October 29th 2009
Review by Spencer
Who would like this book? People who enjoy a sad story about a little girl growing up in China with unloving parents.
Why? A little girl named Adeline Yen is the child of a women who died a few weeks after Adeline’s birth. She lived with her Grandma, Grandpa, her loving Aunt Baba, her father and all of her siblings. Her father remarries to a 17 year old women who only loves her birth children. Adeline is separated from her aunt and joins many boarding schools. In each school she is one of the smartest children. She is inspired by her grandfather to write a play and submit it to a contest. After a few months of waiting to see if she won, her grandfather died.. and a few months later she won the contest. Her (normally not caring) father is so proud and he allows Adeline to go to medical school (unlike Adeline’s older sister). She grows up to be a doctor and a writer.
The details:205 p. 1999 Submitted by Spencer
August 19th 2009
Who would like this book? Older teens (8th grade and up), especially girls, who are interested in a beautifully written, totally riveting story about a sixteen-year-old girl struggling with beauty, family problems, and a relationship dilemma. If you’re interested in China, art, or geocaching, you will really like this book!
Why? Terra, sixteen and headed for early graduation, is on the run. She wants to get away from her family, her unsatisfying relationship with Erik, and her port-wine birthmark covering her left cheek. She feels responsible to protect her fragile mother from her overly-critical, emotionally abusive father, who has no interest in Terra’s art or her hopes to attend an art college. A minor car accident opens the way for Terra and her mother to meet Norah, a snappy middle-aged woman, and her son Jason, a Goth Chinese teen who cuts through all dishonesty. Subsequent events pave the way for the four of them to travel to China, a place that gives each of them (especially Terra and her mom) new perspectives on themselves. Terra’s experiences open her mind to insights and discoveries about herself, her goals, and what she values. Headley’s description of this process captivated me with striking prose, rich characterizations, and intriguing details that move the plot forward. For instance, both Terra’s collages (her main art medium) and Jacob’s geocaching are fascinating in their own right, but they are also integral to the plot. For a deep read about important issues, live in this book for awhile.
The details: 373 p. 2009 Submitted by Samala
July 13th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers interested in China, Chinese, and/or the true story of triumphing over adversity.
Why? American readers are all familiar with the story of Cinderella, but most of us are not aware that the Chinese Cinderella story of Ye Xian predates the earliest Italian version (1634) by eight hundred years. Adeline Yen Mah shares this information in an historical footnote at the end of Chinese Cinderella, her autobiography. She uses the Cinderella story as a lens through which to show her mistreatment as she grew up in China in the 1940s. Tragically, Adeline’s mother died of fever a few weeks after she was born. Her family blamed “Fifth Younger Sister” or “Wu Mei” (Adeline’s family names) for their mother’s death and scorned her. When her father soon remarried, her stepmother Niang escalated this mistreatment in ways that will bring the sensitive reader to tears. Wu Mei suffers one injustice after another but always seeks to rise above it by working hard at school and keeping hope of a better life when she is grown. She has some encouragement along the way from her Aunt Baba and her frail grandfather Ye Ye. Because she grew up during World War II and the communist takeover of China, her story touches on important events in China’s history. Adeline also has great reverence for the Chinese language and, through the voice of Ye Ye, describes the wonder of Chinese characters. As an inspiring story of triumphing over injustice and as an introduction to China’s history and culture, Chinese Cinderella is worth reading. It is also a Battle of the Book selection for 2009-2010.
The details: 205 p. 1999 Submitted by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection
May 17th 2009
Who would like this book? Readers who like stories that bring the supernatural to bear on real-life problems.
Why? Susan Backstrom is 14, smart, and beautiful. The only daughter of wealthy parents, she seems to have everything. It does not take long, though, to realize that her life is a prison of fear and torment, for her father beats her mother whenever Susan does not measure up to his impossible standards of perfection. Susan survives by throwing up impenetrable armor between herself and the world, suffering in secret. A chance encounter at the library sets her onto another course, a course that includes unlikely friendships and an affinity with both a house and a ghost. These relationships and a suspenseful series of events reveal that help can be found in unlikely places, and most of all resides within ourselves. This ghost story is a page-turner that will make you twitch and think.
The details: 211 p. 2003 Review by Samrarian
March 22nd 2009
Who would like this book? Girls, grades 5 – 9, with a spirit for adventure and exploration who like to write and want to discover their own way of solving problems and looking at the world.
