Dawn - Elie Wiesel

Summary from B&N:  Elisha is a young Jewish man, a Holocaust survivor, and an Israeli freedom fighter in British-controlled Palestine; John Dawson is the captured English officer he will murder at dawn in retribution for the British execution of a fellow freedom fighter. The night-long wait for morning and death provides Dawn, Elie Wiesel’s ever more timely novel, with its harrowingly taut, hour-by-hour narrative. Caught between the manifold horrors of the past and the troubling dilemmas of the present, Elisha wrestles with guilt, ghosts, and ultimately God as he waits for the appointed hour and his act of assassination. Dawn is an eloquent meditation on the compromises, justifications, and sacrifices that human beings make when they murder other human beings.

I jumped into this novel without really understanding what it was.  Each year, I read Night by Elie Wiesel with my eighth grade students in conjunction with them studying the Holocaust in social studies.  So when this year I ran across something that said Night was the first book in a trilogy consisting also of Dawnand Day I assumed it was a continuation of the author’s life story that began in Night. 

I was wrong.  Guess I shouldn’t assume things.  J

Dawn is a fictional story of a young Holocaust survivor who has joined the resistance movement in Palestine.  And it is a story that needs to be read slowly…and even then I’m not sure I took the time to truly reflect on the different nuances and challenges.  I have a feeling I’ll be chewing on the tale for days to come.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie - Jordan Sonnenblick

Synopsis from B&N:  Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down. He is forced to deal with his brother's illness and his parents' attempts to keep the family in one piece. Salted with humor and peppered with devastating realities, Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie is a heartwarming journey through a year in the life of a family in crisis.

This was our book club book for May.  And I didn’t want to put it down. 

I don’t know if it was so appealing to me at this time because I have an eighth grade student recently diagnosed with leukemia, and I’ve seen a glimpse of their struggle.  Or if the appeal can be completely chalked up to the Sonnenblick’s writing style and the voice he gives to Steven.

Let me tell you, Sonnenblick is right on with how 8^th graders think, act, feel, and talk.  I could easily see many of my students speaking the same way or doing the same things.  And the titles of the chapters made me want to dive right into each one.

Well done.  And one of my students saw me in the hallway, coming back from lunch with the book.  She added her seal of approval as well. 

The Mother-in-Law Dance - Annie Chapman

Synopsis from B&N:  Can two women love the same man and still get along? Absolutely! Annie Chapman believes that a mother–in–law and daughter–in–law can become friends—even close friends. However, this connectedness often takes years to develop. Now that journey can be a joyful one! Offering practical advice and biblical wisdom, this book helps mothers–in–law and daughters–in–law nurture their relationships.

Anyone who knows me knows that I seek information for all sorts of things from books.  And that I’m always trying to improve every area and relationship in my life.  (It’s the bit of perfectionist in me).  So when I came across this book in a blog I figured Why not read it?  I don’t have a bad relationship with my MIL.  However, there’s always room to grow.  At least I know I always have room to grow.

The book was good.  Interesting.  Encouraging.  And it was certainly full of biblical wisdom.  Where I found it lacking was in the “practical advice” part.  A lot of the information was more open ended and less specific.  Which makes sense on one level because the in-law relationship deals with two different people and there is no “one size fits all” solution to make that work.  However, on my 10-step check it off a list side, I would have liked more direction.

Wish You Well - David Baldacci

Synopsis from B&N:  Precocious 12-year-old Louisa Mae Cardinal lives in the hectic New York City of 1940 with her family.  Then tragedy strikes—and Lou and her younger brother, Oz, must go with their invalid mother to live on their great-grandmother's farm in the Virginia mountains.  Suddenly Lou finds herself coming of age in a new landscape, making her first true friend, and experiencing adventures tragic, comic, and audacious. But the forces of greed and justice are about to clash over her new home . . . and as their struggle is played out in a crowded Virginia courtroom, it will determine the future of two children, an entire town, and the mountains they love.

I have been a reader of Baldacci’s works for many years now.  I got hooked on him by reading The Christmas Train in a book club forever and a day ago.  And since then have read – and enjoyed - several of his political intrigue books. 

So when I came across this book and first started reading it, it took me a bit to really get into the plot.  It is SO different from what I’m used to reading by him.  And, quite frankly, I found the story a bit plodding at times. 

However, by halfway through the book I was pretty engaged with the characters.  I really enjoyed the depth of the elder Louisa’s character.  I felt compassion for Oz and was rooting for Lou.  Really, all of the characters were wonderfully written.  They certainly are the heart and soul of the story.

By the time the book was finished, I was sad it was ending.  And my conclusion is that while Baldacci writes amazing political/legal thrillers, this book was wonderful in its own way as well.

Loving - Karen Kingsbury

Synopsis from B&N:  The answers Bailey Flanigan once longed and prayed for are finally becoming clear. In Loving, the fourth and final book in the Bailey Flanigan Series by New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury, Bailey is planning a wedding and making decisions that will shape her future.

I both loved and hated this book.  I started out wanting one thing but by the end of the book was glad it was something else entirely.

This was my favorite book of the series.  It seems to be where most of the growth takes place in the characters.  And, of course, it tied up all the loose ends (last books tend to do that, you know).

However, it was more than that.  The book made me wonder and long and hope.  And remember that God does have a good plan for my life.  And when I get off track, He is still faithful to guide me back…when I listen to Him.  When I am faithful to Him and His word.

How Writers Work - Ralph Fletcher

Summary from B&N:  This book will show you how writers work, how you can become a writer, and how you can find a process that works for you.

This book was a basic, quick read.  However, there are some parts of it I want to read to my seventh graders tomorrow before they start revising their personal narratives.  And it has helped me solidify some of my ideas on how I want to revamp how I tackle writing with my students. 

I plan to buy it as a reference.

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

Synopsis from B&N:  Could you survive on your own, in the wild, with everyone out to make sure you don't live to see the morning?

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival

I was not necessarily intending on reading this book.  Although it’s been a hot topic at school since the year started and really ramped up in March with the buzz around the movie.  So I had thought about it, but it wasn’t high on my priority list.  This past week it got bumped clear to the top due to discussions on it in my home and the DH goading me into reading it by saying I couldn’t really speak to its content since I hadn’t read it myself (never mind the fact I’ve been in and around discussions surrounding it for months now and pretty much know the whole plot – and by this point had even received the student and coworkers run down on how the book and movie compare).  So Friday I went into school and borrowed it for the weekend.

First of all, the positives.  This book is extraordinarily well written.  The description and the emotion.  Amazing.  Suzanne Collins writes her characters in a way that you either love them and root for them or despise them.  I became quickly connected to Katniss.  She is smart and strong and determined.   

And The Capitol and their minions…are equally as abhorrent.

You are drawn right into the story and it is easy to just want to read “one more page”.

That being said, I stand firm in my thoughts that this book is not appropriate for 11 year olds, 12 year olds.  Really, eighth graders I’m on the fence about.  I expected the book to be violent.  But even with that expectation, I was shocked by some of the savagery.  And I didn’t expect the bits of sexuality at all.   So well written.  Engaging.   But not appropriate, in my opinion, for what has ended up being the target market.