Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

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I have always loved fairy tales. Growing up in a Disney home, most of the movies and books I loved as a kid were fairy tales. As I grew up, I moved on to the original, and much less magical, versions of my favorite tales and fairy tale reimaginings. Even as an adult, I still enjoy fairy tale related mediums, such as the popular TV show, Once Upon a Time.

Cinderella has always been my favorite princess story and I have read/watched about every version I have come a cross. So naturally, when this Sci-Fi version came to my attention, I snatched it up at the Book Fair. Unfortunately, it’s been sitting on my self, not because I wasn’t excited to jump right in, but because like any other true book nerd, my to-read list is ever expanding and I just don’t have enough hours in the day (especially since I still have to work for a living...boo!).

While the essentials of the Cinderella story are there - mean stepmother, stepsisters, a prince, a ball - Cinder definitely puts a twist on the whole thing. Cinder is a mechanic and cyborg (she loses her foot instead of a shoe at the ball), whose companion is not friendly mice, but a friendly android named, Iko. There are also plenty of Sci-Fi elements injected into the story, which add another fun element. I liked Cinder as a character. She’s independent and little feisty, but still kind hearted. I also liked that the prince, Prince Kai, has his own story line and isn’t regulated to the sidelines like in other versions of Cinderella. 

This is probably the most action packed version of Cinderella that I have ever read and there are some fun twists in the plot that I am excited to see how they play out in the sequels. Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. 

2015 Reading Challenge: A popular author's first book

Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata

kira-kira (kee ra kee ra): glittering; shining 

Glittering. That's how Katie Takeshima's sister, Lynn, makes everything seem. The sky is kira-kira because its color is deep but see-through at the same time. The sea is kira-kira for the same reason and so are people's eyes. 

When Katie and her family move from a Japanese community in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia, it's Lynn who explains to her why people stop on the street to stare, and it's Lynn who, with her special way of viewing the world, teaches Katie to look beyond tomorrow, but when Lynn becomes desperately ill, and the whole family begins to fall apart, it is up to Katie to find a way to remind them all that there is always something glittering -- kira-kira -- in the future.

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I had high expectations for this book because it won a Newbery Medal, but I was really disappointed by this book. I thought it had tremendous potential, but the overall narrative fell short for me. It started out well and the relationship between the sisters was endearing and sweet. It became obvious very early that Lynn was sick and was going to die. I thought this would become the focus of the novel, but the illness almost became secondary, existing only in the background, even though it was the catalyst for the many changes the family went through. The characters and plot felt underdeveloped at times and in the end, I was left wanting.

Bomb: The Race to Build - and Steal - the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin

In December of 1938, a chemist in a German laboratory made a shocking discovery: When placed next to radioactive material, a Uranium atom split in two. That simple discovery launched a scientific race that spanned 3 continents.

In Great Britain and the United States, Soviet spies worked their way into the scientific community; in Norway, a commando force slipped behind enemy lines to attack German heavy-water manufacturing; and deep in the desert, one brilliant group of scientists was hidden away at a remote site at Los Alamos.

This is the story of the plotting, the risk-taking, the deceit, and genius that created the world's most formidable weapon. This is the story of the atomic bomb.

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Those who enjoy history will enjoy this book. It retells the story of the development of the atomic bomb and the spy networks that ultimately led to the secret project being leaked. This book reminded me of a YA version of an Erik Larson book. It takes the stories of all the various people involved and weaves them together to create an entertaining narrative, lacking all the dryness of a typical textbook. The book was well researched and I can see why it has won so many awards.

One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Twelve-year-old Carley Connors can take a lot. Growing up in Las Vegas with her fun-loving mother, she's learned to be tough. But she never expected a betrayal that would land her in a foster care. When she's placed with the Murphys, a lively family with three boys, she's blindsided. Do happy families really exist? Carley knows she could never belong in their world, so she keeps her distance.

It's easy to stay suspicious of Daniel, the brother who is almost her age and is resentful she's there. But Mrs. Murphy makes her feel heard and seen for the first time, and the two younger boys seem determined to work their way into her heart. Before she knows it, Carley is protected the boys from a neighborhood bully and even teaching Daniel how to play basketball. Then just when she's feeling like she could truly be one of the Murphys, news from her mother shakes her world.

