Module 3

I realized that my post for Module 3 disappear so I am doing one now.

Postcards from No Man's Land by Aidan Chambers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


POSTCARDS FROM NO MAN'S LAND is a beautifully written story. The book opening was different and I thought I might not like it but as I continued to read I fell in love with the story. This novel is beautifully written and it made me want more. I can see why it was given the Printz Award and a few other awards. I think teens can relate to this book in the different things the main character is going through. It is very emotional and it makes you laugh, teens go through many emotions just like the character in this book does. He falls in love while he is traveling but not just with one person. He learns things about himself and understands things that he didn't before. He finds out things about his grandfather that he never knew, some good, some not so good, but it helps him learn about him because he never met his grandfather.

The main character, Jacob, travels to Holland to visit his grandfather's grave. He learns a lot about his family while he is there and falls in love with the Dutch culture. The language isn't bad but there is a lot about sex, which can be seen in many teenage novels these days. I think this won the award because of the richness of the story and how much the character learns about life and life around him as he becomes an adult.



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Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One novel that I read MOCKINGBIRD by Katherine Erskine I thought was really beautiful. It is about a girl with Asperger's who looses her brother and how her and her father cope. This novel could become a classic. It is a beautifully written novel and I think it can teach people a lot about people with Asperger's. It was a struggle to read at times because it was sad, but it shows how loving some people can be. Also it has a lot to do with bullying and how bad it can be. I think it proves that even though people with Asperger's are different that doesn't mean that they aren't wonderful people. The young girl in the story doesn't always understand everything that is going on around her but she tries to help in anyway possible. In the end she helps not only herself figure out a way to move on with her life still living with her brothers memory but also helps her father.



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Module 15

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book and series is really great. I really enjoyed the characters and the feeling of traveling to another world. I loved how he changed the spelling of her name to Alyss. I think fantasy series in young adult has become a lot more popular. Fantasy is a place where teens go in their imagination and if its a series and they really like there are more books for them to read. This can be a great way to help teens get more into reading by introducing them to series books. Alyss uses her power of imagination to make things happen but when she is lost in London and far away from the Heart Crystal her powers start to fade. When she finally does return to Wonderland she realizes how much simpler her life was in London. I think its really true. Having to be Queen and deal with everything on a regular basis and not really get a rest from it would be hard. In London she got to live a life without her imagination and without everyone relying on her. As the reader we do realize though that Wonderland is where she is supposed to be. I really liked how Beddor brought in Lewis Carroll to the story and the Alice in Wonderland story that was really unusual and different and it really gets you seeing how different the two stories really are. He makes it seem like Carroll mocks Alyss and just thinks it is a big made up story in her head. I think teens would like this novel because it is a different version of a story they probably heard or read in their younger years. Its a new twist on Alice in Wonderland and its really good.



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Seeing Redd by Frank Beddor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This second book in the series was harder to get through than the first. I felt like there was a lot going on, maybe too much in the beginning. As it progressed through the end I got more into and really wanted to know what was going to happen. I think the cover of this novel is a great version of Redd. I like how Beddor changed everything to be more out there and more grown up, more modern. These books are definitely for teens and adults to read, as they will understand it better. I did like that Hatter has feelings in this book and we get to see the woman he loves and his daughter that he didn't know about until recently. Hatter always seems so strange in the other books and movies and we don't really understand him. I think Beddor did a good job of giving Hatter a prominent character. I also think the most recent version (Tim Burton's) of Alice in Wonderland is actually similar to these books. It makes me think that maybe the producer had read these books too when making that movie. I picture things like the forest and the Pool of tears like things in that movie. It is interesting to see how alike all of the versions are but also so different, especially when comparing them to the books. I would love to see this series made into movies, but they would have to do it well to live up to the imaginative representation.



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ArchEnemy by Frank Beddor

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


By this point in the series I wanted to know if Alyss was going to win back Wonderland and that everything would end happily. Nothing happened as I thought it would but what ever happens the way we think it will, especially in a magical place like Wonderland. I knew from the beginning of the first book that King Arch was bad news, the second proved me more right and this one did the same. I was glad to find him overthrown and gone at the end. Sorry if that is giving things away. This is a series I would recommend to people of all ages, any Alice in Wonderland fans definitely. This version with Alyss was thrilling and really hard to put down. The world that Beddor creates is perfectly pictured in my mind and still has a hold of me. I have actually been dreaming about being there. I am glad I was able to get all of the series and read it together because I really wanted to know what was going to happen in the end. It can be hard to have to wait for the next book in the series and then sometimes if can be a disappointment. But this trilogy was well written and a great series that I will be recommending for ages to come.



