Thursday, October 31, 2019

Parent/Child Book Club: The Giver

The Giver
by Lois Lowry
Houghton Mifflin, 1993,Young Adult Fiction, 225 p.
Jonas lives in a perfect community.  There is no hunger, no crime, no discontent.  On the day that Jonas goes through the ceremony of 12's and he is chosen to be the new "Receiver of Memory" his whole world view starts to change.  He begins to see that there is so much more to life than he had ever imagined, both of good, and of evil.

The first time I read this book I ended up thinking about it for days.  The story line is fast paced, the world building is intriguing, and Jonas is a complex and sympathetic character.  The real magic of the story, however, is the ethical questions that is presents, in a very palatable manner, to a young mind. It certainly deserved the Newbery Medal that it garnished in 1994. This is the Parent/Child Book Club choice for November.  If you wish to know more about the Parent/Child Book Club, or to register, check out the Library's Eventbrite page.

Monday, October 28, 2019

Fever 1793

highland.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=9780689838583

Fever 1793
By Laurie Halse Anderson
Maddie is a young teen living in Philadelphia in 1793.  Her father has died, but she helps her mother run a successful coffee shop.  One day in September one of their serving girls dies suddenly of a mysterious illness.  Soon others around the city are dying and word gets around that it is Yellow Fever. Maddie and her mother try to keep the coffee house open, but then her mother falls ill. Maddie flees the city with her grandfather, but when they both fall ill, they are left to the winds of fate.

This is a vivid look at a brief, but devastating flu epidemic. Although the story is fictional, it is based on a real event and Anderson uses carefully researched detail to put the reader into the experience.  Maddie is a strong and appealing character and her story is both exciting and harrowing. 

Saturday, October 26, 2019

School of the Dead

School of the Dead
By Avi
Harper , 2016, 276 pg., Youth Fiction

Tony never understood Uncle Charlie. Growing up all the cousin's asked "What's the deal with Uncle Charlie?" But, when Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his parents, Tony realizes that Uncle Charlie is really fun. They become best friends. Uncle Charlie tells Tony about the school he went to as a kid, Penda School, in San Francisco. When Uncle Charlie suddenly dies, Tony is left feeling alone and missing his friend. Uncle Charlie left money so that Tony could attend Penda, but there are no openings in the school. Then suddenly a spot opens. However, when Tony gets to Penda he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere - he also starts seeing "the Penda boy," the only child of Mrs. Penda the schools founder. Penda was founded because the Penda boy died. On top of all this Tony soon learns that the real reason he was able to go to Penda was because the boy who had his spot disappeared; but nobody will say what happened to him. Except for the Weird History Club. Tony realizes that if he wants to find out what is really going on at this school that the weird history club, and its leader Jessica, are the only ones who know.

I first decided to read this book because I love Avi's writing. If you have not read anything by him yet - you should. If you have, and you really liked his books, and you haven't read School of the Dead yet - you need to. Avi is a great storyteller, and his book's can be appreciated by all ages. At first I was surprised and disappointed because the story seemed so slow in the beginning, so many details that seemed pointless. I never should have doubted Avi. As the action increased in the book I found myself recalling all those seemingly pointless details. Each detail was designed to create a complex net that pulled tighter and tighter around the main character.  I actually listened to this book on a road trip with my family(Highland Library has this book available in book format, as well as E-Book and E-Audio book through Overdrive/Libby). The narrator for the audio book did a really good job. I liked how he put stress or emphasis on words that really heightened the tension and suspense. Me, my parents, and my teenage sister all really got into the book. We kept pausing to discuss details and predict what happened next. School of the Dead is a fun and suspenseful mystery that is perfect for Halloween.

Parents should know that this does contain elements of the supernatural and deals with death - but not in a graphic way. There is also mild and infrequent swearing.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Parent/Child Book Club: Wonder

 highland.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=9780375869020
Wonder
by R.J. Palacio
Alfred A. Knopf, 2012, Intermediate Fiction, 315p.
August is a boy with a major deformity of his face.  He has never attended school, mostly because he had been in and out of the hospital since he was born, having undergone more than two dozen reconstructive surgeries. Finally, at age 11, he is strong enough to try school.  At first he is very nervous.  His face is so misshapen that is sometimes scares people.  His class mates at school do not know what to think of him and are afraid to even touch him.  But a few of the children reach out to Auggie, and over the school year his courage inspires admiration and friendship from his peers.

