The Glass Castle

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls



Summary: The Glass Castle is a remarkable memoir...and a penetrating look into a family at once deeply dysfunctional and uniquely vibrant. When sober, Jeannette's brilliant father captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and how to embrace life fearlessly. But when he drank, he was dishonest and destructive. Her mother was a free spirit who hated anything to do with domesticity. The Walls children learned to take care of themselves. They fed, clothed, and protected one another, and eventually found their way to New York. Their parents followed them, choosing to be homeless even as their children prospered.

 I LOVED this book.  It is the memoir of a girl growing up poor with totally dysfunctional parents in rural USA.  Her dad is an alcoholic and her mother has several undiagnosed mental disorders but they truly love and care for their four children the best way they can.  While I'm sure some people would call them abusive, I say they are unconventional.  They do not raise their children in a "normal" way - but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  Yes, they probably should have fed and bathed them more often but they are an extremely close and loving family. 

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman

The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman by Meg Wolitzer

Summary:  Twelve-year-olds Duncan Dorfman, April Blunt, and Nate Saviano meet at the Youth Scrabble Tournament where, although each has a different reason for attending and for needing to win, they realize that something more important is at stake than the grand prize.


I loved this book!  I'm not sure if it's just because I am a huge fan of Scrabble or because it had great characters, story, and writing.  I suppose it could be for all of those reasons!  This book isn't very long but there is still plenty of time to fall in love with the characters and get invested in their stories.  Bonus : lots of new Scrabble words to learn so that I can hopefully beat my sister!

Dewey

Dewey by Vicki Myron

Summary: Dewey was left abandoned as a kitten on the coldest night of the year stuffed in the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library in Iowa. He won the heart of Vicki Myron, the librarian who found him, and for the next 19 years he charmed the people of Spencer.

I had wanted to read this book for years and I was so disappointed by it!.  I figured, how could it go wrong?  It combines my two passions - cats and libraries - how could I not love it?  I didn't.  The writing wasn't the greatest and only about half of it was actually about Dewey.  The rest was about Iowa (boring!) and the librarian (not boring but not relevant either).  I wanted more stories about the Dew - he lived for 19 years there must have been more stories to tell.  Vicki Myron has written another book about him that she says contains more stories about Dewey but I'm afraid to read it in case I get another boring history of small town Iowa!!

Graceling

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Another great book about a strong (physically and mentally) young woman.  I love these books because they are so empowering and even though Katsa is "Graced" with special powers it still shows what women are capable of.  This book has great adventures and wonderful characters - both good and bad.  It is one of those books that are hard to put down because you just have to know what is going to happen next.

Shattered

Shattered by Eric Walters

This book, about a teen who is forced into volunteering at a local soup kitchen in order to pass a class, was marvellous.  It dealt with of a lot of very important issues, such as the homeless and war, that most people either don't realise are such huge issues or ignore them altogether.  It will change your perception of what it means to be homeless as well as what kind of people become homeless.  We learn along with Ian that all sorts of people become homeless for all sorts of different reasons.  One man he meets was in the army and was present during the atrocities that occurred during the Rwanda genocide.  Like Ian, most people do not realise what went on there because for some unknown reason it didn't make the front page news.  I believe everybody should read this book!

Cut

Cut by Patricia McCormick


I've actually owned this book for quite awhile but never got around to reading it.  I was forced to read it now because a teacher in my school had a problem with it being in my library - that it was inappropriate for students to read.  I think because it deals with a sensitive issue that people do not understand they think if they ignore it, it will go away.  This book was great.  It is about a young girl who has been committed to a psychiatric hospital because she cuts herself.  This book does not glorify self-mutilation (how would it be possible?) but makes it known that it is a very real problem but there is also help and that you are not a freak or crazy if you hurt yourself.  I wish this book had been around when I was younger, but even reading this book as an adult made me feel better about myself.  This is a very important book that should be included in all libraries for young adults.

What Happened to Serenity?

What Happened to Serenity? by PJ Sarah Collins

Summary: Katherine lives in complete isolation in a post-apocalyptic community.  Knowledge and the search for truth are not permitted.  A haunting story about growing up and searching for truth.


Another book that had potential but fell miserable short.  This is a post-apocalyptic story with a twist.  I won't say what the twist is but the reader figures it out pretty quickly and we have to painfully watch for the majority of the book as Katherine tries to figure it out for herself.  Of course I had to finish reading it to see how it ended but at least the ending was decent and was worth finishing.

The Worst Thing She Ever Did

The Worst Thing She Ever Did by Alice Kuipers

This book is about a teenage girl Sophie, who is dealing with (or not dealing with it as the case may be) the horrible death of her sister.  Since this book is told in diary format, we are not told how her sister died, we only see the struggles that Sophie goes through as she tries desperately to forget what happened, and continue on with her life as if nothing changed.  Her relationships with her friends and mum are very strained because she refuses to deal with what happened - she only wants to forget.  This was a very powerful book.

The Last Book in the Universe

The Last Book in the Universe by Rodman Philbrick


Summary: After an earthquake has destroyed much of the planet, an epileptic teenager nicknamed Spaz begins the heroic fight to bring human intelligence back to the Earth of a distant future.


