Book Review: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl

Premise: Alba has graduated from high school. Now it's her last summer with her friends, who are all moving away. But Alba doesn't want to go. She wants everything to stay the same. And then, the weirdos start showing up in her town claiming that the world is about to end and only this town will survive.

Title: The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
Author: Melissa Kiel
Length: 294 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 9-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: unique, nerdy, slow

So, I'm definitely not the right audience for this book. But, I'm sure high school students everywhere will be happy to have a protagonist who is thoroughly confused, and possibly terrified, about what's next after high school. There are lots of things that I liked about Cinnamon Girl, but all that "What am I doing with my life?" got really old for me.

Things I Liked - 
* It's really really Australian. They have Christmas in the summer! And there was lots of great Aussie slang. It totally captured regular life in small-town Australia.... not that I've ever been there, but it just felt accurate.
* Alba is a Real Girl. She isn't some skinny-mini, fashionista. Alba has her own interests and personal style. She's a real girl. Yay for real girls!
* Alba is a nerd. She's into comics and  drawing and baking. Alba is smart, and her dialogue is witty and full of comic book references.
* The last 50 pages were intense. They kind of snuck up on me. I was surprised at how invested I had become in these characters.

Things I Disliked -
* It's normal Realistic Fiction. From the cover and title, I was expecting more elements of fantasy or sci-fi. But, no.
* The build-up was slow and tedious. All that character development and internal conflict just about killed me. Can we get some plot in the first half please?!
* So much angst! I'm definitely not the target audience!

3.5 stars

Book Review: The Terrible Two Gets Worse

Premise: Niles and Miles are back. This ranking team, known as The Terrible Two, are ready for another year of pranking their school, especially their power-loving principal, Principal Barkin. Unfortunately, one of their pranks leads Principal Barkin to losing his job, and now he's been replaced with a much more stern principal, who is out to shut down all pranking. 

Title: The Terrible Two Gets Worse
Author: Mac Barnett and Jory John
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Book 2 of 2 so far
Content appropriate for: Grades 3-5
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: funny, easy-to-read, disappointing

I straight-up loved Book 1. It was so fun! I frequently recommend it to my 4th and 5th grade students who are looking for something funny to read, and so far they have all loved it. So, my students and I were super excited for Book 2. The first third or so totally lived up to my expectations. I Laughed Out Loud on almost every page. Unfortunately, I'll have to break the news to them that I didn't end up loving it, and that I'm not sure I'll get a copy for our classroom. Here's why -

The pranks in the first book were elaborate, creative, and harmless. There were awesome diagrams accompanying several, and they did a brilliant job of incorporating the cows of Yawnee Valley. The first book was outrageous, and that's why so many of us love it.

This second installment simply doesn't do the same things. The pranks are too typical, easy for kids to duplicate, and far from harmless. They put peppers in people's drinks, pull the fire alarm, and drop someone's pants. I've seen this book referred to as mean-spirited, and I totally agree. To make it worse, there are no cows! Where is the creativity? Where is the outrageousness? Where are the diagrams, a la Rube Goldberg???

Reissued Review: The Flying Classroom

Erich Kastner's The Flying Classroom, was originally published in German in 1933. Last year I read (and enjoyed) his classic, Emil and the Detectives. So I was curious to see if The Flying Classroom would have the same charm.

Premise: Six German boarding school boys get into mischief around Christmas-time.

Title: The Flying Classroom
Author: Erich Kastner (translated by Anthea Bell)
Length: 176 pages
Genre: Realistic fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 6-8
Format: Digital copy provided by Pushkin Children's Books

Three adjectives that describe this book: confusing, lacking, simple

Although The Flying Classroom had some memorable scenes, overall it was really disappointing. While this book will certainly appeal to an adult audience looking to relive older-styled stories, I doubt it will find much of an audience in the US in 2015.

But there are lots of problems with this book starting with the premise itself. Did you notice that premise at the top of the post? Very little happens in this book, and there is no over-arching problem. The story simply follows 6 boarding school boys over the course of a week or so. Young readers today want things to happen in their books.

Another major problem - even though not much happens, the story still manages to be confusing. I had to reread the first 40 pages THREE times because I couldn't keep the 6 main characters straight. They are called at various times by their full names, nicknames, last names, etc... such that the 6 boys feel more like 15. It was very hard to keep track.

And there are two more things - the characters all smoke (even fellow students), and one of the boys is on scholarship and his peers are constantly "amazed" by how smart he is even though he's poor. I found it very offensive.

The one redeeming quality is that the illustrator, Walter Trier, is marvelous. He keeps the book light and helps clarify some of the confusing scenes.

Classics Review: Maniac Magee

Premise: Jeffrey Lionel Magee, called Maniac, is on his own in a town that's divided. Along the way, Maniacs gain epic status as a master knot-untangler, baseball hitter, and football catcher. He also discovers caring families of all shapes and colors.

Title: Maniac Magee
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Length: 184 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7
Format: Audiobook narrated by S. Epatha Merkerson

Three adjectives that describe this book: complex, fun, memorable

I read this book as part of the Classics Club challenge to read 50 classics books in 5 years. My list is comprised entirely of children's books.

Even though Maniac Magee is a school classic, required reading in 4th and 5th grades, I had not read it until now. I chose to read Maniac Magee as an audiobook, and S. Epatha Merkerson's narration was exceptional.

Much of the novel was written as a tall tale. For instance, at one point he faces a pitcher who has struck out every single batter. Yet Maniac hits the first pitch, and continues to hit every single one afterward - even when the pitcher hurls a frog instead of a baseball.

This narrative style makes the story fun, but it also raises the complexity of the text. When my 5th grade students discuss Maniac Magee, it's clear that they see these events as actual, rather than exaggerated. I wish Spinelli had made the tall tale aspect more explicit.

As the story progresses, some great things emerge. Maniac spends time with wonderful families, and some that are struggling. I love that Jerry Spinelli explored both ends of this spectrum.

Some other things I loved:
* Explicit discussion of racial issues
* Both positive and negative figures that are both black and white
* A fascinating father-figure who is homeless
* Learning is highly valued both in and out of school

Overall, I can see why Maniac Magee is loved by teachers everywhere. Many students love it too, but others find it lacking in action.

4.5 stars

Classics Review: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Premise: When 13 year-old Brian finds himself stranded and alone in the North Canadian wilderness, he struggles against nature to keep himself alive.

Title: Hatchet
Author: Gary Paulsen
Length: 186 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 in Brian's Saga (5 books)
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8
Format: Paperback from classroom library

Three adjectives that describe this book: adventurous, predictable, easy-to-read

I am in the middle of the Classics Club challenge to read 50 classics books in 5 years. My list is comprised entirely of children's books.

When I read Hatchet in 5th grade, I loved it. This time around, I really enjoyed the first half, but struggled with the ending. Brian's crash and first days of survival are palpable. The images in Paulsen's writing are clear and meaningful. The whole thing feels dangerous and immediate.

Then about halfway in, Paulsen decided to skip ahead 40 days and tell everything in flashback-y snapshots. This sudden shift really caught me off guard. I struggled with it. The tone slowed down, and so did the sense of near-death danger that was making Hatchet so great.

Finally, the very end is so sudden and cut short that it felt a bit like Paulsen got tired of his own story. We're going along with survival in the woods and then BAM a rescue plane appears and all is well in a neat little package.

So basically, I would give the first third of the book a near 5 stars, but it just goes downhill from there.

Against the Grain Book Review: The Fourteenth Goldfish

Premise: Things get strange when Ellie's elderly grandfather shows up at her house as a teenage boy. Grandpa is a scientist and he's discovered a way to reverse aging. Now he's living with Ellie and her mom, and things are very strange.

Title: The Fourteenth Goldfish
Author: Jennifer L. Holm
Pages: 208 pages
Genre: Realistic / Science Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 4-7
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: August 26, 2014

Three adjectives that describe this book: fanciful, unique, simple

The Fourteenth Goldfish is getting so much positive buzz! There have been talks of it winning the Newbery, the Goodreads page is glowing, and it was even selected for the 2014 Global Read Aloud. So it feels like blasphemy to say, but I found The Fourteenth Goldfish kind of disappointing. That's why I'm calling this an Against the Grain Book Review - my thinking appears to diverge from what most folks are thinking.

The Fourteenth Goldfish just didn't feel complete to me. It's a really straight-forward, single-plot story so that should make it easy to follow, but there were gaps in the narrative that made me lose track of how much time was passing and how various events were connected. A longer book, maybe from different perspectives, may have worked better.

