to escape..but where can he go? His mother finally allows him to move in with his father, a man he hasn't seen for most of his life. The relationship with Miles and his father is lukewarm at best. Miles’ father doesn’t have an interest in football and only cares about Jazz. Before the two can work on their relationship Hurricane Katrina hits.

The reader is given a vivid and often painful narrative of what life was like in the Superdome. We see these events through Miles' eyes. He is a frightened, confused young man who struggles to understand the inhumanity that is taking place around him. As always, Mr. Volponi does not shrink away from uncomfortable situations and paints a very realistic vision of what happened during those horrible days inside and outside the Superdome. There is some swearing in this novel, but once again it is never done to shock the reader but further the storyline.

Students who want a realistic portrayal of Hurricane Katrina will enjoy this book. For students who enjoyed Mr. Volponi’s other novels I have no doubt they will enjoy this one as well.

This is a very powerful book about a sad chapter in our country's history.

This is where the bad kids go

“Your parents sent you to Lake Harmony because they love you.”

So begins the story of Garrett, who is 15 years old. Garrett is kidnapped in the middle of the night and transported in the back of a truck to somewhere in upstate New York. He doesn't know where he is going and that's how his kidnappers like it.

Garrett’s parents are upset with his behavior and feel that he is out of control. Nothing they said or did made Garrett obey their rules. His parents thought he was out of control. So with no other options they send him to Lake Harmony, a boot camp for teens.

Adjusting to life in Lake Harmony is very difficult for Garrett, who believes he should not be there. His crimes, in his opinion, were minimal compared to the other teenagers. He stole from his parents, and had an affair with his teacher. Garrett didn't know what was so so bad about that.

As the story progresses the reader watches Garrett’s struggle as he tries to keep his identity and fights against the brainwashing and harsh conditions at the facility. The methods of punishment are severe and make for an interesting read.

Overall, I liked this book, but I thought that Garrett was a little too perfect. He had above average intelligence, and I thought this hampered the book a little. If he were a typical rebellious teen then I may have enjoyed the book more. At the end of the novel Mr. Strasser gives a list of articles he used when researching the book which maybe helpful for students who want to find out more about boot camps.

You can't handle the truth!

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson has brought a lot of attention to rape victims. Chris Lynch’s book is different. It is told from the perspective of the rapist.

Keir is a fun loving senior. He is a football player and earns the name “killer” after he tackles and paralyzes another player during a game. He pulls the average teen pranks and has an interesting relationship with his father, whom he refers to by his first name. Keir also abuses drugs and thinks nothing of it. Afterall, he's still a "good guy."

The story is told through a series of flashbacks which all leads up to the rape, or supposed rape. Keir tries desperately to convince Gigi he “loves” her and that it wasn’t rape. She’s knows it was rape. Finally, in the last few chapters the reader is finally told what took place.

The topic is interesting and Keir is a very disturbing character. I know he has some problems, but even looking past his issues I cannot like him as a main character. He bothers me, but maybe that’s the point. Maybe I shouldn’t like him? Maybe I am supposed to hate him?

Overall, it was a decent read. It was a National Book Award Finalist, but I felt this book was more disturbing than award quality.

While book talking this novel I have told students that if they enjoyed Speak they may find Inexcusable interesting. I explain to them it is a book about rape and is from the guy's point of view. At first, students are interested in this novel, but the majority tell me that Speak is their favorite of the two.

Nonfiction: It isn't always about dead white guys

When my students hear the word "non fiction" and "project" they panic. For most, reading fiction is bad enough, but no one wants to read non fiction because it's full of "dead white guys" and "who flanked who at the battle of Gettysburg." What students don't realize is there is a large slection of non fiction books that they may find interesting.

If teens, and adults, are looking for a gritty story about being homeless and what it takes to survive, this is the book for them. Tina S. spares no details and shares her horrific story with readers as she struggles through homelessness, addiction, jail time, and her fight to reclaim her life.

The story is told through a series of flashbacks. First the reader is introduced to Tina S. and her dysfunctional family. Her stepfather sells drugs and also does them. Her mother is out of work, and everyone(including her brother and sister) are living in a welfare hotel called Prince George. Plus, she smokes a lot of pot, occasional drinks and doesn’t always go to school.

She hates life until she meets April, whom she believes is the coolest person she ever met. April has a carefree attitude that Tina is drawn to and soon the two are constantly hanging out. It is only a matter of time before Tina gets sucked into the world of homelessness and begins living in Grand Central Station.

The language and details in this book are startling, but that’s what makes it so powerful. Tina writes with raw emotion. She goes into graphic details about an abortion, how she robbed people, and her addition to crack.

