Cal Young Battle of the Books

A new approach to comments….

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:08:28 +0000

Because of a problem with spam, let’s try a new approach to making comments and submitting questions:

E-mail your comments and questions to me at arnold@4j.lane.edu. I will post the comment/question with your first name and then notify everyone with an e-mail to our new BOB listserv.

Let’s see if this approach works better and saves us from spam!

Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:29:33 +0000

Wonder what it would have been like to have been a Japanese teenager living in Hawaii when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on September 7, 1941?Tomi is an American teenager who loves baseball, hangs out with his friends who call themselves the “Rats,” and loves his dog Lucky. He was born in Hawaii, but his parents and grandfather were born in Japan. Their ethnic situation is a serious problem in 1941 and becomes catastrophic after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Salisbury gives us a heart-wrenching presentation of that event and its impact on the lives of the people on the island through Tomi’s point of view. This book is an excellent way to learn about this part of World War II and would be a solid basis for discussion about racial discrimination, immigration, and bullying.

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:27:56 +0000

We’re not just talking about a simple makeover here…Tally Youngblood is lonely: all of her friends have already turned 16 and had the operation to make them Pretty and have gone to Prettytown to party. As Tally amuses herself by hoverboarding (think skateboarding through the air) and doing “tricks,” the pasttime of Uglies, she meets Shay, another girl who is still an Ugly. The two girls share some exciting adventures, and eventually Shay leads Tally to a concept that is new to her: maybe turning Pretty isn’t such a great idea after all. Tally’s world turns upside because of her friendship with Shay and the realization that there is another option for living. What follows is a story that zips along with adventure, romance, friendship, betrayal, and self-realization. It’s the first of a series, followed by Pretties, Specials, and - new in October - Extras.

Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:24:16 +0000

Interested in the healing power of the wilderness, the psychology of a bully, and alternatives to the juvenile justice system? Do you just want a good cliffhanger featuring a giant white bear?Touching Spirit Bear gives us the point of view of Cole Mathews, an angry young man who blames everyone else for his problems and comes at the world with a chip on his shoulder that’s the size of a boulder. When his penchant for violence causes real damage to Peter, a vulnerable classmate, Cole is faced with severe consequences. Enter Garvey, a Tlingit Indian parole officer, who proposes “Circle Justice” for Cole, a practice that involves being banished to a remote Alaskan island for a year. This proposal sets a series of events in motion that kept me spellbound. Cole’s sneering attitude gets old, and for awhile I felt the same as Garvey and Edwin (Cole’s other mentor) when they want to give up on Cole, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The ending is well worth it.

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:11:56 +0000

Have you ever thought that someone reminded you of Posiedon? or Hermes? or Dionysus? The Lightning ThiefBattle of the Labyrinth may explain why…The premise of demigods - the offspring of a human and a god - is captivating. Taking this premise and setting it in contemporary New York makes for a fascinating combination, and Rick Riordan makes the most of it. The challenges facing his protagonist, Percy Jackson, drew me in completely. Fractious Olympian politics, dysfunctional families, and teenage truama keep the plot hopping as one wonderfully drawn Greek god after another shows up to add complexity. I loved this read and am happy for the sequels: The Sea of Monsters, The Titan’s Curse, and - coming next May - the Battle of the Labyrinth. Rick Riordan’s website at http://www.rickriordan.com/children.htm has good links, including a trip to Camp Half-Blood.

The Kite Rider by Geraldine McCaughrean

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:08:42 +0000

Ready for a 13th century China version of extreme sports? How about flying by being strapped to a very large kite?It’s the 13th century, and China has just been conquered by the Mongol, Kublai Khan. The story opens at a port, where Haoyou, a bright and serious 12-year-old boy, witnesses his father plummet to his death after being enlisted as a “wind-tester” by DiJou, the unscrupulous first mate who wants to marry Haoyou’s beautiful mother. The story takes off from this bit of murderous treachery, and Haoyou has his hands full warding off the conniving DiJou and his equally despicable uncle, Uncle Bo. As head of the household, Uncle Bo demands complete obedience from Haoyou. A significant thread through the book is how Haoyou comes to terms with this Confucian stricture when applied to his greedy, pompous, selfish lout of an uncle. There’s also threads that deal with racism and grief, and of course an historical view of 13th century China, but the adventure of the story is so exciting that I didn’t think about these aspects until after I’d finished.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:04:57 +0000

How would Stargirl be received at our school?

Stargirl is the classic nonconformist, free spirit. When she shows up at Mica High with her long skirts and ukulele, students don’t know how to handle her. Leo Borlock, the book’s 16-year-old narrator, is fascinated by her pure, primitive approach to life and wants to get closer to her. His desire for fun adventures with her turn out to have unexpected consequences for both of them, and the important question comes into focus: How do you remain true to yourself while navigating a school situation that seems to require conformity? Spinelli explores this question with many entertaining details, such as Stargirl’s rat “Cinnamon,” her stint as a cheerleader, her appearance on Leo’s TV show “Hot Seat,” and the descriptions of the Arizona desert. Stargirl somehow knows the birthday of each student and celebrates by doing a serenade on her ukulele. Anyone have a ukulele?

Shadow Spinner by Susan Fletcher

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:02:44 +0000

What if, every night, night after night, your life depended on the story that you told?
Shahrazad, the Sultan’s newest wife, is saving her own life and the lives of the kingdom’s young women. She is holding the interest of the Sultan night after night with her stories. Before Shahrazad, the Sultan had been killing each of his wives after one night to make certain that they would not betray him. Marjan, a young orphan with a crippled foot who loves to tell stories, idolizes Shahrazad and is amazed when Shahrazad enlists Marjan’s help to find a story that the Sultan has never heard before. Marjan’s quest for a specific story becomes a thrilling story in itself. The quest helps her uncover the story of her own past, making the book like a rich fabric of interwoven stories. It kept me breathless and made me cry.

Princess Academy by Shannon Hale

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 05:00:06 +0000

Though this book is a fantasy, it has the feel of history. The setting, Mount Eskel, is viewed with disdain by the rest of the kingdom even though they mine the prize stone, linder. Mount Eskel’s prospects improve when it is chosen as the village from which the prince will choose his bride. The teen-aged girls must leave their village to attend a Princess Academy to learn the ways of the cultured lowlanders, a venture that brings the girls many challenges and difficult situations. The story belongs to Miri, a smart and sensitive 14-year-old. Her relationships with her father and sister, with the other girls, with her friend Peder, and with a magical way of communication called “quarry-speak” makes the book a worthwhile read. If you enjoyed Goose Girl, be sure to read Princess Academy.

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Sam Arnold-Boyd — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 04:57:42 +0000

Hiaasen’s story of the ecologically-oriented family, the Underwoods, opens with the dad in jail for trying to sink the floating casino that he believes is dumping raw sewage into the ocean near their Florida Keys home. The family has their problems related to their dad’s fanaticism, but his kids, Noah and Abbey, feel compelled to prove that he’s right. We get the story from Noah’s point of view, which is great because he’s extremely likable and always learning, especially when it comes to the world of the casino and characters such as Shelly, the bartender, and her boyfriend Lice. The climax had me at the edge of my seat, and I also appreciated how the family dynamics unfolded. What I want to do is go to Florida and watch the sunrise over the Atlantic and then drive across to the west side of the peninsula and watch the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico.