Category: Star Rating

The five-star rating system.

Posted on

The Silence Between Us by Alison Gervais

There’s a difference between deaf and Deaf. The former is a physical condition, the latter is an identity. Having grown up with a deaf sibling, I’d always been aware of the frustrations in communicating with someone who can’t hear, but until recent years I had not known there was an official community. Deaf with a capital D.

In The Silence Between Us, Alison Gervais gives us a personal and very real peek into how deaf people are forced to deal with the hearing world. In addition, she presents the Deaf community’s ongoing discussion (debate? argument? quarrel?) over cochlear implants. Should they endure the surgery or not? Should they make it easier to live in the hearing world, or should they insist the majority population give consideration to those who communicate with their hands and not their voices?

Synopsis

Maya lost her hearing after surviving meningitis. Her deaf school uses sign language as the best means of communication. ASL is so much easier than reading lips.

When her single mom moves the family across the country for her job, Maya must attend a hearing school. In classes, she has the convenience of her delightful interpreter, Kathleen, but only two students show any interest in reaching out in friendship and learning sign language. Beau is annoying and endearing all at the same time, and Nina isn’t good at sign language, but her friendship is precious.

The stress of Maya’s little brother, who has cystic fibrosis, combined with the chip on her shoulder and her worries about getting into a hearing college, and you have a great story with dozens of obstacles to be overcome on a daily basis.

Pros

  1. If you want to know what it’s like to live as a deaf person in a hearing world, The Silence Between Us will answer every question. Maya immediately immersed me into her world.
  2. Alison Gervais addresses the quandary that hearing people have in relationships with deaf friends and family. Like many of the hearing characters in the book, I am so slow in learning ASL and in reading combinations of signs at flying-finger speed.
  3. The Silence Between Us is one of those stories that you don’t want to end. Where is the sequel of new challenges for Maya at the college level? Or the obstacles she faces when she begins her career as a respiratory therapist?

Cons

My only objection to any part of this novel is how unlikable Maya was for several chapters. But then again, how many teenagers are likable when every day is an exercise in frustration?

Discussion Questions

  1. As a hearing person, if a new student attended several of your classes, would you try to welcome him or her? Would you go so far as learning sign language?
  2. If you were a deaf person and you were a new student in a hearing school, how would you try to cope? Would you be as angry as Maya was?
  3. Dating between hearing people and members of the Deaf community is often frowned upon. What was Maya’s answer to that criticism?
  4. Another bone of contention within the Deaf culture is whether to use cochlear implants or not. Do you agree with Maya’s decision not to use an implant even though the device would make it easier to communicate in her future job? Why or why not?

Conclusion

Of all the books that I’ve reviewed  that contained deaf characters, The Silence Between Us is my favorite. Alison Gervais has done more than tug on my heart strings. She inspires me to do more regarding my own relationships with the Deaf community. Inspiration. That’s what makes a great book!

Posted on

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis

Peas and Carrots by Tanita S. Davis, a Coretta Scott King Honor Winner, is the story of a journey of trust.

 

Fifteen-year-old Dess—white, rebellious, defensive—who long ago learned that she had to depend on herself has accepted the necessity of becoming a foster child. Not that she couldn’t make it on her own, but this foster family also cares for her half brother Austin (age four) whom she hasn’t seen for three years. She will do anything for him.

Fifteen-year-old Hope—African-American, a compliant kid most of the time who wants to please—accepts that the foster kids in her home have had it rough. She should be kind. Until she meets Dess. It’s awfully hard to be kind to Dess.

.Hope doesn’t realize the terror that follows Dess in the form of a criminal birth father. Dess doesn’t understand that some people are trustworthy. Like Hope and her parents.

In spite of the initial antagonism, both girls gain compassion for one another as each sees the neediness in the other.

Pros

The author gets her characters’ voices just right. Real teens with all their flaws and their idealism. Since Davis grew up in a family who truly cared for their foster children, it’s no wonder that both Hope and Dess seem like real people. And Davis would understand that not all foster homes were as loving as hers was, which allows Dess to be a totally sympathetic character.

Cons

What cons? Peas and Carrots is one of those books that I couldn’t put down, not even to make supper!

Discussion Questions

  1. If Dess were the new kid in your school, what would be your first impression?
  2. If Hope attended your school, do you think you would be her friend? Why or why not?
  3. How did Dess use her talents?
  4. Why was Dess willing to throw away her happiness near the end of the book?

