Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? People ages 12 and up looking for a realistic book about a foster care kid overcoming the odds.

The goods on this book:
In her 12 years, Carley Conners has gathered many reasons to distrust people and to put up a defense of anger. After her stepfather beats her and her mother severely, Carley is placed in a foster home with the Murphys while her mother recovers in a hospital. Carley has never experienced a family like the Murphys, full of love, humor, and acceptance. Her defensive bad attitude cannot hold up for long in the midst of Mrs. Murphy’s patient, loving nature and her young sons’ rambunctious inclusion of Carley. As she is gradually enfolded into the Murphy family, experiences at school also surprise her. When the inevitable return of her mother into her life comes, how will Carley react? One for the Murphys is a tearjerker for sure, and a moving drama about overcoming the odds and discovering self-worth. The author makes Carley come to life, and Carley’s transitions are very believable. People who like this book might also appreciate Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor.

The details: 2012; 224 pages

This book is a 2014-2015 Battle of the Books selection. Review by Samrarian

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Review by Felix H.

Who would like this book? Boys and girls above 10 years old. It contains controversial material.

The goods on this book: In Los Angeles, California a conspiracy is brewing and the Republic is fighting to snuff it out. A boy named Day, who has amazing agility and intelligence and scored a perfect 1500 out of 1500 in his job-deciding trial is used as a test subject by the republic and left to die. June, a 15 year old girl who also scored 1500, is trained by the republic to become their perfect patriot. But when these two meet, they realize there is something more behind the republic’s facade of perfection and harmony. The main characters are: Day, June, Metias, Thomas and commander Jameson. The conflict is that the republic wants Day to be put down for rebellion.
My opinion of this book is that this book would be perfect for anyone that loves a good dystopian story. I rate it a 10/10.

The details: 305 pages; 2011    Review by Felix H.

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Who would like this book? Guys and girls, grades 5 through 8, looking for a funny and meaningful book from multiple points of view.

The goods on this book: In Ungifted, Gordan Korman shows with humor and insight that labels can become self-fulfilling prophecies and that sometimes administrators and teachers have more to learn than their students.

Donovan Curtis, supreme prankster of Hardcastle Middle School, does not control his impulses. When the school’s statue of Atlas catches his attention, he does not hesitate before grabbing a fallen tree branch and whacking the statue hard on the posterior. Just as Donovan is enjoying the payoff of the “g-o-o-ng” sound from the vibration of the hollow metal body, the bolt holding the globe on the shoulders of Atlas snaps. The giant globe, out of Donovan’s control, rolls downhill and crashes into the glass doors of the gymnasium, bringing an important basketball game to a loud, chaotic end.

Unfortunately for Donovan, the superintendent of the school district was attending the game and catches Donovan in the full flush of his guilt. Donovan braces for expulsion. Instead, his family is ecstatically proud when he receives an invitation, signed by the superintendent, for Donovan to attend the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, the district’s elite school for gifted students.

At first, Donovan’s motivation to blend in with the smart kids is to take advantage of the lucky bureaucratic mix-up and hide out from the superintendent. This motivation slowly changes as Donovan gets to know the individual students and inadvertently earns their appreciation when his talents help in the robotics contest and his resourcefulness saves them in their Human Growth and Development class.

Korman effectively uses seven first person narrators to move the story forward in a way that undercuts stereotypes with clever and satisfying surprises. Though Ungifted is mainly Donovan’s story, the other narrators also make significant realizations amidst the hilarious plot twists.

For readers looking for a fun book with good potential as a read-aloud, Ungifted is a good bet.

The details: 280 pages, 2012    Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Fantasy fans ages 11 through 14 would love this exciting book.

