Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Until last week, I had never read Johnny Tremain. Shame on me! And shame on me that after the first thirty pages, I was ready to recommend only the most patient of readers should stick with the book. Sure, it was a Newbery Medal Winner. Of 1943. Language has changed and Esther Forbes’s habit of explaining the obvious to her readers was annoying.

HOWEVER, I urge you to stick with it! The deeper I progressed into the story, the more I could see why it was a medal winner, and I didn’t want to stop reading. Esther Forbes was an avid historian of the Revolutionary War. She was particularly interested in the goings-on of the Sons of Liberty in Boston leading up to Paul Revere’s famous ride and the Shot Heard Round the World. She then took what she had learned and used a small incident, the boy who took the message to the friend who would hang the lanterns in the North-Church-tower (“one if by land and two if by sea”), and created a children’s novel in order to bring Revolutionary times to life for every generation.

Not only are we reminded of historical events, but Forbes lets us peek into the real, and often flawed, lives of many of the leaders of the Revolution. She depicts the British as real men,  not monsters. They tried to keep the peace by allowing rebels freedom of movement in the hopes that war could be averted, for after all, the Revolution was all about Englishman vs. Englishman. A civil war.

As I read, I could see the book was well researched. If you obtain a copy with Gary D. Schmidt’s introduction, you will see just how well researched it was. Study it! Schmidt gives fascinating insights into the author, her scholastic abilities, and her message.

revolutionary-war-minutemen

Synopsis

Johnny Tremain is apprenticed to a silversmith. When an accident to his hand prevents him from following his dream to surpass the skills of the famed Paul Revere, he searches for whatever work the maimed hand will allow him to do. Thus, he becomes involved with the Sons of Liberty, a messenger boy who shares what he learns listening to British soldiers in the taverns of Boston.

Pros:

  1. Homeschool parents and teachers, the novel itself supplements the best history curricula of the Revolutionary War. It would make a great novel for reading class or for reading as a family.
  2. I’m a strong believer in learning how to adjust to different writing styles. Well-written books published in 1943 or in 1843 or in 1743 were great for their time and are still great today. The twenty-first century’s arrogant sense of “get to the point with as few words as possible” needs to be displaced by an appreciation for timeless literature regardless of style. Johnny Tremain is one of those classics.

Cons:

I can think of two that reflect worse on the reader than on the author.

  1. The writing style is wordy and “telling.” We value succinct and “showing.” Both can be done well. The reader who can’t stand wordiness will not like this book.
  2. Readers who don’t want their idols knocked off their pedestals won’t want to read Johnny Tremain. Samuel Adams is displayed in all his energy, his enthusiasm, and—his thirst for British blood. I was surprised and uncomfortable by the revelation. But I’m planning on buying his biography to learn more.

Discussion Questions:

These can range from simple discussion of historical events to soul-searching questions of right and wrong. I’ll mention a couple that came to mind regarding the latter.

  1. The Tories, those loyal to the Crown of England, did not feel the colonists had a good enough reason to go to war. Over taxes? Was it worth it to go to war over money? What’s your opinion?
  2. The Whigs, also known as rebels, felt it was wrong to meekly accept taxation without representation. A few went further, deciding that a revolution in the American colonies would pave the way for freedom for every citizen of every nation in the world someday. If you had lived in Boston in 1773, would you have been Tory or a Whig? Why?

Conclusion:

Shortly before the confrontation at Lexington, James Otis made an informal speech to the Sons of Liberty speaking on the eternal values liberty represented. He claimed it wasn’t worth it to fight for money or for representation in the British Parliament. But it was worth it to fight for the right of a man to “stand up.” This was the author’s message as men stood up for freedom in World War II. The same message applies as men stood up for freedom in Korea, in Vietnam, in Kuwait, and they stand in Iraq and in Afghanistan today. It’s why the world fights ISIS and its ilk.

I’ll finish with a Bible verse, perhaps taken slightly out of context, but its meaning applies. Because there are principalities and powers of the air who direct more than we may be aware of, God instructs us to put on His armor and face the enemy. Ephesians 6:13 sums up the idea in one verse: “And when you have done all, STAND.” This is the message of Johnny Tremain. Men of ideals, not all of them perfect ideals, stood for what they believed was right and true. When they had done all that they knew in dealing peaceably with King George III, they stood and held their ground against tyranny. Johnny Tremain teaches our children to do the same.

