Books 17-25
The
Notorious Benedict Arnold by Steve Sheinkin
Sheinkin, S. (2010). The notorious Benedict Arnold. New
York: Macmillan
Everyone knows Benedict Arnold is synonymous with words
like traitor, turncoat, conspirator, and collaborator, but in this book you
learn there was a lot more to him. In
this biography, we are introduced to the life of Benedict Arnold, first as a young
boy who is ill-behaved and troubled. He
is sent to school to study and while away he gets a letter from his mother
telling him his youngest sister did not survive the yellow fever epidemic that
was afflicting so many. He goes back
home to see to his family only to witness his father’s business and health
decline. After his father’s death,
Arnold vowed to bring the family’s name honor again. He decided to join the New Haven Militia when
Britain begins the taxation without representation. His passion and determination make Arnold
stand out from the rest. He becomes a
colonel, and helps win the battle at Ticonderoga. Soon after, he is leading men through
uncharted, mountainous, terrain to try to win Quebec. Many men lost their lives in this dangerous
journey; however, Arnold’s leadership and fighting spirit gets him promoted to
colonel by George Washington. Arnold
continues to fight for our country, but somehow his reckless and arrogant
reputation always held him back. He felt
he wasn’t given credit for his contributions and slowly began his decent to
betrayal. He decides to work with John
Andre a British officer and the two begin plotting the fall of West Point.
This nonfiction book was not what I expected, and that
is a good thing. It read more like a
story and not a biographical account of someone’s life. Keeping all the names of all the important
people and places was a bit of a challenge for me. However, I was so immersed
in the story aspect of it that I didn’t mind.
I found myself going back and checking out the various sources that the
Sheinkin included in the source notes. I
really have a new perspective of Benedict Arnold after reading this book.
Connections:
More Reads:
Other Books by Steve Sheinkin: Undefeated: Jim Thorpe and the Carlisle Indian School Football Team, Two Miserable Presidents: Everything Your Schoolbooks Didn't Tell You About the Civil War, Which Way to the Wild West
Grasshopper
Jungle by Andrew Smith
Smith, A. (2014). Grasshopper jungle. New York: Dutton.
Austin and Robby
find themselves in a perilous situation-the start of the end of the world, as
they know it. They have accidently
unleashed a bug invasion of colossal proportions in Ealing Iowa, a small dying
town where nothing ever happens. Austin
Szerba and his best friend Robby usually spend the day skateboarding in a
deserted strip of land called Grasshopper Jungle. This is the same place where a series of
events lead to the devastation that awaits the fate of the town's people and
surely the rest of the world. Austin and Robby decide to break into Shanna's
(Austin's girlfriend) stepdad's store where they encounter containers
containing strange, and disturbing of objects.
Both Austin and Robby know better than to mess with any of it, but the
same night they break in some the same bullies who earlier had beat them up
also break into the store and take one of the containers labeled
"Contained MI Plague Strain". Lacking any knowledge of what those
contents of the container were, they clumsily drop it and it breaks; the
contents spill of course and they are instantly infected. Before long they hatch into huge hungry and
sex crazed praying mantises. Now, it is up to Austin, Robby and Shann, the
only people who know what's going on--to
stop the invasion.
This Science
fiction drama is an example of an apocalyptic fiction. The action is fast paced and intriguing. The author does a great job developing the
characters. Austin is an overly hormonal
sixteen year old who cannot stop thinking about sex. He is also confused about his sexuality. Is he more in love with Robby or Shann? Overly aroused Austin is also obsessed with
telling the reader a true account of history.
Robby is a gay and in love with Austin; he is a loyal true friend who
understands Austin's inability to fully choose between him and Shann. The narration is
entertaining and unique. Austin
interacts with his reader and often warns us about not going further until we
listen to something important. He uses
humor to make light of the dire situations that he faces, and weaves stories
about his family's history.
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor's Webpage
Author's Interview
Teaching Resources
Mo re Reads:
| The hallelujah side by | Fight the wind by | Living hell by | Beauty queens by | Ashes by |
Other Books by Andrew Smith: The Alex Crow, 100 Sideways Miles
Freak
Show by James St. James
James, J. S. (2007). Freak show. New York, NY:
Dutton Children's Books.The story begins with the main character, Billy Bloom a seventeen year old senior, experiencing some first day jitters. After all, he is a teenage drag queen about to embark into a WASPY and very exclusive school full of privileged kids. On his very first day, Billy experiences the worst treatment ever. He puts on his stylish pirate outfit to no avail and quickly realizes that being different in this school is almost a crime. Any illusions of fitting in and making friends are yanked out of his brain by Bernie the ugly kid who Billy tries to befriend. After that he is constantly bullied; he is called a “faggot” and constantly tormented especially by his 1st period class, and his teacher ignores all of it. After that hellish day, he tries to tone it down by wearing what those preppy kids seems to love, but it’s too late. He endures insults, spitballs, and insults, until he gets the determination to make those kids love him for who he is-a fabulous drag queen. He sets out to put together the most outlandish, glittery, ensemble but gets brutally beat up and ends up in a coma. The only positive thing is that the Flip Kelly the star quarterback and secret crush is there when he wakes. From that day on, Billy and Flip spend almost every day together. Flip fills Billy in on what happened that day and tells him he stopped it. Billy falls in love with Flip even more. Soon after Billy reveals his feelings to Flip and they have a passionate make-out session with an audience. Flip feels confused and angry and storms out leaving a distraught Billy behind. Billy as always, goes into his hiding place and re-emerges full of courage and determination. He sets out to run for homecoming queen to bring to light the hate at the school. He becomes like a celebrity for a while, and gains the respect of most of his classmates even though he doesn’t win. Flip also gains a new perspective about himself.