A futuristic look at the world after wars and earthquakes have destroyed most of the planet.  At first this book was a little hard to understand because they use quite a few different words in the future, but thankfully there was a great glossary at the end of the book that I referred to quite often.  This was basically an adventure story about a young boy who is trying to see his sister before she dies.  I have issues with the title of the book because it really wasn't about the last book in the universe.  While books have all been destroyed and nobody really remembers what they are, one old man remembers and is trying to write a book before he dies, but that is a very minor part of the book.  While I did feel a bit deceived by the title, it was an enjoyable read.

Breaking Stalin's Nose

Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin

Summary: In the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union, ten-year-old Sasha idolizes his father, a devoted Communist, but when police take his father away and leave Sasha homeless, he is forced to examine his own perceptions, values, and beliefs.


This book, about a young boy growing up in Russia during Stalin's rule was wonderful.  This boy adores Stalin and believes all of the wonderful things that he says and all of the promises he's made.  Normally, books about Stalin or Hitler focus on the people who have seen through all of their lies and are trying to make a difference, but this one is seen through the eyes of a young boy who is still blinded by the promises of a better life.  I've never really thought about it before but Stalin came into power for a reason, he made people believe in him, and this boy's undying devotion to him, even after his father is arrested is heartbreaking.

Genocide

Genocide by Jane Springer

This book is a nonfiction account of the genocidal atrocities that have occurred all over the world.  I don't normally read nonfiction books but this one came across my desk and I started reading it and I had to finish it.  I kept it in my van and only read it in small doses because that's all I could handle.  This is a very powerful book and it pulls no punches in placeing blame where blame should be placed (the US for one and people like us who just sit back and and watch without doing anything)  A very important book that everybody should read.

Out of the Box

Out of the Box by Michelle Mulder

I thought this book sounded really promising but I was highly disappointed with it.  There were way too many things going on and it was poorly written.  It's the story of a girl who goes to spend the summer with her Aunt, who has recently lost her life partner (yes, she is a lesbian) and is dealing with her own grief.  While helping her Aunt clean her basement she finds a bandonoen, an Argentinian musical instrument similar to an accordian.  Inside the case is money, and plane tickets from many years ago so she decides to try and find out who used to own this instrument which leads her to discover many atrocities that happened in Argentina.  Added to this she is slowly discovering that her parents may have serious mental health issues that need to be dealt with.  All of this in 160 pages!!  The only reason why I bothered to finish it was because I wanted to see how it ended and I was disappointed with that as well!  Good thing I only wasted a few hours reading it.  If it had been any longer I wouldn't have bothered.   The only thing I really enjoyed about this book is that it takes place in Victoria and I recognized a lot of the places they went to.

Behind You

Behind You by Jacqueline Woodson

This is the companion novel to If You Come Softly.  While it is the technically the sequel it does not have to be read for the first one to make sense.  I actually enjoyed this one more than the first one.  This book looks at all the different points of view of all the different people who were touched by Jeremiah's death in the first book (including Jeremiah himself!)  It was really sad and touching to see how different people deal with the loss of a loved one.

If you Come Softly

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

This book is about an inter-racial relationship between two teens set in New York City.  While it deals with a lot of very important issues it is very simply written and does not go into a lot of details (it is less than 200 pages).  It is well written and I would like to read more by her.  She has written a lot of books and is very well known - not sure why I have never read any of her books before!

Death in the Air

 

Death in the Air by Shane Peacock

This is the second book in the Young Sherlock Holmes series.  I am still enjoying the series and watching the young Sherlock emerge as the icon that he has become.

"After the harrowing experience of losing his mother while solving a brutal murder in London’s East End, young Sherlock Holmes commits himself to fighting crime … and is soon involved in another case. While visiting his father at the magnificent Crystal Palace, Sherlock stops to watch a remarkable and dangerous trapeze performance high above, framed by the stunning glass ceiling of the legendary building. Suddenly, the troupe’s star is dropping, screaming and flailing, toward the floor. He lands with a sickening thud just a few feet away, and rolls up almost onto the boy’s boots. Unconscious and bleeding profusely, his body is grotesquely twisted. In the mayhem that follows, Sherlock notices something that no one else sees — something is amiss with the trapeze bar! He knows that foul play is afoot. What he doesn’t know is that his discovery will put him on a frightening, twisted trail that leads to an entire gang of notorious criminals." - Amazon

Eye of the Crow

 

Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock

This is the first book in the Young Sherlock Holmes series.  Being a HUGE fan of Sherlock I had to give it a read.  Since there is little known about Sherlock's early years, the author was able to take many liberties.  This book was well written, and it gives the reader a glimpse into the reasons why Sherlock became the sort of man we have all come to know and love.  

"Sherlock Holmes, just thirteen, is a misfit. His highborn mother is the daughter of an aristocratic family, his father a poor Jew. Their marriage flouts tradition and makes them social pariahs in the London of the 1860s; and their son, Sherlock, bears the burden of their rebellion. Friendless, bullied at school, he belongs nowhere and has only his wits to help him make his way.
But what wits they are! His keen powers of observation are already apparent, though he is still a boy. He loves to amuse himself by constructing histories from the smallest detail for everyone he meets. Partly for fun, he focuses his attention on a sensational murder to see if he can solve it. But his game turns deadly serious when he finds himself the accused — and in London, they hang boys of thirteen."  - Amazon