I felt sorry for Tina, and then there were incidents that made me want to hate her. Tina S.’s story is filled with pain, suffering, loss and redemption. A must read.

Do we want another prequel?

When I first saw there was going to be a prequel to Anne of Green Gables, I thought, why God, why? I mean do we need a prequel? We had a sequel to Gone with the Wind and we also had a spin-off book entitled Rhett Butler’s People. Plus there are slew of sequels to Jane Austen's novels. I won’t lie, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to loan this one from the library.

The story starts off with Anne’s parents and who they were. Both, we find out, were school teachers. They die very early in Anne’s life (she was a few months old) and she is taken in by a friend of Anne’s mother. She has the best of intentions, but as time goes on, her husband continues to drink, and she has more children. The friend starts to become cruel and resents Anne. There is a death and Anne is shipped off to another family with three sets of twins. We gain a little insight into her life there, and another death occurs and she is off to the orphanage.

To be honest, I thought that there would be more information about the orphanage, but really I think there were only 50 pages of it. The majority of the novel is Anne living with her first family. And no matter where she goes she is nothing more than slave labor.

If nothing else, this book reminded me how grateful I am that my ancestors fought for the rights I now have. Throughout the entire novel women were nothing more than broodmares. They hated, or strongly resented, their children and were tired and cranky. No one seemed happy.

The story was good. I enjoyed it. Now, did this story need to be told? Nah. I think the world could have gone without a prequel to Anne of Green Gables. But this is coming from someone who has never read the series(tried numerous times, but could never finish). Although I will say that I am now interested in the books and may try to read them over the summer.

For people interested in this novel, I say give it a go. It was well written.

Mr. Volponi does it again with another gritty urban teen story

Rooftop is another excellent book by Mr. Volponi. Once again he is able to capture the harsh reality of inner city life without being preachy or condescending.

Clay is arrested for smoking pot while his cousin Addison is a crack dealer. Both attend Daytop, which is a day treatment program to help teens stay away from drugs and to make better choices. Clay struggles to stay clean and tries to get his GED. Meanwhile, Addison has a harder time of leaving his past behind and goes back to his old ways.

One night, Addison chases another teen who owes him money. Up on the rooftop a terrible incident occurs and Addison is shot by a white police officer in front of Clay. Now Clay's world is changed forever. Not only does he have to deal with the death of his cousin, but he has to decide if he will tell the truth about what happend on the rooftop. Some community members will be angry by what he has to say. But does Clay fold to community pressure or does he tell the truth about what really happened that night?

Students who liked Black & White will enjoy Rooftop as well. I highly recommend this book.

Tell me Lies, tell me Sweet Little Lies

Anna, Emma and Mariah are three average high school girls. Their lives are rather mundane until one night Mariah invites Anna and Emma to her boyfriend’s house when his parents aren’t home.

It was going to be a fun party, but when Emma's parents do not see them at the movies(where the girls said they would be) her parents start making phone calls. The girls are worried their parents are going to find out that they were at a party. Frightened by the punishment they could receive the girls make up a harmless little lie. The girls never thought that their lie would balloon out of control or that innocent people could be hurt.

The story is another multiple narrative and consists of Anna, Emma and Mariah. Each girl’s perspective on the events was interesting and added a lot to the story. But I think what made this story so unique and so chilling was how believable it was.

I think most teens will enjoy this book.

An Interesting book about Gay Teens

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez is an interesting, and frank book about the lives of three gay teenagers. Well, two are gay and Jason isn’t sure if he is or not.

The main characters are Jason, Kyle and Nelson. Each has their own set of problems which makes this book interesting and down to earth. For instance, Jason has a girlfriend, but isn’t sure if he is gay and struggles with the truth. Kyle hasn’t come out to his parents and is afraid to do it. To make matters worse his father is a drunk and Kyle struggles with an abusive home life. Nelson has no father, is in love with Kyle, and makes some really bad choices that could endanger his life. Thrown into the mix we have the boys dealing with students who are homophonic and the typical drama of high school.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It showed me the different issues that these characters had to deal with without being preachy. I liked how the story was broken down into three points of views. Each chapter represents a different character's perspective. By printing the characters name in bold at the beginging of each chapter the reader is instinantly connected to the character. As a person who hates multiple narratives in stories I found this very helpful. The author did a good job of staying away from the gay sterotypes. Overall, I think the book was well done.

For students who enjoyed Rainbow Boys there are two other books in the series including Rainbow High and Rainbow Road. Mr. Sanchez has also published his new book entitled The God Box.