This realistic
fiction is addressing some tough subjects that most schools don’t like to
discuss. Billy a cross-dresser and
homosexual takes a stand for the outcasts and teaches his classmates to be more
open-minded and not hate people for being different. He tells them everyone is a “freak” in their
way. In the process he learns that his father who he thought also despised him
for being different was more accepting than his own erratic mother. In the end, Billy becomes someone kids look
up to for being true to himself. I enjoyed Billy’s spunky, bubbly narration;
I’m sure high school students will enjoy Billy and his unfaltering
determination to gain acceptance.
Connections:
Book
TrailerMo re Reads:
| Geography Club by | Prom kings and drama queens by | Slam! by | Love drugged by | Out of the pocket by |
Other Books by James St. James:
Disco Bloodbath: A fabulous But True Tale of Murder in Clubland
Code Name
Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Wein, E. (2012). Code name Verity. New York:
Hyperion.
History books don’t really talk about the vital roles
women played during World War II. This
novel does just that. It is about two
girls, “Verity” a phone operator/ secret agent and her best friend Maddie a
pilot who bravely embark on a dangerous operation. Maddie’s mission is to fly her best friend
“Verity” into Nazi occupied France, but things don’t go smoothly. The plane Maddie is flying seems to be
malfunctioning; Verity is has no choice but to parachute out. Maddie manages to crash land the plane and
with the help of friendlies stages an explosion with a body in it to make it
look like the pilot was killed. Verity also
survives but is soon arrested by the Gestapo. She is shown the pictures of the
plane with a body in it. Verity is
beside herself thinking her best friend died in the crash. However, she has no time to grieve while
being tortured by the ruthless Von Linden and his associates. She is worn down into confessing everything
she knows. She is expected to provide codes
and important pieces of information concerning the British War Effort. Verity
was well aware that she would die either way and is happy just to get a few
weeks to live. She is hated by the other prisoners, who prefer torture than to
give up secrets. In her confession, she
writes down what she thinks they want to know with the story of how she met
Maddie along with airplane models and names of officers and bases. Once Verity finished with her confession, Von
Linden gave the order to send her to Natzweiler-Struthof for experimentation
and to be executed. Finally, Maddie along with the French militia plot a rescue
mission where most hostages are first shot in the knees then elbow and some are
shot dead. Knowing what pain awaited her
friend, Maddie decided to put an end to her suffering. It is until Maddie reads the written
confession that she realizes that Verity was clever enough to make up names of
officers, planes, bases and the codes. She never gave up anything.
This historical fiction was full of adventure and
mystery. The plot has many twist and
turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. It is a
window to the past and Wein does not hold back in offering us raw images and
horrific details of what truly did happen during this dark time in our
history. I thought that the change of
point of view was a great feature that added to the development of each of the
main characters. Wein’s use of imagery made it easier for me to immerse myself
into the story and somewhat not dwell on keeping all the names of people and
places in check. I think this is one I will read again soon.
Connections:
More Reads:
| Night witches : a novel of world war II by | Bel Ria : dog of war by | I had seen castles by | Max by | The auslander by |
Other Books by Elizabeth Wein: The Pearl Thief, Black Dove, White Raven, Rose Under Fire
This One
Summer by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki
Tamaki, J. & Tamaki, M. (2014). This One Summer. Turtleback
Books.
The Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature
Rose has been visiting Awago Beach every summer with her mom and dad
since she was a little girl. She has fun
memories of the cottage, the beach and her friend Windy, but this time it does
not seem and feel the same. Windy is two
years younger than Rose and they have both been going to Awago since
childhood. The girls swim, ride their
bikes, eat junk food, and just hang out.
