The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Coming of Age, Fairytale, Mystery
Rating: Ehh 8
Teach-ability: 9
Teachable Aspects: Written in short story format, Character Development

I guess I've been currently reading this one for a while. I never even finished it. I pretended I did, but I didn't. It was okay. It really didn't pique my interest and its comparison to the Harry Potter series totally weirded me out. I am a 100% loyalist to JK Rowling and everything Harry Potter, so this story made me struggle a bit.

And honestly, I read the book forever ago. And I really don't remember specifics anymore. It was okay. I may pick it back up again someday.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Author: John Green
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Coming of Age
Rating: 10
Teach-ability: 8
Teachable Aspects: On his webpage John Green says, "What is the point of death? and What is the point of literature? and In an essentially and irreperably broken world, is there cause for hope?" To me, these are perfect essential questions for Looking For Alaska, and I think that to teach the book well one would have to really touch on these parts of the text.

Here we go..

This is another reread for me this semester. I'm pretty sure that this makes three for the semester, and yet again it was a wonderful experience. I read this book first my senior year of high school as a part of the Mainely Girls Book Club. When I first read this book I carried it around with me like a dearly cherished object of affection. I adored this book. I remember thinking, whoever this John Green guy is, he must be freaking amazing because this book it just top shelf. I laughed. I cried---hard. This is actually the first book that I've ever cried during. In all my years of reading I had never cried during a book until this one. For that reason, and for the candle that I have been holding for this book sense I read it, I have always defended its honor.
Not that good of a book? Rubbish!
Not his best? No way!

A lot of the comments that I had been given about the subpar-ness of this book were given to me by people who read this book as an adult, rather than a high school student. I went into this book a little scared. I was nervous that the book that I remembered was just a figment of my high school imagination and that I too would not find the same awesomeness in this book the second time around.

I am thrilled to say that I absolutely proved myself wrong. This book was every bit as good the second time around, if not better because although I remembered some parts of the book a great majority was up for mystery. I have to admit that I did not cry (I was also reading the part I cried at in a public place...brave face...) but the emotions that this book draws out of me is incredible.

For those of you who actually want to know what the book is about, it takes place at Culver Creek, a preparatory school where Miles "Pudge" Halter is looking for his "Great Perhaps." The book follows Pudge and his group of friends as they seek for greater meaning and look to find the bigger meaning.

I am thrilled to know that teachers have been able to use this book in their classrooms with success and just minimal grumblings from parents. I am thrilled to see unit plans and lesson plans and ideas and activities for me to adapt on the web. I would love to use this book as a whole class book because the story is a wonderful one that students will grasp onto. I think this book will make students think, and wonder and explore. I can imagine wonderful things coming from the teaching of this book and (just to get on my soapbox a little) I think that this book is a great example of a reason why Young Adult literature should be taught in high school.

A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life by Dana Reinhardt

Author: Dana Reinhardt
Genre: Coming of Age
Rating: 9
Teach-ability: 7 (Religious aspects, so depending on school...)
Teachable Aspects: Family tree (connections), religion, character

I finished this book a few days ago. The book revolves around Simone, a girl who has always known she was adopted and has had no interest in finding out about where she came from, until her birth mother makes a desperate attempt to get to know her. The tale that follows is funny, heartwarming and melancholy.

I went into this book expecting not to like it. I'm not sure why I did, but perhaps its because the premise of the story did not really appeal to me. On the cover of the book, there is quote that states that picking up this book is like meeting a new friend, and this is a claim that I absolutely agree with. I thoroughly enjoyed reading every aspect of this book. The quality of writing definitely adds to a well constructed story about a likeable girl who faces real issues.

I think that this is a book that is catered towards a female audience, as the main character is a teenage girl, but I also think that some of the issues of the book (family, religion, finding where you fit) transcend the gender issue and would apply to both males and females. I think that this book would help anyone who feels out of place in their family, or like they don't quite fit in in whatever scenario as the book eloquently discusses the real aspect of family in this book.

I would love to work with this book as a whole class text, but I wonder if I would run into problems because religion is promient in the book. Although Judaism is discussed in a more informational context than preaching, I know there will "always be that parent" who takes offense, but as a teacher I also believe that I hold an obligation to discuss all types of different people and ideals, instead of sticking to dead white guys who worshiped God.

Overall, this book was a very enjoyable, relaxing and interesting read. I would recommend this book to any reader and hope to incorporate it into my classroom someday.