Conclusion

If you haven’t read Peas and Carrots, do it. Dess and Hope teach us the pithy truth about families—their flaws and their beauty.

Posted on

King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry

Were you one of those children who adored horses? Do you have a child who devours every book on horses that she can get her hands on?

Then you have probably read books by Marguerite Henry.

I didn’t. As a kid, I liked horses. I liked their soulful eyes and soft noses. I appreciated their loyalty to their owners. I liked them. But I didn’t love them. So I passed over all of Marguerite Henry’s works for historical books or mystery series or the nurse series like Sue Barton and Cherry Ames.

Since I like to hunt for vintage books at my library, I noticed King of the Wind. I read it. Now I remember why Black Beauty was the first and only horse book I ever read. I felt so sorry for the stallion, I couldn’t take the sorrow. Fifty years later, my soul hasn’t changed. I almost put down Henry’s Newbery Medal winner because my heart couldn’t stand so much injustice.

Synopsis

Sham, this magnificent bay stallion born to run, and Agba, the stable boy who takes care of him, travel the world in the 1700s. Sham was to be a beautiful gift to the king of France, but by the time he arrives in that country, the ship’s crew has starved the horse into a shadow of himself. The king, a bit insulted by the scrawny gift,  assigns Sham to pull a cart.

Overworked and underfed, Sham almost dies. He’s rescued! But shortly after, circumstances place him in dire straits once again.

Spoiler: there is a bittersweet, happy ending.

Pros

  1. Everything that makes for a good story. Heroes, villains, and an ending that may surprise the reader. (I was surprised.)
  2. Marguerite Henry might be the leading author who can stir the reader with emotion regarding a horse and the person who loves him most.

Cons

  1. Like me, tender hearts may wish to save themselves the tears.
  2. Published in 1948, the narrative is not terse and to-the-point like modern writing. So acclimate and enjoy!

Discussion Questions

  1. What is your opinion of a world that treats people and animals in the way that Sham and Agba were treated?
  2. Why is the cat important to this story? (I can’t leave out the cat! He’s one of the main characters!)
  3. Think of several of the minor characters in this story. If you were one of them, how might you have tried to help Sham and Agba?

Conclusion

As I dug a little deeper into the making of this novel, I discovered a tantalizing fact. The story is based on truth! Most thoroughbred horses today who run in the Triple Crown are descended from Sham, a horse who never had the chance to glory in an official race. He became known as the Godolphin Arabian and sired three champions. Those sons have provided the world with centuries of descendants who live for the joy of competition. Man O’ War and Seabiscuit are only two famous examples in recent times.

A quote from the book:

But some animals, like some men, leave a trail of glory behind them. They give their spirit to the place where they have lived, and remain forever a part of the rocks and streams and the wind and sky.

That was Sham.

Yes, I understand why children love to read books about horses.

 

 

 

Posted on

Lety Out Loud by Angela Cervantes

I’m always good for a compassionate tear-jerker of a story, and Lety Out Loud with its sympathetic characters and focus on abandoned pets blessed me with three separate crying jags.

Synopsis

Lety Muñoz is an ESL student fresh out of fifth grade. She loves putting just the right words together—in Spanish or in English–to get the perfect meaning. Although she’s not very good with English yet.

She also loves animals. When she gets to help out at an animal shelter, she volunteers for the position of “shelter scribe,” writing animal profiles to be posted on social media.

But there’s a problem. Hunter, an arrogant boy in her mainstreamed class, also wants the job. Hunter figures he’s a shoe-in  since Lety doesn’t know English as well as he does. However, the veterinarian in charge has them split ten profiles between them. Not satisfied, Hunter challenges Lety to a competition: whoever succeeds in getting all five of their featured pets adopted first, can remain the shelter scribe. The loser scoops dog food.

Both Hunter and Lety work hard to create the best profiles, and as the competition draws to a close, they learn a little more about each other. Lety grows in confidence, and Hunter allows her to glimpse the kind heart under his self-protective armor.

Pros

  1. Angela Cervantes uses several Spanish phrases matched with the English, an excellent way to teach English-speakers a little more of a foreign culture. My favorite: “sueños azules oscuros,” or “deep blue dreams.” Beautiful word picture in either language!
  2. The book is filled with themes of forgiveness and self-sacrifice. To build a child’s character while reading a great story is the best that any writer can accomplish.

Cons

I can’t think of a thing.

