tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80773421974762089302024-03-13T12:01:36.049-07:00{Teeny Bopper Book Blog}{A "just starting out" young adult book blog, dedicated to bringing you quick reviews of ARC's}
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-29309155896141034892015-03-01T17:24:00.000-08:002015-03-01T17:29:37.975-08:00Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDtcceZDWFQ/VPO7P9EqmSI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/IzDYykKBNVo/s1600/biggie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDtcceZDWFQ/VPO7P9EqmSI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/IzDYykKBNVo/s1600/biggie.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>Synopsis: courtesy of amazon.com}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Henry “Biggie” Abbott is the son of one of
Finch, Iowa’s most famous athletes. His father was a baseball legend and his
step-dad is a close second. At an obese 300+ pounds though, Biggie himself
prefers classroom success to sports. As a perfectionist, he doesn’t understand
why someone would be happy getting two hits in five trips to the plate. “Forty
percent, that’s an F in any class,” he would say. As Biggie’s junior year
begins, the girl of his dreams, Annabelle Rivers, starts to flirt with him.
Hundreds of people have told him to follow in his dad’s footsteps and play
ball, but Annabelle might be the one to actually convince him to try. What
happens when a boy who has spent his life since fourth grade trying to remain
invisible is suddenly thrust into the harsh glare of the high school spotlight?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Review}:</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I received this ARC courtesy of
Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">When one is perusing for a newly released
title to add to the queue, usually you look to the books that you’re interested
in, and those you think will give the most “bang for your buck”. I liked the
synopsis of this particular titled, I LOVED that the main character was male,
and that the author was tackling an issue that is plaguing our young people
today: Obesity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Wow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I truly thought that this story would be a relatively
simple one: A boy, feeling sorry for himself about his weight. Chastised by
peers, his parents, etc. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">But it’s SO much more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In my opinion, there are about 5 storylines
going on at once: A boy trapped in the body that he created himself, and
realizing that he desperately wants to fix it, and his journey TO fixing it. A
young man who grew up not knowing his all-star teenaged father, who essentially
gave him up to pursue his own dreams. A son of a stepdad that seemingly doesn’t
care about him. A pubescent teenager, who is desperately looking for love from
the wrong places. And… a social outcast desperately trying to fit in.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’m not going to waste your time with a
synopsis, but all you have to know is that this story is GUTWRENCHING at times.
I’m a big believer in crying when the mood strikes, and there were many times
during this novel when I just broke down in tears. Many times about his
struggles with his weight {I am ALL too familiar with sitting in a flimsy gown
and getting ready for the steady barrage about how much weight I gained as a
teen}. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Was this Mr. Sullivan’s intention? Maybe not.
But there were some one-liners in this book that had me gut-wrenchingly sad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Another facet that I adored about this book
is that there were a lot of VERY bittersweet moments between main character
Biggie {Henry}, and his stepdad, Laser. But unlike so many other YA books—it
wasn’t at all forced. The scenarios were incredibly real & raw. No
calculating needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It also wasn’t your typical “jock” book,
either. It had a much more sophisticated presentation than similar titles that
I’ve encountered.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Bravo Derek Sullivan! Bravo! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Where can I buy this?}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amazon:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">http://www.amazon.com/Biggie-Derek-E-Sullivan-ebook/dp/B00S5OJU2W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1425258319&sr=8-3&keywords=biggie<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">B & N:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/biggie-derek-e-sullivan/1120798399?ean=9780807507278<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">{What would I rate it?}: 4.95/5::: my only
complaint is that I would’ve liked to see the mom developed a little more.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Who would I recommend this book to?}: </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone who enjoys YA
literature, young men especially, people who enjoy baseball, anyone looking for
one of those books you pick up at 9AM on a Sunday afternoon, and only stop
reading to pee and grab something to eat.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-36683466541241248952014-11-11T17:16:00.000-08:002014-11-11T17:20:27.949-08:00Rumble {Ellen Hopkins}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pT5epD671Fs/VGKz339ltbI/AAAAAAAAADs/qUKVYOTg0Q4/s1600/rumble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pT5epD671Fs/VGKz339ltbI/AAAAAAAAADs/qUKVYOTg0Q4/s320/rumble.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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Synopsis: {courtesy of amazon.com}:<br />
Does it get better? The New York Times bestselling author of Crank and Tricks explores the highly charged landscapes of bullying and forgiveness with brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance.<br />
<br />
Matthew Turner knows it doesn’t get better.<br />
His younger brother Luke was bullied mercilessly after one of Matt’s friends outed Luke to the whole school, and when Luke called Matt—on the brink of suicide—Matt was too wrapped up in his new girlfriend to answer the phone. Now Luke is gone, and Matt’s family is falling apart.<br />
No matter what his girlfriend Hayden says about forgiveness, there’s no way Matt’s letting those he blames off the hook—including himself. As Matt spirals further into bitterness, he risks losing Hayden, the love of his life. But when her father begins to pressure the school board into banning books because of their homosexual content, he begins to wonder if he and Hayden ever had anything in common.<br />
With brilliant sensitivity and emotional resonance, bestselling author Ellen Hopkins’s Rumble explores bullying and suicide in a story that explores the worth of forgiveness and reconciliation.<br />
<br />
{Review}: Ellen Hopkins was my first TRUE YA
love.</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’ll set the scene for you: I was in my local
B & N a number of years ago {I want to say 2-3 ish?}, and I noticed her
book “Crank” on the shelves. It looked intriguing, and I took a peek inside,
and knew I’d be through it in no time flat {for those who haven’t had the
pleasure, Hopkins does an amazing job of writing in prose—short, sweet
verses, that although don’t rhyme, almost feel like you’re reading a collection
of immensely moving short stories, which are all really intertwined. By the end of the weekend, I’d hibernated,
and read every one of the series {including <u>Glass </u>& <u>Fallout</u>}. I’ve picked
up almost every one since, and I’ve really enjoyed every single one.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Including <u>Rumble</u>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We meet Matt, a highschooler who has just
recently lost his brother to suicide. His brother is a homosexual, and you
realize throughout the novel that he was bullied into making the
decision to end his life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Matt also just happens to have an
ultra-conservative girlfriend {who is a bit of a Jesus freak}, and who seems
supportive at the beginning of this tale, but you have a feeling (even from the
first couple of pages), that it’s all going to end badly between them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Matt’s parents are also mid-relationship
breakdown during this story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I enjoyed this book for so many reasons.
Least of all that Ellen Hopkins isn’t afraid of tackling the vital issues of today’s teens—teenage suicide,
depression, divorce, cheating, bullying, PTSD, alcoholism, you name it… it’s in
this masterfully created YA novel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And like most EH stories...this one went from TBR to finished in less than a day {3-4 hours to be exact}. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I couldn't put it away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">{Where can I buy this?}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amazon: <o:p></o:p></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rumble-Ellen-Hopkins/dp/1442482842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415754534&sr=8-1&keywords=rumble">http://www.amazon.com/Rumble-Ellen-Hopkins/dp/1442482842/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415754534&sr=8-1&keywords=rumble</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">B & N: <o:p></o:p></span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rumble-ellen-hopkins/1118600589?ean=9781442482845">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rumble-ellen-hopkins/1118600589?ean=9781442482845</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">{What would I rate it?}: 4.9/5. Masterfully
done.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light",sans-serif; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">{Who would I recommend this book to?}: Anyone
who is handling any of the above issues in their own lives, and any/all teens.
It’s a great book not only about the issues, but also about forgiveness and
acceptance of the hand you’re dealt in life.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I would also suggest ANY of Hopkins' tales for young reluctant readers. She has a way of completely captivating you, and with the short verses...I feel as though this audience would be entranced at first glance.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-46069276608951662572014-11-02T15:01:00.000-08:002014-11-02T15:01:04.934-08:00How We Fall by Kate Brauning {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_l0X7DL2-Y/VFa2PNBK6JI/AAAAAAAAADc/5hw_W5MAVS4/s1600/how%2Bwe%2Bfall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_l0X7DL2-Y/VFa2PNBK6JI/AAAAAAAAADc/5hw_W5MAVS4/s1600/how%2Bwe%2Bfall.jpg" height="320" width="220" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">{release date: November 3rd at Amazon & B&N: November 11: Nationwide Retailers}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Synopsis: {courtesy of amazon.com}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever since Jackie moved to her uncle's sleepy
farming town, she's been flirting way too much--and with her own cousin,
Marcus.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Her friendship with him has turned into
something she can't control, and he's the reason Jackie lost track of her best
friend, Ellie, who left for...no one knows where. Now Ellie has been missing
for months, and the police, fearing the worst, are searching for her body.