The Forever Man by Eoin Colfer

The Forever Man is book #3 in the middle grade fantasy Warp Trilogy written by well-known Eoin Colfer, author of the Artemis Fowl series.

 

Riley, a fifteen-year-old, lives in Victorian London as a magician. In book #1, he defeated his murderous master Albert Garrick, with the help of Chevie Savano, a seventeen-year-old FBI agent who travelled back in a time pod.

Garrick, who had been banished in a wormhole for two hundred years, vowed to return and seek revenge on Riley. Garrick returns in book #3 with wormhole caused mutations that enable him to seem immortal.

Garrick lures Riley (and Chevie) to a prison under false pretences to see Riley’s long-lost brother. After the three are swept inadvertently into another wormhole, they end up in a puritan village in 1649. Due to the wormhole spitting out many horrific mutations to the village in the past, the villagers are fearful and Garrick is known by previous visits, as the witch hunter and protector.

Chevie is caught and is to be burned at the stake for being a witch, but Riley breaks free from his entrapment. With the help of a few new characters, Pointer (an FBI mutant who is a dog), Fairbrother Isles (another FBI agent), and the ghost of Professor Smart (the scientist who created the wormhole), Riley devises a plan to save Chevie. But they also must save humanity before Garrick destroys the wormhole.

 

 

Pros

 

  • As in the previous two books in the trilogy, Eoin Colfer’s incomparable style pulls the reader in with his wit and the lure of fast-paced action.
  • Garrick is a well-developed antagonist, and I found myself fascinated/horrified at his actions, as I would have been watching a black widow catching a bug in slow motion. He reminded me of Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the joker in Batman, The Dark Knight.
  • The romantic attachment between the Riley and Chevie is at the core of the story, so the reader is more invested in the outcome.
  • Each character he introduces is unique and identifiable.

 

Cons

 

  • By this time, I was more or less used to the omniscient POV, although at times I still found it irritating to be jumping back and forth so quickly between the heads.
  • This story is classified as MG, however I feel that there was too much violence and the style was slightly confusing for most readers of that age group.
  • The scientific details on the wormhole and how humanity was going to be obliterated by the destruction of the wormhole was not clearly explained. I never did quite understand that.
  • Chevie in this story seemed to lack her zeal and powerful persona that she possessed in the previous books. She was more or less just a maiden in distress that needed to be saved. I was disappointed in her role.

 

 

Final Word

 

I quite enjoyed this final book, and I feel of the three, it was the best.  I still enjoyed the Artemis Fowl series better, but this was a close second. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Eoin Colfer, but I would caution that it is a bit more dark and technical to be regarded as MG.

Miracle’s Boys by Jacqueline Woodson

Sometimes, life gets too hard. How can the remnants of a family hold on to what was good?

In Miracle’s Boys, Jacqueline Woodson answers the question: how does a kid survive losing both parents before he’s reached adulthood? That question must pass through every child’s mind at some point in their growing-up years. I remember asking those questions around the age of ten. Who would take care of me? Would I ever be happy again?

Winner of the 2001 Coretta Scott King Author Award, the novel is told through the eyes of Lafayette, the youngest of three boys. Laf had lost his father years before and barely remembers him, but his mom died from insulin shock, and he didn’t know how to save her. He and his brothers, Charlie and Ty’ree deal with their grief and sense of helplessness in three different ways.

Ty’ree, the oldest, sacrifices his college scholarship to take a job and support his brothers so they can remain a family. Charlie already angry over his father’s accident, finds his “family” in gang activity, and ends up in a boys’ prison for armed robbery. Lafayette, has withdrawn into himself, keeping an emotional wall between himself and the rest of the world.

While Charlie has been gone for two years, Ty’ree and Laf manage to find a quiet, comfortable relationship, but once the still-angry Charlie returns, the boys have to figure out a new dynamic. Lafayette calls him “Newcharlie” because this middle brother is not the kindhearted boy from years before. Still, Laf has hope that something will change for the better.

The story progresses as each boy faces his fears and the obstacles of living in the inner city. Can Ty’ree keep Charlie in check, or will he lose his brother once and for all to the state? Can Charlie resist the temptation of the gangs, or is he willing to trade in his anger for acknowledging the pain of his loss? Can Lafayette get Charlie to remember what a great big brother he used to be, and can Laf ever get rid of the guilt for his lack of action when his mother was dying?