Still, it was a fun read with some great moments. Grandpa Melvin may be one of my favorite characters in a long time.

People seem to really like the science aspect of this book, but it really disappointed me. Maybe it's because I have worked with researchers on how kids view scientists, but this book reinforced more stereotypes than it combated. However, I love love loved the talk about believing in possibilities and that scientists are passionate people who don't give up.

Overall, The Fourteenth Goldfish may provide a good starting point for classroom conversations about science, scientists, and fuzzy morality.

3.5 stars

Classics Review: The Black Stallion

Premise: After being shipwrecked together, Alec and a mostly-wild horse begin an impossible quest to train and compete in horse racing.

Title: The Black Stallion
Author: Walter Farley
Length: 224 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Classic
Series or Stand Alone: Book 1 of 19
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-6

Three adjectives that describe this book: predictable, engaging, easy-to-read

I am in the middle of the Classics Club challenge to read 50 classics books in 5 years. Every so often the club hosts a Classics Spin in which a book is chosen randomly (ish). The Black Stallion is my book for Classics Spin #6 and it was listed as a "Book I'm Hesitant to Read." That's because I don't like horses, so I knew that The Black Stallion would be a real challenge for me.

Okay, enough stalling - here's my review:

I'm sure kids who love horses also love this book. It is very very horsey. I am freaked out by horses. Still, Black Stallion was a pretty engaging read. The plot drove forward without lingering on character development. That left the story thin and riddled with cultural stereotypes (the Italian immigrant, Tony, being the most offensive to me). Overall, I found myself more interested than I expected to be in the process of breaking a wild horse. Farley did a great job crafting Black and the scenes in which he interacted with young Alec.

My primary complaint is the way parents are handled in this book. Alec and his retired neighbor sneak off several days a week at midnight to ride the Black. They never tell his parents. They just say, "I hope they don't find out." And then when Alec finally tells them, they don't care. They just say okay and send him off to Chicago with two grown men they barely know! Really? Was that parenting in the 40s? Your kid does whatever he wants at all hours with strange adults and you don't know and don't care?

Review: We Were Liars

Premise: Four teens, part of a wealthy American family, spend every summer on the family's own island. They are the best of friends. Then, the summer when they are 15, something happens. Cadence isn't sure what it was... but she was discovered half-naked in the ocean with no memory of the event. Two years later she hasn't heard from her cousins and she's freaking out. Now she is dedicated to figuring out what happened.

Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Length: 240 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 9-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by Random House Children's via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: mysterious, intriguing, strange

This book is definitely getting a lot of buzz right now. And this might be a case where the buzz actually hurts the book. The author makes it clear right up front that there is a big twist at the end... and the buzz is confirming that.

The problem with that tactic is that the reader is on the look-out for the twist from the very beginning. You spend the first three-fourths waiting for it and feeling frustrated that it isn't there yet. And when it comes, it might not be quite as effective because all you can think is, "Oh! That's the twist."

But the twist really did surprise me. I knew it was coming, but I was still surprised. So I guess that's something. When I finished We Were Liars I was thinking, "5 stars!" The ending packs a powerful punch.

But then I remembered the choppy writing style. 4 stars?
And that only the protagonist was developed beyond simple caricatures. 3.5 stars?
And that the first three-fourths was so slow.... 3 stars?

So let's try some pros and cons -

Classics Review - The View From Saturday

Premise: A group of 4 quirky sixth graders shocks everyone, even their teacher, by making it to the championship round of the Academic Bowl.

Title: The View from Saturday
Author: E.L. Konigsburg
Length: 176 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-Alone
Content Appropriate For: Grades 5-7
Format: Paperback in school library

Three adjectives that describe this book: strange, sweet, disappointing

The View From Saturday won the Newberry Medal in 1997. It is required reading in classrooms all over the United States. It also has lots of die-hard fans. Last week when I read it, I was wholly disappointed, and even a bit disgusted.

Okay, maybe disgusted is too severe. Either way, this review is not going to be pretty. Here's the deal, as I see it -

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Eleven year old Melody is the smartest kid in her whole school. But no one else knows it. Most people think she is incapable of learning. That's because Melody has severe cerebral palsy - she can't talk, walk, or write.