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Issue Book, Coming of Age
Rating: 9
Teach-ability: 7
Teachable Aspects: Voice, Unreliable Character, Point of View

Lia and Cassie make a pact--they are each going to be the skinniest girl in school. When Cassie dies, Lia's world is shot upside-down and the events that follow tell the tale of a troubled girl with obstacles to overcome. A dark and harrowing tale, Wintergirls is a book that leaves an impression.

Laurie Halse Anderson does something really remarkable in her writing. As much as this book is a snapshot of the events in Lia's life, it is a look at Lia as a teenage girl. The way that Anderson captures her characters leaves a great impression on the reader. They seem more like people plucked out of Anywhere, USA than fictional characters.

As I mentioned above, this book is dark, its characters troubled and is anything but rainbows an cotton candy (especially not cotton candy...). As much as it is a depressing read (as it is hard to believe that someone would actually do this to themselves, but they do) there is a great amount of truth in the novel, which (like all of the other Anderson books that I've read) makes them important. Much like Twisted, the importance of reading the book as a teenager outweighs the heavy content, I think. It makes the realness of the novel okay, because this sort of thing really could happen to anyone.

I think that this book would capture the attention of teenage boys and girls alike, because as much as it is a "girl" book, it also explains some of the inner workings of a brain that is in need of help (and eating disorders trouble both men and women). I would recommend this book as a book that most anyone should read because the book is done so well and the character of Lia is so real.

[On an unrelated note (sort of) I think I've noticed a pattern to Anderson's issue books. I set out to read two Anderson books to see if they have the same sort of preplanned story arc as what is seen by other authors that write the same type of book time and time again. Initially, I didn't see a formulaic writing style, but I think I see one now.

The first 80% of the book is the story of the main character. This part builds the issue, the character and has various events that eventually lead up to the character...
15%...spiraling out of control. This portion of the book moves fast and is packed with action, usually with a lot of character development and finally ending in...
5% ...the recovery of the character. In this end portion of the book the character deals with the issues that have driven the book, turns over a new leaf, and is in the process of recovery.

I don't think that this makes it a poorly written novel, in fact I think that these books are very well written. I think that the fact that it took me three books to actually find a formula says something about the formula as well.]

Martyn Pig by Kevin Brooks

Author: Kevin Brooks
Genre: Coming of Age, Drama
Rating: 8
Teach-ability: 6
Teachable Aspects: character--especially reliability of narrator, plot, pacing, prediction

This book review is accompanied by a story.

I first read this book when I was in 8th grade. Since then, all I could remember was a boy laying on the pavement with "UP" above his head. I have searched and searched for this book, never quite remembering the name of the book. (I always thought that it was called "UP".) I have googled book covers containing up, looked in "name this book" places but to no avail I never found this book. Until I visited the Farmington Public Library.

I was so excited.

As you can tell from my rating of this book--it was not quite how I remember. In fact, it was completely different. This story tells the tale of Martyn Pig, the sleuth-loving, neighbor Alex-crushing, drunk dad-hating kid with the unfortunate name. Marytn has a secret, and its smelling up his house. Taking place directly before and after the accidental murder of his father, the story follows (in day-by-day format) the choices that Martyn makes and the aftershock of his murder.

I really don't remember it being a story about a boy who kills his father. Perhaps it was the content of the book, but although it was an engaging read it made me sick to my stomach as I read it. I remember a story about a high school outcast who creates an internet company supplying essays, gets caught and runs away. I'm still looking...

Overall I think this book was really interesting. It gives an intriguing look into the mind of Martyn as its basically written in Stream of Consciousness. The book also does some really interesting things in the way that it discusses mystery and crime novels all the while being a mystery and crime novel, much like the ones that the main character idolizes.

Overall, I am disappointed that this is not the book that I was in search for, which may have affected the rating that I gave the book. It was an enjoyable read (despite the queasiness) and I think that a lot of students would find it interesting.

My search continues for the elusive book of my past...

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Author: John Green
Genre: Coming of Age, Road trip
Rating: 9
Teach-ability: 7
Teachable Aspects: Character, plot, Making connections, Genre study-road trips

I've decided to add a new genre. That genre is Road Trip. This book was a required reading in my Young Adult Literature course, and was set up as being a Road Trip novel. I have to admit, for a majority of the book I did not see this as actually being a Road Trip novel, because the actual road tripping part of the road trip was contained to the first couple of chapters. Now that I have finished, I think that the book is worthy of its genre, because (as it was so eloquently stated in my class) the YA Road Trip novel is a marriage between the physical and metaphorical road trip.

