Clarkies Book Blog

Insight into Asperger syndrome

2011-01-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

Mockingbird by Kathryn Eskine

Caitlin has lost her brother, Devon, in a tragic school shooting. Everyone in her small town is grieving but for Caitlin her grief shows differently. Caitlin has Asperger syndrome. Asperger syndrome is a disorder that is characterized by difficulties in social interaction, along with repetitive patterns of behavior.

Now her family is just her and her dad. Her dad is not coping well. And, really, neither is Caitlin but it's hard to tell, because she doesn't do well with emotions. Devon was her guide. He always helped her understand. Now he's gone. Mrs. Brook, a guidance counselor at Caitlin's school, is trying to help but it's Caitlin who must find closure.

The book topic sounds like it would be a sad read. It is but it isn't as well. Caitlin manages to help herself, her dad and others find closure to the sad event. Caitlin also learns and grows a lot during the process.

Coming of Age on the Res.

2010-12-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
by Sherman Alexie

This semi-autobiographical story reveals the inner thoughts of Arnold Spirit, Jr., a fourteen year old Indian boy growing up on the Spokane Reservation. Arnold, aka Junior, has made the difficult decision to attend the all-white high located outside of the reservation. To his best friend Rowdy, and others in the tribe, this decision is treasonous. Junior is convinced that staying on the Res will kill him as hope for a better future is non-existent there. Still there are many moments when he questions his decision but returning is no longer an option. Peppered throughout with strong language, this story is only for those who can read the words as a inseparable part of Junior's character. I actually listened to this story read by Alexie. His performance is as poignant as the story. If you have the opportunity to get an audio version it's well worth the listen. It will make you laugh and laugh and cry.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate

2010-11-23T11:14:00.000-08:00

by Jacqueline Kelly

This Newbery Honor book is a real treasure. Eleven year old Calpurnia Virginia Tate, aka Callie Vee, is the only girl of seven children. Sandwiched among her six brothers, Callie brings readers into her hot, dusty, small town, Texas world of 1899. Her story is fun-filled with hilarious tales of life with her family. But the story is not just about growing up in Texas at the turn of the century, it's about her dreams and how she comes to realize them through the developing relationship with her grand daddy. Calpurnia and her grand daddy share a common passion for science and observing the natural world around them. Will Callie Vee be allowed to pursue her dreams in a time when young women are expected to get married and have a family?

If you are looking for a book that is fun-filled and pleasurable pick this one up. I liken it to The Penderwicks: a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits and a very, interesting boy by Jeanne Birdsall.

Strong Female Character Anyone???

2010-11-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

First Test by Tamora Pierce
Ten-year old Keladry is the the first girl to train for knighthood. In this medieval, magical fantasy, she suffers hard physical training and many prejudiced opinions from those who hope she flunks this first year. Determined to prove herself, Keladry perseveres and even begins to rally some classmates into ousting bullies. This is the first title in the Protector of the Small series and proves itself a worthy read.

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

2010-10-15T08:08:00.000-07:00

This Newbery winner is definately worth the award and the time to read! Miranda and her best friend Sal have a falling out upon entering sixth grade. Soon after she begins finding mysterious notes accurately prediciting the future. The mystery isn't that difficult to figure out. The brillance of the story rests in delivery. It's really a story about friendship but it is so uniquely wrapped up in a bit of sci-fi fantasy. Upon finishing, you'll want to check back to see if you missed some key clues. You'll also want to pick up A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle as this classic sci-fi is an intricate part of the story.

Humor with Heart

2010-10-15T06:11:00.000-07:00

After Ever After
by Jordan Sonnenblick
When I picked this book up to read, I was clueless what I was about to experience. The story is actually I sequel to Sonneblick's Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie. You don't need to read the first, I didn't! The story picks up on the Alper family's struggle with Jeffery's cancer. In the first book, the story by Jeffery's older brother, during 8th grade. This time it's Jeffery telling the story, again during 8th grade. The story, though sad at times, is told with such ease and humor. It will make you laugh and cry...just like life. I particularly like the wording and description of following review.

"Most of all, he recognizes that humor and heart aren’t ways to lighten a story—they’re there to deliver it. As hilarious as it is tragic, and as honest as it is hopeful, don’t confuse this book with inspirational reading. It’s irresistible reading."-Booklist

Irresistible...YES!

Insight into a culture

2010-10-14T11:49:00.000-07:00

Keeping Corner

by Kashmira Sheth

Set in India at the time of Gandhi, Leela is poised to embark on her new life with her husband when he suddenly dies. His death marks her as a widow. Keeping with tradition, Leela must shed all bight, colorful clothes and jewels; shave her head, and remain inside the family home for one year, "keeping corner". Her confinement isn't the worst of it, it is knowing that at age thirteen, she is a widow, considered bad luck with no future, and having a heart-broken family.