This book is narrated by Melody herself and presents a unique opportunity to see what it's like to be in her situation.

I was really excited to read this book, but too many annoyances interfered with my enjoyment. Do you remember how you cringed whenever an After School Special came on TV? Reading this gave me the same kind of feeling. It's wonderful to have a novel told in the first person by a fifth grader who is unable to talk due to her cerebral palsy. I'm so glad Sharon Draper has given these children a voice. And there are some terrific things in this book, however they don't outweigh some of the flaws in Draper's writing.

Kensuke's Kingdom

Premise: Eleven year old Michael is washed up on an island with his dog, Stella. At first they appear to be alone, but soon they realize that someone else is on the island with them. Is he an enemy or a friend? And how will they manage to get back home?

Title: Kensuke's Kingdom
Author: Michael Morpurgo
Length: 176 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction, survival
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone
Format: Paperback in classroom library
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-7

Three adjectives that describe this book: believable, engaging, simple

Kensuke's Kingdom is a straight-forward survival story. Michael and his dog, Stella, are only able to survive on the island thanks to the help of a mysterious and possibly dangerous stranger was stranded there many years before.

The Most Magnificent Thing is Pretty Magnificent

Premise: A young girl loves to tinker. When she has an idea for a MAGNIFICENT THING she builds and rebuilds it, never satisfied with the results. Eventually, the girl gets angry and begins to doubt herself. Now what?

Title and Author: The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
Length: 32 pages
Genre: Picture book, realistic fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone
Content appropriate for: Ages 4-11
Format: Digital ARC provided by Kids Can Press via Netgalley
Publication Date: April 1, 2014


Three adjectives that describe this book: believable, fun, memorable

The Most Magnificent Thing is a story for people who tinker. I absolutely love that the tinkerer in question is a girl. However, at first I wasn't sure how to feel about the main character's response to frustration. After several failed builds, she throws up her hands and says, "I quit."

NO!!! 

After a walk around the block with pretty balloons and cupcakes, she calms down and has another go at it.

Hmm... balloons and cupcakes?

But then I realized that the message to take a break and come back to your work is a good one. Just because you aren't successful on the first, second, third, fifth, or tenth try, it doesn't mean you are incapable. But realistically, there won't always be balloons and cupcakes followed by a big AHA!

I was first drawn to The Most Magnificent Thing by its fun illustration style. Ashley Spires uses a pseudo-monochrome approach with lots of white and pale blue.

I also loved how Ashley Spires used the girl's dog for comic relief. This book has the potential to be annoyingly preachy, but the dog keeps it light and fun instead.

Keeping away the distractions

I would love to do this book as a read aloud in my classroom before having my students take on a complicated problem or project. I often find myself suggesting that they start a task over, try a different approach, etc... this book would be a more lighthearted and less threatening way to get across the the same message.

4.5 stars

Abbreviated Review: Year of the Dog by Grace Lin

An abbrieviated reviews are just shorter and use a more simple format. Here we go:

Premise: Readers follow Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year as she struggles to integrate her two cultures... She and her two sisters are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further differences between the American and Taiwanese cultures. (From School Library Journal)

This novel is a great read for those in grades 3-5. I really like the way it handled the experience of being the only child of a particular culture (in this case, Taiwanese) in a school group. Grace/Pacy is really struggling to understand how she can be both American AND Taiwanese.

This book had been on my shelf for a long time, but I avoided it because I thought it might be too preachy. Man - I was really missing out! Grace Lin deftly balances the questions of identity with typical experiences such as friendship, boys, and school projects. She also does a fabulous job of keeping Chinese-American culture diverse, rather than giving in to the temptation of making it a monolith. But my favorite thing was the humor. I laughed out loud. The voice of the story is a middle grades girl, and boy did Grace Lin nail that young voice. Also, my 5th grade students really enjoy this novel. Nicely done!

4 stars

Surprisingly Terrific! A Review of Ship Out of Luck

Premise: Anthony "Antsy" Bonano and his family have been invited on a birthday cruise for their wealthy, cranky, old-man neighbor, Mr. Crawley. But when Antsy meets a mysterious stowaway on his first day, his relaxing vacation turns into one terrible idea after another.

