Savvy

One of Matthew's books, Savvy by Ingrid Law is a cute idea of a novel for the younger YA reader. It's sort of a fantasy, but not overly so.  it tells the story of Mibs and her siblings as they go on a coming-of-age road trip style adventure to "fix" Mibs's ill father. It's a cute book, but definitely more for the younger reader. It's not quite enough for an adult. I recommend as a read-with-your-child or for a younger YA reader. Read on, friends!

To Kill a Mockingbird

I first read To Kill a Mockingbird in ninth grade. We read it as a class, and, despite it being required reading, I loved it from the start. Mostly for May Ella. Is that weird? Probably. Too bad for you. But it's just such a heart-felt, touching story. The characters are so real, probably because they're based on real people. Regardless, they come alive. It's a great coming-of-age story and discusses many important issues. Race. Injustice. Judging others. Secrets. Addiction. Loss. And just plain growing up. To Kill a Mockingbird is an important novel to read, and it's worth every minute. 

I know most ya'll have already read it, so if It's been a while, I encourage you to read it again. And if you never have, go pick it up. 

Now here's some quotes for your enjoyment: 

"Naw, Jem- I think there's just one kinda folks. Folks." -Scout Finch

"Mr Finch, if you was a n----r like me, you'd be scared, too." -Tom Robbins

"A love story pure and simple" -Harper Lee

The Pig War

When I joined goodreads, one of the first things I loved, ya know, besides the whole thing about it being a website for books, was the giveaway section. For real? Free books? I was all in. Still am, if you want to send any my way! :)

The first book I received was The Pig War by Mark Holtzen. In exchange for the free book, they like the reader to review it. Perfect. I review all the books I read anyway! But since I did get this book for free, I took reviewing it a little more seriously than I would do otherwise. I read with more of an analytical eye than I usually do, so I will be pointing out things I didn't like or feel should have been clarified, but I do it with the aim of being helpful, not harmful!  It's obvious though the writing that Holtzen cares deeply about his novel and this story is dear to his heart; writing a novel is no small feat! The Pig War is a cute book, but it's obviously a first novel and just isn't quite there yet.

Our main character, Kell, has been marooned to the island of Mobray with his younger sister Grace to stay with their grandfather, who they'd never really met, as their parents are stuck in a foreign country. While on the island, Kell discovers an old revolver and ancient journal. While investigating their origins, he is directed towards The Pig War, which he'd never heard of before. [Neither had I!] In their research of The Pig War, Kell is set on a crazy adventure, and on the way, Kell learns about The Pig War, his aloof grandfather, and maybe a little about himself! 

The first problem I ran into with The Pig War, is that I didn't know how old Kell and Grace were. It made it hard to understand them as characters because I didn't know if their behavior was unique or stereotypical. The character development and consistency throughout was a problem. Kell and Grace didn't seem true to life. A kid like Kell is hard to find these days. At one point in the novel, he says he wanted to spend his summer doing "research." He doesn't say what he wants to research, just that he does, which I found odd. He just doesn't seem like any 12-year-old I know. [And I work with 6th graders!] Bookish, yes. Borderline obsessed with books and knowledge over anything else? I don't know. It made it hard to connect with Kell because I found him so stereotypical yet unreal. It almost would have seemed more real to me if The Pig War took place in the seventies or eighties. Folks were less distracted by electronics back then. It's almost like Kell would have fit in better back then, seemed more real. [Does that make sense?]

I also was unsure about the novel's demographic. I didn't know if it was written as an adult, for adults, looking back on his coming-of-age summer or for the young boys themselves. Ultimately, I decided that The Pig War  would be a good book for advanced middle school readers. It's strong on narrative, instead of action, which is more difficult for lower level readers, and the age of the characters would definitely appeal to readers that age. So it would be great for smart sixth graders. Unfortunately, my sixth graders are required to read novels with over 150 pages, so I can't recommend this to any of them for their school work. And heaven knows they don't read out of class! This also puts The Pig War in competition with the beloved Rick Riordan and Suzanne Collins.  