Sheth chronicles Leela's year juxtaposed again the revolutionary times of Gandhi. Will change come to India and to her small rural village? And if so, will it provide an opening, an outlet for Leela to learn, grow and love.

Fun fantasy

2010-10-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

Dealing with Dragons
by Patricia C. Wrede

The first in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles series, this fantasy is a light-hearted and fun read. The main character Cimorene escapes the tedious tasks of being a princess and her pending marriage by volunteering to become a dragon's princess. Her new life is far more entertaining than her the boring proper princess lessons. It's while she is preforming her new duties that she stumbles upon a mystery. What are the wizards trying to steal from the dragons!

Dealing with Dragons is a great fantasy. Read this one and you'll be picking up the rest of the series; Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons and Talking to Dragons.

Fabulous Retelling of Folktale

2009-10-23T09:33:00.000-07:00

A Curse as Dark as Gold
by Elizabeth c. Bunce

When Charlotte and Rosie Miller inherit the family business, a textile mill that has been in the family for generations, the two young ladies are determined to keep the mill and their small village of Stirwaters in business. But this task isn't so easy when unfortunate mishaps, competing mills and mortgage payment are working against the mill's success. Villagers rumor that the mill has been cursed for generations. Charlotte dismisses such chatter until one day her sister conjures up an odd fellow, Jack Spinner, who promises to spin a roomful of hay into gold thread...for a price. The story, told through Charlotte, question if the rumors and curse are true? Despite an uncle who apparently wants to help and a gentlemen suitor who will do anything to assist Charlotte, it's her agreement with Mr. Spinner that threatens to destroy everything the sisters hold dear. This is an enchanting retelling of Rumplestiltskin filled with magic, ghosts, witchcraft in an English Georgian setting. Strong women characters and supporting characters propel the story forward to a riveting end.

Chilling reality

2009-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Wintergirls

by Laurie Halse Anderson

Enter Lia's mind. It is disturbed, especially since her former best friend, Cassie, died alone in a motel room after calling Lia 33 times on her cell. Both girls have suffered from eating disorders. Cassie was bulimic. Lia is trying to recover from anorexia. She counts each and every calorie. Sets new and dangerously unhealthy goals. She does everything to maintain the illusion to her parents and step-mom that she is still on the road to recovery. But Cassie's death derails her, big time. Cassie is haunting her, beckoning her to join her.

Laurie Halse Anderson, author of Speak, puts the reader inside the mind of a anorexia victim like nothing I've read before. I suspect that the author must have suffered her own battle with an eating disorder. That's how real the story reads! Though sad and disturbing at times, I always knew the end would be the real beginning of Lia's recovery. Wintergirls is honest and raw, and something not to miss.

When is the next installment published!!!!

2009-09-22T08:48:00.000-07:00

Don't miss out on this fantastic series, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Her lastest installment, just released, Catching Fire, does not disappoint. The story picks up where Hunger Games left off. In case you haven't read the first in the series, I'll try to sum up the book without revealing much from the first.

Our narrarator has returned and is about to emback on a victor's tour of Panem, when President Snow pays a visit announcing that the country is on the verge of rebellion. The rebellion must be tamped down. He insist that on this victory tour, our heroine must aid in this effort or those closest to her will suffer severely.

Collins does a superb job of weaving a continuation of the story into the sequel. It is packed with shocking twists and gut-wrenching turns in the plot. Catching Fire surely will not disappoint you, except when you get to the last page and realize you must wait another year, UGH!!, for what happens next.

Welcome back!!

2009-09-16T11:00:00.001-07:00

Summer is over :-(

But now that school is back in session let's share some favorite summer reads. One I enjoyed over the summer ...

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer

When a meteor is reported to collide with the moon, no one on Earth is terribly worried. But the collision is so powerful it actually moves the moon closer to Earth and causes unexpected catastophic effects such as tidal waves, volcanic eruptions and drastically altered temperatures . In Life As We Knew It, these events are cronicled through one family's struggle to survive the aftermath. The narrator, Miranda is just finishing her sophomore year at high school when life on Earth is so drastically altered. She documents the changes and her thoughts through her journal. Fuel and food shortages are an immediate concern of her mother but as weeks pass to months without conditions improving, the whole family (older and younger brothers) is becoming worried about their survival especially when disease and death strike close to home.

Take flight...

2009-05-01T10:52:00.000-07:00

Maximum Ride: Angel Experiment

by James Patterson

On James Patterson's website this book warns reads to "prepare for launch. These pages fly". And boy, do they ever. I think in part it is because Patterson keeps each chapter short(3-4 pages) and in each chapter action happens. But the pages also fly because it's a great story.