Discussion Questions

  1. If you wanted to volunteer for a certain job but weren’t sure if you were good enough, would you volunteer anyway or would you look for something you knew you could do, even if it wasn’t as interesting?
  2. How does Kennedy show support for Lety?
  3. Do you think the rules of the competition between Hunter and Lety were fair? Why or why not?
  4. When Hunter is introduced at the beginning of the story, he is full of confidence, convinced that he’s the best man for the of shelter scribe. Did you like him at that point? How did he change by the end? Did you like him once he had changed?

Conclusion

Most kids love animal stories, and they also like rooting for the underdog (pun intended).  Lety Out Loud is a sure winner in both categories!

 

 

Posted on

The Final Paladin by T.J. Akers

T.J. Akers describes The Final Paladin as “urban fantasy.” I would amend that to historical urban fantasy given that its real-world setting takes place at the turn of the 20th century.

Filled with crusaders, murders, a mysterious key, and a host of fantastical creatures, I recommend this YA novel for older readers of the genre. While no explicit blood and gore is splashed on the pages, the tensions and the complicated twists of the plot will appeal to adults as well as teens.

SYNOPSIS

(from the back cover): Life for Peg Bowman is rough in the infamous slums of Five Points, New York, but her brother’s murder changes everything.

Thrust into incredible worlds beyond any story she’s ever heard, Peg meets Sir Godfrey, an eleven hundred year old knight from Charlemagne’s court, trainer of Paladins. He reveals to Peg her family’s ancient obligation to protect the Key of Apollyon, a relic of immense power. She is the last descendant of the Paladins and his only hope for keeping it safe.

When Godfrey confides her brother was murdered because of the Key, Peg rejects her calling and demands revenge, a luxury she can ill afford as otherworldly creatures seek her death to claim the Key’s power for themselves.

Can Godfrey and his faithful retinue–Chim the Hobgoblin, Rebecca the Jewish maven and healer, and Jack the sometimes human and sometimes seven-foot black dog–keep her safe and convince her that her calling is worth pursuing? Or will she succumb to the Key’s lure and wield it for revenge?

I don’t usually go for the “tantalizing final question” on a book jacket blurb, but this one is good. It’s not rhetorical, and I really didn’t know the answer before reading the novel.

PROS

1. Plenty of action in a fantasy world keeps readers on their toes.

2. Akers challenges the readers’ deductive skills as they try to unravel the clues which could help Peg fulfill her duty as the final Paladin.

CONS

Some parents may not want their teens exposed to legendary creatures of darkness. I find the story too dark for my taste, which is why I’ve recommended it for older readers.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Define “Paladin.”

2. Why is Jack sometimes in human form and sometimes in dog form?

3. What happened in Peg’s early childhood that allowed her to meet the challenges presented by Sir Godfrey?

CONCLUSION

If you or your child like dark fantasy with Christian values camouflaged within the plot, you’ll like The Final Paladin.

 

Posted on

Bob by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Because I loved Rebecca Stead’s novel, When You Reach Me, I picked up Bob, hoping I would like it just as much.  Yes and no.

By page 11, ten-year-old Livy is talking about zombies. Hmmm. I don’t do zombies. I don’t like dark, ugly, creepy stories.  But the cover was so cute. It didn’t seem to be about the walking dead. I soldiered on.

And I’m glad I did.

Bob is a sweet, fantastical fairy tale and well worth the read as we follow the theme of searching for home and family.

Synopsis

Livy has returned to visit her grandmother in Australia after not seeing her for five years. All she remembers is that something important is in her bedroom closet.

Bob is… I don’t know how to describe Bob. Sort of like ET in a chicken suit? He has remained in the closet, waiting for Livy for five long years. When the two meet again, he must teach her all the things she forgot, and now that she’s older, she may be able to help him find his mom.

As they search for clues together, Livy realizes no adults ever see Bob, even when he’s caught out in the open. Unlike other stories, though, the authors leave it up to the reader whether he is a figment of children’s imaginations or absolutely real.

Pros

  1. The theme. Everyone loves a story where the main character is trying to get home.
  2. Livy’s and Bob’s voices. While Livy is always respectful of others, the voice inside her head has an appealing sassy style. And Bob is analytical. He’s had plenty of time to think.

Cons

  1. Other reviewers have found the story confusing, and I agree there are elements that made me stop and go back and make sure I understood what happened ten pages previous.
  2. While the ending is satisfying and logical (for a fantasy), it still falls a little flat. I love the last line though.

