Shelf Life

This book is a California Young Reader Medal nominee for 2008-2009. I read this quite a while ago and I can’t believe I never posted a review. So I will be doing this from memory (please excuse me if I get any details wrong).

Daniel and Armin, though from different social classes, are the best of friends. They are excited about the rise of the National Socialist party and its leader, Adolph Hitler. Just as Daniel is ready to become an official member of the Nazi Party his parents tell him he can’t because he is half Jewish, therefore half human. Daniel must keep the family secret or risk dire consequences. As the Nazis consolidate their power and begin the “Final Solution” life becomes increasingly dangerous for Daniel and his parents. Can they survive in their native Germany? Will they have to leave? Or is it already too late?

Chotjewitz puts the reader in the midst of horrifying but true historical events in which the characters must choose between friendship and patriotism, loyalty and justice. He ends the novel with a shocking twist that will leave you stunned.

By Mr. Doyle

(Note: I read this last fall and never blogged it.)

Book 1 in this duet, Dreamhunter, ended seemingly in the middle of the story’s climax. It was one of those endings that makes you want to take the author by the lapels and yell, “why did you do that to me?!” Finally, after more than a year, the second book was released. There was no way I was going to wait for the paperback. Now I can forgive Ms. Knox. Dreamquake is every bit as good as book1, and this time the story has an ending.

This volume begins with the cataclysmic scene that ended the first book. Laura Hame, a young dreamhunter (someone who can catch and share dreams from the mysterious “Place”) overrides her famous aunt as she shares a pleasant holiday dream with thousands of people at the Rainbow Opera. The dream Laura shares is terrifying and it begins to expose insidious government corruption and abuse. Laura’s actions sicken and injure thousands of people and create turmoil. As Laura, her living sandman creation, and her cousin Rose, struggle to remain free and to show people the truth about the government’s plans, Laura must also deal with a larger and more profound mystery. What is “The Place”, where did it come from, and what does it want from her?

While there is a good deal of action and plenty of plot twists, it is the relationships that rule in this story. Knox is a pleasure to read and she creates some great characters, not least of which is Nown, the sandman. If you haven’t read Dreamhunter already you should definitely read that first. Highly recommended for stronger readers grades 9-adult.

By Mr. Doyle

Morpurgo, recipient of the California Young Reader Medal for Private Peaceful, again gives us a soldier’s eye view of life among the trenches of World War I. This time however the soldier is a horse. Joey, a beautiful and spirited young horse, is sold to the army by the father of his master, Albert. Joey, like Private Thomas Peaceful, vividly conveys the experiences of an innocent thrust into terrifying violence of the “War to End All Wars.” Joey charges machine gun nests, drags artillery, and hauls the injured and the dead. He meets a wide range of soldiers and officers, from the kind and thoughtful to the brutish and cruel. Can Joey survive a world of machine guns, artillery, and tanks, a world in which horse are fast becoming obsolete? And will Joey ever be reunited with his beloved Albert?

As in Private Peaceful, the writing is excellent and Morpurgo brings the sights, sounds and smells of the battle field alive (“Still the guns bellowed out their fury and the ground shook beneath us.”). Joey is, at times, over anthropomorphized but is a protagonist kids will root for. Highly recommended for grades 5-10.

By Mr. Doyle

My wife has been telling me to read this book for several years. But she’s an English teacher. What would she know about good books? Seriously, we have very different taste in books and it took me several years to get her to read Ender’s Game, so fair is fair. Of course my wife was right and I loved this book. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series (“Tales of the Otori”).

Tomasu lives in a small isolated village of religious dissidents in a country very much like feudal Japan. He returns from a day spent wandering around in the mountains (his favorite past time) to find his village destroyed by the ruthless Lord Iida. As Iida’s men bear down on him, intent on completing their massacre, Tomasu is rescued by a sword-wielding traveler. The traveler turns out to be Lord Otori Shigeru, the sworn enemy of Iida. Shigeru renames Tomasu and adopts him. Now known as Lord Otori Takeo, he is initiated into the world of the warrior caste and its attendant violence, intrigue, and political machinations. He also learns secrets about his own past and develops skills that will place him at the center of events that will change the history of his country.

This book will appeal to a wide range of readers. It has plenty of action to keep even reluctant readers hooked and it has a great cast of characters, both male and female. Some, like Takeo and Shigeru, are clearly good guys. Some (Iida and Shigeru’s uncles) are clearly bad guys and some are ambiguous so that the reader is never sure how they will act as the story progresses. Prevalent themes include revenge, love, loyalty, duty, honor, sacrifice, and religious persecution. Highly recommended for grades 7-12.

By Mr. Doyle

Tiger is book one of the “Five Ancestors” series. The series tells the tale of five young Buddhist monks, each the master of a different animal style of Kung Fu (hence the titles of the individual volumes), who are cast out into the world after their temple is attacked and all of the adults are killed. The five warrior-monks, orphans all, must uncover the secrets of their past before they can avenge the deaths of their brethren and retrieve the sacred Dragon Scrolls stolen by the traitorous Ying. Book 1 centers on Fu, the youngest person ever to master the Tiger style. Fu is powerful and impulsive, like a tiger, and is a man of action. How can he run off and find the secrets of his past when Ying and his men are camped in the ruined temple with the Dragon Scrolls? He must fight and he must retrieve the scrolls. But is his a suicide mission? Ying is more powerful now then when he left the temple and he commands and entire army. Will Fu’s brothers help him or have they already done as the Master commanded and gone their separate ways?

Kung fu is the star here and Stone, a martial artist himself, does a good job describing the techniques and the fight scenes. A good pick for reluctant readers and martial arts fans in grades 5-10.

