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!

The Whipping Boy

For the sixth graders medieval unit, they were put into different reading groups with classmates on similar reading levels. The Whipping Boy was the book I read with my group. It's about Prince Brat and his whipping boy, Jemmy, and how they run away from the castle & encounter some real characters! 

It was a cute little book with a good moral, but the students thought it was pretty lame and I tend to agree a little. It was written to a much younger audience. I think Jordyn would like it much better than my students did. It's much more for a younger audience, and I didn't think it was that great for a Newbery. I expect a lot when I see that seal, and The Whipping Boy, while cute, didn't quite live up to that standard. 

Nothing but the Truth

In a series of overreactions and escalating events, the documentary style novel of Nothing but the Truth tells the tale of Phillip, who was suspended for humming the national anthem; Miss Narwin, the teacher directly involved; and the effects of Phillip's story on the town and, as it escalates, the nation. As the title implies, the subject of the novel is the truth, and how different people may have different truths for themselves. 


I was a little hesitant in starting this novel, especially after I didn't particularly care for the last Avi novel I read, Don't You Know There's a War On?, but I really liked the twist at the end. At first I was all, "Oh, of course Ammon's teacher had them read a book about how a naughty student can ruin a teacher's life." But now I see the real reason she had them read it. I really liked Nothing but the Truth and the lesson it teaches. 


Read on! 

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.