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Overall, I enjoyed this book. It even made me tear up a bit at the end. I thought Carley was a well developed character and her story gave a believable depiction of the life of a foster child. It was clear that this was a YA novel, however. There were aspects of the book - Carley’s mother, the court case, even the social worker, to name a few - that were underdeveloped or glossed over. These are realities that foster children and foster families have to deal with, and they are not always pretty. I felt like this narrative shied away from some of the more unpleasant aspects of Carley’s situation. The focus was definitely on Carley and her developing relationships with the various members of the Murphy family. This was my favorite part of the book and the most endearing. It’s also what made me tear up at the end, when it was time to say goodbye. Definitely a worthwhile YA novel. 

2016 Reading Challenge: A book from the library

Nothing But the Truth by Avi

Ninth grader Philip Malloy is forbidden to join the track team because of his failing grades in English class. Convinced that the teacher just doesn't like him, Philip concocts a plan to get transferred into a different homeroom. Instead of standing silently during the national anthem, he hums along. And ends up on trial.

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This was a fun narrative because it doesn’t follow the traditional format. The story is told through a series of transcripts, memos, newspaper articles, and letters. It was fun to read this one with my students as it focuses on a conflict between a student and a teacher. My students enjoyed using the documents as evidence to persuade others to agree with them about who was really at fault. I was also able to make some great connections to what they learned in Civics about the First Amendment. This is a great book to use with students when studying perspective, justice, and bias. It is a highly engaging YA novel.

Zero Tolerance by Claudia Mills

Seventh-grader Sierra Shepard has always been the perfect student, so when she sees that she accidentally brought her mother's lunch bag to school, including a paring knife, she immediately turns in the knife at the school office. Much to her surprise, her beloved principal places her in in-school suspension and sets a hearing for her expulsion, citing the school's ironclad no-weapons policy. While there, Sierra spends time with Luke, a boy who's known as a troublemaker, and discovers that he's not the person she assumed he would be—and that the lines between good and bad aren't as clear as she once thought.

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As a school teacher myself, I found the concept of this novel very interesting. Most of the school I have worked in have “zero tolerance” policies when it comes to drugs and weapons, and I would say that for the most part, I am a supporter of these policies. However, as this novel points out so well, people and situations tend to be far more complicated. While I don’t agree the main character, Sierra, should have been punished for her honest mistake, I can see the school’s side of the story and the desire to apply the school policy equally in the name of fairness. Nevertheless, life is not black and white. There are gray areas, and I think it is in these gray areas that we learn the most about ourselves and the world around us. I think this one is a worthy edition to YA section of any library.

Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Willow Chance is a twelve-year-old genius, obsessed with nature and diagnosing medical conditions, who finds it comforting to count by 7s. It has never been easy for her to connect with anyone other than her adoptive parents, but that hasn’t kept her from leading a quietly happy life... until now.

Suddenly Willow’s world is tragically changed when her parents both die in a car crash, leaving her alone in a baffling world. The triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy. This extraordinarily odd, but extraordinarily endearing, girl manages to push through her grief. Her journey to find a fascinatingly diverse and fully believable surrogate family is a joy and a revelation to read.

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I really enjoyed this novel and its quirky main character. It’s collection of misfit characters makes for an amusing and heartfelt narrative. While at first glance, the story would seem to be dreary and depressing, the narrative is actually full of light, love, and hope. To be sure, the novel does deal with heavy loss and anyone who has experienced loss or change can easily relate to Willow, but the story is much more about hope than loss. It is definitely a worthy edition to any YA library.

Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

It's not like I meant for him to get hurt. . . .

Julian Twerski isn't a bully. He's just made a big mistake. So when he returns to school after a weeklong suspension, his English teacher offers him a deal: if he keeps a journal and writes about the terrible incident that got him and his friends suspended, he can get out of writing a report on Shakespeare. Julian jumps at the chance. And so begins his account of life in sixth grade--blowing up homemade fireworks, writing a love letter for his best friend (with disastrous results), and worrying whether he's still the fastest kid in school. Lurking in the background, though, is the one story he can't bring himself to tell, the one story his teacher most wants to hear.

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I really enjoyed this YA novel. I found the main character’s narrative to be quite entertaining. I often found myself smiling and/or laughing at the antics recalled by the narrator throughout the story. I like that the story was written in diary form. It's not often that male characters keep a diary (albeit, our protagonist was forced to in this case), and I enjoyed the different perspective. The narrative encompasses all the hallmarks of adolescence: Pranks, fights, crushes, competition, poor judgement, and lessons learned. I think it makes a great addition to any YA library and I will certainly be recommending it to my students in the future.