Swamped with guilt and the knowledge that acting on her love for Marcus would
tear their families apart, Jackie pushes her cousin away. The plan is to fall
out of love, and, just as she hoped he would, Marcus falls for the new girl in
town. But something isn't right about this stranger, and Jackie's suspicions
about the new girl's secrets only drive the wedge deeper between Jackie and
Marcus--and deepens Jackie's despair.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Then Marcus is forced
to pay the price for someone else's lies as the mystery around Ellie's
disappearance starts to become horribly clear. Jackie has to face terrible
choices. Can she leave her first love behind, and can she go on living with the
fact that she failed her best friend?<span style="color: #333333;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Review}: </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, for those of you who don’t know
me: I really enjoy my sleep. Being a reading specialist for k-5<sup>th</sup>
grade, takes it out of me during the day, and at night, I really just like to
sleep. I try to get in bed BY 8PM, and am usually asleep the minute my head
hits the pillows.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I started this e-book {an ARC courtesy of Edelweiss},
last Sunday night at 9:45PM. I finally put it down at 10:40… simply dying to
find out what happened next. The next day, I took it to school and read it on
my lunch break, and then Monday night, from 9:45-12:57am EXACTLY…I finished it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Why?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Because it’s just that good.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m a hoarder of ARC’s. I picked this one
because I liked the charm bracelet cover, and I really liked the colors. I very
rarely read the synopsis, and in this case, I’m glad I didn’t. I went in not
knowing anything but that this “looked” like a great read.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We’re first introduced to the main
characters: Jackie and Marcus, at a roadside farm stand, in a very rural backdrop. You
can tell off the bat that there is a definite chemistry between the two of
them. It becomes BLATANT when they start making out in his pickup truck after
they close up shop for the day on a private/dirt-esqe road. You’ll find your fingers start
to burn while you’re reading it, because you can tell there is an undeniable heat
emanating from the two of them. The masterful way it’s written, you almost feel
like a voyeur, looking in on these kids, who are obviously head over heels in
love with one another, and can’t contain themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And then, she hits you with it.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As in sucker-punches-you-right-in-the-gut/smacks-you-palm-open-across-the-face
with it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><b><u>They’re first cousins.</u></b></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ll admit, I may have dropped my kindle and
had a little “What the HELL?” moment/fit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But once I got my bearings, and read about
20% of the way in, I realized that this was way deeper than just a case of
“kissing cousins”... even though they had made it clear that they hadn't consummated their love quite yet...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And then…</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">you just… <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Can’t. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Stop. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Reading.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When we meet Jackie, she’s incredibly
concerned about a friend, Ellie {great name, right?}, who has abruptly gone missing. She moved
away last school year, and they really lost touch {and to her defense, it was
mainly because she was so enamored and engrossed with her love affair with
Marcus that she lost touch with her friend}. She’s incredibly upset over it,
and is trying to solve this mystery, while continuing to attempt to maintain
this forbidden relationship with her cousin and best friend.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You feel guilty FOR her, because you can tell
this fear over her former best friend is so real, you feel incredibly sad when
Marcus starts fawning over a new gal in town, and begins dating her (in an
attempt to provide an air of normalcy to his life), and if you’re anything like
me, you may start to cry because when the love of your life as a teenager
starts showing interest in someone else—it breaks your heart. It’s also
incredibly sobering because in addition to all of this, you’re getting a
first-hand glimpse into the horrible guilt they’re feeling over potentially
giving into their desires, and ultimately breaking up their family in the
process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">By the end of this amazing tale… {and much to
your own surprise}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">You find yourself championing for their love.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was literally about halfway through that I
took a hot tea break, and as I’m watching the pot boil and thinking about what
I’m reading, I’m thinking to myself: “I really hope this works out for them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Does it?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pick up this PHENOMENAL read, and find out.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Where can I buy this?}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-We-Fall-Kate-Brauning/dp/1440581797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414967642&sr=8-1&keywords=how+we+fall<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-we-fall-kate-brauning/1119045650?ean=9781440581793<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{What would I rate it?}: </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5/5. One of the most
masterful </span>story lines<span style="font-family: inherit;"> since </span><u style="font-family: inherit;">We Were Liars </u><span style="font-family: inherit;"> {according to moi}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Who would I recommend this book to?}:</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Grade
8 plus. The make-out sections are steamy, but not too-terrible… I’m just not
sure that any kids younger would understand the turmoil that this puts on the
shoulders of these young characters.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-36874084268078149402014-10-26T17:02:00.000-07:002014-10-26T17:02:49.752-07:00Review {The Fourteenth Goldfish}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQD_UtxANJg/VE2K1EexEKI/AAAAAAAAADM/VZPMF9TNGV0/s1600/14th%2Bgoldfish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iQD_UtxANJg/VE2K1EexEKI/AAAAAAAAADM/VZPMF9TNGV0/s1600/14th%2Bgoldfish.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Synopsis & cover photo: {courtesy of amazon.com}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Galileo. Newton. Salk. Oppenheimer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Science can change the world . . . but can it
go too far?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change.
She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her
dearly departed goldfish. Then one day a strange boy shows up. He’s bossy. He’s
cranky. And weirdly enough . . . he looks a lot like Ellie’s grandfather, a
scientist who’s always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this
pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal
youth?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">With a lighthearted touch and plenty of
humor, Jennifer Holm celebrates the wonder of science and explores fascinating
questions about life and death, family and friendship, immortality . . . and
possibility.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Review}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{I received a digital copy of this book VIA
Netgalley in return for an honest review}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I LOVED this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a feeling before I even started that it
was going to be about more than goldfish…and it definitely was.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ellie’s world turns upside down when her
grandfather comes to stay with them. Except, unlike most grandparents, her
grandfather {Melvin}…isn’t just some old man who wear slippers around the house
and does crossword puzzles—he’s a scientist. Who has discovered a cure for
aging.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And turns himself into an adolescent boy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And the story unfolds from this beginning.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed this book for a few reasons: It
reminded me a little bit of <u>Back To The Future</u>. With a little more Doc
Brown. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also loved the message that this story had.
It was sweet, pretty profound, and I definitely had tears in my eyes when I
finished it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It took me all of about 2.5 summer hours to
read {my summer hours are definitely much easier to “read straight through”
in}. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also liked that some of this book was given
away piece by piece. I definitely am going to look into it and see what guided
reading level it is to possibly use it with one of my groups this school year:
I really enjoyed the message within the pages. I also liked that Holm took the
time to place resources in the back of the book to further look into some of the
scientific matters {an excellent resource for educators looking to squeeze potential
out of this fantastic book!}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Where can I buy this?}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fourteenth-Goldfish-Jennifer-L-Holm/dp/0375870644/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1414367664&sr=1-1&keywords=the+fourteenth+goldfish<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fourteenth-goldfish-jennifer-holm/1117541921?ean=9780375870644<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{What would I rate it?}: 4.9/5. I really,
REALLY liked it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Who would I recommend this book to?}: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anyone with an
interest in science, pre-teen girls AND boys, basically…pretty much any kiddo
out there!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-19874566501247047782014-10-21T17:27:00.000-07:002014-10-21T17:28:55.907-07:00Depth of Field {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qK7HRVjnpdU/VEb5lzfZlhI/AAAAAAAAAC4/4H2NGYokwd4/s1600/depth%2Bof%2Bfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qK7HRVjnpdU/VEb5lzfZlhI/AAAAAAAAAC4/4H2NGYokwd4/s1600/depth%2Bof%2Bfield.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Synopsis: courtesy of amazon.com}: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Two weeks in New York City should be the time
of Pippa’s life: she’s attending the prestigious Tisch Photography Camp, her
boyfriend, Dylan McCutter (two months and counting!) is coming with her, and
their parents are 500 miles away. Talk about lights, camera, (swoony,
unchaperoned) action! But what should be 14 unforgettable days of bliss turns
into chaos when her one and only nemesis, Ben Baxter, proves to be surprisingly
more complex than she could’ve ever imagined, and her Tisch mentor, a renowned
photographer, seems to have a lot more to do with her parents’ past than anyone
wants her to know. Is Pippa out of her depth?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Picking up where she left off in The Rule of
Thirds, Pippa Greene returns in Depth of Field, in a story full of the same
heart, comedic touches, and romance that made readers fall in love with Chantel
Guertin’s charming YA series.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Review}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Any story about photography will absolutely
get my attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">My full attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Knowing this ahead of time, I knew I had to
request this story from netgalley, and I did a happy dance when I was finally
chosen as the recipient of an ARC. I also DID NOT read book 1. I’m now going to
go back and read book 1, to see what I missed… but it didn’t “take away” from
reading this novel.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Pippa is a sweet girl, who lost her father
who just happened to be a local photographer. You get the feeling that Pippa
“does photography” for two reasons: she’s predisposed to being artsy, but she
also seems to have a knack for it, as well. She enters a competition, and it
seems that another local boy has, as well—with HER work. They both have
different motives, as to why they want to go to Tisch photography camp, but
both reasons are absolutely legitimate, and make you love the characters even
more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This read was incredibly quick—I read it in
about 3 hours cover to cover…perfect summer sunshine read. And the twist at the
end, is absolutely marvelous, and makes the whole book so much more meaningful
as a whole. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also liked how this book started off as a
traditional “sweet love story” where the protagonist had to leave her boyfriend
for summer camp, but they would be reunited again soon, and then quickly became
a book that was so much more than just the clichéd YA drama-fest. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Where can I buy this?}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Depth-Field-Pippa-Greene-Novel/dp/1770411836/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413937252&sr=8-1&keywords=depth+of+field<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/depth-of-field-chantel-guertin/1117926086?ean=9781770411838<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{What would I rate it?}: 4.7/5. I really
enjoyed the way this book was written, and I absolutely fell in love with Pippa
as a character. However, I felt as though some of the minor characters
{especially some of her classmates} were rushed while developing, and I felt
like some of them didn’t need to necessarily be in there at all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Who would I recommend this book to?}: Anyone
who enjoys an in-depth book that deals with so much more than teenage love and
YA subjects.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri Light, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-65222424613987912582014-08-19T11:37:00.003-07:002014-08-19T11:39:05.516-07:00Elixir by Ted Galdi {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsrI0i82jP4/U_OZa6ExlAI/AAAAAAAAACc/4wBOoKsviU8/s1600/51y8ygDmmmL._BO2%2C204%2C203%2C200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4%2CBottomRight%2C1%2C22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TsrI0i82jP4/U_OZa6ExlAI/AAAAAAAAACc/4wBOoKsviU8/s1600/51y8ygDmmmL._BO2%2C204%2C203%2C200_PIsitb-sticker-v3-big%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-55_SX278_SY278_PIkin4%2CBottomRight%2C1%2C22_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Synopsis: courtesy of amazon.com}: <span style="background-color: white;">Meet
14-year-old Sean Malone. He has an IQ above 200, a full-ride scholarship to one
of the country’s top universities, and more than one million dollars from his
winning streak on Jeopardy. However, Sean wishes he could just be normal.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br />
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background: white;">But his life is anything but normal. The US
government manipulates him, using him as a code breaker in pursuit of a drug
lord and killing innocent people along the way.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><span style="background: white;">For reasons related to his personal security,
Sean finds himself in Rome, building a new life under a new name, abandoning
academics, and hiding his genius from everyone. When he’s 18 he falls in love.
