Sold on a Monday

 

Sold on a Monday
by Kristina McMorris
Sourcebook Landmark, 2018, Fiction. 352 p
Ellis is a want-a-be reporter in Chicago during the depression.  He is stuck writing for the society page, but dreams of getting his big break.  He is also a budding photographer, and when he snaps a picture of two boys with a sign that says, "2 Children for Sale" he has no idea where the picture will take him. Lily works as a secretary at the same paper, but she, too, has hopes of a more illustrious writing career.  She also has a secret and when she starts working with Ellis to find out what happened to the kids in his picture, her own life threatens to unravel.

I picked up this one because it was a New York Times Best Seller when it came out last year.  It started out feeling like a straight forward historical fiction, but turned into a mystery with a little romance at the end. The author has a great way of throwing in historical details that put the reader right into the depression era.  The main characters are interesting and appealing.  There are a lot of complicated and sympathetic relationships.  If you are a historical fiction lover, this may be your next favorite read. (2018, 352 p.)

Some Writer: The Story of E. B. White

Some Writer: The Story of E. B. White
by Melissa Sweet
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016, Youth Biography, 161 p.
I have read a bunch of biographies of authors before, and after you have read a few you start to feel that someone has to have a tortured life to be a good writer.  E.B. White proves that hypothesis  wrong.  He grew up in a loving home.  He started writing early, winning his first writing competition at nine, and then regularly submitted poems to magazines until he went to college.  After college he took a road trip with a friend and ended up as a reporter in San Francisco.  Later he returned east and wrote for Harper's Magazine and the New Yorker.  He eventually moved with his wife and family to a farm in Maine where he wrote Stewart Little, Charlotte's Web, and The Trumpet of the Swan, all of which, to my knowledge, have never been out of print.

This is a great choice for a child who is interested in becoming a writer, or for anyone who ever loved one of E.B. White's books.  It is also a good choice for a child who is a reluctant reader but who needs to read a biography more than 100 pages long.  That is because it is really well written and is illustrated with beautiful color collages that make it both appealing and a very fast read. 

Fifteen

Fifteen
By Beverly Cleary
Harper Trophy, 2007 (Reprint Edition), 238 pg., Teen Romance

There is nothing quiet like being fifteen. Jane just wants to meet a boy, but instead she is stuck babysitting the most notorious toddler in the neighborhood. When she runs into the new boy, Stan Crandell, it seems that all her dreams will come true. Perhaps he will like her and give her is identification bracelet! But Jane feels like she keeps messing things up! She looks like "Miss Muffet" next Marcy when they all go on a group date to the city. Then when the first big dance of the year comes she feels like she makes a fool of herself. How can a simple girl make a wonderful boy like Stan ever like her?

Written in 1956 this Beverly Clearly classic is still wonderful today. Set in the 1950's (which was contemporary when it was written) Clearly managed to capture the timeless feelings of being fifteen and in love for the first time. I wish I could ask her "How - How did you do it?" However she managed it, she encapsulated the thrills and  heartaches of being fifteen in the pages of a book. This book is about experiencing your first love, but it is also about learning that being just who you are, and that being proud of that fact, is what makes you attractive. This romance, while simple and maybe silly to some, is fantastic(and clean). For me, it was a reminder of what is was like when I was fifteen. I think that teen girls will love this and I think that adult woman will enjoy it too. Maybe it will remind you of how it felt the first time you seriously liked a boy.

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Tale of the Last True Hermit

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
By: Michael Finkel
Vintage Books, 2018, 203 pg., Nonfiction

Perhaps at some point you have considered abandoning modern society? About leaving all of the hubbub behind to live simply in nature? Would be as simple as we imagine? Furthermore, would you do it alone? When was the last time you were truly alone, away from the world? No phone, no computer, no internet, no car, no lights, maybe a book or some music, but no contact with anyone? How long did this last? Maybe you have never experienced this before at all. But if you were able to live like this, how long would you last before you become lonely or depressed? Hours? Days? Months?

What if it was years? 27 years. Many of us may not be able to cope with that much distance from others humans. Perhaps we would loose our minds, but one man did live on his own. For 27 years in the woods of Maine he lived all alone, with no contact and no help. One day in 198- Christopher Knight willingly left behind his entire life and walked into the woods. He wasn't even sure why he did, he just did. When he emerged 27 years later people were shocked by his story. Some believed him, others said it was a lie. Some people felt he should be left alone, others were furious at him(there had been legends of a hermit around the pond where Knight lived that frightened locals), some believed he had a disorder, others were afraid to be around him. This is a fascinating biography a man who left his whole world behind him, in favor of home in woods.

A Defense of Honor

A Defense of Honor
by Kristi Ann Hunter
(Haven Manor #1)
Bethany House, 2018, Religious Fiction, 376 p.
Lord Graham Whorten is bored of society. As a 30-something unmarried son of a baron he has seen too many London seasons full on insipid conversation and social climbing debutantes. He knows he should find a wife but none of the wealthy belles interests him. Then one night he sees a woman near his age wearing a dress of an unfashionable color hiding behind a potted plant at a ball. When he tries to talk with her, she is evasive which only feeds his curiosity. As he tries to discover who she is, he is exposed to a dark side of the "Ton" society and is challenged to examine his own values and behaviors.