Prisoner B-3087 by Alan Gratz

Survive. At any cost.

10 concentration camps.

10 different places where you are starved, tortured, and worked mercilessly.

It's something no one could imagine surviving.

But it is what Yanek Gruener has to face.

As a Jewish boy in 1930s Poland, Yanek is at the mercy of the Nazis who have taken over. Everything he has, and everyone he loves, have been snatched brutally from him. And then Yanek himself is taken prisoner -- his arm tattooed with the words PRISONER B-3087.

He is forced from one nightmarish concentration camp to another, as World War II rages all around him. He encounters evil he could have never imagined, but also sees surprising glimpses of hope amid the horror. He just barely escapes death, only to confront it again seconds later.

Can Yanek make it through the terror without losing his hope, his will -- and, most of all, his sense of who he really is inside?

Based on an astonishing true story.

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Each chapter in this narrative represents a different concentration camp that the main character, Yanek, is sent to. In terms of providing a broad view of the various different horrors the Jewish people were subjected to at the hands of the Nazis, this book certainly does a good job, but I found it to be very surface level. 

Yanek experienced and witnessed numerous horrors, lost friends and family, and struggled to hold onto hope. The book does not shy away from the gory details, but I didn't find it to be overly graphic. The biggest issue I had with the narrative is that the story felt very rushed. Because it was trying to cover so much ground, each camp was reduced to a short chapter, which didn't allow for some of the elaborating details I would have liked. I suppose the rushed feeling did add some suspense to the narrative, but I felt it was more of a hindrance to the story than a benefit.

Nonetheless, I did like the book enough to include it in future book circles to supplement our unit on identify when we read books like Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl and Hana's Suitcase.  

Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine

In 2000, a suitcase arrived at a children's Holocaust education center in Tokyo, Japan, marked "Hana Brady, May 16, 1931." The center's curator searches for clues to young Hana and her family, whose happy life in a small Czech town was turned upside down by the invasion of the Nazis.

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My fellow English teachers and I decided to read this book as a companion novel to Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl as part of our narrative nonfiction/identity unit. Our students responded well to this book, especially since it has a detective novel element to it. The book has two parallel timelines - Hana's story and Fumiko's (curator of the museum in Japan) quest to find out who Hana is and what happened to her. 

It is a quick read and has lots of photographs, which helps bring the story to life. I liked the back and forth between the different timelines. It added a level of suspense which drove the story forward and kept it interesting. Hana's story also provides another perspective to help students better understand the Holocaust, and generated some really great discussions with my students who made connections to current events. While I love Anne Frank's diary, I believe that Hana's Suitcase is an excellent addition to any school/classroom library.

Found (The Missing #1) by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Jonah has always known that he was adopted, and he's never thought it was any big deal. Then he and a new friend, Chip, who's also adopted, begin receiving mysterious letters. The first one says, "You are one of the missing." The second one says, "Beware! They're coming back to get you."

Jonah, Chip, and Jonah's sister, Katherine, are plunged into a mystery that involves the FBI, a vast smuggling operation, an airplane that appeared out of nowhere - and people who seem to appear and disappear at will. The kids discover they are caught in a battle between two opposing forces that want very different things for Jonah and Chip's lives.

Do Jonah and Chip have any choice in the matter? And what should they choose when both alternatives are horrifying?

With Found, Margaret Peterson Haddix begins a new series that promises to be every bit as suspenseful as Among the Hidden, and proves her, once again, to be a master of the page-turner.

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This was the final Battle of the Books read for me. As far as YA Fiction goes, it wasn’t a bad book. It was not a very difficult book and is definitely appropriate for lower level readers. The plot was well developed and the characters were relatable. It had some mystery, intrigue, and a bit of sci-fi. At times I found the author’s style to be too simplistic and unsophisticated, when I compare it to other YA series that I have read. I liked the idea behind the series, and its historical twist. However, I wasn’t caught up in the series, and I was not left with an overwhelming desire to seek out the next book. I haven’t ruled out reading the next book, but I won’t get to it any time soon as I have several more books that I am dying to read instead.

Black Duck by Janet Taylor Lisle

It is spring 1929, and Prohibition is in full swing. So when Ruben and Jeddy find a dead body washed up on the shore of their small coastal Rhode Island town, they are sure it has something to do with smuggling liquor. 

