What I'm reading Wednesday...

Whew! Summer reading is off to a great start. My goal this summer is to blog every Wednesday about the books that I am reading. I am a sixth grade Language Arts teacher and I also cosponsor the Battle of the Books club. Therefore, my summer is jammed packed with reading 15 young adult novels. Luckily for me, these novels are chosen by kids throughout the state of Florida, so they are typically really good.

Small as an Elephant was the first novel that I read this summer. It was a great adventure about a boy who is making his way home from a vacation gone wrong. The boy’s mother left him at the site where they were camping during their vacation in Maine. The boy must find his way back to Boston, ALONE! This book reminded me of Bud, Not Buddy.  Jack, the main character of the novel is easy to love. Along his journey, he meets interesting people that make the novel more enjoyable.

Ungifted is a typical Gordon Kormon novel. Filled with humor and a delightful plot that will cause your less motivated reader to become hooked. This novel is about a student who gets put into a gifted school after a huge accident. This student isn’t your typical “gifted” student. Actually, far from your gifted student. Watching this “normal” kid interact with the “nerds” puts a new perspective on what it means to be gifted. This is such a delightful read.

I am super excited about sharing my thoughts on the novels I am reading.

My Thoughts on Divergent

When a book is recommended to me, I always asks if it includes two things: a fast plot and a little love. Divergent has both. I did not jump on the bandwagon and read this novel when I first heard about it because I had my fill of the dystopian melodrama. The hype of Hunger Games, which I love, became such a media circus that I sat in protest not wanting to read another “that type of novel” again. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed Divergent. The attraction for my students was that the novel mirrored the Hunger Games. It gave them that fix that they needed. The attraction for me was that there was less immediate violence and the engagement of the characters were more pleasing. The main character, Tris, was loveable and I felt that by the end of the book, I knew her well. Because her actions were more predictable than other characters, I was able to focus on her relationship with her family, her boyfriend, and her peers. I am not as excited to read the second novel in the series. My students are encouraging me to read it, but I have my reservations. I feel that I know all there is to know about these characters. What are your thoughts?

I loved One for the Murphys

I enjoyed reading One for the Murphys! It was a short easy read and I finished the novel in a couple of hours – all the stars were aligned on that Sunday and everything fell into place. The ending wasn't typical at all and made me cry. Also, books about foster kids have a tendency to follow the same story line and this book did not necessarily do that. I would recommend this book for a teen girl who is looking for a weekend read. Carly Conners is the main character of this novel and she will provide a reader with a couple of laughs and a couple of tears. I ended this novel rooting for Carly and hopeful that she would overcome her experiences and stigma of being a “foster kid”.

An unexpected family reading night!

What a great Sunday! Miraculously my entire family read at the same time for 2 hours. It literally rain the entire day and after running errands all morning, everyone was exhausted. The baby went straight to sleep which gave me the opportunity to catch up on my summer reading. I believe the reason why I had such great success is that I did not attempt to schedule this.
For the most part, I try to provide a print rich environment for my family. Therefore, someone is always reading something. Once everyone settled in, I became aware that everyone was reading. Instead of vegging out on my mindless Bravo shows, I turned off the tv and grabbed my novel. Had I scheduled this moment, it would not have been a natural progression. And, I like the fact that this just happened. I am a happy Mom.

Tuna, Wahoo, Chomp Oh My

Carl Hiaasen does a great job of mixing humor and serious topics in a nonthreatening way. The novel, Chomp, does not stray away from this format. Filled with round characters like Wahoo and Tuna, this novel will take you on a wild ride through the Florida Everglades. This is a refreshing read and I actually was able to chuckle several times while reading. Child abuse and alcoholism is mentioned and even explored throughout the novel. This isn’t off-putting and the issue is approached in a way that is appropriate for kids.

Wonder left me wondering

My mom always told me when reading a book that I wasn’t excited about to read the book anyways to find out specifically why I didn’t like it. This is what I had to do with the novel Wonder. This was not my favorite read. The novel was about a boy with a deformity and the relationship he had with his peers and family. The first couple of chapters were spent describing the boy, August. The reader is provided a descriptive image that would make the Beast look like a beauty. There was an unnecessary build up and hype surrounded by the deformity and I think it did a disservice to the novel. This is the first year that August is going to school where he experienced good relationships and negative relationships. And of course at the end, August gained friends and was accepted by all.

The reason why this novel was not my favorite probably has nothing to do with the novel. Honestly, I can’t wait for the moment when there are all types of children represented in novels and their “issue” whether it’s skin color, health issue, socioeconomic status, whatever the “it” is just exists. August is a boy. He has a deformity. He needs to interact with others and overcome a “difficult issue”. This is something that all can relate to. We have all been there. The fact that he is grotesque and his appearance was shocking did not add to the plot of the story.

What I love the most was the theme of family. I love how the parents were represented in this novel and how there were examples of genuine love between the parents and children.

Not my favorite novel, but it gave a voice to children with disabilities and it is a great discussion starter for a middle school setting. The speech the principal gives to the student body at the end of the novel was great and provided a great wrap up to the novel.

Summer Reading Has Begun

 

What a great way to begin my summer reading. I loved this hilarious novel, Free Thaddeus. I have a tendency to think like a 6^th grader, so I thought the jokes and a student’s perspective on in school suspension was very funny. I think Thaddeus’ is a relatable character and I would recommend this novel for boys and girls from 4^th – 6^th grade. While the novel is pleasurable, there is a hint of seriousness as the reader slowly discovers that Thaddeus’ father passed away. This somewhat explains Thaddeus’ need to “fix” and “help” everyone around him. I like a little love in my books and while this book does not have any romance, Thaddeus has a great friend in Alison who finds time to write him and give him the scoop on class as Thaddeus sits in ISS. This is the second book in a series and there was not a need to read the first book before reading this book.