Pros

  1. The setting gives young readers an accurate view of the inner city without getting too graphic.
  2. Regardless of setting, all readers identify with the problems of family. How siblings relate to each other is a key component to the plot and theme.
  3. Woodson does a superb job in getting the reader to eagerly flip to the next page, and the next, and the next.

Cons

Woodson covers a lot of social issues in a small space which leaves us with a sense that some problems got solved too easily. But then again, the book is aimed at young readers, as one reviewer pointed out. Miracle’s Boys serves as an introduction to a complex society.

Discussion Questions

  1. If you had to depend on an older brother to take care of you, how do you think you would try to help out?
  2. Why do you think Charlie was the only brother who reacted in anger? (Hint: this becomes clear by the end of the book.)
  3. How was Lafayette able to steer away from the gangs in his neighborhood?

Conclusion

The novel is worth reading to discover what works out for the boys—and what doesn’t.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillbilly Elegy

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance Photo: Amazon.com
Hillbilly Elegy is the biography of man raised in poverty who overcame adversity to graduate from Yale law school.
 

Synopsis

J.D. Vance is the grandchild of hillbillies from Kentucky who emigrated to Ohio with the promise of good jobs in a steel mill. He was raised by a single mother with addictions and a string of failed relationships. A feisty grandmother kept J.D. from being a statistic of working class white families throughout our country. Instead of ending up in a cycle of poverty, addiction, and abusive relationships, J.D. is a success story. He deferred a college education to enlist in the Marine Corps and graduated from Ohio State in 2.5 years while working sometimes three jobs. He entered the Ivy League as a Yale law student. Now equipped with a good job and happily married to a Yale law classmate, J.D. is an inspiration and mentor to future generations of at risk youth. Hillbilly Elegy is his story.

Pros:

  • No matter where you stand politically, you need to read Hillbilly Elegy.
  • The story is inspiring and eye-opening to the plight of the white working class. While this demographic takes heat as receiving “white privilege”, they do not share many of its advantages.
  • Hillbilly Elegy is a frank and often raw portrayal of what it’s like to grow up poor and white in Midwestern America.
  • J.D. offers a perspective that rises above political talking points. He is an admitted conservative. But the book offers both praise and criticism to all sides of the issues of poverty, opportunity, and how to give all Americans the opportunity to succeed. As a result, it’s never a diatribe against the other side or propaganda for his side of the argument.

Cons:

  • Not exactly a “con” as much as a disclaimer. Hillbilly Elegy is a New Adult book. The subject matter is not appropriate for younger audiences. Not only because of the raw language/innuendo (see other con) but because the subject matter is best for older teens and adults with good critical thinking skills. This is a book that screams for self-assessment/discussion afterwards. Consequently, it’s not light reading.
  • There is a lot of rough language including numerous F-bombs. The language is never gratuitous except maybe a chapter later in the book. The author coaches himself through a social situation with “elites” by telling himself several times to not be an “A******”. I listened to the author read the book. The language may not be as jarring in print. But there is enough that I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5.
  •  Really, the language was the only negative

Recommended Audience:

In conclusion, I would recommend Hillbilly Elegy to adults and mature teens. This is not a book to read for entertainment’s sake, but one to offer insight into the problems plaguing the working class in America. Most of all, there’s a hopelessness and desperation in this community as well as broken families, addiction, a cycle of poverty, and waning opportunities.

Final Word:

This was a deeply personal book for me. I went through most of my life oblivious to those suffering around me. As a result, It’s not often  a book sucker punches me with such self-awareness.

The first day of my professional life began in J.D.’s hometown (Middletown, OH). My trainer described himself as “a Tennessee Ridge Runner” (i.e. hillbilly from Tennessee). I reflected on that time. Did J.D. walk by me? A faceless tween in the public library. At the time, I didn’t care about students in a crumbling steel town. My goal to learn what I needed and move onward and upward in the company.

Before then, I was raised in a city not too different from Middletown, OH, I was a middle class kid surrounded by working class peers. I think back to my school days and wonder which of my classmates grew up like J.D. I’m sure some went to bed hungry. Some likely hid from abusive parents. Or played grownup because their parents were addicts or absent. As a student, I was long on ambition and low on empathy.

As an adult, I’m can see how privileged we are and try to pass that insight onto my children. I want to help those in my community who I think might have it a bit harder than the rest. After reading this, I’m even more inspired to look for ways to mentor the J.D.s of this generation. 