I have read just about every book by John Green (although I am still perplexed as so why is name is so large on the cover...) and I actually thought that I had read (and enjoyed) them all, but upon further digging it has been decided that I have not, although I plan to. I really enjoy the way Green writes, its comical, teenaged, but deep as well. His stories/writing is enough the same that you know you're reading a John Green novel, but not enough the same so that it seems as though every novel by him is exactly the same.

One element that I absolutely loved in this book was the addition of footnotes. In this story, our main character is former child prodigy Colin Singleton who is on the heels of a breakup with Katherine number 19. Maybe its because the main character is so smart, and brings so many other elements and thoughts into the story, but most pages are adorned by footnotes with more information of various things. Like William Lyon Mackenzie King was the prime minister of Canada in 1936. Relevance is minimal, but this little snippet of information on the bottom of page 170 is an interesting addition.

Overall I really liked the book, and I think that the content of the book and the additional information could bring a lot to the book if one were to teach it in the classroom. In addition to that the book is just a great read.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Author: Susan Beth Pfeffer
Genre: Survival, Dystopia
Rating: 5
Teach-ability: 1
Teachable Aspects: genre, plot

Let me preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of movies like The Day After Tomorrow and 2012. Perhaps it is because they are packed with action and the stories are interesting, but I have always liked movies with story lines like these. The premise of this book was interesting, and for parts of the book I was really enthralled. The story revolves around 16 year-old Miranda, a junior in high school. News has it that an asteroid is bound to hit the moon, and as other asteroids have hit the moon in the past, this is a historical event. On the night of the event the streets are lined with people looking to the sky to see what is going to happen when the asteroid hits the moon. It hits, and then the moon fills up the night sky. The force of the asteroid has pushed the moon out of orbit, and the effects from this are substantial. Tsunamis, earthquakes and erupting volcanoes cause massive death and destruction across the world and the effects are felt even in Miranda's small PA town. Miranda journals her life from about a week before to long after the asteroid hits the moon, and the things that happen make a substantial impact on the fragility of our Earth.

Like I said, the story was good. It was interesting, and for many parts in the story the pages flew by as I read and read. A little over half-way through the book, I just couldn't read it anymore. There is a certain predictability to survival and end-of-the-world movies and texts and with a book that is over 300 pages long, by 2/3 of the way in, I had just had enough. However, I have spoken to many many people (okay 3) who have said that they really liked this book; that they couldn't put it down. I don't know what that says for me (maybe because I am such a fan of the movie genre) but it just felt like I already knew the ending, and there was still so much left to read.

I think that overall, the book is okay. I think it would be an interesting read for students because of the "what-if" factor that it instills in its readers. This book would definitely get students to think, and sometimes that is more important than a book that is a book that kept me enthralled. I would even contemplate using segments of this book (as it is written in journal entry form) in the classroom--to teach action, or suspense, or predicting.

I would recommend this book to students, and it is one that I would love to have on my classroom bookshelf, because its one that will not only keep students engaged, but will also keep them thinking for a time after. (And probably any other time that they see the moon...)

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Author: Rebecca Stead
Genre, SciFi, Mystery
Rating: 8
Teach-ability: 6
Teachable Aspects: characters, piecing together the plot

This book takes place in the late 1970's in New York City. The story revolves around Miranda, a twelve year old only child to single mother. In all, her life is that of an average inner city child. She knows how to navigate the streets, she knows that she needs to have her keys out before she reaches her door and she knows who her best friend is, Sal. However, once Sal gets punched by an unknown kid, Miranda's life starts to turn upside down and mysterious notes start popping up containing information that no one else should know, unless that someone knew stuff about the future that no one else does.

The story that follows contains just enough information in each chapter, creating a beautifully crafted story about Miranda, Sal and the other friends she meets along the way.

I could definitely see using this text in my classroom. This work would coincide nicely with L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time, a classic science fiction novel. This book would also work nicely as a read aloud text, as the chapters are short but pack a large punch. When I was researching about this book, I found the blog of a teacher who used this book as a read-aloud book, and the writing produced by her students responding to the text was really great. Despite your age, this book makes you think and there is a lot to wrap your head around. Although this book is a quick, fast read it is by no means an easy read. There are layers, and connections that last the entirety of the book.

Especially in the rural setting that I live in, I found Miranda's inner-city home interesting. Although setting is really not a huge part of the book, I think, depending on the reader, setting could be something that is incorporated into the teaching of the novel to make a fuller unit. I think students would find this book suspenseful, and intriguing, and I think that they would want to read more, as I found myself wanting to do at the end of the tale.

I would recommend this book to teachers and students alike, because as a free-read this book is fantastic and I think it has incredible promise as a taught text (read-aloud or otherwise).