For more information on author Alex Sanchez check out his website

Hot for Teacher!

Teach Me by R.A. Nelson deals with a disturbing topic that seems to be happening more frequently. I will confess that as an educator this book was difficult to read. The novel is about a 17 year old senior and her budding relationship with her teacher.

The idea that a teacher would cross the line and have a relationship with their student is troublesome. I wouldn’t have given this novel a second thought, but it came highly recommended. It was awarded Booksense Fall 2006 Kid’s Pick, a TeenReads.com Best Book of 2005, and a selection for the 2006 NYPL Books for the Teen Age.

It was because of these awards that I decided to give the book a chance.

Carolina is a high-school senior living in a small town. Her life is dull and uninteresting until she meets Mr. Mann. He is the new English teacher. Their relationship begins to grow and then they cross that line that is never to be crossed between teacher/student and consummate their relationship on her 18th birthday. Carolina begins to daydream of a future with Mr. Mann until he quickly calls off their relationship. Devastated by the rejection Carolina begins a downward spiral that has the potential to hurt everyone around her.

I will confess that I was disappointed by this book. With all the awards it received I thought it would have been written a little better. Much to my dismay, the book isn't as good as one would think.

For one, Carolina or Nine, as she is called, is much too intelligent for her age. I am fully aware that there are very smart teenagers. I see them all the time in the library, but Nine’s level of intelligence was a bit much. She thought like an adult. Her attitude was annoying as well. I didn’t find her to be a likable character.

The progression of the relationship was believable. Also, Nine’s psycho attitude(that’s all it can be called) is also understandable, however it did become tiresome. I mean how many times can you stalk someone and not get caught? The situations she is in are so unbelievable sometimes it’s just painful to read.

The resolution at the end was pathetic. At the end of the novel I couldn’t help but wonder what was the point of all the angst and crazy stalker like attitude if it ended the way it did? It was extremely disappointing, and I thought the author could have done so much more.

Good Kids who Make Bad Choices

“Marcs and Eddie are the stars of Long Island City High School’s basketball team. Marcs is black and Eddie is white, but they got past all that “racial crap" and have been best friends for years.” Quote from Black and White

Marcs and Eddie are going make it to the NBA. Everyone knows it. They have scouts coming to their games to see them play. Both know it will only be a matter of time before they get their big scholarships and then they can go to the pros.

The problem is both boys are from the inner city and have little money. They could work but that would interfere with their practices and games. So, they decide to make some quick cash. Everything is fine until one night when things go horribly wrong. Now one will have to pay for their mistake.

This is an excellent novel that I cannot keep on the shelf. My students love this book. Mr. Volponi does an excellent job of portraying the struggle these young men face. The ending shocked me and when I finished reading the book I couldn’t believe what happened. Amazing read. Boys who are into basketball will especially like this novel. However, I think boys and girls who want a solid story with realistic characters will enjoy this book.

Paul Volponi has written two other young adult novels including Rooftop and Rucker Park Setup. His first novel was Rikers, which could appeal to teens due to its topic.

Gray's Got a Gun

Gray Wilton wants his misery to end.

When he enters Greenford High School Gray believes a new school is just what he needs. Things are going to be better, that’s what he keeps telling himself. The students won't pick on him anymore.

Unfortunately, his loser status follows him.

Gray tries to fit in at his new school, and things are going well until he meets Zorro one of the football jocks. Soon Gray's life becomes horrible.

There is a lot of mental and physical abuse throughout the novel. Ms. Gardner does an excellent job of portraying the pain Gray faces and also his helplessness.

Gray tries to escape into his music and tries to avoid Zorro and his crew, but nothing seems to work. His parents, teachers and the students will not help him.

With no one to turn to Gray decides he is going to stop Zorro from hurting him. The only way to end his pain is to take a loaded gun to school.

I truly enjoyed this book because it makes people think. It makes you wonder if there are Grays in your school. Is there a student who teachers/administrators ignore even though that student is bullied? Is there a student in your school who you pick on?

It’s a sad, powerful story and is a must read for teachers, principals, parents and students.

Twilight Movie Information

On her website Stephenie Meyer’s has posted information for the upcoming movie based on her novel Twilight. The novel reached #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list. Kristen Stewart will be playing Bella Swan. Ms. Stewart has been in Panic Room and her latest film is Into the Wild.

I am looking forward to this movie, I also need to finish the series. For those of you who do not know Ms. Meyer has two other books. They are New Moon and Eclipse(which was published August).

You can find more information about the movie on Ms. Meyer’s site.

Twilight: The Movie