Discussion Questions

  1. Who or what is Bob?
  2.  Why can’t grown-ups see Bob?
  3. What is the connection between the drought and Bob?
  4. Do you think Bob and Livy will meet again?

Conclusion

As you can see, even with a couple of “cons,” I’m still willing to give this a 4.5 because the main characters are so endearing.  Definitely worth getting to know them!

Posted on

Pirate’s Wager by Kathrese McKee

Pirates. Life on the high seas. Betrayal. Held for ransom. Pirate’s Wager fulfills the dream of every reader who loves swashbuckling adventure.

SYNOPSIS

Thirteen-year-old Samazor struggles to find shelter and food in Port Azor, but when his father loses a bet with an infamous pirate captain, Samazor loses his freedom. Life on a pirate ship is full of danger. Who can the boy trust? Any mistake will be costly. As Samazor struggles to survive, he learns about brotherhood.

PROS

1. Pirate’s Wager is a novella, a prequel to McKee’s Mardan’s Mark series, so it’s a short, easy read.

2. Every chapter is filled with adventure. The story rarely slows down for the reader to catch a breath.

CONS

1. This is my own personal pet peeve. When a novella is written and a series follows, I hate the “carrot” that is dangled in front of me. I finish the story, and I know there is more—just buy the next book. But I want the book now!

2. Again, for me, I want the depth of detail in a full-length novel, but for many young readers, they will be satisfied with the surface action of a good adventure story.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Samazor’s father was not a good parent. Why do you think Sam loved his father in spite of all his imperfections?

2. Did any of the pirates have some good character qualities? If you think so, who can you name, and why did you choose him?

3. Would you have made the same decision as Samazor at the end of the book?

CONCLUSION

If you enjoy epic fantasy adventure, Pirate’s Wager along with its companion Mardan’s Mark series is a good choice for you.

Posted on

Before I Knew You by Beth Steury

Synopsis

After a series of bad choices rocked his world, seventeen-year-old Preston charts a new course as far from his ladies’ man ways as he can get. He distances himself from the dating scene and avoids his party-loving friends—the things that once dominated his life. Then he meets Maggie, the new girl in town, the first day of their junior year. She’s beautiful on the inside and out, knows nothing of his past, and he can’t get her out of his mind.

Maggie wants to save sex for marriage, a true white-wedding-dress future. Her first date is a disaster, leaving her skeptical about trusting any guy at her new high school. She wants a boyfriend, sure, but he’d have to be nothing like the jerk who forced her first kiss. Someone more like Preston, who’s been nothing but sweet and helpful, not to mention, easy on the eyes. But he is so out of her league.

As Maggie and Preston draw closer, each seeing the other as a soulmate, they must deal with the temptation to draw physically closer. Ultimately, if Preston wants to be honest with the girl he loves, he will have to confess his past. And once he does that, he doubts she’ll stay.

Pros

  1. Beth is expert in reflecting the feelings of adolescents. You’ll learn more about her in my next post when I interview her.
  2. The author is also honest enough not to simplify a complicated situation. This is not a standard teen romance. Being the first of a series, the final answer to their dilemma won’t be revealed until Book Three. In the meantime, each book reads well as a stand-alone.
  3. Love is in the details. Beth has created scenes that invite you right into the lives of Preston and Maggie–like their favorite snack traditions.

Cons

That depends on the reader. If you don’t like three-book series, you won’t want to wait for all the books. Beth is polishing Book 2 now. And if you don’t care for teen romances and angst, obviously this book is not for you!

Discussion questions

  1. If you were in Preston’s position with a questionable past, when do you think the best time would be to tell the truth to the girl you really cared about?
  2. Were Maggie’s expectations for a boyfriend too high? Why or why not?
  3. Who was Preston’s mentor? Do you think he was helpful?
  4. Maggie’s and Preston’s best friends were also a couple. Were they helpful or harmful in dealing with Maggie’s and Preston’s quandary? Explain.

Conclusion

If you’re raising your teen to wait until marriage for sexual activity, Before I Knew You explores many, if not all, of the questions that teens in our culture face, and it provides Biblical and practical answers.

Posted on

The Other Side of Freedom by Cynthia Toney

Last month I interviewed one of the Scriblerians’ own, Cynthia Toney, regarding her Birdface series. Cynthia also has another book out which is historical fiction, and I loved the story. I don’t give five stars all that often, so you know it’s wonderful!

