Category: Star Rating

The five-star rating system.

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The Milk of Birds by Sylvia Whitman

 

When a tree leans, it will rest on its sister.

Synopsis:

Fifteen-year-old NAWRA from Darfur lives in a camp for refugees displaced by the Janjaweed’s trail of murder and destruction. She can’t read or write but when an organization called “Save the Girls” pairs her with a girl in the states, she gets her best friend to be her scribe her thoughts and experiences.

K.C., an American teen in Virginia hates reading and writing. But when she receives letters  from Nawra she is forced to look beyond her own struggles.

Through the letters the girls form a bond that bridges two continents. Both girls find that strength is found in numbers and together they can fight for a brighter future.

Pros:

  • informative book about the atrocities of Darfur
  • Nawra and her experience in Darfur are very relatable
  • addresses issues of learning issues and how it doesn’t mean a person isn’t intelligent just because they don’t learn like everyone else.

Cons:

  • I found the character of K.C. was written a little stilted (stereotypical teenager)
  • there is rape in the book however the author doesn’t dwell on the details of it.

Conclusion:

I was instantly attracted by the cover and the saying on the front cover of this book. It is a book full of rich details about Darfur. It did keep my turning the page although I often found K.C. to be not as full of a character compared to Nawra. If you have teens who want to know more about world affairs and how they can help this is a great book.

Discussion Questions:

There are reading group questions inside. 🙂

 

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Flora and Ulysses The Illuminated Adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Scriblerians.com

As a fan of Kate DiCamillo, I’m delighted to report that Flora and Ulysses The Illuminated Adventures does not disappoint. In fact, it may have just become my favorite book of hers. This 2014 Newbery Medal winner is mostly a standard text, but it’s sprinkled with scenes like a graphic novel thanks to illustrator K.G. Campbell. While Flora and Ulysses is perfect for readers eight to ten years old, the story appeals to every age.

Synopsis

Listen. Do not hope. Instead, observe. Ten-year-old Flora is a natural born cynic. She depends on her comic book, The Illuminated Adventures of the Amazing Incandesto!, to help her survive if terrible things should happen to her. (It has a handy-dandy bonus section titled, TERRIBLE THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!).  Flora is hanging in there after her parents’ divorce, but Mom pays more attention to her writing career than to her daughter. And Dad only gets to visit.

Flora rescues a squirrel that was accidentally vacuumed up by her neighbor. Once she has resuscitated him, she names him Ulysses and discovers he has acquired extraordinary powers as a result of his near-death experience. He can read, he can type, he is super-strong. And he can fly.

As you can see, Flora and Ulysses pops the reader into a rollicking story from the get-go. But as the novel develops, sadness underlies many characters’ lives. While Flora holds fiercely to her cynical persona, she gains compassion for Ulysses, her dad, William Spiver from next door, and finally, for her mom. Flora learns to love and be loved.

Pros

  1. Every chapter entertains. It even has chapters from the squirrel’s point of view!
  2. This book could be very helpful to children whose parents are divorced. While there is hope for reconciliation between Flora’s mom and dad, Andrew Spiver doesn’t have that hope, but he does have friends to help him cope.

Cons

  1. …
  2. I can’t think of any negatives.

Discussion Questions

  1. How did Ulysses get his superpowers?
  2. Why was Flora jealous of a lamp?
  3. Why does Ulysses love Flora?
  4. Who was your favorite character and why?

Conclusion

Read it.

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Fawkes by Nadine Brandes

Fawkes is a stand-alone YA historical fantasy. 

Synopsis

Thomas Fawkes is turning to stone, and the only cure to the Stone Plague is to join his father’s plot to assassinate the king of England.

Silent wars leave the most carnage. The wars that are never declared, but are carried out in dark alleys with masks and hidden knives. Wars where color power alters the natural rhythm of 17th century London. And when the king calls for peace, no one listens until he finally calls for death.

But what if death finds him first?

Keepers think the Igniters caused the plague. Igniters think the Keepers did it. But all Thomas knows is that the Stone Plague infecting his eye is spreading. And if he doesn’t do something soon, he’ll be a lifeless statue. So when his Keeper father, Guy Fawkes, invites him to join the Gunpowder Plot—claiming it will put an end to the plague—Thomas is in.

The plan: use 36 barrels of gunpowder to blow up the Igniter King.

The problem: Doing so will destroy the family of the girl Thomas loves. But backing out of the plot will send his father and the other plotters to the gallows. To save one, Thomas will lose the other.

No matter Thomas’s choice, one thing is clear: once the decision is made and the color masks have been put on, there’s no turning back.

