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)

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel

I saw that Jeff Kinney came out with a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, so I got it from the library to read it.  This book follows Greg as he looks to find a date for the Valentine's dance.

I have no clue why I keep reading these books, but I just can't help myself.  This book was still funny like usual, but I did feel like the series is getting a little old...lots of the same things.  Not much else to say about such a quick read.

* (1/3 = It was okay)

The Story of My Life

The Story of My Life is Helen Keller's autobiography, and I became interested in reading it because we've been talking a lot about Helen Keller in our house recently.  (Emmeline was really into the Helen Keller DVD in the Animated Heroes series.)  Helen chronicles her life experiences from childhood through college and how she gained her knowledge and education.

This was a very interesting read, but it took me forever to get through.  I actually didn't finish the version of the book I got from the library--it had 3 parts.  Part 1 was Helen Keller's autobiography, part 2 was letters Helen had written, and part 3 was a "supplementary account" written by the book's editor.  The autobiography was very interesting--it's quite fascinating to read how a deaf-blind woman learned so much through her teacher and experiences.  I didn't know much about the details of her life (besides what was in Emmeline's DVD--ha), so this was really cool to read.  Part 2, the letters, was less engaging but still occasionally interesting.  By part 3, I just wasn't really interested anymore.  I figured that if I kept reading, I'd like the book even less, so it was better to stop while I was ahead.

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