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Module 14

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE is one I think both teens and juvenile would like. It is a whole different tale of Rapunzel and its a fun one. Rapunzel has to go out and fight for what is rightfully hers and finds things about herself along the way. The graphics are really great and I love how Rapunzel uses her hair as a weapon. I was recommended this graphic novel by a bunch of different people and in different classes with different graphic novel options it has gotten great reviews so I figured I should read it. I liked it. I am not a huge graphic novel fan but there are some out there that I think are good and appropriate for specific age groups. It can be hard working in a library if a parent disagrees with their child checking out graphic novels because the parent thinks they are inappropriate. Sometimes graphic novels can be a great help to students who struggle with reading.
Graphic novels should be given a chance.



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Middle School Is Worse Than Meatloaf: A Year Told Through Stuff by Jennifer L. Holm

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


MIDDLE SCHOOL IS WORSE THAN MEATLOAF is funny and witty and it is more of lists and notes and a compilation of things that Ginny the girl in middle school writes on or uses throughout the year. Like every so many pages there is her bank statement for the month telling how much she put in and took out, it pretty much evens back out every month. But I found it is a really fun book. It is in the juvenile section at our library and I think that many can relate to it with things happening in school or other things in their lives. It is a great book for students in middle school or around that age group to read. It is enjoyable but not too hard so students can feel a sense of accomplishment if they aren't big readers after having finished this book.



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Module 13

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


A book I read this week was SISTER WIFE by Shelley Hrdlitschka. This book was a quick read and at parts was hard to get through. I found that through one of the characters eyes Celeste that the religion of the commune that they live in is portrayed very negatively. She is having impure thoughts about a boy her age but in the community she lives in the girls at age 15 are given to a man much older than they are and become a sister wife. But Celeste doesn't want to have anything to do with that. She views the religion and the followings of the community very negatively and doesn't want to become a sister wife. I found this book to be really interesting. I could never live in a community where I had to share my husband or I didn't get to chose to marry for love. I know that arranged marriages do workout in some cultures but I didn't grow up that way I don't think I could live that way. I really liked the ending of this book and some of the things that happened along the way were unexpected but good.



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The Patron Saint of Butterflies by Cecilia Galante

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



During class this week we are talking about religions and different conflicts that parents and teens have when it comes to religions. Another book I read was THE PATRON SAINT OF BUTTERFLIES by Cecilia Galante. This was a very interesting but good book. I found it hard to put down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. From the very beginning I thought that Emmanuel was to good to be true and I knew something else was going to be happening. Two girls who are more like sisters live in a commune where one man Emmanuel is supposed to be the leader or the one God speaks through. But things are going on behind closed doors that no one knows about. Agnes wants nothing more than to be a saint and listens to everything Emmanuel says but Honey is different and doesn't feel that she fits there and acts out against Emmanuel and suffers the consequences. Agnes's grandmother comes to visit and finds out what is going on and takes the girls away. Agnes is in conflict with her grandmother the whole time. They argue about religions and how grandma knows that going back there is a bad idea. Nana Pete knows that Agnes can find her own religion outside of the walls of the commune and encourages her too. This book in some ways was very heart wrenching but overall I really liked it. I don't want to give it away but in the end things are settled as they need to be and Agnes and Nana Pete make peace with their conflict.



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Module 12

Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I read DARK MIRROR by M.J. Putney. I have never been a huge fan of fantasy but I loved this book. This book definitely fits the definitions of fantasy. It has magic, the characters are true to themselves once they reveal and found out that they have magic, and the motivation to learn more about their magic makes sense in the context. I found myself flying through this book, I just had to know what happens next. It is set in 1803 where anyone who is in high society can not let their magic leak or will be sent to Lackland Abbey to learn to control and contain their magic. Tory recuses her nephew after she learns she can fly and is sent to the Abbey. At first she wants nothing more than to learn to control her magic and go home but soon she joins a group of students who embrace their magic. They are embracing their magic in order to help fight the French if they are ever invaded. In the middle of all of this Tory finds Merlin's mirror which can transport her back and forth in time. I won't give anymore away but Tory learns that she loves her magic because magic can help save people and change things. This is only the first book in this series and I really want to read the next. The fantasy that exists in this novel is the magic and magical qualities and the ability to travel through time.