Pros

  • A fresh spin on history. As a homeschool parent, I could see assigning this story when studying this period of history and then challenging students to write a report comparing the story’s events against the historical record.
  • The author uses magic (color power) as an allegory to represent the different ways historical English religions (Catholic and Reformed Protestant) interacted with God. I love the way her character, Thomas, searches for truth and ultimately learns that God desires a relationship with us first and foremost.
  • I enjoyed the mystery behind the Stone Plague. It added more complexity to the plot and was a clever concept.

Cons

  • It took me a long time to warm up to the main character (Thomas Fawkes). I almost stopped reading the book because I didn’t like him or identify with him. That would have been a mistake, because I loved him by the end of the book. But be warned – it might take you a bit to like him too.

Final Word

Worth Reading.

Discussion Questions

 
  1. The Gunpowder Plot is a real historic event. Do a little research and see how the author changed the events to fit the story.
  2. Emma Areben and Guy Fawkes both refused to be seen without their masks, but both for different reasons. Have you ever wished you could hide behind a mask? Who do you allow to see the real you?
  3. The Igniters and Keepers had different views of the White Light. Which viewpoint was correct? Or was the answer somewhere in between?
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Refugee by Alan Gratz

 

Refugee is a book about three families searching for a new home. It is appropriate for older teens as it has mature themes.

Synopsis

Three kids travel to find refuge…

JOSEF is a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany. After his father is released from a concentration camp his family must board a ship to flee to the other side of the world…

ISABEL is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety in America . . .

MAHMOUD is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe . . .

They all face terror and death but they believe that there is something better out there. A place where they can live in peace. And although these children are separated by continents and time their stories of hope are bound together.

Pros:

  • amazing stories that show the humanity behind the word “refugee”.
  • well paced, riveting book that kept me turning the pages.
  • had many historical details in it which is good for students to discuss.
  • each one of the three voices are unique.

Cons:

  • traumatic experiences are had by all the children and may be hard for the more sensitive reader.
  • the story jumps between three points of view which some people may find annoying.

Conclusion:

Honestly, I would recommend this book to everyone. It really helped me see past the generic term “refugee” and acknowledge the people/victims behind this very real crisis. Although this is a piece of fiction the author has remained true to the historical catalysts that set each of the great voyages in motion. Although at some points in time it is hard to read it is a story of hope and it really blessed me.

Discussion Questions:

  1. Did this book change your idea about what a refugee is? Why or why not?
  2. Many people in both the Canada and the US have refugees in their family tree. Talk to your family/friend and find out more about their trip to find a new home.
  3. Brainstorm some ways that we can help refugees as they travel and when they arrive to their new homes.
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The Grey King by Susan Cooper

 

The Grey King had been recommended to me some time ago by a lover of high fantasy. Since it’s a Newbery Medal winner, I was willing to try it out, and if I liked it, I’d read the whole series: The Dark Is Rising Sequence.

My fellow Scriblerian, Tim, will not be happy with me.  And no, he was not the one who recommended that I read the series.

I can see why it won the Newbery back in the Seventies, but as a Christian, I had trouble with it. A disturbing trinity of Lords most definitely does NOT represent the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as I would expect Christian-based fantasy to symbolize. I found the concept of “Old Ones” confusing –in this case, a young boy who truly has been born into a family, but his soul is “old”—it smacks of reincarnation. So if I found it confusing, what goes on in the minds of young readers as they take in this world of  fantastical spirit mixed with humanity?

Synopsis

Of course, the setting is Wales, with lots of unintelligible spellings, swirling mists, and magical doors. Thank goodness the main characters have simple names like Will, Bran, and John. It is up to young Will, the last born of the Old Ones, to save the world from the forces of evil led by the Grey Wolf. To succeed, Will must wake up Six Sleepers with a magical golden harp. The humans are unaware of the danger except for Bran, a boy close to Will’s age who was transported through time by another of the Old Ones.

Pros

  1. Loads of action for boys’ tastes. (Have you ever noticed that girls are happy to read action stories, but boys rarely peruse a sweet romance?)
  2. Susan Cooper spends a good deal of time teaching her readers how to pronounce Welsh words. I’ve never understood Welsh phonics, so I had a great time sounding out words as I learned the rules.
  3. Spoiler: the good guys win. On to the next book of the series, Silver on the Tree.

Cons

  1. If you are a parent wanting easily identifiable, Christian symbolism for your child to understand, you won’t get it here.
  2. With forty-plus years of high fantasy novels following The Dark Is Rising Sequence, the plot may seem trite to twenty-first century readers.

Conclusion

The vocabulary is geared toward the more capable reading ability, and definitely not for anyone under the age of nine. Because the writing is so good, I won’t pan the series, but if my sons had read the book, I would’ve wanted to discuss it chapter by chapter.