Somehow, these activities always seemed fun and exciting--not this
summer. Rose is growing up and instead
of collecting rocks along the shore she wants to watch horror movies and
eavesdrop on local teenage drama. The
fact that her parents are always fighting does not help either. Rose is old enough to understand the cause of
her parent's troubles but lacks full understanding of the situation. She is stuck in the middle of child innocence
and adulthood. Her lack of understanding and sympathy for her It is not easy to deal with her mother's
depression and isolation. Rose resents
her mother for not paying attention to her and her father and for not
participating in life.
This coming of age novel reminds us of how hard it is to grow up. Rose is entering adolescence having to deal
with serious family issues. She also
learns about Dud's girlfriend getting pregnant and trying to kill herself. The world now isn't as pretty as it used to
be. The illustrations of the book and
monochromatic colors add so much meaning to the story. I found myself getting lost in the wonder
illustrations. I think this is a great
read for middle school students; it might serve as a mirror to their own lives
or a window to the hard realities of life.
Connections:
| Token by | Susceptible by | The motherless oven by | The New York five by | Bandette. Volume one,Presto! by |
El Deafo by
Cece Bell
Bell, C. (2014). El Deafo. NY: Amulet Books.
2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults
As a young child ,Cece
was doing all the things that kids her age like doing. She was a typical, happy
little girl. At age four, that all
changed when all of a sudden she got meningitis and became severely deaf. Cece
didn’t know what was going on at first; nothing made sense. Her siblings couldn’t come up to visit, the
television didn’t make any sense and all around her was quiet. Cece had to start wearing a hearing aid and
learn about her new equipment. Cece
didn’t like her aid; she felt it made her look different. Her best friend Emma didn’t seem to mind, but
when her family had to move, Cece felt very lonely. She couldn’t understand what the neighborhood
kids were talking and laughing about.
Before starting first grade, Cece was given a super Phonic Ear that gave
her super hearing. Her grades improved and
she was able to make friends. She could
hear things that no one else could. It
was a superpower that the other kids thought was cool. She gave herself the nickname “El
Deafo”.
This
autobiographical graphic novel teaches young readers about the author’s
personal struggles she experienced as a child when she lost her hearing. Bells integrates humor to explain to her
audience how she disliked people talking slowly and loudly to her. It is a great novel for raising awareness and
promoting understanding. In the author’s
notes, Bell gives insightful information about deafness in general and
how every person hears different with or without A super-powerful Phonic
Ear. A must have for students in the
elementary through middle school grades.
Connections:
Book TrailerAuthor's Interview
Author's Web Page
Teaching Resources
Mo re Reads:
| Four pictures by Emily Carr by | Curie : Marie Curie. | Annie Oakley by | Clara Barton by | Saint Kateri Tekakwitha : comic book by |
Other Books by Cece Bell: Sock Monkey Takes a Bath, I Yam a Donkey, Sock Monkey in the Spotlight, Food Friends: Fun Foods that Go Together, Sock Monkey Boogie Woogie: A Friend is Made, Sock Monkey Rides Again, Itty Bitty
Period .8
Chris Crutcher
Crutcher,
C. (2014). Period 8. New York, NY: Greenwillow Books.
Period
8 also known as lunch, houses students from every walk of life; poor, rich,
popular, and the invisible. The class is
under the direction of Mr. Logs an experienced teacher who acts more as a
counselor, confidant and friend.
He genuinely cares about his students and for that his students love
him. The plot begins when Paulie a
handsome avid swimmer confesses to his girlfriend Hannah that he has
cheated on her. Paulie tries to explain the
circumstances under which it happened, but naturally Hannah didn't want
to hear it. Arney one of
Paulie's friends asks Paulie if he can ask Hannah out. Paulie is bothered by this, but can't say no either. Meanwhile
a quiet straight A student, Mary Wells disappears. Everyone assumes her overprotective father
was to blame. Just when everyone thinks
the worst has happened, Mary returns claiming she just needed time to
herself. Soon, they find themselves in a
bigger mystery. She disappears once
again. Mary manages to text Paulie and
tell him she is held against her will, and anyone who reads her message is in
grave danger. It is discovered that
Arney and some local men including the investigator in charge of Mary's case
have a prostitution ring, and Mary is one of their victims. Arney set out to
kill Paulie and Mr. Logs by having some men go after them while he sets out to
kill Hannah. He succeeds in shooting Hannah's father in the leg and just as he
is getting away with Hannah, Paulie intervenes.
He is caught and arrested, but Mary chooses to not come back. The reader
is left to ponder her reason for staying away.
The
modern realistic fiction explores themes of prostitution, murder, bullying,
deceit, faithfulness, and sexual abuse.
Crutcher develops characters that young adults can relate to and see
themselves in. It can serves as a mirror
to their own high school experiences. He
also integrates sports and adult guidance as two positive elements for young
adults. Sports help Paulie and Mr. Log
reflect, think clearly, and blow of some steam while Mr. Log epitomizes the
role of a caring adult who is honest about discussing serious issues students
are interested in.