 Discussion Questions
 
  1. Do you believe in “white privilege”?
  2. What are obstacles poor white people have in common with minorities in a similar situation?
  3. Think about a child in J.D.’s situation and brainstorm ways you could help a child like him.
  4. How do you think as a country we can help improve the lives of the working class?

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is categorized as a Young Adult fantasy by its publisher.  However, it should be classified as New Adult based on the age of its protagonist (19), sexual content, and graphic violence. 

I was on the fence about giving this book a two-star review or a three-star review; however, in our star rating description (on the Home page), a three-star review must be “a decent read.” Based on the content, I do not think it meets that criterion.  In good conscience, I cannot recommend this book. 

Synopsis​

Feyre is a young, human woman who kills a wolf while attempting to find food for her starving family. She soon discovers that she killed (and skinned) a faerie in disguise, and the cost of her unwitting crime is her life—life in the faerie world of Prythian as the property of Tamlin, High Lord of the Spring Court. And it goes downhill from there.

It’s not that the world-building isn’t superb. The writing is far above par. But what’s billed as being a “. . . blend of action, romance, and witty banter as well as a sexier, edgier tone” by the School Library Journal is, in retrospect, a pandering slosh through unbelievable attraction and unexciting action.

Maas, the beloved author of The Throne of Glass series, seems to be laboring to make it work in this uninspiring book. This is Twilight meets Beauty and the Beast, set in the cruel and sadistic world of the legend of Tamlin. All the elements are there: the (much) older supernatural male and the (crazily attractive) young female who spark off one another the moment they meet; the curse only the female can break; the cruel faerie queen; Lumiere—Lucien—the witty matchmaker; Alis, the helpful housekeeper; and finally, there is Rhysand, the Jacob wannabe.

Pros:

Maas is a master world-builder.  Wow. As a writer and editor, I appreciate the luxurious prose.

The cover is pretty. Love the map.

The main character is loyal to a fault for the first half of the book. I could al-most like Feyre at the beginning of the tale, but then she loses her way.

Cons:

Feyre establishes her street cred as a sexually-active young woman by acknowledging her casual rolls in the hay with a local man when she needs to escape reality. This relationship is entirely meaningless in the scope of the story and trite, like an item that must be marked off a characterization checklist: “Main character must not be a virgin.” Check.

Her first “sexual” encounter with Tamlin is after he has taken part in a rite of spring (um, I’m trying to keep it PG) and comes back to the mansion all crazy. He bites her on the neck, and the reader is supposed to think it’s hot. Smashing a woman against the wall and biting her is assault. This is very disappointing in any book, but especially so in a book marketed to teen girls. Bloomsbury USA Children cannot claim otherwise; as of this writing, the novel is #19 on Amazon in Books>Teens>Romance> Fantasy.

Yes, Tamlin and Feyre eventually get together in bed. He’s so five-hundred-plus-years-old, and she’s so nineteen. To be absolutely fair, she (spoiler) is no longer a human when this takes place, though they’ve been diggin’ each beforehand.

Tamlin and Feyre are not as likable as the sidekick, Lucien, or even the ruffian, Rhysand. About that checklist: “Make main characters likable.” If you are going to write a kick-butt heroine, she cannot also be too stupid to live. If you are going to write a swoon-worthy hero, he cannot be abusive or controlling. Not ever.

The High Lords, including Tamlin, are practically gods (little g) with powers beyond imagination. They are immortal (mostly). As is common in faerie tales, the faeries in this story are amoral creatures, doing whatever seems best at the time. Tamlin is considered a Goody Two-Shoes by his peers.

The crisis of curse and cruelty takes place in Queen Amarantha’s court, and it goes on forever. Maas holds nothing back, churning out one hundred pages of torture and sexual innuendo. Again, the frail human is somehow the key to defeating the evil queen. The girl is also seemingly irresistible to male faeries. Why? I kept thinking of Bella in Twilight and her effect on an entire school of boys. Talk about fantasy!

Later, to save her life, Feyre strikes a deal with another High Lord, Rhysand, to stay with him one week every month for the rest of her life. His expectations are obvious. I suppose she has to “pay up” in Book 2, but that doesn’t matter to me since I won’t be reading it.

Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Sexy and romantic.” Sexy? Too much so. Romantic? Nah.  And that’s too bad because I’m a sucker for romance.