Do you have a vacation coming up?  Hunter's books make the perfect caramel-corn reading for riding on airplanes or waiting for the metro. Part mystery and part social commentary, this book is mostly a romance with a cast of endearing characters we have come to expect in Hunter's books. Hunter's books are not going to win any literary awards but are just fun, fluffy, clean, historical romances guaranteed to to make long hours in a cramped airplane seat more enjoyable.

Beyond the Bright Sea

Beyond the Bright Sea
By Lauren Wolk
Button Books for Young Readers, 2017, 304 pg., Youth Historical Fiction

It is human nature to want to know where we came from, where we were born, and who our parents were. For many, these questions can be easily answered; but there are many for whom these questions may take a life time to figure out. Crow is one of these latter people. All she knows is that Osh, her adopted father figure, found her washed up on the shore of his little island in the Elizabeths. The boat she was in was small and barley sea worthy and she was only hours old. Up until her 12th year this was satisfactory for Crow, but now she wants to know more. Where are, or were, her parents? Why did they send her away? Does she have family somewhere other then Cuttyhunk?

Wolk has written a touching and poignant tale. The characters are wonderful and the reader becomes attached to them. This attachment pulls the reader into the story; making them want to know what happens next, what are the answers to Crow's questions, and what is she going to do about them? Wolk has done some excellent research about the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of Massachusetts in the 1920's. Readers will learn things they may never have known existed. As far as reading level goes this book is good for children 5 grade and up, and adults will enjoy it as well. As far as content is concerned, readers should know that this book may shock or upset sensitive readers. A major plot point revolves around a serious illness, and while it is not necessarily frightening, it is sad. That being said the book resolves into a contented, though not perfect ending. I for one was pleased with it's bittersweet story. This would be a great read for those who enjoyed Wolk's Wolf Hollow.

Long Way Down

 

Long Way Down
by Jason Reynolds
Atheneum, 2017, Young Adult Fiction, 306 p.
This book in free verse starts when Will sees his brother, Shawn, get shot on the streets of an inner city. As he is left by himself to deal with his grief he remembers "the three rules"; don`t cry,  don't snitch and get revenge. He manages the first and the second, and tries to steel himself to do the third. He believes he knows who killed his brother so he finds his brother's gun and gets into the elevator to go out and do the deed.  As he starts down, the elevator door opens on different floors admitting people from Will's past who all died through gun violence. As they tell their stories the reader sees the senseless loss that results from following "the rules".

This is the first time in a while that I finished a book and had to say "Wow!"  I have enjoyed several Jason Alexander books before but this one was Amazing!  It has such a powerful message written in totally accessible language.  It is rich in imagery too.  This is one an English teacher could really sink her teeth into, but even a reluctant teen reader could enjoy.  It truly deserves all the awards it received when it came out in 2017.

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World
by Steve Brusatte
William Morrow, 2018, 404 pg., Nonfiction

Mind-bogglingly big and endlessly fascinating the dinosaurs have been a mystery since the first fossil was discovered. In the most recent decades Paleontology has become a busy and exciting field of science. It is estimated that a new species of dinosaurs in named every week and with each new dinosaur Paleontologists solve unanswered questions and discover unexpected facts about this ancient world.

This is a fascinating book for anyone who has ever liked dinosaurs. Steve Brusatte has been in a position to witness and be a part of this fast paced and exciting part of Paleontology history. He has met and worked with leading and famous Paleontologists. His book recounts some of his and other experts experiences in the field, but also narrates the long history of the dinosaurs. Far from dry this book tells the incredible story of these ancient creatures; how they lived, how they died, which species were related, and how each dinosaur was uniquely suited to it's environment. Brusatte's book leaves the reader feeling like they really understand the world of dinosaurs and the field of modern Paleontology(even if you can't remember all of those dino's names.)

Aru Shah and the Song of Death

Aru Shah and the Song of Death
by Roshani Chokshi
Disney/Hyperion, 2019, Intermediate Fiction, 881 p.

In this second adventure that began with Aru Shah and the End of Time Aru and Minni have teamed up with a third reincarnated Pandava sibling, Brynne. The teens are accused of stealing a bow and arrow of the gods. To clear their names they must recover the artifact and use it to stop whoever is amassing a huge zombie army. Once again the kids must unravel the complicated mysteries of the Hindu pantheon.

This is a good second installment in a series that will appeal to the Rick Riordan fans.  The premise for the series is similar to Percy Jackson.  Modern kids discover that they are related to the gods and have special abilities. I respect the fact that Chokshi resists the temptation to have Aru`s task be a simple case of good vs evil.  Our heroes face moral ambiguity that is never fully resolved. These books are fun, fast paced adventures that are great to read and discuss with friends.