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Geek Fantasy Novel by E. Archer

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This novel was hard to get through. It was funny and fun but I found it kind of out there also. It definitely falls under the category of modern fantasy because it includes fairy tale characters, has magic, and has an alternative universe. The book begins in modern times in New Jersey with a nerdy main character Ralph. His parents forbid him to wish for anything, but he ends up leading his long lost cousins on their wishing quest (which the cousins’ parents have forbidden them from wishing, also). It was a little slow at first, and I didn’t think I was going to like it. At times, the scenes seemed disjointed and irrelevant to the plot, but eventually, it got better as the cousins were swept into the alternate world of their wishes which included faeries and bunny rabbits. It was quite bizarre in places. I found that I liked parts of it but didn't like all of it. Kinda proves why I am not a big fan of fantasy.



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Module 11

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


This week we had to think about what dystopian or post-acopalyptic books make us think about.These books really make you think what if? I also in some of them think how did the author come up with this, because some of it seems way out there. I read DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver and it was good and suspenseful but also kind of out there. I loved Lauren Oliver's other book but this one not so much. The society has found a cure for the "disease" love and has a surgery to fix it. Well somethings happen during the interview for the main character to see if she is ready to have the surgery and there is a delay. I don't want to give away the ending it just didn't end like I thought or wanted it to.

I thought to myself who thinks of love as a disease? I understand where they are coming from in the novel because they talk about how love can lead to people going crazy and killing themselves or others but there is no way to really stop love. Without love what are we really fighting for? We have love for many different things and it normally is something we fight to keep or have. Romeo and Juliet are mentioned a lot in this novel and it all makes sense why in the end. This novel was just a little over the top for me.



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Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I think the reason these dystopian books are so popular is because it gives us a look into a world that might happen. I think it can be a means of exploring a new world. I agree with the quote and I do think when we read books like these that we think oh my gosh could this really happen.
I read MATCHED by Ally Condie this week and loved it. The second book in the trilogy comes out today and I can't wait to read it! It is a story about a society where they don't have any say in anything. Their food is chosen for them, their clothes, their job, and they are matched with their future mate. Cassia is part of an experiment that she doesn't know about and she has always followed all the rules until now. She becomes a rebel and starts to think for herself and wonder why the society gets to make all the decisions for them.
I loved this novel. I know that if I was in a society like this I would be like Cassia and rebel and wondering why they get to make all the decisions and why we can't make them for ourselves. I think that maybe why these books are appealing to teens also. I don't think we will ever have to deal with societies like this but it is interesting to think "what if?".



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Module 10

Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book is awesome! It has a little bit of romance, ghosts, and magic.
I read TEXAS GOTHIC by Rosemary Clement-Moore and it definitely fits the magical realism genre. It has a combination of magical realism, ghosts, and a little bit of fantasy. I think this book could be classified as more of a blended genre. When I first started reading it I forgot what section it was under and it didn't make any sense to me how it could be steampunk, then I look at the reading list again and realized it wasn't.
I really think all three can be blended genres. When you have steampunk there can be a lot of history or historical fiction blended in, and maybe a little bit of magic too. Magical realism is more magical qualities and like in TEXAS GOTHIC actual magic, like witches and spells and then ghosts. Urban fantasy can be a little harder to describe is normally fantasy with an urban setting. All three genres are intriguing and are becoming more and more developed but it can be hard when some of these novels have more than one element on where to classify them. The only other main term that could be added when describing these types of books is historical, because most of the time there is either a historical setting or history being dug up and involved with the story.
So far in reading TEXAS GOTHIC it has been mainly magical realism with a little mix of urban fantasy. I am really enjoying it though and have found it really hard to put down.



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Corsets & Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances by Trisha Telep

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


CORSETS & CLOCKWORK is an anthology of Steampunk romances. I have to say that I did not like all of them. Some of them were really good and others were just really different. I am not a big fan of steampunk myself, but I would recommend it to teens. I would also recommend this book. It is well written and has great characters and is a good look at the steampunk genre. I think teens would appeal to it because it is different and has historical references. I think it is also just a good read for teens because it is a collection of short stories and now every teen wants a huge book to read. Steampunk is a fun and different genre but I know many teens who have asked for it and said that they like it.
I don't find myself drawn to steampunk but that doesn't mean it isn't any good.