Synopsis

In a southern U.S. farming community in 1925, thirteen-year-old Salvatore and his Italian immigrant father become involved against their will in a crime that results in the murder of an innocent man and family friend. Amidst bigotry, bootlegging, police corruption, and gangland threats, Sal must discover whom he can trust in order to protect himself and his family and win back his father’s freedom. Sal’s family, their African-American farmhand, and the girl who is Sal’s best friend find their lives forever changed as dreams are shattered and attitudes challenged in a small community called Freedom.

Pros

1. Books set in America in the 1920s are not nearly as numerous as those set during World War II or the Civil War. Cynthia Toney brings the Prohibition Era to life, living in a time of gangsters  and graft.

2. The premise of the story is based on moral dilemma. A young teen finds there is no easy right or wrong answer as to what he should do. If he does what he knows is morally right, someone dies. If he compromises his values, evil continues, and he is guilty of allowing it to continue. Middle-graders are ready to confront ambiguities in life, and Cynthia Toney does a marvelous job of keeping Sal’s anguish at a gentle level rather than going at the problem with a battering ram.

3. The Other Side of Freedom has won several national awards with good reason. I’ve included a small portion of the list.

2018 Next Generation Indie Book Awards: 1st Place, Grand Prize Fiction, 1st Place, Children’s/Juvenile Fiction.

2018 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards: Gold Medal, Children: Coming of Age

2018 Literary Classics Book Awards: Gold, Upper Middle Grade, General and Gold, Upper Middle Grade, Historical.

Cons

What cons?

Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think Sal wanted to leave Freedom as soon as he was old enough?

2. Sal’s Uncle Enzo was both a friend and a mentor to him. Why was Sal so concerned for him?

3. Name something Sal chose to do that his parents would not have approved of. Why did he do it? Was that a good reason?

4. Why did Antonina’s father want her to stop being friends with Sal?

Conclusion

The Other Side of Freedom is a novel of struggle and hope, of friendships gained and friendships lost. With a boy as a main character and a girl as a strong secondary character, children of either gender will enjoy the book.

Posted on

Of Sound Mind by Jean Ferris

Third in a series of reviews about deaf characters and their siblings, Of Sound Mind zeroes in on the burdens a CODA (child of deaf adults) carries when his parents cannot or will not connect with the hearing world.

Synopsis

Theo, a senior in high school, learned sign language before he learned to talk.. His mom is a famous artist—with a stereotypical temperament to match—and his dad is a carpenter. Both are deaf and rarely speak, which means Theo is their live-in interpreter. He hates the never-ending responsibility.  Then there’s Theo’s little brother Jeremy, who is also deaf.

A loner, Theo takes refuge in mathematics until he meets Ivy. Ivy lives with her deaf father, also serves as his interpreter on occasion, but she embraces the world with a vitality that Theo has never witnessed before. He’s smitten.

As he spends more and more time with Ivy, he meets her dad and the people she serves in her after-school catering business. She welcomes Theo’s family into her circle, especially Jeremy, who is one lonely little kid. Theo begins to dream he can break free of the family chains and actually attend MIT next year. Then his dad has a stroke, and the dream disintegrates. It’s Ivy who provides a solution to the dilemma, at which point Theo must come to terms with the flaws in himself.

Pros

  1. Jean Ferris provides the best view of Deaf Culture at home that I’ve ever read. She has Theo point out where hearing people commit errors in etiquette, from turning away while you’re speaking to grabbing a person’s hands who is signing.
  2. In life, people make choices as to how they will respond to the situations that come up. Ferris demonstrates how a hearing child living with deaf parents reacts in a variety of ways. Theo started to look at his life more optimistically with Ivy’s help. Ivy also had to face some of the negatives in her life, things she had repressed, covering them with an almost-manic desire to nurture others.

Cons

For some younger readers in this overlapping category of middle grade and young adult, the life issues that come up might be overwhelming. Theo’s mother is not in the least bit motherly, and his father dies. Ivy’s mother abandoned her.

Discussion questions

  1. If you were the only hearing person in your family, would you resent being given the job of interpreter for your parents and brothers and sisters, or would you be happy to help out every day?
  2. Why did Theo’s mother refuse to talk in public (and hardly ever at home either)?
  3. Why did Theo resent other people coming in to help his dad, even when they knew sign language?
  4. Theo decided to attend MIT in spite of everything that went wrong. Why did he make that decision?

Conclusion

With the best of intentions, people often fall into the trap of needing to be needed. Of Sound Mind teaches us how to climb out of that trap.