Title: Ship Out of Luck
Author: Neal Shusterman
Length: 256 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction / Humor
Series or Stand Alone: Book 3 in the Antsy Bonano Series
Content Appropriate For: Grades 8-12
Format: Hardcover provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Three adjectives that describe this book: engaging, page-turner, fun

I was a bit hesitant to start reading Ship Out of Luck since it's the third book in a series, of which I have read neither books 1 or 2. So let me start by relieving you of that concern - this book is totally grand on its own and requires no previous knowledge of the other books.

My other hesitation was that this book is billed as a comedy. I don't read a lot of humor because it always feels forced, fake, and annoying. Ship Out of Luck was fun... and there was humor... but it surprised me because the humor was sophisticated and fit with the characters and plot. It only appeared at reasonable times, so that the humor was not the focal point of the novel, nor did it distract from the story. Antsy and Crawley are pretty acerbic characters. They are witty and they're humor is dry. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

A Haunting Tale for Teens: Into That Forest by Louis Nowra

Premise: When six-year-old Hannah and her friend Becky find themselves alone in the wilderness, they are adopted by a mated pair of Tasmanian Tigers. While living with the tigers, they begin to lose their language, clothing, and other indicators of humanity. But what happens when they are forced to rejoin civilization?

Title: Into That Forest
Author: Louis Nowra
Length: 118 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 9-12
Format: Digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley

Three adjectives that describe this book: gritty, gripping, tragic

This book had been getting rave reviews so I was really excited to get my hands on it. The concept of children raised in the wild fascinates me. This book, in it's no-frills style really hones in on the question of what makes us human. What is the difference between animals and humans? How separate is humanity from the natural world? And how separate should we be?

Classic Review: It's Like This, Cat

Premise: Dave will soon be leaving junior high. He and his pet, Cat, live in Manhattan in the early 60s. Dave is street savvy and so is Cat. Along the way, they befriend a girl with quiet confidence and a troubled boy who rescues Cat. Soon, Dave's friends even impact his relationship with his parents.

Title: It's Like This, Cat
Author: Emily Neville
Length: 181 pages
Genre: Really realistic fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 6-8

Three adjectives that describe this book: believable, simple, lacking

It's Like This, Cat is a 1964 Newberry Honor Book. I don't know why. As you can tell from the premise above, it's not a complex plot. In fact, there's virtually no plot at all. I tried really hard to make the premise of the book sound intriguing, but it just isn't... This book is about a teenage boy in 1960s New York. He goes around town. His cat gets in street fights. He hangs out with a girl. The end.

The saving element of this book is how well the author described the setting. Throughout the novel, NYC is painted with loving strokes of clarity. The author takes us all over the city. We experience Brooklyn, Fulton's Fish Market, Coney Island, and the Bronx Zoo. The setting of this book is almost a living character. Actually, it's probably the most complete and compelling character in the novel.

If you're looking for a book that helps you understand New York City life in the early 60s, this book is for you. If you want a mentor text to help you write a compelling setting, this book is for you. Otherwise, don't bother.

2 stars

It's Like This, Cat is my second read for The Classics Club. My entire list of classics to read is composed of children's books and I'm looking forward to filling this gap in my reading.

Classics Review - Because of Winn-Dixie

Premise: India Opal and her father, the preacher, have just moved to the small town of Naomi, Florida and Opal wants to make some friends. Soon, she finds a stray dog, names him Winn-Dixie, and starts getting to know the eclectic people in her new town.

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Length: 182 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 2-5
3 adjectives that describe this book: sweet, easy-to-read, simple

Because of Winn-Dixie is my first read for The Classics Club. My entire list of classics to read is composed of children's books and I'm looking forward to filling this gap in my reading. Because of Winn-Dixie is a simple read, the text is sparse and the plot is straight-forward. I've read a few other books by Kate DiCamillo (Tiger Rising and The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane). Like these other titles, Because of Winn-Dixie features a main character that is struggling with loneliness. Opal's mother left when she was three years old and, now, Opal is constantly wondering about her.