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Module 9

Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I read ONCE DEAD, TWICE SHY by Kim Harrison. It is about a dead girl who lives on Earth and is trying to find her place in the world of Angels and Demons. She is more or less a ghost who has a body because she stole the person who killed her's amulet. The amulets give an appearance of a body but you don't really have a soul. Which doesn't really make much sense because the girl is still the same person. They don't call them demons in the book but there is a dark side. She originally thinks she has an amulet to be an angel on the light side but eventually finds out otherwise. The "demons" in the book are sent to kill specific people and the angels have to try and stop them.
It was very interesting to read the notes and compare them to this book. I think like in the notes many of the demons in the book are fallen angels. The bad "angels" have black wings and can look like crows. The good angels have white wings and are trying to save people. I think like in Contemporary Christianity the "demons" in this book have "fallen from grace" or have gone against the good angels. The angel who is training her even says he doesn't get along with the higher power so that could say that he is going against what is good. Even though he is a good angel he just doesn't believe in all the rules. I don't think I ever would have read this book on my own but I did find it intriguing.




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Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I think BEFORE I FALL really gave Sam a chance to look at philosophical issues in her life and in the lives around her by reliving her last day over and over. I loved this book and found it hard to put down. I think it was so good because of the way Sam realizes what is really important in life and realizes she has to try and change somethings before she leaves. There weren't really any religious issues that she dealt with but she did continually ask why. There were some religious undertones though, she knows that the seventh time she is reliving her last day that it will be her last, she says " and on the seventh day". I think teens could really relate to the issues in this book but also learn to be thankful and happy with what you have because you never know when it will be your last day.

I loved this book! It was a great story and I was rooting for her the whole time to not die.



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Module 8

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I loved this book! I felt this book met many of the rules for fantasy. Lily is a mermaid and with her first kiss to a boy she becomes bonded with him and he is her mate for life. She is the Princess of the kingdom Thalassinian. The kingdom under the sea is described in great detail and can be pictured well. Lots of blues and greens, beautiful coral and fish. It sounded very beautiful and if a place like this really existed I would want to go there. The story is very imaginative but logical. The idea of another world existing right before our eyes but never knowing its there is really got me thinking. Lily can go between the two worlds of being a human and a mermaid because her mother was a human and her father is the sea king. The other characters both the ones on land and in the water are all very well developed and consistent with the theme of the novel.
The main theme of this novel is the choice Lily has to make between the man she loves who is human and being with him or living in the sea without. In some ways it is like Ariel from the Little Mermaid because Ariel makes the choice to live on land.
This novel meets the guidelines to fall under the umbrella of fantasy. This is my favorite book that I have read this week. It was fun and really cute. There is another book in the series and I plan to read it soon.



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Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book does have a lot of teen appeal because it deals with "it crowds" and how this one girl goes from the bottom to the top. But how she does it is the funny side of the story. She casts a zombie spell over most of the senior class so they all want to follow her around because they think she is the queen. I thought the book was funny but I really just wanted to get to the end and find out if she reverses the spell or not.
I think this book is original because it is a funny zombie story instead of scary. I think it also has originality in the fact that the author makes up an actual organization that comes in to help reverse the spell or get rid of the zombies, whichever comes first. I don't think this book "hops on the band wagon" because it is totally out there and has twists that just aren't expected.



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Module 7- Verse Novels

Purple Daze by Sherry Shahan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This verse novel was the epitome of a verse novel. It was beautifully written and the characters were very much alive. I could really feel the heartache of the things they were going through during this war-time era. I really enjoyed the verse and I felt that I really connected with the characters. I think this would be a great read for teens especially ones who don't like long novels. This gives them a great story and a lot of history on an important time. Verse novels are some of my favorites and I think this one was done well. It was hard to read at some points when the men were talking about the war but you could really feel the hurt and understand what they were going through. I would recommend this to teens.