Why? It’s 1972 and Joan’s family has just moved from Connecticut to the suburbs near San Francisco. She’s not happy about the move and feels isolated and friendless until she explores the woods near her house and stumbles upon the “fort” of Sarah, aka “Fox.” The two girls quickly meld their imaginative spirits into a world of adventure that bridges the gap between their backgrounds. Joan’s mother is working hard to establish their family’s traditional suburban life-style and placating Joan’s abusive, angry father. Fox lives in a run-down house in the woods with her free-spirited father, a science-fiction writer who rides a Harley. The two girls chronicle their imaginative adventures in a story about a magical quest. A special reading of this story at a writing contest opens an exciting opportunity for them that leads to their participation in a writing workshop. This workshop is a catalyst for surprising changes and significant breakthroughs not only for Fox and Newt but for their families as well. The minor characters, especially their writing instructor and Fox’s dad, are entertaining and insightful. Because the readers get to share in the writing exercises that Fox and Newt are assigned, the book would be great for a writing class to read.
The details: 288 p. 2007 Review by Samrarian
A Battle of the Books 2009-2010 selection
September 27th 2008
Who would like this book? People who want a true-to-life story about how a 6th grade girl copes with her mom’s verbal abuse and finds meaningful relationships in unlikely places would like this book. If you like purple boots, you’ll also want to read this book.
Why? Hope, the 6th grade protagonist of Call Me Hope, lives up to her name even though her mom calls her “Hopeless” and much worse. Inspired by Anne Frank’s writing, Hope devises a point system that helps her gauge the effects of the abuse. Hope likes her 6th grade teacher and is totally excited about camping at Outdoor School at the end of the year. When a cool pair of purple boots in a second-hand shop catch her eye, she seeks to buy them and ends up with two great friends. Hope finds help in many places, but the abuse hurled at her by her mom is still heartbreaking. The good outweighs the bad in this book, and even though it made me really cry at the end, I still felt that it was more of an upper than a downer. It’s a Battle of the Book 2008-2009 selection, probably because the author is from Oregon.
The details: 288 p. 2007
May 26th 2008
Who would like this book? What would it be like to be in a wheelchair unable to communicate? What if you were a genius but without a way to let anyone know? What if your famous father thought that killing you might be the best way to love you? Read this book if these questions catch your interest.
Why? Shawn McDaniel, the narrator of this short, tightly-written book, is fourteen but cannot be a normal teenager. He IS normal in his feelings, desires, and observations, but he is “stuck in neutral,” stuck in a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy. He listens, thinks, remembers everything; he just cannot control his muscles. His relationships with his mom, his brother and sister, their friends, and his dad give a full perspective of his life and the central issue of the novel: What makes life worth living?
The details: 128 p. 2001
May 26th 2008
Who would like this book? Readers, both teen and adult, who want a stirring, sometime brutal story. A happy ending is not part of the deal, but you will come away changed, sobered, and inspired.
Why? Sarny, a young girl coming-of-age in the 1850s on a slave plantation, narrates her story in a believable dialect and with disarming honesty. Her life and what she faces is full of torture and abuse at the hands of Waller, the owner of the plantation. In spite of the severe consequences, she jumps at the chance to learn to read when Nightjohn is brought to the plantation. Waller’s brutal treatment of Nightjohn, an escaped slave, does not dissuade him from teaching Sarny her “letters.” Her eagerness to read is riveting.
The details: 112 p. 1995
May 19th 2008
Who would like this book? Homeless Bird is a good book for any age. I think girls will like this book, but guys might, too. If you like Gloria Whelan you will like this book.
Why? In India, girls are supposed to marry when they are 12. Koly has just married a sick boy who is no older than herself, her step-mother is mean to her, and she wants to learn to read. As things begin to change to quickly, she must learn to be brave.
Submitted by Jordan L.
April 3rd 2008
Who would like this book? Older teens, especially girls, who like to read about real-life situations and problems with friendships, family, and abusive people.
Why? Annabel, the sixteen-year-old narrator of Just Listen, has had a traumatic incident that has sent her life into a tailspin. Her previous “best friend” Sophie calls her names and goes out of her way to be mean. Other friends don’t talk to her. Isolated, Annabel eats her lunch on the wall with another loner, Owen. Their unlikely friendship, focused on music and honesty, is the catalyst for change in Annabel’s life. Problems with her family life, including her modeling and her sister’s struggle with anorexia, work well with the main plot. I loved her friendship with Owen and appreciated his perspective. It takes her a long time to wake up, so be prepared to get frustrated with her silence.
The details: 371 p. 2006.