Connections:
Author's Interview
Teaching Resources
More Reads:
| Period 8 by | Amanda project by | The dark days of Hamburger Halpin by | King Dork by | Jumped by |
Other Books by Chris Crutcher: Angry Management, Deadline, The Sledding Hill, Whale Talk, Ironman, Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, Athletic Shorts: Six Short Stories, Chinese Handcuffs, The Crazy Horse Electric Game, Stotan, Running Loose
Shiver by
Maggie Stiefvater
Stiefvater, M. (2009). Shiver.
Scholastic. New York.
The novel opens with Grace remembering a
snowy winter day when she was almost killed by wolves. She was 11 years old when the pack of wolves
dragged her into the woods and ripped at her clothes and bit her. She remembers how she lay there frozen, not
yelling or trying to fight them. Most of all, she remembers looking into the
most beautiful yellow eyes she’d ever seen.
After that, she doesn’t remember much.
Later, she learns that her Sam, her wolf had saved her. Grace looks
forward to every winter so she can see her wolf. Sam shifts into human form in the summer
months which explains his absence for that time. After Jack a local student gets mauled by
wolves the community decides to haunt all the wolves down. Sam gets shot and ends up on Graces’ porch
and even though he had shifted into his human, she knew he was her wolf. Grace and Sam fall in love and Sam reveals
the history of his parents and his pack. Jack being a newly turned wolf
bites Olivia one of Grace’s good friends.
Grace, Sam and Isabel believe that the fever Grace got after she was
bitten probably cured her from the disease that causes the others to shape
shift. Together they look for a way to
help Sam, and Jack for Olivia accepts her fate with open arms. In the end, they decide to infect Jack and
Sam with the Meningitis bacteria to induce a high fever, but it is a perilous
risk.
Shiver is a fantasy novel with supernatural
elements. The characters are human during the summer and wolves during
the winter months. Stiefvater weaves in
a tender love story that transcends the physical. Long before Grace knows Sam, she falls in
love with Sam as a wolf. A great feature
of this narration is that the reader hears the story from two or three perspectives:
Grace, Sam as a human and Sam as a Wolf.
In the narrative Stiefvater integrates literary elements that enrich the
language. There is abundance of imagery
that lets readers visualize and see the golden woods, and the white, frigid
winters and a myriad of similes that help you better see through the
characters’ eyes.
Connections:
Mo re Reads:
| Forever by | Sinner by | Linger by | Dust city by | Captivate by |
Everlost
by Neal Shusterman
Shusterman, N.
(2008). Everlost. New York: Simon
& Schuster Books for Young Readers.
The book opens with Nick's dad hitting a piece of
metal on the road resulting in a car accident with Allie and her family. Allie
and Nick do not have on their seat belts and go flying through the
windshield and are instantly killed. As
they are going through the tunnel of light they bump into each other and
diverge from the light. They land in a
forest, but it is not the dead forest along the road Allie had seen. This is a lush green forest. A boy who they
later name Leif finds them and tries to help them understand that
they are dead. After Allie tells the boys that she wants to go find her family
to see if they are alive, Leif warns them to stay in the forest if they want to
stay alive. As soon as they climb up to the road where the accident occurred,
Allie starts to sink into the road and a whole bus passes through her. This is when she realizes they are neither
dead nor alive. Leif tells them they had
been asleep for nine months, about the dead spots and the McGill monster. Allie and Nick are not sure of what to do and
decide to go home despite Leif’s warnings. They run into Johnny and his band of
lost boys who try to sink Allie in. She is able to trick them by threatening
she would call on the McGill. The boys are doubtful but when they see a shadow
approaching, they assume it’s the monster; however, it was just Leif. When they
arrive in New York they discover other children and meet Mary their care
taker. They all live in the twin towers
because it crossed-over when the 911 tragedy occurred. Allie realizes the children are stuck in a
rut and decides instantly that is no way to spend all of eternity. Nick is happy and reluctant to leave but
does. Nick and Leif are captured by the Haunter then the
McGill. Allie finds a way to free both
of them. Nick realizes that the coin the
children have help them cross over, and he helps thousands of children, but he
is not ready to cross over just yet.
Queen Mary does not want to lose her lost children and decides to
venture out looking for children before Nick can find them and sets them on
their way.
This fantasy fiction takes place in a world between life
and death. Shusterman explores questions
of life after death through the eyes of children. No adult characters were integrated in this
story and therefore this novel is ideal for YA literature. I really took notice of Shusterman’s use of
imagery and his ability to create a whole other world full of characters with
permanent chocolate on their face (LOL!), cigarettes and horrific looking
monsters.
Connections:
Book TrailerMeet the Author
Author's Web Page
Teaching Resources
Mo re Reads:
| Elsewhere by | Croak by | The damned by | Rogue by | It's a wonderful death by |
