Sam and CY students & staff are reading…

Who would like this book? Readers who enjoy real-life drama. This book has mature content.

Why? This book is about a 16 year old girl named Kristina. After 8 years of not seeing her father, she visits him in New Mexico. Her dad is a druggie and has no goals in his life. One day when Kristina goes outside she meets a boy named Adam, but his friends call him Buddy. She and Adam start to have a relatshionship together and he introduces her to crystal meth (crank). When Kristina goes back home to Reno, she finds ways to get crank and her life becomes a nightmare. You will be amazed about how drugs could ruin someone’s life. This book is written in free verse. I liked this book a lot and I couldn’t stop reading it.

The details: 537 p. 2004  Review by Sam H.

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Who would like this book? Readers who enjoy love stories. 7th grade and up.

Why? This is the second book to What My Mother Doesn’t Know. It is in Murphy’s perspective. The story begins where the last book left off when Sophie decided to let her and Murphy’s relatshionship be exclusive. She and Murphy get made fun of a lot because they are dating, but they don’t let it get to them. Later in the book Murphy gets accepted into an art class at Harvard and has to draw nude portraits of people. He starts having thoughts about the people he is painting and feels guilty because he loves Sophie. The last incident is that Sophie sees Murphy kissing another girl. Do Murphy and Sophie stay together? Read the book to find out!

The details: 291 p. 2007   Review by Sam H.

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Who would like this book? Girls, ages 12 and above, who are looking for a moving story about an unlikely friendship between a  younger teen helping out a single teen-aged mother of two.

Why? LaVaughn, 14 and needing to save money for college, has always gotten a lot of encouragement from her single mom to “hold on.” When she gets a job as a babysitter for 17-year-old Jolly, she finds a different reality. Jolly has lived in a refrigerator box, and the one solid person in her life for a brief time died. Alone with two babies, Jilly and Jeremy, Jolly does not have the skills or the vision to “hold on” and find a better way of life. LaVaughn’s struggles to help Jolly change her situation bring this story straight into the heart. Through friendship with Jolly and love for Jilly and Jeremy, LaVaughn makes things happen. Written in free verse, the voices of LaVaughn, Jolly, and LaVaughn’s mother come through with honesty and authenticity. LaVaughn seems to have very little to her life except school and babysitting. A sequel, True Believer, was published in 2001. The conclusion, This Full House, just came out in 2009, prompting me to return to this first book about LaVaughn. I read it years ago and am impressed with how well it stands up. It makes me look forward to the next two stories about LaVaughn’s high school years. I hope that they create a fuller picture of her life.

The details: 200 p. 1993   Submitted by Samrarian

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Who would like this book? Anyone, grades 6 and up, who are interested in the history of Cuba, piercing free verse, or struggles for freedom will definitely want to read this short, powerful book.

Why? From 1850-1899, Cubans fought three wars with Spain in an attempt to gain their independence, only to be taken over by the United States in 1899. Engle chronicles these struggles using free verse in the voices of four narrators. Rosa, a traditional healer based on a real woman, tells the greater part of the story. She and her husband Jose, another narrator, provide shelter and care for runaway slaves and army deserters (Cuban and Spanish). One of these escapees is the young Silvia, another narrator who idolizes Rosa and learns the traditional ways from her. Rosa’s aid to the refugees makes her an enemy of the slaveholders and the Spanish. The fourth narrator, aptly named Lieutenant Death, acts for both these groups and desperately seeks to kill her. The alternating voices of these characters combine to tell a vivid, searing story of slavery and colonialism with powerful words. The book is worth reading both for its poetry and its history. Engle includes an Author’s Note, An Historical Note, a Chronology, and References. It’s not surprising that this book is a Newberry Honor Book (2009) and the winner of the Pura Belpre Award.

The details: 178 p. 2008  Review by Samrarian

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Review by Carley

Who would like this book? Anyone who read Love That Dog and liked it!

Why? Hate That Cat is a great second to Love That Dog. In the book , Jack tells of a horrible black cat. But, through his poetry, he tells the story of how that cat is simply misunderstood, and when his new kitten runs away.. well, you’ll have to read the book to find out.

The details:  153 p. 2008

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Who would like this book? Fans of Love That Dog, fans of Sharon Creech, and people who like cats would like this book.

Why? Creech returns with Jack, who is writing in free verse poetry for his teacher, Miss Stretchberry. He is still not quite over losing his dog, but his parents and Miss Stretchberry want to help him along by getting him a new pet, which turns out to be an evil black cat. Jack’s free verse reflections, his Uncle Bill’s arrogant criticism of his free verse, and Miss Stretchberry’s excellent choice of poems to teach (including poetry by Poe, some William Carlos Williams, T.S. Eliot, Valerie Worth, Christopher Myers) combine to make a highly satisfying – and quick – reading experience. This book would be great to read aloud and accompany with sidetrips into writing poetry and exploring the poets. It’s also a great place to jump off and discuss “What is poetry?”

The details: 160 p. 2008    A Sam review

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Who would like this book? Teachers and students who are studying medieval times, writers interested in working with poetry and/or multiple voices, and potential directors looking for a production for a class.

Why? Laura Schlitz was motivated to write this book so that students could each have an important role in a production about medieval life. She wrote 22 monologues, each from the point of view of a young person in a medieval town. As the monologues proceed, the reader gets a fuller and fuller view of the life of the town because the individual narrators know each other and refer to each other. The result is a very satisfying dramatic experience that also gives the reader a rich view of the historical context of the lives of the narrators. She adds historical notes at strategic places throughout the monologues and manages to share lots of information in a welcoming, conversational style. The illustrations, by Robert Byrd, complement the text with watercolors that reflect a medieval style. It’s not surprising that this book won the prestigious Newberry Award for 2008. If you’re studying medieval times, don’t miss it!

The details: 85 p. 2007

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Who would like this book? Teens who like novels written in free verse with two storylines, one ancient and one contemporary.

Why? Nikki Grimes sets the story of Sam, a contemporary teenager who is angry at his father for leaving his mother for a younger woman, against the ancient story of Ishmael. Sam’s pain over his father’s actions, his rejection of his step-mother, and his faith come across in a compelling manner with Grimes’ free verse. Sam’s sense of being abandoned by his father parallels Ishmael’s experience when Abraham turns him out with his mother Hager. Faith is an integral part in the journey of both young men. This element is presented in an even way that respects all beliefs. It’s not a surprise that this book is a Young Reader’s Choice Nominee (Senior Division, though it could have fit in the Middle Division just as easily) and a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

The details: 216 p. 2005

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Who would like this book? Older teens with an interest in a young woman’s struggle with constraints from her dad and her Mormon religion. If you like poetry, you’ll appreciate the free verse format.

Why? Pattyn (named after the general) is coming of age in the stultifying environment of an abusive, alcoholic father; a subservient mother; and a prescriptive religion. When her actions collide with these forces, her parents ship her off to her aunt’s ranch in Nevada. At her Aunt J’s ranch, Pattyn learns some dark secrets about her family history, the government, and about herself. It’s sad and disturbing; it would be good to have a discussion about abuse after reading this book.

The details: 532 p. 2007

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