Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice is a biography by Phillip Hoose; it was a Newbery honor book.  It tells about the early life of Claudette Colvin, who most people know very little about.  However, when she was a (black) teenager in March 1955, she refused to give up her seat to a white woman on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama.  This may sound unextraordinary if you know about Rosa Parks, but what Claudette did took place the year before Rosa Parks did the same thing.  This is the story of Claudette--a teenager who decided that she was going to take a stand against segregation.

This was an incredible book!  I can't believe that I never knew about Claudette Colvin or the Browder v. Gayle case that made such a difference in segregation.  This was a really amazing story that reminded me of the many brave, dedicated people who were part of the civil rights movement.  I also love that this was a thorough story/biography, but I got through it super quickly since it was written for kids.  I'd highly recommend this book to expand your understanding of the civil rights movement and to learn from some really exemplary people.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin was a 2010 Newbery honor book.  As part of my attempt to read all the medal/honor books from the last decade, I decided to read this one.  It is the story of Minli from the valley of Fruitless Mountain who loves hearing her father's stories about Jade Dragon and the Old Man of the Moon.  She becomes disenchanted with her poor life and decides to go try to find a fortune for her family by seeking out the Old Man of the Moon.

I feel like the plot description does not do this book justice because it is a wonderful, engaging story.  It was a quick read but partially because I just didn't want to put it down.  I loved Minli's sweet, believing character and all the people and creatures she meets along her journey.  This book ties together Chinese folklore and is filled with the stories Minli is told throughout the book.  I also loved also the lesson Minli learns in the book about obtaining her family's fortune.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Forge

Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson is the sequel to a book I read awhile back called Chains.  I've loved all the historical fiction books I'd read by Laurie Halse Anderson in the past, so I was excited to read this one too.  Even though this is a sequel, it follows the secondary character from the first book, a slave named Curzon.  After being promised freedom from his owner after service in the Revolutionary War army, Curzon re-enlists in the army as a free person.  This book follows what happens to him during his time at Valley Forge.

This was another fabulous book.  It was completely engaging and interesting with characters I loved to love (and others I loved to hate).  It had clever twists and just a wonderful story, all with an incredible glimpse at what life was like for slaves, soldiers, and Patriots during the Revolutionary War.  Even better, the author threw in a little connection/shout-out to another one of her books that isn't even part of this series.  Too cool.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Mansion

I read The Mansion, a short story by Henry van Dyke, for my book club.  I had never heard of this book before, but it apparently is a must-read each Christmas season along with A Christmas Carol.  I was able to read The Mansion (a super quick read) for free on the Internet.  It is about a religious man named John who is very wealthy, donates to charities, and seems to live a life without error.  However, one night in a dream, he finds that the mansion he expected to find for his reward in heaven is not at all what he expected.  The lesson in the story comes near the end where John asks the Keeper of the Gate, "What is it that counts here?"  and receives the answer, "Only that which is truly given. Only that good which is done for the love of doing it."

This is a really wonderful story that was very thought-provoking.  It was so easy to relate to the main character as he desperately tried to explain to the Keeper of the Gate all that he had done for good on the earth.  He then with disappointment received an explanation that he had already received his reward for those acts: "Would you be paid twice?"  It made me really think about how I should seek do good in this world without needing praise or recognition--the reward may not come in this world but in the next.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Son of Neptune

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan is the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series.  It tells the story of three demigods who must unleash Death, who is chained, which prevents anyone (including monsters) from staying dead.  I won't elaborate further on the plot so I don't give anything away since this is part two in a series.

I really liked this book--it got me interested quicker than the first book in the series and was a fun read.  I loved the side stories that went with each character and how details were released throughout the story.  The characters were great, the story was exciting, and the ending was great.  It tied up loose ends but also introduced exactly what to look forward to in book 3.  Too bad it doesn't come out till Fall 2012!

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick is written in the same format as another book he wrote a few years ago called The Invention of Hugo Cabret (which I loved).  The author combines pictures and words to tell a story--a few pages of pictures followed by a few pages of words, repeated throughout the entire book.  Wonderstruck tells two different stories--Ben (in words) is searching for his father, while Rose (in pictures) sets out on a quest of her own.

Even though this book looks massive, it's a quick read.  (Thanks to half the pages being pictures, and the text pages aren't very full.)  It's a fascinating story that kept me enthralled and excited about what was to come.  I loved the unknowns that were revealed throughout the book, loved the distinct characters, and loved how everything came together.  It was a fun book with beautiful illustrations and a feel-good story.  Highly recommended.

Rating:  * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

In the Garden of Beasts

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson was this month's book for the book club I'm in.  It is the true story of William Dodd, a history professor who unexpectedly becomes America's ambassador to Germany in 1933.  He brings along his wife and young adult children.  The book chronicles the transformation the family goes through over time--from admiring Hitler to being repulsed by him.  It is a fascinating look (through primary sources and accounts) at how America viewed Germany at the beginning of Hitler's "reign" in Germany and the role of the Dodd family in all that took place.

This was a very interesting book.  I am always happy to be "forced" into reading a book I wouldn't normally read.  I really love books about WWII but typically pick up historical fiction more than nonfiction.  But this book read like a story and kept me interested in what took place.  I was very involved with the people in the story and learned a lot about this pre-WWII time period.  [A sidenote here is that this is the first book I've ever read on a Kindle.  (No, I did not get a Kindle.)  When I put this book on hold at the library, for some reason, I was number 400-something, which meant I was never going to get it in time for our meeting this week.  So, a lady in the book club lent me her Kindle. Nice!]

Rating; * * (2/3 = Liked it)