The Giver

I read The Giver by Lois Lowry several times in my past (childhood then again in high school or college).  Lois Lowry has written several companion books to The Giver, including a new one called The Son.  I wanted to read The Son but figured I should re-read all the other books first.  So, I decided to start with The Giver.  Even better, Connor and I decided to read all these books together, so we read this one, reading aloud over the past week or so.  This book is about Jonas, who lives in a futuristic community that has embraced Sameness.  Their lives are pretty perfect--no pain or real emotions in their orderly society.  When Jonas is selected to be the next Receiver, he realizes that there is more to their lives than he ever knew.

This is such a great book.  It got more and more engaging, and finally last night, we just had to stay up late and finish it up because we couldn't put it down.  The book has great characters and is super thought-provoking and deep.  I love how it (like many good books) is both funny and sad.  (I even had to pass the book over to Connor to read a couple times when I got teary.)  I'm glad we re-read the book, and I'm looking forward to Gathering Blue next.

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

Theodore Boone: The Activist

I saw that John Grisham had written a new book in his Theodore Boone series, so I found it at the library. This one follows Theo, the son of 2 lawyers who is pretty smart about the law himself. In this story, politicians are supporting a new bypass that will go through the town where Theo lives, and Theo finds himself getting involved in the fight.

This book had a really slow start for me where it just seemed kind of slow and preachy, but it picked up about halfway through, and by the end, I got through it really fast. The end especially was exciting and fun to see what Theo would do with the information he had. The book got me a little nervous at times and also made me laugh. Even though sometimes I am not sure how completely believable the stories are, I think this is a really fun series.

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

The Great Unexpected

I saw The Great Unexpected in the new books shelf in the children's section of the library. It is written by Sharon Creech, a great children's book author, so it caught my eye. (I especially loved her book Ruby Holler, which I read with my fifth graders when I taught.) The book is about Naomi and Lizzie, orphans and friends who live in the small town of Blackbird Tree. Their town suddenly gets some odd visitors, and eventually the two girls are on a trip to Ireland where they get some big surprises.

This was a very well written book. It had great detail and fun, distinct characters. For some reason it didn't completely engage me, though, perhaps because I just seemed to be waiting for something big to happen. But it was a sweet story that also made me laugh aloud a couple times.

Rating: * (1/3 = It was okay)

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is another Newbery Honor book for 2013.  It is Ivan's story--Ivan is a gorilla living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall off of I-95 where humans come to watch him in his "domain."  Ivan spends his time with his friends Stella (an elephant) and Bob (a dog) and doesn't think much about life outside the mall until a new, young elephant named Ruby joins them there.  Ivan begins to think that perhaps Ruby deserves a better life than the one they have.

This is a sweet book and a very quick read.  It was a pretty average book at first, but as the book went on, the characters became more endearing, and the book became a little bit of a tear-jerker.  I especially loved Julia (the custodian's daughter) and her relationship to Ivan.  I found out at the end of the book that although this book is fiction, it is based on a real-life gorilla named Ivan who did live at a circus-themed mall for twenty-seven years.  The book is a great reminder of the humane treatment that all animals deserve.

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

Bomb

Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin is another 2013 Newbery Honor book.  It is the true story of the atomic bomb--how scientists found the idea and how Americans worked to build it and stop other countries from succeeding in the same task.

This was a really amazing book.  The book was immediately engaging, and it was so fascinating to read in such detail about a topic I knew so little about.  The book reads more like a novel than a informational book. It's incredible to read about how the government kept this so top secret and how many Soviet spies were among everyday Americans.  So many people did so much work to ensure that America would be the first to build an atomic bomb....but once it was built, it changed our world forever.  The book was very thought-provoking (and a little scary) in the end to realize what our world is capable of. It's hard to give it the "loved" rating because it is such a sad, scary topic, but it was a super good book, and I learned a lot. I am definitely interested in reading more of this author's nonfiction books.

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

Three Times Lucky

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage is a 2013 Newbery Honor book. This book is about 11-year-old Mo who washed ashore in North Carolina during a hurricane when she was a baby and has lived there in Tupelo Landing ever since. She's enjoying her summer helping at the cafe, hanging out with her friend Dale, and attempting to find answers so she can write her autobiography.  But then a neighbor turns up murdered, and a city detective is in town, and Mo and Dale decide to become detectives themselves to find out the truth.

This was a really fun book--well written with engaging and distinct characters.  It took me a bit to get into the book, but I'm not sure if that was my fault or the book's fault.  But, once I got further in, it was a quick, enjoyable read.  Mo was endearing, and I liked how the book ended.

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

The Glass Castle

I read Jeannette Walls's book Half Broke Horses awhile back and really liked it.  I'd recently been told that her first book, The Glass Castle, was even better, so I decided to try it out. The Glass Castle is the true story of the author's childhood.  She lived in a pretty dysfunctional family in the 60s and 70s with parents who moved around constantly.  Even though her parents were smart, loving people, Jeannette and her siblings were often without a home and without food, and her dad was an alcoholic. The book chronicles her growing up years and how she eventually finds her own way away from her parents.

This was a really interesting book.  It was incredible to read the type of things the kids in the Walls family went through...and to think that this little girl became a famous author is pretty amazing. I mean, things like eating butter for a meal because you're so hungry and it's all there is....or having a cardboard box as a bed.  It's sobering to think that there really are kids out there living lives like that. It was a pretty sad book but had plenty of comic relief and tender moments.  The book kept me interested, so I finished it pretty quickly and really liked it.  I actually liked her book Half Broke Horses better than this one, but it was still a really good book.  It did have some bad language and some mentions of sexual abuse, so I'd definitely categorize it as an adult book.

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