Overall, [oh, I'm so cliche! It's late, don't hold it against me!] I found The Pig War to be a good first novel from Holtzen, despite the fact that I read it like a draft. As previously mentioned, because I got it for free, I wanted to be as helpful and honest as possible. The Pig War just isn't *quite* there yet. Which, really, is good. Authors who succeed at their first novel (ie: SE Hinton) seem to go downhill, and I would like Holtzen to go up as a writer. We all want to improve in our endeavors. So, Holtzen, keep writing! And readers, at least give the back of The Pig War a read. You just might love it! 

Cat's Eye

Of all of Margaret Atwood's novels, Cat's Eye is most close to The Robber Bride. It's got a similar setting and similar characters, but it's more of a coming-of-age story. To be honest, I kept expecting a Jodi Picoult-style twist, and it never came. Like The Robber Bride, Cat's Eye is mostly told in flashbacks, starting with WWII, as it approaches the present of the 1980s, and discusses many of the cultural changes at that time, especially feminism. 

I really liked Cat's Eye, but at the same time, I kept waiting for the twist, waiting for the "so what?" of the story. It was good, but not my favorite Atwood. It was the Atwood version of a mean girls story, and how one must work to overcome it, but I didn't really like or need the grown up point-of-view. I felt like it didn't add too much to the story, but at the same time, we couldn't see the growth and change without the difference of time. 

So, it didn't really live up to my expectations, but at the same time, I don't feel like I wasted my time reading it. I did enjoy it and I recommend it as a coming-of-age or coming-to-terms-with-life novel. 

Read on! 

Glass Castle

"Walls has joined the company of writers such as Mary Karr and Frank McCourt who have been able to transform their sad memories into fine art." - People

Compared to Frank McCourt, I much more thoroughly enjoyed Jeannette Walls's memoir, The Glass Castle.  Though I've never read Mary Karr, so I can't compare, I did enjoy the tale of the unconventional and poverty-stricken upbringing of the Walls children by their uniquely dysfunctional parents. The Walls' parents chose an alternative lifestyle for them and their children which they saw as beneficial; the children only learned to pull themselves up by their bootstraps to break the cycle. I couldn't put down this heartfelt memoir. 

When the Black Girl Sings

Bil Wright's When the Black Girl Sings tell the coming of age story of an adopted young black girl. Adoption is the texture, rather than the storyline, but the novel does deal with important issues such as race, religion (but it isn't preachy!), having to make choices, and growing up. 


While well written and teaching a good lesson, When the Black Girl Sings didn't really appeal to me. It just didn't pull me in. I didn't identify with any of the characters. I think I only recommend it to kids who are faced with the same issues the novel deals with. 

The Education of Little Tree

The Education of Little Tree was recommended to me by one of the English teachers at the middle school. It is a memoir-style novel that may or may not be true. Asa Earl Carter published under the pseudonym of Forrest Carter, and after his death his brother said that the family had no Native American heritage despite the story line. There's a lot of controversy surrounding this novel, not only because Carter's story being a fictional work posing as a memoir. Carter was involved with the KKK and The Education of Little Tree is reputed to be his deathbed repentance.

Whether or not The Education of Little Tree is true or false (I vote false), it has a good moral and teaches a good lesson. Little Tree's parents, one white and one Cherokee, die and his Cherokee grandparents take him in and raise him.  They teach him their ways of simple living, tradition, love of nature, and to "spread the good." They make efforts to educate themselves and place emphasis on Little Tree learning by experience and making his own choices. 


Personally, I think the history of the author does not negate the message of this novel. I wouldn't say it's my favorite book, nor would I have picked it up on my own, but I found it to be a good read enjoyed it. Read on!

Circus Galacticus

To be quite honest, I picked up Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan because of the cover. It was on the new book display and it caught my eye. It's kind of a cute book and has a pretty good premise, but not super well thought out or creative, nor was it very well written. I felt like I was being told the story by a super hyper gossipy teenager. It was your basic where-do-I-belong teenage story. In space. Can't say I loved it.

A Long Way From Chicago

The eighth graders at CMS are reading A Long Way from Chicago right now, so I decided to read it up real quickly so that I can better help the students. 

This is another coming-of-age story, taking place during The Great Depression; each chapter is a different summer Joey and Mary Alice spend at their grandma's house.  Grandma is quite the character and the children learn many different life lessons from her, from how to use illegal fish traps to how to take care of other people. 