The goods on this book: In the medieval-type country of Carthya, Sage has survived by his wits, stubborn spirit, and nimble fingers (for stealing and rolling coins). When he is kidnapped by Conner, a wealthy nobleman, along with three other orphans, Sage is incorrigible. This trait actually makes Conner look on him with favor since the long-lost prince was similarly difficult, and Conner’s plan involves training the orphans in the ways of the prince and then choosing the one with the best possibility of impersonating the prince. The king, queen, and older prince have been murdered recently. Though the noblemen are trying to keep the news quiet, the rumors are spreading and civil war is brewing. Conner plots to be the power behind the throne held by his masquerading prince. Sage tells his story with quick wit and brash action. Anyone who likes good characterization and an engaging plot would do well to grab this book! It’s the first in a trilogy, followed by The Runaway King and The Shadow Throne. It’s also a Battle of the Book selection for 2015.

The details: 342 pages; 2012    Review by Samrarian

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Review by Spencer D.

Who would like this book? Anyone who likes robotics, smart people, babies, and… trouble. It can be for anyone, and it has craziness in all the pages where you just can’t stop reading.

The goods on this book: The book’s main character is Donovan Curtis, and his best friends are Daniel and Daniel, or the Daniels. Due to an administrative mix-up, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction, a gifted school for brainiacs! All because of a major prank! Donovan goes into hiding at the academy and helps save all the brainiacs from summer school! What the gifted kids lack, Donovan has in a level that overflows! He invites these brainiacs to Youtube, WWE wrestling, and helps them in a robotics match against the dreaded winners two years in a row! Read more to find out what happens to Donovan, and find out if he really is Ungifted!

The details: 280 pages; 2012   Review by Spencer D.

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Who would like this book? People 8th grade and up who like futuristic novels similar to The Hunger Games series.

The goods on this book: In a distant future, the United States has devolved into two warring factions and a world in which a few people are privileged and rich and the rest of the population struggle for food and medicine. These conflicting worlds come alive with the two narrators. June, from the wealthy upper class, has amazing talent for fighting and climbing and is about to take her place in the Republic’s army. Day, a well-known outlaw from the underclass, is just as talented and struggles to help his mother and brothers, though his mother thinks that he has died. As Day robs a hospital to get medicine for his little brother who has a virulent strain of the plague, he crosses paths with June’s brother, a commander with the Republic. This ill-fated encounter catapults the plot forward and brings the lives of June and Day together. I really cared about each of them as their lives unfold under the pressure of an oppressive government. The complex and surprising plot, along with the details of the dystopian world, kept me turning pages. I appreciated that the book’s ending is satisfying even as it leads to Prodigy, the next book in the trilogy.

The details: 305 pages, 2011    Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Anyone, 11 and up, who likes stories by a first person narrator who is transformed by difficult historical events.

The goods on this book:
In 1957 in Little Rock, Arkansas, nine African-American students faced extreme daily abuse as they integrated Central High School. The following year, the governor of Arkansas reacted to this integration by closing all of Little Rock’s public high schools. This decision forms the backdrop for the story of 12-year-old Marlee Nisbett in The Lions of Little Rock.
Marlee, at the beginning of her story, suffers from a shyness so extreme that she doesn’t speak in public. Her fear of heights causes her to freeze on the high board of the community swimming pool. Her reliable older sister, Judy, rescues her as the rest of the kids jeer at her. Marlee, an easy target for bullies, is terrified about attending West Side Junior High. As she gets ready to face her first day, she promises Judy that she will say at least one complete sentence.
A new girl at school, Liz, turns out to be just what Marlee needs. Liz’s good humor and confidence sets Marlee at ease, and they quickly slide into a fast friendship and have a great time working on a class project together.
Marlee, as narrator, tells the story of her days at school with entertaining details that bring 1957 to life; she also relates the serious issues that are tearing her family apart. Her father, a proponent of integration, and her mother disagree but try to shield her from their arguments. Her sister Judy complains continually about her high school being closed and begins to draw away from Marlee.
Marlee’s life takes a huge turn when Liz disappears from school on the day of their presentation. As Marlee is trying to figure out what happened to Liz, facing very difficult consequences in the process, Marlee’s parents decide to send Judy to live with their grandmother in Pine Bluff so that she can attend high school there. Marlee, never more alone in her life, risks great danger and searches desperately for Liz. Through her friendship with Liz, she taps into courage that allows her to move forward in all areas of her life.
The historical context of The Lions of Little Rock makes this book an important one to read, but it is the captivating narration of Marlee as she finds her voice that makes this book devastating, thrilling, and supremely satisfying.  It is one of the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults for 2013.