The thrills begin again when he learns that his girlfriend is critically ill
and it’s up to him to use his intellect to find a cure, a battle pitting him
against a multi-billion-dollar pharmaceutical company and the demons of his
past.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><br /><span style="background: white;">Elixir is a story about identity, secrets, and
above all, love.</span></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Review}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I </span>received<span style="font-family: inherit;"> this title courtesy of Netgalley. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’ve been reading far too many girl-themed YA…
all drama and boys, and while well written, I was excited for a change of pace.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I began this book, I didn’t love protagonist
Sean Malone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I mean, he was kind of a pompous kid, who
knew everything in the world there is to know. However, when reading this book,
even though you might not be rooting for him to begin with {again, because he’s
portrayed as that snobby jeopardy kid}, the author weaves a story that’s
impossibly good: you literally cannot put it down.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoyed that the character of Sean,
was an outcast not because of how he looked, or how he dressed…but because he
was so insanely smart. I feel like there aren’t many authors that take that
risk, and in this case, it definitely took.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I maybe put it down for meals, and bathroom
breaks, but it was incredibly good. While the plot might seem a little
unrealistic, I promise you that it’s incredibly exciting (and actually seems as
though it could happen) and well written, especially appealing to the YA men
out there. Bravo Ted Galdi!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Where can I buy this?}:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MAYJIZM/ref=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0EBEYNF8ATV1DF6N77TM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846" target="_blank">Buy from Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{What would I rate it?}: 4.5/5. A solid
novel, especially appealing to those YA kids who aren’t wanting the Dystopian
society/love at first sight/someone’s dying types of YA we’ve been reading as
of late.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">{Who would I recommend this book to?}: YA
males, especially those who are smart, and might feel disconnected because they’re
different.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-14258106086274760732014-08-08T18:54:00.000-07:002014-08-08T18:54:39.281-07:00{Review} Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
{image from amazon.com}</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwOEhMZpk8U/U-V-tCsWA8I/AAAAAAAAACM/zmNkf-x2gZ8/s1600/dear+nobody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwOEhMZpk8U/U-V-tCsWA8I/AAAAAAAAACM/zmNkf-x2gZ8/s1600/dear+nobody.jpg" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>{Synopsis:
courtesy of amazon.com}:</u></b> </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 13.5pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="color: #333333;">Go Ask Alice </span></i><span style="color: #333333;">was
a hoax. But <i>Dear Nobody</i> is a true teen diary so raw and so
edgy its authenticity rings off every page<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"I am a
freak."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The words and drawings
of Mary Rose present a gritty, powerful, no-holds-barred true experience of a
teen girl so desperate to be loved, so eager to fit in that she'll go to
extremes that could cost her her life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is not a story
about addiction. Or sexual promiscuity. Or cystic fibrosis. It's the story of a
young woman with a powerful will to live, who more than anything wants to be
heard...and loved.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; margin-bottom: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This compelling,
emotional account ensures her voice will not be forgotten.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>{Review}: </b></u>I received this ARC courtesy of Netgalley in
exchange for an honest review. I started this book off not sure what to expect.
After reading the synopsis, I was intrigued, so I started reading.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s an
incredible true-life journey of what a teen’s life is. At some places, you’re reading
along, and you think… “Ugh…that sounds so childish…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Well DUH!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It’s her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Unparalleled,
unbiased, completely true to life-teenage angst.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Much of the
book reads like a similar diary of mine {not the alcohol and drug use, or the
sex, but much of the back and forth “I love him, I hate him, he loves someone
else”}… it was like going back in time. That should be one of the biggest draws
for a novel like this: that it WILL take you back… to when you thought your
world was crumbling and imploding around you {and in Mary Rose’s case, many
times, it truly is}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I also
{because I’m ALWAYS doing this…} saw a teaching opportunity to tie this into
another fiction book, and do some sort of analysis. Possibly another book where
the protagonist dies, and do a comparison of the main characters. It intrigued
me how strong willed Mary Rose is. And I think struggling adolescents could
learn a thing or two from her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>{Where can I
buy this?}: </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dear-Nobody-True-Diary-Mary-ebook/dp/B00IT6C2QM/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1407548915&sr=1-1&keywords=dear+nobody" target="_blank">Buy it from Amazon</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">B & N: <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dear-nobody-gillian-mccain/1117168463?ean=9781402287589" target="_blank">Buy from B & N</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><u>{What would
I rate it?}</u></b>: 4.5/5. I liked it. I probably wouldn’t read it again, but it was
pretty darn great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><u><b>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}</b></u>: Any adolescent
that could use a good read.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-85196301264863639422014-07-23T17:37:00.000-07:002014-08-05T19:19:10.080-07:00Undone by Cat Clarke {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NoDAgMZg_A/U9BU3eFb40I/AAAAAAAAAEs/oYyN6Smji20/s1600/cat+clarke+undone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1NoDAgMZg_A/U9BU3eFb40I/AAAAAAAAAEs/oYyN6Smji20/s1600/cat+clarke+undone.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{obviously: cover from amazon.com: link below}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background: white; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><b>{Synopsis: courtesy
of amazon.com}:</b></u> Jem Halliday is in love with her best
friend. It doesn't matter that Kai is gay, or that he'll never look at her the
way she looks at him. Jem is okay with that. But when Kai is outed online by
one of their classmates, he does the unthinkable and commits suicide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jem is left to pick up the pieces of her broken
life. Before he died, Kai left her twelve letters—one for each month of the
year—and those letters are all Jem has left. That, and revenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although Kai's letters beg her not to
investigate what happened, Jem can't let it go. She needs to know who did this,
and she'll stop at nothing to find the person responsible for Kai's death. One
way or another, someone is going down. Someone is going to pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<div align="center" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Synopsis: courtesy
of amazon.com}: Jem Halliday is in love with her best
friend. It doesn't matter that Kai is gay, or that he'll never look at her the
way she looks at him. Jem is okay with that. But when Kai is outed online by
one of their classmates, he does the unthinkable and commits suicide.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jem is left to pick up the pieces of her broken
life. Before he died, Kai left her twelve letters—one for each month of the
year—and those letters are all Jem has left. That, and revenge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12pt;">Although Kai's letters beg her not to
investigate what happened, Jem can't let it go. She needs to know who did this,
and she'll stop at nothing to find the person responsible for Kai's death. One
way or another, someone is going down. Someone is going to pay.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><b>{Review}</b></u>:
I received this book as an ARC from netgalley.com. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">A
few years ago, <u>Thirteen Reasons Why</u> was added to the syllabus of the
school that I work for’s 9<sup>th</sup> grade required reading list. Many
parents were urged to read the book, as it is a story about teen suicide, where
the protagonist left behind 13 audio tapes that basically explained her thought
processes in her last days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
IMMEDIATELY went back to this book when I read <u>Undone</u>. Now, with that
said, really the only similarities that exist are that they both deal with teenage
suicide, as well as people speaking from beyond the grave. They are also both
impeccably written YA books that you literally just melt into. The book becomes
a part of you while you’re reading it, and you can’t eat, sleep, or anything
until you’re done with it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">We
start by meeting Jem, a sweet lost soul who has just had to bury her teenaged
best friend. He’s committed suicide (it isn’t a secret), but what is, is really
why he felt the need to end his life, as well as who was behind the “straw that
broke the camel’s back?” I don’t want to give it away, but Jem is gay, and
there was social media involved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s
a mystery, but Jem decides to “get back” at whomever she thinks might have done
this to him. Meanwhile, she starts to get these letters from Kai. All
well-meaning and good letters about her moving on with her life, and attempting
to better herself, while she’s in the midst of trying to punish those that she
thinks are responsible for her best friend’s death.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">You’ll
be blindsided by the ending to this book. Really, you’ll be staring with your
mouth open at around 85% completion… and your jaw will continue to slacken
throughout the ending of the book. And you also might cry.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s
masterful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Brilliant,
even.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">One
of the best of 2014 {Right now, this book is tied for 1st place IMO, with
Oblivion & We Were Liars}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">And
the length, at first glance…kind of scared me. I don’t love any YA read that’s
over 300 pages…but this FLEW by. I finished it in a day and a half at the
beach. It was WONDERFUL!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
also enjoyed the fact that Cat Clarke brought the ills of social media into it.