I liked this book well enough. It's not really something I would suggest over other books, but it a good reading level for the kids and it is a Newbery winner as well as a nice quick read. As far as crazy adventures or trying to solve a mystery or a cliffhanger ending . . . not so much. This book is much more real life than that, which is always a nice contrast. Soooo, it's up there, but not the best ever.

Daisy Fay & the Miracle Man

Once upon a time, a baby girl was born. Her parents couldn't agree on a name, and so grandma looked around the room. There was a vase of flowers in the room, daisies to be exact. And that is how Daisy Fay Harper got her name. She begins her journaling at age eleven and gives us all the details of her life, her parents' fighting, and the town gossip. A southern coming-of-age story, Daisy Fay makes a name for herself while making the best of her difficult situation. Her dad is a drunk who can't hold onto a job, or his wife, and Daisy Fay's life is rather unsteady. Yet she shares with us her zany adventures, crazy pranks, friendships, and coming back from the dead, as she makes her way to the top, paving her own road, making her own break, and giving the gossip. 
  
First off, apparently I'm way more into coming-of-age stories than I thought! 

But really. I did enjoy this book. It was long, and their were a few spots I found to be a little boring or unnecessary, and most of the story was not related to the title, which I found odd. I would rate this book probably a 7 or 8 out of 10. It was enjoyable; I do not regret reading it. It was well written and a good story, yet not amazing. Then ending was definitely worth it though! It was expected, but still nice. Daisy Fay is a great role model, determined, driven, and (eventually) successful. So read on!

The Outsiders

"Two of my friends died that day; 
one a hero and the other a hoodlum"

The Outsiders is one of my favorite books, and has been for a very long time. It's also probably the book I have read the most.  I recently re-read it and I guess I just didn't realize how short it is; it's been a while since my last read. But I still loved it. And maybe it's short length is part of its charm. I love a book that I can just sit down, read, cry, and leave. It's like a good crying movie in book form. 

This book is traditionally read by 8th graders; it can be such a poignant novel for those kids, if they let it be. I hope they do. Because this was a life changing book for me. I love it. It's a coming of age story laced with the conflicts of socioeconomic status, inability to get out of poverty, and love of sunsets. Read it. Love it. I do! 

Thirsty

Thirsty by MT Anderson

"And I realize that the decision to be human is not one single instant, but is a thousand choices made every day. It is choices we make every second and requires constant vigilance. We have to fight to remain human"

When I saw this book I thought it was made to make fun of Twilight, actually written in '97. Were any Twilight fans even *born* then?? 

Thirst is a satire, but not on the vampire pop culture cult. (is that redundant?)It's not even a vampire book. It's about being a teenager and being human. Sometimes it takes turning into a vampire to realize what it takes to be a human.

Reading it without the lens of knowledge of intent of Anderson, I don't think I would have enjoyed this book. It seems that many folks did not enjoy Thirsty because they thought it was a vampire book. Silly people. Don't you know who Anderson is and his writing style?

But I did enjoy this book. 
Did I love it? No. 
Was it worth reading? Yes.
Will I read it again? Maybe.
Do I recommend it for you? I don't know. 

Steinbeck: The Under Appreciated Artist

I find John Steinbeck to be one of the most under appreciated artists of his time, often overlooked in favor of Fitz or Hemingway.  Now, it's not so much that I love him, but I revere and respect him. I value his work and his place in my library. However, I'm not super into short stories, and I'm definitely more into East of Eden and Of Mice and Men, but I did still enjoy The Red Pony.

The Red Pony is a compilation of four short stories about a farm boy named Jody and his different experiences of coming to age. He learns of the fallibility of adults as he strives to become a man, and in the end, he finally does. He learned responsibility, how to work, how to be leader, how to take care of others. And the story is complete.

This is accompanied by another short story, entitled Junius Maltby, about a boy named Robbie who is raised unnecessarily (and unknowingly) in poverty by his intellectual of a father. However, the community wants to interfere, for Robbie's sake, and it leads to problems.

I did not find either of these stories particularly interesting, or noteworthy, but I don't feel that my time was wasted by reading them, either.