Max is the narrator, main character and leader of her flock. Her flock is a group of kids who have escaped from an institute which experimented with their DNA. These kids are not just human. Each are part avian (bird), have wings and can fly. In addition to their wings, they each also have a unique skill or power. All they hope for is a normal life but that's not so easy when you have mutant humans morphing into wolves chasing after you in an attempt to bring them back to the institute. When the mutants succeed at catching the youngest in the flock, Angel, the rest rally together to rescue her.

There is so much more to this book and the series than this short write-up. If you are looking for an adventurous story, packed with action, plot twists and scientific experimentation, then you have found a fabulous read.

Classic Mystery...

2009-04-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Eye of the Crow:
The Boy Sherlock Holmes, His First Case
by Shane Peacok

Some ground work to the character of young Sherlock Holmes needs to be set. That said, once the reader understands the background to young Master Holmes...highborn mother marries poor Jewish father against all societal rules and family wishes, are outcasts in London 1860s, friendless and bullied Sherlock turns to his wits and interest to the police reports in the papers...the case takes on some shocking and exciting turns.

Sherlock becomes obsessed with a murder of a woman in the East End of London, a section of town he is strictly forbidden to wander. When the police bring in their prime suspect, a young Arab man, Sherlock intently watches the scene. The suspect speaks only to Sherlock. He tells him, "I didn't do it". As the crime and its suspect, who of course will hang for this, linger in Sherlock's mind, he finds himself drawn further into the murder details. However, it's when Sherlock's own life gets innocently entangled and accused of the same murder, that Sherlock MUST solve the crime....or find himself on the end of the hangman's noose!

Well...I'm not giving anything away...since this is the first in a series, we know Sherlock does manage to get out trouble but how and at what cost.

Be sure to check out young Sherlock's website too at http://www.theboysherlockholmes.com/

MCBA winner....just released!

2009-04-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

The Massachusetts Children's Book Award goes to

The Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

Honor Books (in random order)
Double Identity by Margaret Peterson Haddix
H.I.V.E. by Mark Walden
The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman
Miracle on 49th Street by Mike Lupica

Inspiring.

2009-03-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller
by Sarah Miller

Miss Spitfire does not refer to Helen Keller but rather her teacher, Annie Sullivan. The book tells the story of Annie Sullivan's arrival at the Keller household and imagines the first month of her teaching Helen. Her pupil is not just difficult to teach, she just plain ol' difficult. With no language at her disposal, Helen has never been taught the basic things such as brushing her hair or using a napkin. The story depicts a Helen who has everyone in her household fearful of a six year old. She's a tyrant! Enters Miss Sullivan, a feisty Irish women of twenty. She's never taught before, has newly regained her vision, had a sad and abusive childhood with few pleasant memories. She's frightened about teaching a deaf and blind child. She must make this a success for she cannot return to home (she has none) and cannot return to the Perkins Institute for the Blind. She must make a success with Helen. But it is more than the success of teaching Helen that Annie longs for, it is also her affection. Despite the trials and abuse Helen puts her teacher through, Annie Sullivan remains determined in her methodology. She masterfully disciplines with a reverent affection for her student.

I think I enjoyed this remarkable story more because I have small children who when are unable to communicate with words do similar things as Helen. They lash out physically. Helen Keller was just learning to communicate with words when she lost her hearing and vision. It trapped her. Her family were unable to help her, in part, because they so grieved what had already happened. They wanted to protect her from further pain but in the end they were only leaving her abandoned inside her mind....unable to communicate with those around her. I can relate to their emotions. But, I also enjoy the story for the feisty characters. Another note, I enjoyed the author's note. It gave the story more meaning to know (if you didn't know already) that Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller remained faithful teacher~pupil friends for the remainder of Ms. Sullivan's life. They were always together. Their story truly is a miracle!

JAWS!

2009-03-16T06:37:00.000-07:00

Shark Girl
by Kelly Bingham

Told through sparse poems, letters, and conversations Bingham eloquently reveals the tragedy and mending processes for Jane Arrowood, a fifteen year old girl recovering from a shark attack that resulted in one arm being amputated.

Jane's attack is videoed by a onlooking beach goer, published incessantly, resulting in an outpouring of condolences...letters, flowers, teddy bears but also stares, whispers and interview requests. She can't heal in privacy. Family and friends are uncomfortable with the new Jane. Jane is uncomfortable with herself. No longer able to draw, cook, tie her shoes, button her pants, she feels helpless and utterly dependant on her mother and brother. But this is a story of healing and slowly Jane learns how to adapt to her new life.

This inspirational story, written in a style similar to Sonya Sones, is honest, powerful, and engaging. Once you pick it up, you'll be drawn into Jane's survival.

