Book: The Girl from Everywhere

The Girl from Everywhere
by Heidi Heilig

 

Length: 480

Format: eBook
Price: Free -downloaded from Overdrive

How I heard about it: it's on the book list I made from my YAL conference

Basic Premise: Sixteen-year-old Nix has been sailing with her father since she was two years old, but the thing about her father's ship is that it doesn't just sail the high seas, it sails through time. Desperate to return to a time when her mother exists, her father will stop at nothing to find a map that will take them there, even if it means sacrificing Nix's life.

My Take: 6 out of 10 (scale here)

This book was recommended at my young adult literature conference and one of my best readers this year read it and loved it. I did not feel the same way. I liked Nix and her sea-fairer persona, and the concept was interesting enough, but the odd arrangement of language and sporadic style of the writing had me constantly rereading and trying to figure out what the heck was going on. I did go back and forth between the book and the audiobook (which I also checked out form Overdrive), so that might be able to account for part of it, but mostly, I had to work to hard for a story that didn't really pay out. It's not one I'm buying for my shelf at school (although it is clean enough to).

1. Scythe by Neal Schusterman
2. Walk on Earth a Stranger by Rae Carson
3. Seeds of America Trilogy by Laurie Halse Anderson
4. Front Lines by Michael Grant
5. Steeplejack by AJ Hartley
6. The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
7. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige ABANDONED (reason here)
8. The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig
9. The Reader by Traci Chee
10. Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin
11. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
12. Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavski (review here)
13. The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop
14. The Best Man by Richard Peck
15. Lily and Dunkin by Donna Gephart (review here)
16. Ghost by Jason Reynolds
17. This Is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
18. The Bitter Side of Sweet by Tara Sullivan
19. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola
    20. The Serpent King by Jeff Zetner  

Another YAL Book List Down!

Back in March of 2015, I decided to read from this list, which I originally saw under the heading "26 Books That Should be Taught in Today's Classroom." Several of the books on this list rank among my very favorites, including The Kite Runner, and The Glass Castle. Some of them were deeply profound, like I Am Malala and The Poisonwood Bible, and caused me to stop and ask hard questions about my own beliefs and convictions. And then there was Bossypants, which was just plain hilarious.

However, I did abandon FOUR books on this list. That is not my norm. But they were just...not good. And, as I always tell my kids, life is too short to waste time on a bad book. There are too many good ones out there, waiting to be read!

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai review here
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review here
   
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood review here
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher review here
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls review here
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving review here
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver review here
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah review here
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddonreview here
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz *abandoned* 
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review here
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood *abandoned*
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer review here
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey review here
    
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey review here
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen *abandoned*
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb *abandoned*
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini review here 

On Abandoning Books

I am a rule follower, and as such, it's hard for me to abandon books. Growing up, my dad had a "7 chapter rule" that I observed strictly - if I had read to chapter 7 and still didn't like the book, the gods of literature would permit me to abandon it in good faith. As I grew, I changed it from 7 chapter to 10%, because with some books, chapters are very long, and with others, they are short. 10% to me seemed more fair. And I am all about fair.

I don't often abandon books, but as I've done it twice in the last month, I felt I should explain. I believe very strongly in the following statement:

One should not waste time reading a bad book because 

there are far too many good books that need reading.

I am happy to say have read very few bad books, mainly because of the above sentiment. 10% is plenty of time for an author to win me over. And these authors? They did not win me over. I must concede, however, that reading from a list someone else compiled, as I have done this time around, lends itself to abandoning books far more than one I would have constructed myself. My lists are based 90% or more on recommendations of people I know and trust. These books? Not so much. I have abandoned three of the 26, and I don't feel so much as a smidge of guilt.

Let's start with the very first one I abandoned years ago:

I can't remember if I gave this book the full 10% or not, because it's been awhile, but I do remember knowing early on that this book and I were not meant to be. I'm trying to remember now why I read it originally, but I can't. Hmmm. Well, regardless, it got tossed. Good riddance.

Next one, the one I abandoned three weeks ago:

This book wasn't terrible...I just felt like I'd already read it five or six times before. There was nothing notable or unusual or original that I could find, and I have a huge stack of books I really do want to read, so I decided to sianara this one as well.

And lastly:

I'm just going to go ahead and admit that I am kind of prudish when it comes to books, and I don't only mean about sexuality. I'm also that way about abuse, violence, excessive drug use, language, and basically all the things that make movie ratings go up. I am not a fan of these things, and while I understand and appreciate the place many of them have in literature, I am growing increasingly weary of the excess. Additionally, one of the reasons I so love to read YAL is to expand my bookshelf at school, and I would never recommend these types of books to 12-year-olds. This book was filthy. FILTHY. And the protagonist was a shallow loser. Not worth my time. CHUCKED!