It’s very interesting to see what could happen at a get together, that could
then end up all over the internet.</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><b>{Where
can I buy this?}:</b></u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Undone-Cat-Clarke-ebook/dp/B00IJEVN9Q/ref=la_B005XPT5CQ_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404846608&sr=1-1<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">B
& N:</span> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/undone-cat-clarke/1113965658?ean=9781402292248<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><b>{What
would I rate it?}: </b></u>4.99999999/5 stars. It was practically perfect.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><u><b>{Who
would I recommend this book to?}: </b></u>Anyone who enjoyed Thirteen Reasons Why or We
Were Liars. It was a good combination of those two.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> I received this book as an ARC from netgalley.com. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-59197740774129702592014-07-07T15:01:00.001-07:002014-07-07T15:01:47.376-07:00Review: When Mr. Dog Bites {by Brian Conaghan}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JawoRmLIaMg/U7sYwUogcVI/AAAAAAAAAEc/0hxuYkp05mI/s1600/cover43019-medium+(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JawoRmLIaMg/U7sYwUogcVI/AAAAAAAAAEc/0hxuYkp05mI/s1600/cover43019-medium+(1).png" height="320" width="211" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Synopsis:
courtesy of amazon.com}: </span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">All Dylan Mint has ever wanted is to keep his
Tourette’s in check and live life as a “normal” teenager. The swearing, the
tics, the howling “dog” that escapes when things are at their worst—nothing
about Tourette’s makes it easy to meet cute girls or have normal friends (or
many friends at all). But a routine hospital visit changes everything—Dylan
overhears that he's going to die. In an attempt to claim the life he’s always
wanted, he decides to grant himself parting wishes, or “Cool Things To Do
Before I Cack It”. In an intimate portrayal of life with Tourette’s, Dylan’s
journey to come to terms with the disorder that has defined his life and his
preconceptions about the world around him is hilarious, painful and,
ultimately, utterly masterful.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Review}: </span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I received
this ARC courtesy of Netgalley.com, in exchange for an honest review.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, honestly…
this book was really great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Really,
REALLY great.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Multiple
times I had to remind myself to quiet down my laughter, because I wasn’t sure
that it was “appropriate” to laugh at some certain things. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We see this
story told from Dylan Mint’s perspective….all about this impending March date—where
he assumes that he overhears that he’s going to die. What actually happens is
very predictable, but I think that this story is more about the innocence of
this kid who is dealing with run-of-the-mill teenaged things, but also has to
function with tourette’s. It gives the reader a glimpse into what it’s like to
function with a syndrome such as tourette’s, and from what I know about it,
Conaghan has nailed writing a student with tourettes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s also interesting
to see a first person account of what it’s like to be labeled as “different”,
and attend a different school than your peers. It was a very refreshing read.
Obviously, there is some more “adult” themed humor, but I think any kiddo over
the age of 15 could handle it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Where can I
buy this?}: </span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anywhere books are sold—but I’d download it to my kindle OR Nook—it’s
on sale for 99 pennies {as of this moment in the universe}.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/When-Dog-Bites-Brian-Conaghan-ebook/dp/B00K0DRO0Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1404769500&sr=1-1&keywords=when+mr+dog+bites<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/when-mr-dog-bites-brian-conaghan/1117011735?ean=9781619633469<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>{What would
I rate it?}:</u></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.8/5. I loved the character of Dylan, and other more minor
characters, but I felt as though the “impending doom” was entirely too
predictable…. But it doesn’t take away from the story as a whole. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">OH—and I’m
not sure how I missed this, but much of this book also has Scottish slang in
it, because that’s where the characters are from. Just a forewarning. J<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Who would I
recommend this book to?}:</span></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Anyone who may have a child with tourette’s, a child
with tourette’s, and anyone who wants a good read.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-12720174720828979272014-06-06T02:24:00.000-07:002014-06-06T02:24:50.424-07:00Oblivion by Sasha Dawn {Review}<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fB3JdtPVdVM/U5GIBSZLBoI/AAAAAAAAAEE/rZWuiaj2j-M/s1600/download+(10).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fB3JdtPVdVM/U5GIBSZLBoI/AAAAAAAAAEE/rZWuiaj2j-M/s1600/download+(10).jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Synopsis: courtesy
of amazon.com}: </u></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;">Lisa McMann's</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><i> </i></span><i>Dead
to You</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> meets Kate Ellison's<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><i>The
Butterfly Clues</i><span class="apple-converted-space"> in a psychological thriller full of romance,
intrigue, and mystery. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 14.979999542236328px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">One
year ago, Callie was found in an abandoned apartment, scrawling words on the
wall: "I KILLED HIM. His blood is on my hands. His heart is in my soul. I
KILLED HIM." But she remembers nothing of that night or of
the previous thirty-six hours. All she knows is that her father, the
reverend at the Church of the Holy Promise, is missing, as is Hannah, a young
girl from the parish. Their disappearances have to be connected and Callie
knows that her father was not a righteous man.</span></div>
</span>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;">Since
that fateful night, she's been plagued by graphomania -- an unending and
debilitating compulsion to write. The words that flow from Callie's mind
and through her pen don't seem to make sense -- until now.</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
</span>
</span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 107%;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the
anniversary of Hannah's vanishing approaches, more words and memories bubble to
the surface and a new guy in school might be the key to Callie putting together
the puzzle. But digging up the secrets she's buried for so long might be her
biggest mistake.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Review}:</u> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I received
this ARC courtesy of Netgalley.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>Wow.</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just wow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I haven’t
read a book like this since I went through my Ellen Hopkins binge phase last
year, where I literally read every book she ever published.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sasha Dawn
has done an amazing job of putting us right in the thick of Callie’s thoughts,
fears, and the incredible journey of someone who suffers with graphomania {a compulsion
to write}. The book is written in a way where you’re not 100% sure where the
next turn is going to take you, but I promise it’s all resolved at the end.
Callie’s thoughts are leading her to figure out the events that happened a year
ago: when she was found in the apartment she lived in with her mother, with
muddy footprints with the words “I killed him” all over the walls, written in
red felt-tip marker.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is
obviously more of a storyline than just the graphomania that is gripping poor
Callie. There’s some romance, some drama with her foster sister over said
romance… but it’s all very natural and doesn’t feel at all forced {where I
think some of the newer YA books DO feel forced}. I did feel at times that I
was waiting for the book to finally come to a close, or finally come to the
conclusion that we, as readers, needed
to come to, but I’m a VERY impatient person. It’s worth the wait to see the
ending to this one. Absolutely 100% worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were
two things I adored in this book: 1. The romance. It wasn’t “overly” done.
There are also some mentions of rape/molestation, but it’s never blatantly put
out there as far as what they’re doing… readers need to do a lot of inferencing
about what is happening. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. That this
is a story not only that’s interesting and a good read, but is also about a
compulsion. SO many young adult readers struggle with different compulsions:
OCD behaviors, cutting, etc…. that I am enjoying more and more that there are
books out there that make these kids feel as though they have a voice, and that
they aren’t alone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Where can I
buy this?}: </u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ll bet your local bookstore may have it in stock.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazon: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1606844768/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d10_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0Y5V86QYYRTXEWRV37Z4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">B & N:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/oblivion-sasha-dawn/1116816979?ean=9781606844762<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{What would
I rate it?}:</u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 4.9/5. Practically Perfect in Every Way. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{Who would I
recommend this book to?}: </span></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> I think that
kiddos in grade 8+ would be okay with this book. Or anyone who wants to
read an awesome-sauce book!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-17450383418054522852014-05-26T05:04:00.001-07:002014-05-26T05:05:18.190-07:00Blog Tour! {Branded: by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HrM5zn4epgo/U4MsfOKSPzI/AAAAAAAAAD0/fmD3ePnsXlA/s1600/download+(6).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HrM5zn4epgo/U4MsfOKSPzI/AAAAAAAAAD0/fmD3ePnsXlA/s1600/download+(6).jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's my very first blog tour, friends!! Whoop Whoop!!!! Thanks Abi & Missy for allowing me to be a part of your beautiful creation! :-)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Synopsis:
courtesy of amazon.com}: </u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; line-height: 107%;">Fifty years
ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his
warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the
Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few
years. At best. Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me.