This book contains so much violence that I cannot list it here.

Also, there is language in the book that is not appropriate for its intended audience.

Finally, at the last showdown, Feyre has an ah-ha moment that is outrageously contrived.  The resolution relies entirely on deus ex machina, a suddenly revealed fact about Tamlin (the god, in this case) that saves the day.

Personal Thoughts

Sadly, this book does not live up to the author’s reputation.  I wanted to like it. I was predisposed to love it. But I had to force myself to finish it so I could write this review. Not recommended.

Court of Fives by Kate Elliot

The Court of Fives is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy. The worldbuilding is reminiscent of Ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire.
 

Synopsis

On the Fives court, everyone is equal.

And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

In this imaginative escape into an enthralling new world, World Fantasy Award finalist Kate Elliott’s first young adult novel weaves an epic story of a girl struggling to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Pros:

 
  • The premise is unusual. I didn’t know about the Egyptian and Roman influence when I read the first book, but I saw the influence in the cultures.
  • The multiculturalism of the world allows the author to explore identity, both personal and racial. This is at the heart of the novel, both for the main character and the country in which she lives.
  • Unexpected and twisty plot.

Cons:

  • The story didn’t go where I thought it was going to go. I expected most of the conflict to be about Jessamy and her competing in the trials. It’s not that the story was bad, just that on some level, I didn’t get the story I was hoping for. In that way, it was both more and less than I expected. Not really a con, per se, but worth noting.
  • The bad guy is really bad. He epitomizes the evil to which man will stoop for his own ambitions. Again, not necessarily a con, but worth noting. For younger YA readers, some of the events may be disturbing.

     

Final Word

 
I enjoyed the series. In fact, two of the three books I bought in hardback which is unusual for me. ($$$) The political intrigue and the fact I couldn’t necessarily predict what would happen next made me devour the stories.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. From what you know of Ancient Egypt, how is Efea culture similar different? 
  2. How do the Saroese resemble the Romans? What is different?
  3. If you had to choose a society to be part of, which would you choose? The Efean society ruled by women, or the Saroese society ruled by men? Why?
  4. Which culture should rule a country? The original one, or the stronger one? (Keep in mind the American Indians when you answer the question.)

Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett

 

Ending Fear by Deanna Fugett is a well-written dystopian\science fiction novel for middle grade set in a world of “haves” and “have nots.” It was recently published by Love2ReadLove2Write Publishing (L2L2)  on September 23.

 

SYNOPSIS (from Amazon)

Fourteen-year-old Fear learns she was a parachute baby, dumped over the edge of the Gliding Lands as an infant. Fascinated by the floating cities in the sky before, now she’s desperate for answers.

But a slave isn’t likely to get those answers.

When her abusive Downer family throws her from their hovel, Fear takes refuge with a family who shows her love for the first time. Surely they can’t be trusted. Years of abuse and molestation has taught her that.

Then her brother discovers where she’s hiding and tries to kidnap her. Fear will never let him touch her again. Her new family conceals her at the Fallen, a ranch that hides parachute babies from the Uppers who discarded them.

Just as she’s beginning to embrace yet another home, Fear’s new little sister, Happy, is kidnapped and taken to the Uppers’ temple harem. Fear must go against her namesake, find a working hoverpod, and journey to the dreaded Gliding Lands before the little girl’s innocence is ripped from her forever.

Can she save Happy in time?

And will she find answers to the burning question of why anyone would throw her away?

PROS

  1. The first-person point of view is extremely well written and engrossing. Ms. Fugett shows excellent command of her writing craft and manages an interesting story.
  2. The story world of “Downers” and “Uppers” is thought-provoking for varying ages and reading levels. The concept of “haves” and “have nots” isn’t new to literature, but the story offers enough of a twist to distinguish it from other dystopian novels.
  3. The idea of a toxic foster family is presented in a straight-forward manner without being graphic and frightening to younger readers.
  4. The portrayal of a loving family existing outside of conventional two-parent family systems is commendable.