 

 

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The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan

 

The Bitter Side of Sweet is a book that shows the darker side of chocolate production as told through the eyes of a young teenager. It is appropriate for older teens as it has mature themes.

Synopsis

Fifteen-year-old Amadou counts the things that matter. For two years what has mattered are the number of cacao pods he and his younger brother, Seydou, can chop down in a day. This number is very important. The higher the number the safer they are because the bosses won’t beat them. The higher the number the closer they are to paying off their debt and returning home to Moke and Auntie. Maybe. The problem is Amadou doesn’t know how much he and Seydou owe, and the bosses won’t tell him. The boys only wanted to make some money during the dry season to help their impoverished family. Instead they were tricked into forced labor on a plantation in the Ivory Coast; they spend day after day living on little food and harvesting beans in the hot sun—dangerous, backbreaking work. With no hope of escape, all they can do is try their best to stay alive—until Khadija comes into their lives.

She’s the first girl who’s ever come to camp, and she’s a wild thing. She fights bravely every day, attempting escape again and again, reminding Amadou what it means to be free. But finally, the bosses break her, and what happens next to the brother he has always tried to protect almost breaks Amadou. The old impulse to run is suddenly awakened. The three band together as family and try just once more to escape.

Pros:

  • an accurate and thorough portrayal of what the chocolate trade looks like
  • believable characters that make you think and feel.
  • educational (learn about how the chocolate we consume is made)
  • action moves the story line forward.
  • the feelings of Amadou are accurate and well done for a male protagonist.

Cons:

  • there is some language during stressful times (about five words for the entire book).
  • graphic violence/abuse against children (this book is not for the more sensitive reader)

Conclusion:

I really enjoyed this book. It opened a whole new world to me and made me more conscientious of the chocolate I consume. The characters were rich and unique and the author did a great job of drawing you in to the danger. This book is definitely best for an older or more mature teen as it deals with some difficult truths. A great book for discussion. The loss of the half star is due to the language and violence.

Discussion Questions:

  1. If you were in Amadou’s place would you have done the same as him? Write a pros and cons list to leaving the farm.
  2. Have an in class debate for and against consuming chocolate based on the information that you learned from this book.
  3. Research the process of making chocolate from start to finish.
  4. Research what “fair trade” chocolate is and where people can obtain it.
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The Saturdays by Elizabeth Enright

Synopsis

The Saturdays, first book in The Melendy Quartet, is a delightful trot into yesteryear’s childhood. Elizabeth Enright created a family of four siblings who live an “ordinary” life in New York City, yet their minor escapades become “special” adventures. Set in 1941 before America entered World War II, the Melendy children are a little bored. They decide to pool their allowances so each can afford a solo adventure in the City on Saturday afternoons.

What are the adventures? A visit to an art museum, attending the opera, an afternoon at a beauty salon, and going to the circus. Those excursions might sound dull to this generation, but not in the eyes of these characters. Randy’s visit to the art museum initiates an important friendship. On the way home from the opera, Rush acquires a beloved pet—who later saves their lives. The new hairstyle and manicure is a fleeting thrill teaching Mona the meaning of “someday.” And the trek to the circus proves to Oliver that Father’s training pays off in an emergency. Other simple incidents in their lives bring either catastrophes or blessings.

Pros

  1. Kids won’t read about trips to the mall or the latest Xbox game. Instead, they’re drawn into the world of imagination, discovering there are ways to entertain yourself by interacting with people face to face, and without breaking the bank. For people like me this is a good thing. It breaks my heart to watch kids sit with a small device in their hands, ignoring the world around them.
  2. Each of the Saturday adventures teaches the Melendy child (and the reader) a lesson without being preachy.

Cons

Kids won’t read about trips to the mall or the latest Xbox game. For people who are sold on the society of today, they would wilt in boredom if forced to read a chapter about a ten-year-old who discovers an elderly acquaintance had been captured by gypsies in her youth.

Conclusion

If we sense our children are becoming jaded by our texting-social media-video game society, force them to imagine themselves in the Melendy’s moments. As proof that many kids will like what they read, my own experiences in sharing with my students serves as an example.

My growing-up years were well past the Melendy clan, but my brothers and I enjoyed simple adventures of our own. We walked along a highway to reach the ice cream store. We spent entire afternoons in the woods. We biked to the pool and to the movies. We played kickball in the street.

My students were jealous! “You could just go off and not come home for hours?” “They let you walk on roads with no sidewalks? Alone?” “Weren’t they afraid you’d get lost?” “Wouldn’t you get run over?” “How old were you when they let you do that?”

My answers: “Our parents taught us to walk on the left shoulder facing traffic. We packed a lunch and came home in time for dinner. We never got lost. When a car approached during the game, we ran to the side until it passed. I was nine. My brothers were younger.”