I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain. Now every day is a fight for survival. But I
won’t die. I won’t let them win. The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break
me. I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter. My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is
my story.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Review}: </u></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lexi
Hamilton has recently been “branded”…with the brand “lust”. We don’t learn the reason
behind this until well into the novel, which makes it a very quick read: you’re
always looking for more answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You’re
transported to the world of the “Hole”… a place where Sinners are branded and
kept: a place kind of like a prison, but with more death, dilapidation, and
destruction. The plight and grotesqueness of this place is very adequately
depicted within the pages of this book: it is definitely a place that you don’t
want to ever come to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lexi is
branded and is strangely {at least for a sinner…} “protected” by guard Cole,
who is picturesquely handsome, and their part of her story is inevitable: She’s
a cute little lady, he’s a very handsome man…and sparks are a flying. BUT,
rules make it impossible for them to have a relationship: Guards aren’t
supposed to fall for/be into sinners. They’re on opposite sides. Although you think this might be the "main" storyline for this fabulous novel... it really isn't. Keep on reading, friends. :-)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I really
enjoyed a few things about this book. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. <!--[endif]-->Despite its length, it went by <b>very quickly.</b>
Many books I’ve read as of late take far too much time to get into the thick of
the story. Branded jumped directly in, and you were off and running, wondering
what was going to happen to this poor girl next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. <!--[endif]-->The characters were realistic enough, and
well developed, that you were enthralled in them, and I felt connected to many
of the minor characters, as well.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. <!--[endif]-->Abi and Missy have done a nice job of weaving
this story, so that you think you’ve got it figured out—and then BAM, you’re
hit with another blow to the face. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. <!--[endif]-->One of the most appealing parts to this book
is it’s descriptiveness. You’re literally transported there, something that
many newer authors are not on point with—but they hit it out of the park.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. <!--[endif]-->This book isn’t even really about the budding
romance, or the fact that this girl is branded at all, it’s about forbidden
love, governmental restraints, familial relationships, trust…it has it all. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><u>{SPOILER
ALERT!!!} </u></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Before you read this, understand that I <i>adored</i> this book, but knowing
that the young adult genre can be read by kiddos as young as 5<sup>th</sup>
grade, I felt the need to explain this: I absolutely have to say that there was
one part of this book that I was surprised with, only for the fact that it did
not seem “young adult” at all. It was a sexual scene, and while there wasn’t
any horribly foul/offensive language used, it was <b>INCREDIBLY</b> descriptive. It’s
a physically small part of the book, but an important part to the entire
storyline, so it really can’t be “glanced over”… this scene affected my recommendation
age below…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>That said
though, the entirety of the book shouldn’t be missed.</b> The storyline is
incredible, and I’m downloading the next in the series when I have more time
{and fewer TBR’s }, but I cannot wait to see what’s next and
in store for the characters! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Where can I
buy this?}: </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0989527417/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d1_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=0M3762NGGE0E3MEB85R4&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688200382&pf_rd_i=507846<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{What would
I rate it?}:</u> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.8/5: It's definitely a book I would recommend to older YA readers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}</u>: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would recommend this book to kiddos in grades 10+.
Although I think readability wise it could be appropriate for younger children,
I truly don’t believe it’s appropriate for kiddos below grade 10. In
addition to the above scene, there is a lot of violence, and I feel as though the
seven deadly sins reference would be lost on kids that are younger than 10<sup>th</sup>
grade.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All in all though, a wonderful read! :-)</span></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-84597517109959164902014-05-24T13:15:00.000-07:002014-05-24T13:15:07.918-07:00Flashback Friday {Review: Signal by Cynthia DeFelice}<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">(photo courtesy of google image search)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bL3RlZidTNk/U4D9QM6quLI/AAAAAAAAADk/EH8CqV0AwBo/s1600/download+(5).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bL3RlZidTNk/U4D9QM6quLI/AAAAAAAAADk/EH8CqV0AwBo/s1600/download+(5).jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a></div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Synopsis:
courtesy of amazon.com}: </u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #333333; line-height: 107%;">One day while
running on the trail near his house in upstate New York, Owen McGuire meets a
girl with startling green eyes and bloody cuts all over her body who seems to
be utterly alone. Her name is Campion, after the wildflower that is an alien
species in the area—<i>alien<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></i>meaning
“from someplace else”—and Campion claims to come from someplace else entirely,
a planet called Home. She plans to signal her parents to come pick her up in
their spaceship. Owen agrees to help, and as he does, he feels happier than he
has in a long time: His mother died a year and a half ago, and now he and his
workaholic father live together like two planets on separate orbits, in a new
house far from his friends. What will he do when Campion asks him to come with
her into outer space, away from his lonely life on Earth?</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Review}: </u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There are a few things that I love about this book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->It takes place on the shores of a finger lake
in Upstate NY—where I’ve grown and spent all of my 29 years on this Earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Cynthia DeFelice is behind this great piece
of fiction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->The cover is interesting and appealing,
before you ever open the book to read it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cynthia
DeFelice again paints a very realistic picture of an adolescent who is going
through some pretty serious changes in his life. His mother has died, his
father is very consumed with his life, and doesn’t necessarily have everything
together himself, let alone getting himself together for his son.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And then we
meet Campion: this poor scared alien-girl who mysteriously ended up near Owen’s
home, and has no family to speak of, except the family from another planet.
There is also a man—Ray, who is looking for her. Ray is a bit of a tough guy,
and you’re never quite sure what the connection is. Until the ending, which
will tear your heart out and stomp it on the floor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I bought
this selection from a scholastic book fair, because I knew that my guided
reading students would love it. I could see {from a teaching perspective} that
this would be a great addition to any child’s library, but especially to
children who have already read <u>Weasel</u> by C. DeFelice--- there are a multitude
of similarities of the story outlines, and it would be interesting for a
middle-grade level to take these texts and really dive deeply into them.
Cynthia DeFelice is also just a good author “to know”…as she has written a LOT
of awesome books that appeal to young readers. My fifth grade students—upon receiving
this book said the following: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Student 1: “Signal…
the cover looks pretty cool…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Student 2: “OMG!