Soon the boys, along with Jeddy's strong-willed sister, Marina, are drawn in, suspected by rival bootlegging gangs of taking something crucial off the dead man. Then Ruben meets the daring captain of the Black Duck, the most elusive smuggling craft of them all, and it isn't long before he's caught in a war between two of the most dangerous prohibition gangs.

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I've always been fascinated by the 1920's. Books and movies have turned it into a golden age, full of light, music, dancing, and danger. I'm sure the reality of it all is quite different from how it's portrayed, but there is something so interesting about this Icarus-like decade. 

The story is based on historical events surrounding the rumrunner craft named the Black Duck, and the booze smuggling rings that developed as a result of the US Government's ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol. It got off to a bit of a slow start, but eventually pick up. It has all the things you would expect from a story about illegal liquor - gangs, guns, shady business deals, even a dead body. We usually see stories like this through the eyes of gangsters, and I liked being able to see it from a kid's perspective and how these big city rings impacted small town America. Overall, I enjoyed the book.    

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083 by Andrea White

The wind and snow blow so hard, you can't see your hand in front of your face. Your heating fuel is nearly gone, and so is your food. How do you survive?

Five fourteen–year–olds face this desperate situation on a deadly journey in Antarctica. It is 2083. They are contestants on a reality TV show, Antarctic Survivor, which is set up to re–create Robert F. Scott's 1912 doomed attempt to be the first to reach the South Pole.

But in 2083 reality TV is not just an act. Contestants literally relive – or die during – the simulations of events. Robert Scott and his team were experienced explorers and scientists, but their attempt to reach the Pole proved fatal. What chance does the Antarctic Survivor team have?

This action–packed, riveting adventure – full of fascinating direct quotes from Scott's journals and other accounts of the expedition – is both a heart–wrenching drama from the past and a disquieting glimpse into the future.

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This was another Battle of Books read, and overall, I thought it was a good little adventure story. I thought the idea behind the story - five teenagers chosen to try and survive in Antarctica while the nation watches at home - was an interesting idea, almost reminiscent of a Hunger Games. I think the execution of the story fell a little short. The characters, while diverse, were somewhat flat. The plot, while full of potential, was flat and underdeveloped, giving a very shallow feel to the book. The writing was simple and lackluster, almost too elementary, and certainly not what I would expect for a book targeting 12 years and up. This is certainly no Hunger Games, and if you are expecting something along those lines, you will be disappointed. I think the story is missing an element of drama, complexity, and emotional depth. I didn't hate it, but I wasn't impressed by it either.

The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester

You just can’t keep a good girl down . . . unless you use the proper methods.

Piper McCloud can fly. Just like that. Easy as pie.

Sure, she hasn’t mastered reverse propulsion and her turns are kind of sloppy, but she’s real good at loop-the-loops.

Problem is, the good folk of Lowland County are afraid of Piper. And her ma’s at her wit’s end. So it seems only fitting that she leave her parents’ farm to attend a top-secret, maximum-security school for kids with exceptional abilities.

School is great at first with a bunch of new friends whose skills range from super-strength to super-genius. (Plus all the homemade apple pie she can eat!) But Piper is special, even among the special. And there are consequences.

Consequences too dire to talk about. Too crazy to consider. And too dangerous to ignore.

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This was a very unexpected and enjoyable read. I hadn't paid much attention to the story, not even bothering to read the synopsis on the back cover. I picked it up and started reading it simply because it was the next book on the Battle of the Books list, so I went into it without expectations. How pleasantly surprised I was by this book. It is like Anne of Green Gables meets the X-Men. The main character, Piper, was a sweet (if somewhat stereotypical) country girl, and I liked her innocence and optimism right away. The other characters were fun and there is plenty of action that I think will appeal to young readers. The paperback cover is better than the original hardback cover (see right) and better represents what the story is about. I think the original cover might lead some readers to pass on what is actually a fun read. The sequel is due out in October and I definitely plan to check it out.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cook's or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

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This was an interesting little story and it was clear that the author had spent time researching what life was like on Alcatraz in the 1930's. While I knew of Alcatraz and it's infamous inhabitants, I was not aware that there was a small community on the island consisting of the guards and their families. The only thing that really bothered me was that there seemed to be two competing parallel stories that didn't quite mesh together the way that the author intended. One was the story of Moose and what life was like living on Alcatraz and the other was what it was like to have a child with Autism in the 1930's when "Autism" as we understand it today did not exist (not that we fully understand it today, but we have come a long way since the 30's). 