CONS

  1. This book will not openly engage male readers. That doesn’t make the book awful, but I was disappointed that the concepts of rape and abuse from the victim’s side weren’t presented in ways that would draw in male readers. Opportunities to present such ideas in engaging ways is always welcome, but broaching it to male readers is an important opportunity.  Since Ms. Fugett is such a good writer, my hope is that she will consider broadening her content and her appeal across gender lines.
  2. Since I do enjoy speculative fiction, I was disappointed that the setting wasn’t promoted enough, and that it took half of the book before the reader is given a substantive glimpse of the story world. That is one of the drawbacks to an extremely well-written first-person viewpoint. Giving the reader a much clearer view of the world in a way that is natural to the unfolding of the story is difficult.
  3. The biggest of my objections is the way that the topic of abuse and rape are handled. Ms. Fugett wasn’t graphic or disrespectful by any means.  The topics are difficult at best, but also important. There is no reason that the topics can’t be broached in an age-appropriate story. Since Fear is only fourteen, I’m not completely sure the topic was dealt with as well as it could. I don’t wish to imply that Ending Fear promotes anything inappropriate or is graphic,  but I was hoping for more substantive material. I will leave the final conclusion to readers.

COLORING BOOK

There is a companion coloring book available. I am not one to color pictures, but if you are, please feel free to click on the “COLORING BOOK” if you are.

 

CONCLUSION

The book is well-written and interesting, but will probably only appeal to female readers. I do wish the title character Fear would have been written a little older so that talking about abuse and rape could have been given much more context and greater spotlight.  I recommend parents read this book first to decide if their children are at an age where they are ready for the content and it’s implications.

The Skin i’m in by Sharon G. Flake

Synopsis

If people aren’t taunting Maleeka about her dark skin then they get at her about her homemade clothes or her good grades. She’s learned to find a way to survive by keeping her head down.  That is until  a new teacher, whose face is blotched with a startling white patch, shows up to teach.  But when the students mock Miss Saunders she doesn’t it let her bug her. Maleeka can’t help but wonder how this new teacher can truly love her flawed skin. Or why she thinks that Maleeka is so special.

Pros:

  • lots of white space on the page which makes it accessible for all types of readers.
  • looks at a topic/situation that not all teens may deal with (racism within the black community).
  • deals with bullying, peer pressure, being unique and loving yourself without becoming a bully yourself.
  • authentic African American voice without resorting to gratuitus language or overly lewd descriptions.

Cons:

  • does have some mature themes: Maleeka talks about some students “locking lips” in the hallway, smoking (including the main character once), drinking and partying in one scene, two boys try to force their affection on Maleeka and when a friend comes to help they beat him up.
  • the slang and writing are authentic which may be a pro or a con. I loved stepping so completely into another world. Others may find the reading of it a little rough or coarse.

Final Word:

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy enough to read but dealt with some dark subjects which may not be for everyone. The rough moments in the book all have a purpose in the plot line and give a glimpse into Maleeka’s (and many other black girls) life. I rated this as a teen book due to its mature content but the reading level is closer to Middle grade as is the protagonist.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How is Maleeka’s life similar to your own? How does it differ?
  2. Compare Maleeka’s life with that of the slave girl, Akeelma, that Maleeka writes about.
  3. Do you think Maleeka dealt well with the bullying she experienced? How might you deal if you were in her place?
  4. Describe a time when you didn’t feel comfortable in “the skin your in”. Also describe how/if you resolved it.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai

Inside Out and Back Again is the second free verse middle grade novel that I’ve read and enjoyed recently. Perhaps, that’s because it’s the 2011 winner of the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature and a Newbery Honor Book for 2012.

The subject matter is also close to my heart: the plight of the Vietnamese refugees following the fall of Saigon in 1975. Using her own life story, Thanhha Lai creates a fictional version of ten-year-old Ha who leaves Saigon under siege, lives in a refugee camp for months, and arrives in Alabama to start her new life in America.

SYNOPSIS

The story opens in Vietnam where Ha’s father disappeared years ago, presumably captured by the North Vietnamese. Her mother works hard to feed and clothe Ha and her three older brothers. While I ached for the family’s struggles as they prepared to flee Vietnam, the story really caught my interest as they tried to adjust to a different culture. Ha can’t speak the language, she doesn’t like being treated like a small child since she can’t read at her grade level, and spelling in English makes no sense at all. I’m sure many of you agree! Some of the children in her class bully her, but a few are kind and reach out in friendship. As their first year in America unfolds, Ha depends on her brothers and her English tutor to survive in school. With each passing month, she gains a little more confidence and a few more insights into her new country.