It’s by Cynthia DeFelice!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Student 1: “That’s
awesome. After we read <u>Under The Same Sky</u>, I tried to read all of our
libraries books by her…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">{that’s
super powerful stuff, peeps!}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u>{Where can I
buy this?}: </u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Like I said,
I bought mine at the last scholastic book fair we had, but you should be able
to pick this up wherever books are sold.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>Amazon</u>: http://www.amazon.com/Signal-Cynthia-DeFelice/dp/0312617763/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400961886&sr=8-1&keywords=signal+by+cynthia+defelice<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>B & N</u>: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/signal-cynthia-defelice/1100357585?ean=9780312617769<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{What would
I rate it?}: </u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.8/5: I REALLY enjoyed this book, and it was an incredibly quick
read. My students thought the same, and were intrigued by the story the entire
time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}: </u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><u><br /></u></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyone with an advanced reading 4<sup>th</sup>
grader/ 5<sup>th</sup> grader (on or above level) who is looking for something
quick, and a good all-around read. Her stuff is really amazing, and once you've read one DeFelice, you really yearn to read at least 3+ more.... if not everything she's ever published. :-) </span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-62998807658824811042014-05-13T14:59:00.000-07:002014-05-13T14:59:56.888-07:00We Were Liars {E Lockhart}<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Photo courtesy of Google image search:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3n40YQUzxxM/U3KVP-usUGI/AAAAAAAAADU/E1-7UiZn0Wk/s1600/download+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3n40YQUzxxM/U3KVP-usUGI/AAAAAAAAADU/E1-7UiZn0Wk/s1600/download+(2).jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Synopsis:
courtesy of Amazon.com}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A beautiful and distinguished family.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A
private island.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;">A
brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.</span></div>
<span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
A
group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
A
revolution. An accident. A secret.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Lies
upon lies.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
True
love.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
The
truth.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
</span><i><div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="background: white;">We Were Liars<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i><span style="background-color: white;">is a modern, sophisticated suspense novel from
National Book Award finalist and Printz Award honoree E. Lockhart. </span></div>
</i><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
Read
it.</div>
</span><span style="background: white;"><div style="text-align: center;">
And if
anyone asks you how it ends, just LIE.</div>
</span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Review}:</b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Woah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just Woah.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’d heard
buzz about this book from the minute I attempted to snatch it up from my
netgalley.com account. I never in a million, gazillion years thought that
Penguin Books would EVER choose me to get an ARC, but I did.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And am I
EVER thankful for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This book is
a masterful piece of young adult literature. In fact, it’s unlike any book I’ve
really ever read. It reminds me a bit of The Great Gatsby {because of the
idyllic money situation, and living near the ocean… plus some of the adults act
a bit Tom Buchanan-esque}, throw in a little Gone Girl {in the mystery….}, and
a dash of the camaraderie and friendship you see in a novel like The Outsiders…and
you’ve kind of got a sliver of what you’re in for.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Main
character Cadence is a trust-fund grandbaby {the oldest, but only by three
weeks}. She’s the only child in her nuclear family, and her parents are pretty
recently divorced. She has 2 cousin’s with whom she’s very close, and another “family”
friend, Gat {who is really the son of the man who is dating her aunt}. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They
together, make up the liars.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While
reading this book, you’re transported into a world of tennis playing, ultra
rich kids, who really DON’T have it all together, or have it all…period. It’s
an incredibly enthralling tale {primarily because it’s about a culture of which
I don’t really know}…but more than that, Lockhart has done an absolutely
amazing job of making this a can’t-put-it-down type of summer read. This is the
book you tell all of your friends about, and practically throw in their beach
bag for them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will say
at the beginning, there’s a TON of information to take in all at once. Aunts
names, cousin’s names…it was a little overwhelming, and I actually had to
diagram it all. But it’s super important to know. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the
ending?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The ending
is the best possible part of the entire book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And it’s
masterful. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And you
NEVER see it coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And no….I
won’t tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Where can I
buy this?}</b>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Liars-E-Lockhart-ebook/dp/B00FPOSDGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400016983&sr=8-1&keywords=we+were+liars">http://www.amazon.com/We-Were-Liars-E-Lockhart-ebook/dp/B00FPOSDGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1400016983&sr=8-1&keywords=we+were+liars</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Barnes and
Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/we-were-liars-e-lockhart/1116530632?ean=9780385741262<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{What would
I rate it?}:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> 5/5. Solid 5 star book.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}</b>: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Anyone really. I’d say anyone who is interested in
the book and can read it, should. Anyone 12+ probably, if not 10+ {provided
they can handle some of the smootches, and there is some talk of “sexual
intercourse”, some light boozing…among other things : - )</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-49746738231070528592014-05-05T18:16:00.002-07:002014-05-05T18:16:54.371-07:00{The Fault In Our Stars} by John Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrQXjtLzKgw/U2g3ZWLZttI/AAAAAAAAADE/F13JrZcWtcY/s1600/download+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lrQXjtLzKgw/U2g3ZWLZttI/AAAAAAAAADE/F13JrZcWtcY/s1600/download+(1).jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Synopsis- from amazon.com}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought
her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter
inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters
suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be
completely rewritten.</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Review}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I’m not even
sure where to begin. This was an impulse purchase at my local Wegman’s. It was
on an end-cap, I’d heard amazing things in the halls of the school that I teach
{by the teachers…we only go up to 5<sup>th</sup> grade}, and in the
blogosphere. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Now, with
that said…. I don’t typically love hyped-up books. I thought <u>The Hunger
Games</u> trilogy ended with Suzanne Collin’s drinking the JK Rowling kool-aid
to try and prolong her series into “just one more book”… but unlike JK…failing miserably in the
attempt {I STRUGGLED THROUGH book 3 of the series).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">But I
figured I would give this one a chance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We are taken
through a modern day fairytale. Except Cinderella has cancer, and has to lug a
portable oxygen tank with her everywhere. Oh, and prince charming? He only has
one leg. Throughout the novel, we’re taken through the journey of Hazel and
Augustus—all of the awkwardness of a first love, complete with the C-word being
a third wheel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There were
some parts of this book that I while I was reading, I thought, “Why is all of
this time being wasted on this seemingly uninteresting part?” Trust in Mr.
Green. He knows what he’s doing. It’ll all come full circle. Promise.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There were
four things I absolutely adored about this book:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I read it in 2 days. I love any 300+ page
book that I can read quickly, especially starting it at night on a Sunday, and
finishing it before dinner on a Monday night, when I’ve worked all day. It was
incredibly easy to “get into”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">John Green writes teenaged girls incredibly
well. You almost have to remind yourself as you’re reading that this is a grown
man, writing this incredibly poignant stuff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The father in the book. He is one of the best
characters in the entire book. I absolutely adored him from the minute I met
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: center; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Calibri Light"; mso-fareast-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Where the book ends up. You never *really*
see the end coming. I mean, yes…you kind of do…but not in the way it’s
delivered. I was ugly crying on and off from around page 170 until the end of
the book. You’re always reading this story, knowing that there is a finality
lurking in the horizon of this perfectly crafted piece of writing. You’re
reading this incredibly personal story of these two kids, and your heart is
breaking for them. Every line, you think about your own mortality. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And every
line becomes that much more poignant.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.25in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Where can I
buy this?}: </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Anywhere
that sells books, basically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green-ebook/dp/B005ZOBNOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399338407&sr=8-1&keywords=The+fault+in+our+stars">http://www.amazon.com/Fault-Our-Stars-John-Green-ebook/dp/B005ZOBNOI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399338407&sr=8-1&keywords=The+fault+in+our+stars</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">B & N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-fault-in-our-stars-john-green/1104045488?ean=9780525478812&itm=1&usri=9780525478812&cm_mmc=bing-_-Children%27s%20Books-_-John%20Green%20-%20The%20Fault%20in%20Our%20Stars-_-Fault%20in%20Our%20Stars&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=bing&utm_term=Fault<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{What would
I rate it?}:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> 5/5. Easily the best book of 2014 I’ve read thus far.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Adults. Anyone over the age of 15. They can handle
it. There is some sex, and the subject matter just might be too much for
younger children to handle.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-80592410253369296552014-05-03T13:49:00.001-07:002014-05-03T13:52:21.466-07:00Dust of Eden by Mariko Nagai {Review}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pP5KQhB58E8/U2VVmLMXsPI/AAAAAAAAAA8/84_DKw-mtUI/s1600/18378823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pP5KQhB58E8/U2VVmLMXsPI/AAAAAAAAAA8/84_DKw-mtUI/s1600/18378823.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Synopsis (courtesy of Goodreads.com)}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;">We lived under a sky so blue in Idaho right near the towns of Hunt
and Eden but we were not welcomed there.</span></i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">In early 1942, thirteen-year-old Mina Masako Tagawa and her Japanese American
family are sent from their home in Seattle to an internment camp in Idaho. What
do you do when your home country treats you like an enemy? This memorable and
powerful novel in verse, written by award-winning author Mariko Nagai, explores
the nature of fear, the value of acceptance, and the beauty of life. As
thought-provoking as it is uplifting, </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dust of Eden</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt;"> is told
with an honesty that is both heart-wrenching and inspirational.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">
</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Review}:</b><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{I received an ARC digital copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley.com}</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I REALLY don’t
enjoy historical books. Come to think of it, I don’t enjoy history very much to