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Shark Girl by Kelly Bingham

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This verse novel was an enjoyable read. I really felt connected to the character and loved reading her story of being attacked by the shark. I think this novel works well as a verse novel because we get to connected with the character a lot more and get to hear her voice. I think Jane really learned things about herself and her strength by being attacked by the shark. Some of the verse is really beautiful in this novel and I think many teens can relate to some of the things she is feeling. No one can truly relate unless they have lost a limb but I think people can relate to her emotions of hurt and loss. I think verse novels are important to be recognized because they really give a way to be in touch with the characters emotions. Not all novels let the character's voice shine but verse novels are most of the time the character actually speaking and you get to see and feel what they are feeling. I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to teens and adults alike.



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Module 6

My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I think this book was good. It had some controversial issues because one of the characters is gay. It did not bother any of his close friends or his family but it was kind of funny that the character didn't even know he was gay yet. Later on in the story he falls for a boy and figure out his is gay. His family is very understanding seeing as they knew he was gay all along. They had figure it out from what he loved to do, and just from certain mannerisms. I think this book has come a long way in compared to older books about teens who are gay or lesbian. This one shows more people being open to him being gay and being okay with it. Many people are still very judgmental about gays or lesbians but I think love is love no matter what form. This was a great read and it also had multiple narrators. I found that each chapter was fun and different from the next. We got to see each characters side of what was happening and also learn about the other characters too.



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Hard Love by Ellen Wittlinger

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This was my favorite book this week because I really fell in love with the characters. I think I also liked it because the characters are writers also. I love to write and felt a sense of connection to these characters. Marisol is a lesbian and is very open about being one. Gio falls for her even though she is one. I think Gio falls for Marisol because she becomes a close friend and really cares about him and he hasn't had anyone in his life like that for a while. I saw differences of how gays and lesbians are treated now compared to this book. In this book Marisol's parents are so excited that she is hanging out with a straight boy in hopes that she will change and no longer be a lesbian. This can remain true for many parents who find out their child is gay. My brother is gay and my father had a hard time accepting it. My brother is also living in a different time than Marisol did and gays and lesbians are more accepted. Many more places are honoring gay marriages. Being gay is not something new but is more widely accepted than it used to be. Marisol being a lesbian was accepted as who she was because she stood up for herself and didn't change for anyone.



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Books for Module 5

I forgot to blog last week about the books I read so I am doing it now.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed this book and it's multiple narrators. I felt at times having the multiple narrators was a little hard to handle. Especially with everything else going on in the book but I did like getting to know all the characters. I think my favorite character was either Mary Lou or Adina. Mary Lou was more of a background voice but she was pretty funny. Taylor is from Texas and I thought I would really like her, but she seemed bossy and to about herself to me. I think I liked Adina because she really hated being in the pageant but did it anyway. I think every girl secretly dreams of being in a beauty pageant because our society is so about beauty and image now but not every girl gets to be. This book was funny and I see why it has gotten top ratings.



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Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was awesome! I love some of the images that were created with each new dare. I loved when Dash went to Lily's aunt's house in search of Lily and how he describes her aunt and everything that happens while he is there. I think both characters were very truthful and learned a lot about each other throughout the whole process. This is a fast paced read and very enjoyable. I loved following them on their dares and waiting to see what was going to happen next. Having this novel as a multiple narrator novel made it fun. As the reader I got to know each of the characters individually but also together as they learned about each other. I would definitely recommend this teens.



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The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson/ Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I love this book. I think the poetry in it makes it extra special. I like to write poetry also so that was one of the reasons I really liked this book. I think teens would really like this book also. It has a love triangle involved and some teens can relate. Others who can't relate I think would like it to find out what happens. I really enjoyed it and I think I may just have to add it to my collection and read it again later.



Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I liked this book. It had good struggles in it and was a fast read. In class we had a discussion about why teens would relate to books like this. I think teens can relate because many are going through things like the characters are going through. The teenage boy, Carlos in the story is involved in drugs and violence and he thinks that makes him cool. But once he gets involved with this girl he wants out but can't really figure out how to get there without help. I think many teens don't know how to get out of a specific situation and don't know how to ask for help. Carlos didn't want help because he didn't want the people around him to get hurt but he got help anyways. I think any teens who are involved in a situation like this can relate to this story. I think even many boys would like reading this novel. It was a good read, and the one before it was too, I hear there is also a third one about the younger brother in their family. I may just have to add that one to my reading list too.



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