I often felt like the author was telling two different stories, both of which could have existed without the other. The book could have easily left out the part of Natalie and her Autism and still have been a success and vice versa. Because of this, at times I felt like a spectator at a tennis match, my attention bouncing back and forth between the two, each competing for my attention. They just never really came together for me and gelled into one story, and because of this, I'm not sure that justice was done to each respective story.

Overall, I found it to be an enjoyable story. I think that the author, despite being a female, created a lead male character that many boys can relate to. I found the setting of the story intriguing and the characters and plot fun. There are several sequels and it is definitely a series that I would recommend to my students.

Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson

After inheriting her uncle's homesteading claim in Montana 16 year-old orphan Hattie Brooks travels from Iowa in 1917 to make a home for herself and encounters some unexpected problems related to the war being fought in Europe.

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I liked this story. It was clear that the author had done her research, and I think she captured what life was like for a homesteader pretty accurately. I liked Hattie as a character. She was strong, determined, kind, and had a mind of her own, which I appreciated. The theme of home and what it means is strong throughout the story, and is universal enough that I think it will appeal to a wide range of readers. There is a sequel to this book, but I can't say that this book had enough of a lasting impression on me that I will seek it out. Overall, I think this is a well written story that many will enjoy. 

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom; the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it, somehow.

In this breakthrough story, reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability.

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As a special education teacher, I love the idea of a book with a protagonist with special needs, and as I read the book, I couldn't help but get wrapped up in the story. While I was reading it, I loved it, but after I finished and had a moment to think about it, my enthusiasm for the story diminished somewhat.

How is it that a student with cerebral palsy, in the early 2000's (kids mention MySpace and the first iPhone), is still in a self-contained classroom all day and using only words taped to her chair table to communicate? No one considered assistive technology prior to this? Her mother, who is a nurse and a fairly strong advocate for her, didn't research it? Where is her IEP? By law, she should have had an IEP and specially designed instruction provided by a special education teacher. By law, she should have spent at least part of her day interacting with her non-disabled peers. The fact that the Melody's school just piloted an "inclusion" class is alarming. Like they had been completely immune to the inclusion moment that started in the 1950's and hit it's peak in the 1980's. 

If the story hadn't taken place in the 2000's, I might have been able to let it slide, but factually speaking, the school Melody attended would be hard pressed to dispute claims of major violations of IDEA and ADA. It was these little inconsistencies that drove me crazy, and in the end, diminished my opinion of the book as a whole. 

On a side note, I also didn't see the point of the accident involving Penny, Melody's sister, that took place towards the end of the novel. I don't want to give too much away, but it was also something that was inconsistent and unnecessary to the greater picture of the story. It felt like it was thrown in at the last minute to provide a touch of drama to the story line. I saw it as an unnecessary distraction, but I digress...

I thought that Melody was a well developed character, and I found her to be endearing, sassy, and lovable. For all intents and purposes, she was a typical teenager, and I think that many young readers will be able to connect with her, even if her vernacular seem somewhat off for the times. However, some of the other characters where somewhat flat and stereotypical. There were of course the horrible teachers who believe that students with disabilities (SWD) do not posses any level of intelligence and treat them like pets; the students who lack any real understanding of SWD due to lack of expose and education, who make fun of them; the teachers and students who mean well, but still see SWD as "other," and the strong advocates for SWD who go to battle for them every day. The full spectrum of perspectives was present, albeit shallowly.  

What happened to Melody in this book, probably would not have happened in today's world without some serious legal ramifications. Unfortunately, some of the things that Melody endured still do happen today. There are still teachers out there who, through a lack of education, compassion, or willingness to put in extra effort, complain about teaching students who have learning difficulties. Students, disabled and non-disabled, still get made fun of for their differences and are, at times, ostracized by their peers. It was easy to judge, and in many cases, condemn these characters for their thoughts and actions. But reality is so much more complicated. It would be easy to say that perhaps the author kept things simple because of the target audience. But I wonder if in doing so, we do the audience and YA genre a disservice. I think that young people are far more capable of understanding complex issue than we give them credit for.

I read an article recently about how studies show that people who read have a greater capacity for empathy than people who do not read. It argues that through reading, people are able to experience things and perspectives vastly different from their own in an objective way. This in turn, makes it easier for them to put themselves in the shoes of others and see their perspectives objectively. While many of the characters in this novel are simplistic and stereotypical, the fact is that every stereotype has a basis in truth. While there are many problems with the story's plot, I wonder if focusing on them deters from the real purpose of the book. 