This was our Parent/Child Book Club title for October.  I had read it when it first came out in 2012 and I was so glad to read it again.  I really think it is one of the best books written for children in the last decade.  The characters feel completely authentic and the boy, Auggie, and his family are so likable   The story doesn't candy coat things.  It shows how painful it can be to be "not normal" and how people can be cruel both intentionally and unintentionally. Although the book is honest, it is not a big downer.  The overall tone is upbeat and the author portrays those kids who are willing to overlook Auggie's disfigurement as real heroes.  Even if you have seen the movie, do yourself a favor and read the book.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

The Hate You Give

The Hate U Give
by Angie Thomas
Harper Collins, 2017, Young Adult Fiction, 444 p.
Starr Carter lives in the slums of large city, but attends an upscale private school where she and her brothers are the only black students.  One night she is in a car when one of her black friends, Khalil, is unjustly shot by a white police officer.  Starr gives her testimony to the police detectives, but that is not the end of her story.  Activists seize Khalil's death as an opportunity to spotlight racial profiling and protests break out across the country.  Starr is torn between her desire to live a normal life, and a growing sense that in order for Khalil to receive justice, she will have to abandon here safe anonymity and speak out.

I read this book for two reasons.  It received starred reviews in every major review journal the year it came out, and it was the most often banned book the year it came out (and it was national Banned Book Week.)  It is no surprise that it was frequently banned. The density of swear words is approaching 10% -20 %.  I must admit, it was hard for me to read.

I am glad I persisted. I kept telling myself that to truly understand someone you need to "walk a mile in their shoes".  That is what reading the book does, it allows you not only to see but to feel a little of what it is like to have grown up as a racial minority in an underprivileged community.  It helped me understand why some groups are so full of rage after decades of maltreatment.  It also showed me that in the "slums" people, despite their troubles, can grow close and make great sacrifices to try to support each other.

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Bushnell's Submarine: The Best Kept Secret of the American Revolution

http://highland.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/default/search/results?qu=bushnells+submarine&te=
Bushnell's Submarine: The Best Kept Secret of the American Revolution
By Arthur S. Lefkowitz
Scholastic Nonfiction, 2006, Nonfiction, 125pg.


David Bushnell is a little known American inventor. At the age of 31 he entered Yale College in 1771 and graduated just as the American Revolution began. His invention is considered one of the earliest submarines, and was one of the first to be used in combat. Designed with the intention of helping the rebel American's fight off the British Navy (the most powerful Navy in the world at that time), Bushnell's submarine was a example not only of advanced scientific engineering, but of American patriotism. Though his submarine never succeeded in blowing up a British ship, it's tale is one of heroism and the fascinating question of "What if it had worked?"

This really is a interesting story of history and Lefkowitz does an excellent job of telling it. Though his writing is steeped in research, it does not take on the erudite tone that can make a nonfiction history books terribly boring. It is told in a simple easy to read language. It is also not incredibly long. However, readers are able to walk away feeling like they have learned a great deal about the war, the people, science, and what the early patriots were will up against in their battle against Britain. This is a great book for history fans in general, but especially early American history buffs. This would also be a great title for anyone who want's to read a nonfiction book, but doesn't want to get bogged down in a large tome filled with unfamiliar terminology.

Wednesday, October 9, 2019

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie


The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
by Alan Bradley
Bantam Books, 2010, Fiction, 385 p.
Flavia is an 11-year-old girl who lives in a venerable old house in England. Her mother has died, and she lives with two sisters, her father, and some domestics.  Flavia is obsessed with chemistry and is never happier than when she is distilling poisons in her great uncle's laboratory.  One day she hears an argument in her father's study, and then finds a man dead in the house's culinary garden. Could her father be a murder?  The police think so and it is up to Flavia to prove them wrong, if she can.

The charm of this book is Flavia's complex personality.  She is at once intrepid and vulnerable, cold blooded and compassionate.  Bradley has caught the essence of per-pubescent exuberance, still unfettered by hormones or social consciousness.  On top of that, Bradley has created a host of other interesting characters, a charming setting, and a well crafted plot.  This is an older book, but definitely worth trying if you haven't already.