Abandoning books is a healthy practice. I tell this to my students all the time - don't waste time on a bad book. Just as life is too short to waste on bad people, life is too short to waste on bad books. Spend time on the good ones! I am formulating my summer list now (which includes classics - a challenge!) and will post it soon. For now, here's my current progress:

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai review here
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review here
   
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood review here
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher review here
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls review here
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving review here
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver review here
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah review here
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddonreview here
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz *abandoned* 
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review here
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer review here
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey review here
    
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey review here
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen *abandoned*
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb *abandoned*
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini review here

Only one more to go!

Book: The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle

by Jeannette Walls

Length: 304

Format: Hardback
Price: Free via the library

How I heard about it: It's on my list.

Basic Premise: Jeannette Walls tells the troubling story of the nomadic, impoverished childhood she spent with her brother and two sisters, and her parents, who seemed to constantly be in a hurry, but never seemed to have anywhere to go.

My Take: 9 out of 10 (scale here)
I really loved this book. I knew nothing about it prior to reading (which is the truth about most of the books on this list) and since I read The Silver Star a few years ago, I was expecting something similar. At once, I realized this was going to be VERY different. She opens with one of her earliest memories; boiling hot dogs on the stove in the family Winnebago at the age of three while her Mom painted outside. The water boiled over resulting in significant burns and a lengthy hospital stay, until her father "broke her out" of the hospital and the family skipped town. This was the family's pattern for most of her young life - stay until someone starts to wonder what's going on at home, and then flee. I loved this story because it gave me a perspective on what it's like to be a small child who has to grow up quickly. I have known many of these kids in my ten years of teaching, and reading this made me feel as if I understood a bit. Not much, but a bit.

I LOVED this book.

List Progress:

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai review here
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review here
   
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood review here
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher review here
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving review here
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver review here
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah review here
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddonreview here
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review here
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer review here
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey review here
    
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey review here
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen *abandoned*
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb *abandoned*
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini review here

Kindle Book: Jasper Jones

Jasper Jones

by Craig Silvey

Length: 313

Format: eBook
Price: Free via the Overdrive app

How I heard about it: It's on my list.

Basic Premise: Charlie Butkin is just a regular guy...until the town outcast, Jasper Jones, shows up at his window one night. Jasper urgently needs Charlie's help to help clear his name. A murder has been committed, and Jasper swears it wasn't him.

My Take: 8.5 out of 10 (scale here)
This book was GRIPPING. From the moment Jasper shows Charlie what he shows Charlie, it was hard to put down. Jasper Jones was very "Huck Finn"-like; indeed it was obvious the author was highly influenced by Mark Twain. About halfway through, I felt like I had it all figured out, but I was wrong (not shocking...I do not have good crime-solving instincts). I loved the pace and the easy grace of the writing. The content was dark, but it was well-handled and intriguing. In parts there was a little too much boy dialogue (talk about superheroes and sports), and being someone who reads every word on the page, this got a bit tedious. But near the end, I started skimming, even though it felt wrong. I observed no consequence, so I may employ this method in the future. I wish the ending had given me more, but I always wish the ends of books had given me more.

Unfortunately, there was too much profanity for me to comfortably have this on my shelf. :( But it was still a GREAT read.

List Progress:

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai review here
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review here
   
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood review here
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher review here
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving review here
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver review here
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah review here
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon review here
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review here
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer review here
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey review here
    
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen *abandoned*
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini review here

Kindle Book: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

by Mark Haddon

Length: 240

Format: eBook
Price: Free via the Overdrive app

How I heard about it: It's on my list.

Basic Premise: 15-year-old Christopher Boone is "a mathematician with behavioural difficulties" whose discovery of the murder of the neighbor's dog sends him on a quest for the murderer. What he finds is more than he bargained for.

My Take: 6 out of 10 (scale here)
This was an interesting book. It was a lot like Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close because the narrator was a young boy who was brilliant but had "behavioural difficulties." (I left the "u" in keeping with the British culture...another interesting thing about this book.) Both were trying to solve a mystery, but in this book, the mystery deals with the neighbor's dog, who has been killed with a pitchfork. Christopher obsesses over the death and decides to "detect" the murderer, but his detecting uncovers way more than just the death of the dog. I loved the plot twist, and that it happened mid-way through the novel instead of at the very end, so I had plenty of time to gain information. I can't say that it was terribly satisfactory (his parents - and mother in particular - are not great), but it was definitely different and entertaining!

List Progress:

1. I Am Malala by Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai review here
2. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky review here
   
3. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood review here
4. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher review here
5. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
6. A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving review here
7. The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver review here
8.  Does My Head Look Big in This? by Randa Abdel-Fattah review here
9. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
10. Uglies by Scott Westerfeld (read before I started blogging)
11. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz
12. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie review here
13. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (read before I started blogging)
14. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
15. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer review here
16. Bossypants by Tina Fey review here
    
17. Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey
18. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (read before I started blogging)
19. The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd (read before I started blogging)
20. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen *abandoned*
21. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell review here
22. She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb
23. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling - can we have a moment for whoever created this list? "Harry Potter" is not a book. It's a series of books. Sheesh.
24. Looking for Alaska by John Green review here
25. The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak review here
26. The Kite Runner by Khaled Housseini review here