Pros

  1. Thanhha Lai expertly weaves Vietnamese culture through much of the plot via Ha’s observations, actions, and emotions.
  2. The Author’s Note at the end of the book adds to the satisfaction as she describes what were true events in her story. AND she strongly encourages her readers to ask others to tell their story. She leaves us with a thought-provoking question: “How much do we know about those around us?”
  3. This is a book of hope. A little girl who goes through so much heartache, yet at the end looks forward to the next year of her life—that’s a story you want to read!

CONS

  1. After those three PROS above, could there be CONS?
  2. I’ll name one scene that made me uncomfortable—not that I believe it’s a CON, but a few Pharisees might consider this detrimental to the book. In order to be accepted by the neighborhood, the family agrees to be baptized. They don’t know why they should do this, but if it makes the Americans happy, they will oblige. I believe it was wrongful action by Ha’s sponsor, which isn’t the book’s fault. What happened in the story, happened.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

A study guide is available through Bookrags.com. http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-inside-out-and-back-again/#gsc.tab=0

CONCLUSION

I’ll leave you with a fun aside. Name pronunciation always fascinates me. I assumed Thanhha Lai was pronounced Tonna Lie. Wrong. Teachingbooks.net has an audio of Thanhha Lai describing how to pronounce her name.  The closest I can describe it: Tang (voice rises) Ha (voice descends) Lie.

Hunter by Mercedes Lackey

Hunter is the first in a YA fantasy trilogy set in post-apocalyptic America.
 

Synopsis

They came after the Diseray. Some were terrors ripped from our collective imaginations, remnants of every mythology across the world. And some were like nothing anyone had ever dreamed up, even in their worst nightmares.

Monsters.

Long ago, the barriers between our world and the Otherworld were ripped open, and it’s taken centuries to bring back civilization in the wake of the catastrophe. Now, the luckiest Cits live in enclosed communities, behind walls that keep them safe from the hideous creatures fighting to break through. Others are not so lucky.

To Joyeaux Charmand, who has been a Hunter in her tight-knit mountain community since she was a child, every Cit without magic deserves her protection from dangerous Othersiders. Then she is called to Apex City, where the best Hunters are kept to protect the most important people.

Joy soon realizes that the city’s powerful leaders care more about luring Cits into a false sense of security than protecting them. More and more monsters are getting through the barriers, and the close calls are becoming too frequent to ignore. Yet the Cits have no sense of how much danger they’re in—to them, Joy and her corps of fellow Hunters are just action stars they watch on TV.

When an act of sabotage against Joy takes an unbearable toll, she uncovers a terrifying conspiracy in the city. There is something much worse than the usual monsters infiltrating Apex. And it may be too late to stop them…

Pros:

 
  • The premise is unusual. Unlike most post-apocalyptic fiction, this one has fairies, dragons, red caps, goblins–all your basic fantasy creatures, and they’re all evil. Coupled with cool technology, all the aspects meld together to make a fresh sort of dystopian fiction.
  • The story is rich in conflict – personal, familial, political. All of these work together to create a rich mystery that a reader will keep turning the pages to uncover. 
  • The characters are likable, especially Joy. You root for her and her menagerie of magical dogs (which are really cool).

Cons:

 
  • The writing is clunky in places. But story is king, and this is a great story. Despite my inner editor wanting to reword things, I pushed through to the end, but this and the following are the reason I’m rating the series as 4-star instead of 5-star.
  • My chief complaint is the anti-Christian overtones. “Christers” are responsible for the nuclear war that toasted humanity. Apparently some went rogue and thought the advent of the Rapture needed some help. (OK, that could be plausible with some deranged fanatics, BUT…) Christians are depicted as ignorant, misogynistic, and misguided. Worst of all is the implication and their end-times beliefs were both wrong and misguided. While the main character makes friends with a Christer, she is seen as the tolerant one. He’s portrayed as a good, moral guy with misguided belief. You really like his character despite these “flaws,” but all three books in the series take potshots at Christianity.

Final Word

 
I enjoyed the series, despite its anti-Christian barbs. The third book, advertised as the thrilling conclusion, left a few unanswered questions so I could see another book being added at some point. If it were, I would read it.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. Do you think books that are anti-Christian should be avoided? 
  2. Have you ever been confronted by friends or strangers who have made jokes or insulted your faith? What did you do?
  3. Do you prefer fantasies where creatures such as dragons, vampire, and fairies are good or bad? Why?