CREEPY

2009-03-11T10:38:00.000-07:00

The Adoration fo Jenna Fox
by Mary E. Pearson

Okay, this is a perfect example of not judging a book by it's cover! I never imagined the depth of this story. The cover made me think of E.L. Konisburg's Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place or City of Beasts by Isable Allende. WRONG! The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a biomedical creepy thriller. Well...maybe thriller isn't exactly the right word...how about thought-provoking and spine-tingling story...at least it was for me.

In a future America, biomedical life-saving advances are possible but illegal and antibiotics no longer ward off illness and infection. The governemnt has established an ethics board to set guidelines on medical advances and life-saving treatments. This is the world Jenna Fox re-enters after over a year-long coma. She remembers very little of her life prior to her accident. Fortunately her parents have annual compilations of Jenna's life on disc. As her memory slowly returns, Jenna naturally begins to ask questions. How is it she surivived? What happened to her friends? Why has her family abruptly moved to California? Why can't she access anything about her accident on the Net? What is her mother hiding in a closet? Why does her grandmother dislike her? As Jenna pieces together answers, her very existance comes to question.

This book truly makes one think about the ethics of scientific advances. Without giving away to much of the plot, ask yourself if 90% of your body is dead, would you still want to live? This is the moral dilemma of Jenna Fox.

POOF!

2009-03-11T08:21:00.000-07:00

Gone
by Michael Grant

One day, with no warning, every person 15 and older disappears. It happens in a blink of an eye. Not only are adults gone but so too is any means of communication...phones, television, internet. There is no way to know what happened. As the children learn to adjust to their new world, they also learn that a few of them are developing strange, unhumanly powers. But it not just the children, animals are mutating as well. As they look for help, they discover a strange force field encasing the town. There is no way out! Someone has to lead and it's the schoolyard bullies who step up to the job setting the stage for a stunning battle of good v. evil.

While a hefty read, you'll be drawn into the predicament of these kids. Just when you might think the book is dragging, a bit of gory action happens or the plot takes an interesting twist. Gone is immediately compared to Lord of the Flies and the cover makes one believe a movie is already in the making...which kind of takes away from imagining the characters yourself. Overall, I would rate this one a 3 1/2 star (out of five)...or maybe a 4 star as the end left me intrigued as to what would happen next...and guess what, the sequel Hunger is due out in May.

Gripping Read!

2009-03-06T05:36:00.000-08:00

The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

If you've enjoyed the Maximum Ride series, The Giver, or the Ender Wiggin series, then READ this book. The first in a trilogy this book is a crowd-pleaser...think gladiator meets survivor. Full of action and suspenceful plot twist, the book weaves in a potential romance between the two main characters Katniss and Peeta. Both teens have been randomly selected from their district to participate in the capitol's annual televised 'fight to the death' hunger games. One out of twelve districts, Katniss and Peeta have little chance of winning. Their home district is one of the poorest and given little attention from wealthy sponsors. These games do not end until only one participate remains alive. Gory, clever, heart-wrenching...this is an addictive read and you'll be hungry for the next installment when the last page is done!

Must read!

2009-03-03T10:28:00.000-08:00

Impossible

by Nancy Werlin

Brilliant! Reviews of this book say, "impossible to put down" and they are right! It didn't take long before I was wrapped into the plight of Lucy. At age seventeen, Lucy discovers the women of her family are cursed. Forced to attempt three seemingly impossible tasks or fall into madness upon their child's birth. Fortunately, Lucy is the first girl in generations to have some help. She has her loving and fiercely protective foster parents and Zach, the boy next door whose always 'been there'. The whole story is built upon the song, "Scarborough Fair". It's the song that weaves together fantasy and reality in the story, making it seems so plausible. But it is the impossible tasks Lucy must attempt, that make the book suspenseful. Let's not forget true love, too! Yes, this books has it all. So when you've finished with the Twilight series, pick up Impossible, before a movie comes out.

The Vote is In....

2009-02-27T12:01:00.000-08:00

6th Grades voted on their favorite MCBA book. Out of 25 titles...the winner is...

H.I.V.E. Higher Institute of Villainous Education
by Mark Walden
Thirteen-year-old orphan Otto Malpense, identified as a boy with a special talent for villainy, is kidnapped and taken to the remote Higher Institute of Villainous Education, or H.I.V.E., where he is enrolled in a six-year training program and immediately begins formulating a plan to escape

RUNNERS-UP

Mysterious Benedict Society
by Trenton Lee Stewart

After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules

Double Identity
by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Thirteen-year-old Bethany's parents have always been overprotective, but when they suddenly drop out of sight with no explanation, leaving her with an aunt she never knew existed, Bethany uncovers shocking secrets that make her question everything she thought she knew about herself and her family.

I'll post the state results as soon as they are tallied!