I wonder if the real purpose of the book is to see the world through the eyes of someone who faces challenges many of us take for granted. I wonder if children who read this book might develop greater empathy towards those who are different from them because they have the chance to experience what life is like for Melody. I wonder if reading this book might make them think about how they see and judge other people and perhaps change a thing or two. I can almost forgive the short comings of the finer plot points if I look at the story through this lens. While I find fault with the story because of its unrealistic and underdeveloped plot, I cannot find fault with it for using a protagonist like Melody to educate and bring even the smallest amount of understanding into the world. After all, the only thing that can drive out ignorance is education.  

Touch Blue by Cynthia Lord

The state of Maine plans to shut down her island's schoolhouse, which would force Tess's family to move to the mainland--and Tess to leave the only home she has ever known. Fortunately, the islanders have a plan too: increase the numbers of students by having several families take in foster children. So now Tess and her family are taking a chance on Aaron, a thirteen-year-old trumpet player who has been bounced from home to home. And Tess needs a plan of her own--and all the luck she can muster. Will Tess's wish come true or will her luck run out?

Newbery Honor author Cynthia Lord offers a warm-hearted, humorous, and thoughtful look at what it means to belong--and how lucky we feel when we do. Touch Blue, sure as certain, will touch your heart.

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Book three for Battle of the Books! This is really more juvenile fiction than YA, but I thought it was a sweet story. Even though it deals with foster-care, don't expect a hard-hitting look at the issue, because you won't get it. This book deals with a lot of grown up issues - family dynamics, expectations, luck, bullying, foster care, change - but in an age appropriate way. It's billed as realistic fiction, but things are just a little too perfect, a little too sugar coated for it to be truly reality, but that could just be my jaded, adult-self talking. Overall, it's a sweet story with a happy ending.


2015 Reading Challenge: A book with a color in the title

Airborn (Matt Cruse #1) by Kenneth Oppel

Matt Cruse is a cabin boy on the Aurora, a huge airship that sails hundreds of feet above the ocean, ferrying wealthy passengers from city to city. It is the life Matt's always wanted; convinced he's lighter than air, he imagines himself as buoyant as the hydrium gas that powers his ship. One night he meets a dying balloonist who speaks of beautiful creatures drifting through the skies. It is only after Matt meets the balloonist's granddaughter that he realizes that the man's ravings may, in fact, have been true, and that the creatures are completely real and utterly mysterious.

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This is book two off the Battle of the Books TR list, and it is by far my favorite so far. It is a cross between Treasure Island and A Journey to the Center of the Earth, told amongst the clouds. This book has a little bit of everything - adventure, mystery, romance, humor, pirates - and it makes for an immensely entertaining read. The characters are great and the fast paced plot makes for a page turner. There are a couple of sequels to this book, which I will definitely be checking out. This fantastic little adventure story totally worth your time.

First Light by Rebecca Stead

Peter is thrilled to join his parents on an expedition to Greenland, where his father studies global warming. Peter will get to skip school, drive a dogsled, and–finally–share in his dad’s adventures. But on the ice cap, Peter struggles to understand a series of visions that both frighten and entice him.

Thea has never seen the sun. Her extraordinary people, suspected of witchcraft and nearly driven to extinction, have retreated to a secret world they’ve built deep inside the arctic ice. As Thea dreams of a path to Earth’s surface, Peter’s search for answers brings him ever closer to her hidden home.

Rebecca Stead’s fascinating debut novel is a dazzling tale of mystery, science and adventure at the top of the world.

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I am going to be participating in my school's upcoming Battle of the Books competition and have been tasked (with my fellow teacher teammates) with reading ten books chosen by our librarian. We will compete in a trivia-style competition in early May. First Light was the first book of the list for me. I liked the story, but I confess that I wasn't blown away by it. It's billed as a "science fiction" story, I think mostly because Peter's mother and father are both scientists and they are on a scientific expedition. There is a touch of magic in that some of the characters have special abilities, but it lacks many of the characteristics that I have come to associate with the science fiction genre. I did like how Stead brought the two parallel stories of Thea and Peter together in an interesting plot twist. There were a few things about Thea's underground society that were never fully explained, which probably wouldn't bother a younger reader, but stood out to me. Overall, I think it was a fun little adventure story.