If those students thought adventures on their own would be fantastic, your kids will enjoy The Saturdays.

 

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Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith

Once a Princess by Sherwood Smith is an epic adventure fantasy with magic and swords, pirates and princesses, and a conniving villain.  It is appropriate for ages 12 and up.

Synopsis

Many people on Goodreads dinged this books as a cliff-hanger, but that is not the author’s fault. Blame the publisher, instead, for trying to wring every groat from a story they could easily sell as two books. You must plan to read the second part of the story in Twice a Prince, the second book in the “series,” Sasharia en Garde!

This so-called series is set in the beloved world of Crown Duel, one of my all-time favorite books. While this story is much lighter fare, it still sweeps you along.

Pros

This is a fun book with lots of clever conversation.

Politics reign. If you like political intrigue, scheming villains, and even craftier heroes, this is the book for you.

Pirates and princesses.

Also, this is a clean story that doesn’t revolve is light on romance.

Cons

Sometimes, I wished for a grittier, harder-hitting plot. However, it is entertaining, and that’s great for a rainy day.

It has a silly cover, but who doesn’t love a heroine who loves books?

Personal Thoughts

Plan to read both books: Once a Princess and Twice a Prince Duh. I know, it should go without saying, but readers should know what they are getting into when they start the first book. And raspberries to the publisher that artificially separated two parts of one story.

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HITTY Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

HITTY Her First Hundred Years was published before I was born, before my mother was born! I wanted to see if such books are still “readable” in the twenty-first century. My answer? It depends.

As soon as I opened the book, my heart sank. Long narrations and detailed descriptions filled page after page. White space was almost nonexistent. Our instant society can’t stand that, but I challenge those of you who are interested in sampling variety in your reading pleasure:

PLAN to take your time and savor the details that Rachel Field offers to you in this historical novel for children.

Synopsis

HITTY is a doll, carved by a backwoods peddler in the 1820s. Now, she’s an expensive antique watching the world from a shop window. And she decides to write her memoirs. From her beginnings in early America Maine to the South Seas and India, from New Orleans to New York, Boston, and eventually, her original home town, Hitty regales her readers, young and old, with historical details of events, cultures, and fashions. The further I progressed, the more enthralled I became with her story. No wonder Fields won the 1930 Newbery Medal.

Pros

1. Hitty’s voice is immediately distinctive. I love reading passages out loud just to hear her!
2. Field’s talent for description is amazing. Read the words and YOU ARE THERE.
3. The book is a wonderful history text, told in story form, and gives us a living sense of the times of each era.

Cons

1. Since Hitty has no ability to speak, dialog is minimal, and I do love dialog in fiction. The only conversations we can read are those where Hitty was a witness.
2. I found myself skimming some of the long descriptions. I’m sure they were just as good as the ones where I read every detail. I confess—while I’m a patient reader, I live in the twenty-first century, and I have my moments of “hurry up and get on with it.”

Discussion Questions

Pick a chapter, any chapter. Ask your child or students about the setting, about how things have changed since Hitty first started her adventures. What have they gleaned from her description of her current surroundings? Hitty maintains an 1830s worldview, so as the decades pass and society’s mores evolve, her values do not.

Conclusion

Take your time and enjoy this gentle voyage through history.

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Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver is the first in a YA urban fantasy trilogy. 

Synopsis

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can’t seem to live without.

Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human… until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It’s her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human—or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Pros

  • A fresh take on a werewolf story: the idea that temperature causes them to shift and that newly made wolves are less stable in either form creates.
  • Sam and Grace are both likeable characters.
  • The author is an incredible writer.

Cons

  • Shiver, the first in the trilogy, does not have as complicated, and therefore as interesting, a plot as the rest of the series. It focuses mostly on Sam and Grace’s romance. So romance readers will really enjoy it, but those of us who prefer romance on the side will feel it reads slowly.
  • Grace has absentee parents who don’t pay much attention to what she does. Because of this, she’s able to have Sam spend the night in her room for the entirety of the novel. While their relationship is chaste at the beginning, it does eventually in sex eventually (not explicit). Sex does not become the focus of their romance, although Sam and Grace have trouble being separated from one another. If you didn’t like Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight series, you probably will not like Shiver.

Final Word

I enjoyed the series, but not enough to rant and rave about it.
 

Discussion Questions

 
  1. On a scale of 1 (not) to 10 (very), how strict are your parents?
  2. Grace almost died when she was young. Do her parents act the way you would expect in light of this event?
  3. Would you want Isabel as a friend? Why or why not?
  4. Is it okay to have your boyfriend/girlfriend sleep in your room at night if “nothing happens”? Explain your opinion.