begin with. I feel like my present is so filled up, why should I worry about the
past? After reading this book though—I’ll definitely embrace it, that’s for
sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I will also
admit {with a heavy heart}, that I did not know much about the internment camp
situation in America. If anything, it was one of those parts of history that
your teacher only gave a day or so to, if that. It was rarely mentioned. Which
is absolutely horrible, and saddens my soul.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We meet our
narrator: Mina Tagawa, an adorable 13-year old soul who is quite possibly going
through the hardest time in her life. On the tails of Pearl Harbor anyone who
even RESEMBLED someone of Japanese descent was chastised for what had happened
(even though they had nothing to do with it). People around the town put up
signs in their shops, and as a group they’re taken on a horrible journey to a
camp.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nagai does
an excellent job of developing many of the characters, Mina especially. She
captures the essence of a young lady, who is already dealing with being a
teenager in a changing time, but is also going through this incredibly hard
time with the world around her. We also see, in a secondary character (Mina’s
big brother Nick), the incredible struggle of a young man who is torn between
two ideologies: Does he fight for the country he’s called home? Or does he
embrace his blood and heritage? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This book
was incredibly well written. It took me about 45 minutes to read cover to
cover. It kept my attention the entire time, and was a wonderfully written
book. I also learned a lot about that era (which is saying something coming
from a 29 year old!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Where can I
buy this?}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Amazon:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dust-Eden-Novel-Mariko-Nagai-ebook/dp/B00ICXZCA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399148685&sr=8-1&keywords=dust+of+eden">http://www.amazon.com/Dust-Eden-Novel-Mariko-Nagai-ebook/dp/B00ICXZCA0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1399148685&sr=8-1&keywords=dust+of+eden</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Barnes &
Noble:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dust-of-eden-mariko-nagai/1116819604?ean=9780807517390">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dust-of-eden-mariko-nagai/1116819604?ean=9780807517390</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{What would
I rate it?}:</b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4.7/5 stars – I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even learned
something! If anything—I thought it could be a little bit longer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>{Who would I
recommend this book to?}:</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> Anyone who would like a quick read, and anyone
looking to incorporate some non-fiction primary source documents in their
teaching during guided reading {I’m always looking for ways to TEACH the book,
and not just “read” it}. I could definitely see how you could do an entire unit
on this book, and might be able to do some projects with it, as well. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri Light, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08491596562120324263noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-20642052670645271542014-04-29T16:49:00.000-07:002014-04-29T16:49:27.191-07:00Fire & Flood {by Victoria Scott}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7TAG73dR5o/U2A5J498StI/AAAAAAAAACw/Rcua1r-eHZ8/s1600/fire+and+flood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-R7TAG73dR5o/U2A5J498StI/AAAAAAAAACw/Rcua1r-eHZ8/s1600/fire+and+flood.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Image courtesy of goodreads.com}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Synopsis
(courtesy of amazon.com)}</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">Time is slipping away. . . .</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors
can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to the middle of
nowhere for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her
crazy, her brother is dying--and she's helpless to change anything.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the
Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain
that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her
brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they
love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the
race.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust
the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen
sick in the first place?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">Victoria Scott's breathtaking novel grabs readers by the throat and doesn't let
go.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: 'Calibri Light', sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Review}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">{I received this
book as an ARC courtesy of Netgalley.com}<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">It took me a
whole 4 days to really get into this book. I read the first few chapters kind
of hap-hazardly. I truly thought that this book was just “another one of those
dystopian novels, and exactly like the rest of them.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This story
is of main character, Tella… who receives an awkward invitation to the “Brimstone
Bleed”… a contest comprised of people who are all vying for a cure for a loved
one. Some people are playing to save distant loved ones—others are playing to
save brothers, sisters, or even their own children.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Things get super interesting when author Scott, brought forth the beginning of the race,
with the Pandora’s (genetically engineered animals that are used as companions
for the contestants). From then on, I was absolutely hooked, and from about
chapters 10 to the end, I finished in about a day and a half (that’s also
working full time, planning for school, etc.)…. It was a SUPER quick read. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">I will say
that any/all trepidation's about the book slowing down in any way, went away
after the first 6 chapters. The rest of the book is QUICK. SO quick in fact,
that you might find a need to take some notes. The final 15% of the book (I
read it on a kindle), your jaw will be dropping on the floor of whatever room
you’re in. Scott has purposefully left parts of this story in the dark for an
<b>incredibly</b> masterful ending to this first book. It’s absolutely brilliant, and
the concept is “not just another dystopian novel.” It is SO much more than that!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">The ONLY
downfall to this story---- there are a plethora of “semi-important” characters
in this story—which makes my ADD mind squirm, but they’re easy to keep track
of, because Scott does a nice job of introducing them slowly, and making sure
you understand the relationship they have to Tella. I understand why most were
put in the story, but there were a lot of characters to keep track of. But that’s
my only qualm about this absolutely masterful piece of Young Adult Fiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Where can I
buy this?}:</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Amazon: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Flood-Victoria-Scott-ebook/dp/B00ESIVYLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398813658&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+and+flood">http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Flood-Victoria-Scott-ebook/dp/B00ESIVYLY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398813658&sr=8-1&keywords=fire+and+flood</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Barnes and
Noble:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-flood-victoria-scott/1116157492?ean=9780545537469<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{What would
I rate it?}:</b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">4.8/5 stars <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Who would
like to read it?}:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Any person who likes a hint of dystopian society, with a hint of
controversy, sprinkled in with some amazing writing and characterization.
*There were some scenes/language used that I would NOT recommend anyone under
the age of 13 to read this—young love and some f-bombs…*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><b>{Social
Media Links}:<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaScott">https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVictoriaScott</a><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
https://twitter.com/VictoriaScottYA</div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-10928463706312167272014-04-21T17:15:00.000-07:002014-04-21T17:20:20.264-07:00Countdown by Deborah Wiles<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ivsSP01lVQ/U1W1oS-6aoI/AAAAAAAAACg/9Upve4y9LUY/s1600/7192385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--ivsSP01lVQ/U1W1oS-6aoI/AAAAAAAAACg/9Upve4y9LUY/s1600/7192385.jpg" height="320" width="206" /></a></div>
{image courtesy of goodreads.com & google image search}<br />
<br />
<br />
Got this gem at the scholastic book sale for $2.50 (HARDCOVER!). I had heard from a 5th grader that it was a REALLY awesome book. The comment that she made was, "It's the format that's the coolest part." </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
{Yep, a 5th grader said that!}</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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And the format <b><i>is </i></b>one of the coolest parts! </div>
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This book is like none other that I've ever read. Not only because it's a realistic historical fiction piece, but because it talks about the Cuban missile crisis, and that's something that I, myself... don't know much about. I've heard my parents talk about duck and cover drills, but really I never understood (before reading this book), how often the occurred, and how impossibly scared the kids of this day and age were.</div>
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We meet Franny (the main character), and through her eyes, we see her complex family (she's a military brat, with her father in the military, an uncle who is suffering from PTSD from his own military experience, a mother who is the quintessential housewife, a (much older), older sister who is trying to fight for change on the side of racial relations while attending university, and a younger brother who is beyond obsessed with Burt the turtle, and becoming an astronaut someday. </div>
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Franny has a hard road ahead of her...she's trying desperately to fit in at school, and dealing with the challenges of the day and age she's growing up in, while just growing up...is difficult for her. Ms. Wiles takes us on an amazing journey of her trying to figure out her life.</div>
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Again, one of the most endearing qualities of this book is it's format. Ms. Wiles uses many non-fiction elements while she tells Franny's story (using excerpts from speeches, advertisements, etc), which all fit in nicely with the text before and after it. I loved that portion of the book, because it so seamlessly makes the book tie into non-fiction, and you don't have to go searching everywhere for your answers to "what is she talking about here?" and "who is that person again, and why are they important?"</div>
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As far as teachability is concerned, there are so many directions that this book could take you. You could obviously tie it nicely into social studies, and a non-fiction project on what it was like to grow up during the early 60's, you could absolutely interview someone who was alive back then, and ask them what they knew, and you could also make some personal connections to how Franny's life is similar to their own, growing up in a post 9/11 world.</div>
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I very much enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to teachers, parents, and the like.</div>
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Where can I buy this?: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Countdown-1st-first-Wiles-Deborah/dp/B00BTM0TSQ/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398117782&sr=1-2&keywords=countdown+by+deborah+wiles</div>
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Barnes and Nobel: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/countdown-deborah-wiles/1100162030?ean=9780545106054</div>
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What I think of it: 4.5/5 </div>
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Who would like to read it: Kiddos, teachers, parents...or anyone who lived in the sixties.</div>
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AND--- it's part of a trilogy!! That's one of the most endearing qualities about it-- That it sucked me in, and makes me want to read the rest of them!</div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-24460640392136049072014-04-18T19:00:00.000-07:002014-04-19T08:37:41.181-07:00Words Wound by Justin Patchin & Sameer Hinduja<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Review:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
I received an ARC of Words Wound courtesy of Netgalley. I
was very interested in what this book had to say about cyberbullying. Working
my days in a school with kindergarten through 5<sup>th</sup> graders, I (thankfully)
don’t usually have many instances to use knowledge of cyberbullying, primarily
because my students aren’t old enough to really use a lot of social networking.