The Recruit by Robert Muchamore

Premise: CHERUB agents are highly trained, extremely talented--and all under the age of seventeen. For official purposes, these agents do not exist. They are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists, hack into crucial documents, and gather intel on global threats—all without gadgets or weapons. It is an exceptionally dangerous job, but these agents have one crucial advantage: adults never suspect that teens are spying on them. James is the latest CHERUB recruit. He’s a bit of a troublemaker, but he’s also brilliant. And CHERUB needs him. Before he can start in the field he must first survive one hundred grueling days of basic training, where even the toughest recruits don’t make it to the end....(Amazon)

Title: The Recruit
Author: Robert Muchamore
Length: 352 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: First book in the Cherub series
Content appropriate for: Grades 7-10 
 Warning: Some Strong Language                                

                    4.5 stars
                                       

Three Adjectives: dangerous, intriguing, page-turner

There are many ways that I could try to describe this book to you. Many of these ways would include using words that were mentioned in this book, which brings me to my first point: Though James (the protagonist)  is 11 years old, I would not recommend this book to a young audience because of the strong language peppered throughout the story. But rather than detracting from the story, the profanity enriches the character building and the believe-ability of the plot. 

Usually when you think about child spies you think about criminal hijinks and light-hearted humor, not broken bones and anthrax.So many stories of children as operatives tend to be "child proofed" so much so that it waters down any of potential of real action and drama. The Recruit is most certainly the exception to this rule. Robert Muchamore creates a much rougher world than most readers would expect.  He successfully walks the fine line between morality and danger when handling the subject of children in potentially deadly situations, and leaves just enough up to chance to keep me turning to page from beginning to end. 

From the bone-crushing agony of basic training to the intense game of espionage, teen readers will not be disappointed with this thriller of a novel. You will definitely want the second book, The Dealer, close at hand after finishing this one.

Normalish by Margaret Lesh

Premise: Written as a journal, this book follows the life of Stacy in her freshman year of high school. Like most freshman girls she feels awkward, uncertain, and is obsessed with boys. Stacy is also dealing with the recent death of her father and her sister's emerging mental illness.

Title: Normalish
Author: Margaret Lesh
Length: 211 pages
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone
Content Appropriate for: Grades 7-10

3 stars

 

Three adjectives that describe this book are: easy-to-read, predictable, unexpected

Okay - so it's weird to list both predictable and unexpected. "How is that possible?" you ask.
Predictable: Ninth grade girls think about boys a lot. Social drama happens.
Unexpected: I expected to hate this book. Hate. I actually kind of enjoyed it. Therefore, it was unexpected.

I read this book for both the Stand Alone Reading Challenge and the Eclectic Reader Challenge.
I'm sure you've noticed that realistic fiction is not my usual genre. Especially not journal-books about high school girls. But I actually enjoyed this book more than I expected. There's actually a lot more to this book than I expected. Yes there's lots of stuff about boys, but I appreciated how Margaret Lesh built in issues of mental health to even out some of the boy-crazy stuff. It was a nice feel-good book without being too syrupy and while still being realistic.

I usually read books that suck me in and don't let go, but I found that the format of journal entries allowed me to pop in and read a few pages at a time. It turned out to be a nice change of pace.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Premise: August feels like an ordinary kid. The trouble is that no one else sees him as ordinary. That's because Auggie has a severe facial anomaly. Wonder chronicles Auggie's fifth grade year, his first in a school. How will others treat him? Will he be bullied? How can his peers learn to see past his appearance?

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Length: 320 pages
Genre: Realistic fiction
Series or Stand-Alone: Stand-alone
Content appropriate for: Grades 4-8

4 stars

3 adjectives to describe this book: memorable, engaging, complex

I had read so many positive reviews of Wonder from teachers I respect, that I knew that I had to read this book. Frankly, though, I didn't expect to love it as much as they did. Heartwarming realistic fiction just isn't my thing these days. I was wrong.

Nothing could have prepared me for the simple and powerful story in these pages. As a fifth grade teacher, reading about fifth graders, from the first-person perspective of fifth graders, I am simply amazed by how RJ Palacio knows children.

Initially I rated Wonder 5 stars, but on further reflection I reduced it to 4. The ending of Wonder is just a bit too Mighty Ducks for me - "And everyone lived happily ever after." That's nice and feels good, but it's just not very real.

I really want to share this book with my class. I love how it illustrates the complexities surrounding motivations and impacts of our actions. I also found her portrayal of social dynamics at this age to be both accurate and instructive. I only hesitate to read this aloud because of a few references to boobs and kissing.