The details: 298 pages; 2012    Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Readers, grade 8 and up, who are looking for danger-filled historical fiction, endangered animals, Africa, and/or a riveting relationship between a girl and her pet bonobo.

The goods on the book: Sophie has just arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo from her home in Miami, where she lives with her dad. Her mom lives in the Congo and runs a sanctuary for bonobos, an endangered ape. Sophie is not happy about the visit until her heart goes out to an injured baby bonobo which she rescues (against her mother’s rules) and names Otto. Sophie and Otto become as close as a parent and child, and the descriptions of their relationship are amazing! Their life in the sanctuary, though, is cut short when rebels take over the country and start a reign of terror just after Sophie’s mom has left for the jungle. Sophie, with Otto, must make hard decisions and undertake a perilous journey. If you are looking for a riveting story of a girl and her pet in the midst of war, run and grab this book. It is a finalist for the 2012 National Book Award.

The details: 264 p. 2012 Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Anyone, age 10 through adult, interested in a thrilling adventure of World War II, the race to build the bomb.

The goods on this book: This book guarantees that readers will not connect “nonfiction” with “boring.” From the opening pages, Sheinkin grabs the reader with the promise of speeding from “secret labs to commando raids to street-corner spy meetings.” It turns out that this opening line undersells the action and intrigue of the story of the bomb. The story follows three central threads: the race to build the bomb in the United States (the top secret Manhattan Project led by Robert Oppenheimer), the struggle to sabotage the progress of the Germans to build the bomb, and the efforts of the Soviets to steal the work of the Manhattan Project. Each of these stories involves colorful characters that are absolutely fascinating to explore. My favorite is the commando raids of the rugged Norwegians led by Knut Haukelid. They had to knock out a German facility in Norway’s high wilderness built into a cliff. It could have been right out of a James Bond book. Besides being a relentless action-adventure, the story also includes basic explanations of the process of making the bomb and shows how the scientists were so focused on defeating Hitler that they did not realize the wider consequences of their work until after the war. The searing, terrifying reality of Hiroshima and Nagasaki is sobering. Sheinkin ends by reminding us that the story of the bomb is one with “no end in sight. And, like it or not, you’re in on it.”

The details: 266 pp. 2012   Review by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? People, age 9 and up, interested in seeing life from the perspective of a boy with severe facial abnormalities and experiencing his struggles to be like other students.

The goods on the book: August Pullman, Auggie, has been home-schooled until the fifth grade for a good reason. Born with a rare combination of genetic abnormalities resulting in a severely disfigured face, Auggie’s life has been a series of surgeries and being sheltered by his loving family. His parents use humor to lift his spirits, and Auggie has caught their good-natured ability to roll with the ups and downs that come with having a face that other people cannot look at without gasping. In the beginning of the book, Auggie is horrified about attending 5^th grade at Beecher Prep Middle School, and with good reason. When he arrives there, he is tormented even by the “friends” enlisted by the principal to help his adjustment. The point of view starts and ends with Auggie, but in the middle, the reader gets the perspective of a variety of other characters: Auggie’s sister Via; Auggie’s one true friend, Summer; Auggie’s fence-sitting friend, Jack; an enemy, Justin; and a childhood friend, Miranda. The author uses these voices to effectively tell Auggie’s story. Auggie’s face is ugly to others who look at him, but their behavior becomes uglier as they ostracize him for something he has no control over. The book builds to a dramatic climax with an unexpected turn that is both satisfying and believable. This book is a must-read for anyone wanting to come to terms with the consequences of using “different” as a reason to exclude.

The details: 315 pp. 2012   Review by Samrarian

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