Many students have Instagram, but very few have Facebook or twitter at this
stage in the game. However, being aligned with many students who were a little
older, the book was of interest to me, and I really wanted to see what it had
to offer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I DID very much feel the entire time reading this book, that
while its intended audience might be of the teenage variety, it really was
written as if it was directed more toward their parents and educators. This isn’t
to say that the whole book is a wash—there were some <b><i><u>awesome </u></i></b>suggestions to be
made to students who are bullying and/or witness bullying of others, but the
book was filled with a lot of facts and figures—things I’m not sure would
appeal to a reading audience of teens. The book definitely had instances of
teens giving feedback as to experiences that they had had with cyberbullying,
which was refreshing to hear the “real life” stories of teens standing up to
bullies, and standing up for their friends--- it was sometimes hard to get through
with the hypotheticals, and I personally wished that there would've been more feedback from teens throughout the book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The book dealt with some very real situations that students
don’t think about. I personally, know of a teen whose Facebook account was
hacked because he gave his password to an ex-girlfriend, and he dealt with the repercussions
of a night of completely inappropriate musings--- he got into trouble at
school, with family members, and with friends.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I felt as if the most important chapter of the book (how to
bring cyberbullying down in your school by forming groups/making pledges to
stop cyberbullying), were very well written, and provided a ton of great ideas
to begin something in your own school district.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One piece of the book that I definitely LIKED, was that the book outlined some court cases involving cyberbullying, and how even online behavior off campus (or outside of school), can still definitely affect you INSIDE the walls of a school. It's important that students and teens understand what could happen because of their online behaviors, and that there still are consequences within the four walls of the schoolhouse, for things that might have been said in the heat of the moment online.</div>
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Where can I buy this?: Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Words-Wound-Delete-Cyberbullying-Kindness/dp/1575424517<o:p></o:p></div>
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Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/words-wound-justin-patchin/1114971564?ean=9781575426020<o:p></o:p></div>
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What I think of it: 4/5 (again, if it was written more for a
teenaged audience, this would’ve been a clear 4.5/5)<o:p></o:p></div>
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Who would like to read it: I think EVERY parent of a
teenager in this day and age should definitely read this book. Educators who
work with teens should definitely look into it as well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Social Media: <o:p></o:p></div>
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/wordswound<o:p></o:p></div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-38706346765604907302014-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:002014-04-19T08:37:58.734-07:00Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli<div style="text-align: center;">
Alright.</div>
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I judged a book by its cover.</div>
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I simply HAVE to stop doing that.</div>
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I had seen the cover to the book a gazillion times.</div>
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I had been turned onto J. Spinelli, after reading <u>Wringer</u> (another amazing tale!). I read this book because I wanted to teach it to my 5th grade guided reading group, so because of this, I had to make sure that I read it ahead of time.</div>
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Wow.</div>
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We meet Stargirl (Susan), through the narrator Leo. He's awestruck at this bohemian, larger-than-life girl with a heart of gold. She is constantly doing for others--whether it's sending a birthday card, providing people with small tokens on their desks... she's always looking to please other people.</div>
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For nothing in return.</div>
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And because of this SO out of the ordinary behavior--she gets totally shunned by the entire student body. People absolutely DESPISE her. </div>
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And for what? </div>
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Being who she IS.</div>
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Before I took the books to my classroom, a fellow teacher said to me: "You're going to be amazed at the conversation this book elicits from these kids, even in 5th grade. They'll begin to look at themselves differently, they'll look at each other differently, and they'll be able to see things from a whole new perspective once they finish this book."</div>
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He was right. I'm an adult, and it absolutely changed mine.</div>
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Where can I buy this? Anywhere books are sold--I saw some in my local B & N </div>
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OR Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stargirl-Jerry-Spinelli-ebook/dp/B000QCSAIQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396727980&sr=8-1&keywords=stargirl</div>
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What I think of it: 5/5 stars</div>
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Who would like to read it: People of all ages. I think the male perspective brings it to many more males than it would if it were written from a fellow female, and I also think that the story itself is happening around our country every day. In every school. In every town. </div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-11861141347260128932014-01-19T14:26:00.000-08:002014-04-05T12:50:18.720-07:00Out of my mind- 10/5 stars.<div style="text-align: center;">
Okay.</div>
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I'll admit it.</div>
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{I totes judge books by their covers. In a largeeeee way}</div>
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This book was no exception. I had heard buzz about how it was required reading for some college coursework in special education, that it was a great "memoir-esque" read, and it was super powerful.</div>
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It was. </div>
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Miss Melody has autism, and is non-verbal. She can't speak words to verbalize what she's thinking, feeling, etc. So many people mistake this for a lower IQ, which is certainly not the case in the least with Miss M. She has the most creative thoughts, and she's a super smart gal.</div>
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But no one can hear her super-thoughts, because she can't communicate traditionally.</div>
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This book is saddled with "those teachers".... {who I want to kick in the face, because they make really great teachers look bad}, some awesome educators that truly understand that a disability is nothing other than the different ways our brain work...and it's invigoratingly written. I absolutely love first person...and it reveals so much about the characters.</div>
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In addition to the heart-wrenching feelings that Melody has towards her parents and teachers...are the peer relationships. Some are positive. Some are negative. Some are downright tear-inducing.</div>
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I'm planning on not only use this during my guided reading group (in 5th grade), but also push it to whomever will allow me to push it on them. It's a fantastic novel, and I would encourage anyone to read it.</div>
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Where can I buy it? http://www.amazon.com/Out-My-Mind-Sharon-Draper/dp/1416971718</div>
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Author: Sharon Draper</div>
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You'd like this book if.... you're a living, breathing, human, who can read book on a 4th grade (ish) reading level.</div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-43862107432175233232013-08-10T12:48:00.001-07:002013-08-10T12:48:14.707-07:00Somebody Up There Hates you-- 5/5 stars!<div style="text-align: center;">
I received <u>Somebody Up There Hates You</u> (by Hollis Seamon) as a goodreads.com first reads giveaway, as an ARC and uncorrected proof. I received it in the mail on Thursday, August 8th, and tore open the package.</div>
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All I knew about this novel was that it's a Young Adult novel, and has a catchy title and a very neat cover--nothing else about the book.</div>
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Now, I picked the book up today (8/10), with no intention of EVER reading it in {basically} one sitting, but...</div>
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I did. </div>
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3 hours after I sat down, I was done. </div>
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Not without gallons of tears streaming down my face, wanting to read it again, and shout from the rooftops, "This is one of the best books I have read in 2013!!"</div>
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The book begins when we are introduced to Richard, a 17 year old cancer patient in the care of hospice. The witty repartee that commences is downright hilarious, and sometimes you have to remember that this character is just a child who is being robbed of the rest of their life. The author makes many jokes about the hospice environment, people coming in and out and crowding around folks, harpists playing, all the things Richard WON'T have to deal with {cholesterol, getting a real job}, the smells of the ward, etc. There are parts of the story where you'll literally be doubled over laughing.</div>
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And then there's the incredibly gut-wrenching part of the story when you realize that this quippy, absolutely adorable child...is in fact--dying. I don't want to give away the plot line, but there's budding sexuality, and lots of interesting familial characters that you'll meet along the way {like uncle Phil....who doesn't have one of them in their family?}. </div>
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But heed the warning: Grab the tissues once about page 200 starts. You'll be heaving into them by the end of the book.</div>
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Overall, I absolutely loved every part of this book from cover to cover. Hollis, you did an incredible job! One of my favorite YA reads of 2013!</div>
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Stars: 5/5</div>
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Where can I buy it? : <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Somebody-Up-There-Hates-You/dp/1616202602/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376163403&sr=8-1&keywords=Somebody+up+there+hates+you">http://www.amazon.com/Somebody-Up-There-Hates-You/dp/1616202602/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376163403&sr=8-1&keywords=Somebody+up+there+hates+you</a></div>
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</div>
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But it isn't released until 9/3/2013! So hold up {or pre-order because it's really THAT good}</div>
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Author: Hollis Seamon </div>
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You'd like this book if you....: Enjoy young adult literature, have ever known someone who has been through hospice, or if you just enjoy a great read.</div>
Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-65203265071105200552013-08-08T14:05:00.000-07:002013-08-08T14:05:09.913-07:00All Our Pretty Songs by Sarah McCarry<div style="text-align: center;">
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Okay.</div>
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I'm going to be totally blunt and honest.</div>
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</div>
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I received this ARC from a goodreads.com giveaway. </div>
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{The ONLY reason I put in for it was that I loved the cover, and the title of the book}.</div>
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Now, with that said, I had VERY high hopes.</div>
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While some of the story is a bit scattered {something I believe the author did on purpose, as to leave room for interpretation in the second book}, it was a beautifully written, well-versed book---a great read for any adolescent. It's a very coming-of-age novel, with main characters the narrator (who is anonymous, something that again-I believe the author did on purpose as to make this more about the story than about the character who is going through the motions IN the story), her best friend Aurora, and the narrators love interest, Jack, a mysterious musician. </div>
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Because of the style of book this is (being from the young adult genre), you expect a sort of style when reading a text from an adolescent perspective, and in my honest opinion, Sarah NAILED it. </div>
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I am SUPER excited to read book #2!</div>
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Stars: 4.999999/5 {it was nearly perfect IMO}</div>
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You'd like this book if you like: Any sort of young adult literature. There is so much to love about this book: first loves, friendship, losing people close to you, drug use, musicianship, etc.</div>
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How long did it take to finish this novel: about 1.5 days of serious beach reading.</div>
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Where can I buy it? <a href="http://www.amazon.com/All-Pretty-Songs-Sarah-McCarry/dp/125002708X">http://www.amazon.com/All-Pretty-Songs-Sarah-McCarry/dp/125002708X</a></div>
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Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8077342197476208930.post-41039784426835667002013-07-21T14:24:00.001-07:002013-07-21T14:25:19.146-07:00Hello friends!Just trying to stir up some awesome YA literature, and share what I've read with the world! :-) I'm excited to make the trek into blogging and reviewing books that catch my interest, and that I absolutely adore!Elliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08123924294806161457noreply@blogger.com0