By Mr. Doyle

PODCAST
Astonishing life of Octavian Nothing, traitor to the nation ; v. 1. The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson

Anderson has, with great results, tried his hand at the teen drama/satire (Burger Wuss), the vampire story (Thirsty), and the dystopian science fiction novel (Feed). In his newest work he extends his range to historical fiction. The Pox Party is, like the life of the protagonist, astonishing.

Octavian comes of age during the build-up to the American Revolution. Told that he is an African prince, he and his mother are residents of The Novanglian College of Lucidity. At the college Octavian receives a classical education, studying Latin and Greek, science and music. He is taught by the members of the College, men so dedicated to reason and science that they have forsaken their names and call each other by numbers. As Octavian grows up he comes to realize that despite the top notch education and fine clothes provided by the College he is a slave. He is also the subject of an experiment to determine if Africans are a different species.

As the Revolution approaches, the college loses its patron and becomes the property of a group of investors. The new ownership changes the nature of the college and its experiments. As a result, Octavian begins to experience more and more of the life of a household slave.

When a smallpox epidemic threatens the colonies the collegians and their household retire to a country estate for a “Pox Party.” Each member of the household is exposed to the virus in hopes of immunizing everyone. Most people suffer only a mild reaction but a few, including Octavian’s mother, contract full-blown smallpox and die in agony. For Octavian this is the final straw and he escapes, joining up with a militia unit headed for a confrontation with the British in Boston.

The story is told through journal entries, letters, and other documents typical of the time period. Anderson gives Octavian and the other characters authentic 18th century voices. This makes the prose initially dense but persistence is rewarded as the story unfolds and Octavian grows. The reader develops a growing sense of indignation and anger, bordering on horror, along with Octavian as the true nature of his existence is revealed.

Anderson challenges our cultural “mythology” of the American Revolution. In the Pox Party it is the good guys– the colonists– who own and mistreat slaves. It is the bad guys–the British– who have eliminated slavery and offer a safe haven for escaped slaves. The good guys perform bizarre and sometimes dangerous experiments on unsuspecting slaves and even their own children. The author shines a bright light on the dark side of the American Revolution, making us face some unpleasant truths about the founding of our nation.

By Mr. Doyle

The book Angel of Hope by Lurleen McDaniel is the companion to her book Angel of Mercy. The story picks up where the reader left off from the first book. Amber, Heather’s younger sister who looks up to her very much travels to africa as a missionary to honor her sister in her time of need. She ends up finding that there is more to life and to herself than meets the eye and she finds the drive that she wants to help “save the world one child at a time”.

By Michelle Benziger

    Scarlet O’Hara used to be a rich and beautiful southern belle: the most popular in the whole county. Whatever she desired, she got. But soon the tables are turned and Scarlet’s life is dramatically changed. The South’s beloved Confederacy is now at war with the Yankees. Scarlet must now face the death of her husband, raising an unwanted child, and the eye-opening events going on all around her. The once extremely dependent and spoiled Scarlet must learn to fend for herself and adapt to the drastic changes in her life.
    Although lengthy, Gone With the Wind is an outstanding novel, and definitely well worth the time. You are guaranteed to become glued to it’s dramatic and unpredictable storyline!

By Emily Crohare

Anna Comnena is the daughter of the emperor of the Byzantine Empire. She is her father’s favorite daughter and his successor. When her baby brother is born she is not the least bit worried even though many believe only a boy should rule the empire. Anna dismisses them just like her father. Anna enjoys her lessons with her grandmother but she doesn’t want to be controlledby anyone. Her arrogance and inteeligence over her grandmother makes her grandmother lose her trusyt in her. Overnight Anna’s dreams of ruling the Byzantine Empire are snatched away and given to her little brother. Bitter at these events Anna wiats for the right time to seek her revenge and the throne of the Byzabtine Empire.

by Ramnit Sidhu

In this novel Sara Crewe lives in India with her widowed father, since her father is a captain in the British army he is very wealthy and treats Sara as if she was a princess. As Sara grows and the first world war intensifies her father must leave to fight, so he sends her to Miss Minchin’s London boarding school. When Sara arrives she is treated like a real princess and is pampered with the best. She has the best room in the boarding house, her own personal maid, and her own personal carriage. Even with these luxuries she is still a sensible little girl who is kind and loves to help her classmates as well as the boarding house maid, little Becky. As more time passes Sara likes to live in the boarding house, having made many friends because of her story telling ability. On Sara’s birthday, the whole house is decorated and a very grand cake is made especially for her, yet all good times must end. That same moment when Sara has just blown the candle on her birthday cake, her father’s accountant arrives at the boarding house and give the news to, Miss Minchin and Sara, that her father has died and that the government is taking over her money. Sara is left penniless and Miss Minchin, a greedy bitter woman, enslaves Sara and turns her into a servant girl. Now Sara must live with Becky in the attic and must serve the table she once ate at. Will someone ever help her? Will she have to work for the slave driver, Miss Minchin for the rest of her life? Read this magnificent book and find out who saves her.

By Juana Janet Villegas

Mary MacKenzie sails all the way from her native Scotland to China to marry a military attaché. But when she gets to China she realizes that her husband as well as her new life isn’t what she would have hoped it would be. Her husband is often gone leaving her bored with no one to talk to except their Chinese servant. She soon befriends the social outcast, Marie, and takes a trip to the temples outside the English district where they live. There she meets a mysterious Japanese man who she falls instantly in love with. Nine months later, Mary gives birth to a Japanese boy. Her husband kicks her out of the house and she is forced to move to Japan and becomes a mistress to the man she loves. How does she survive in a culture that doesn’t accept strong women, especially foreign ones? This is a great story about inner strength and determination against all odds.

By Krista Long

In this novel the main character Sharazad, the great story teller, gets married to a king. The king gets married everyday because he kills his wives every night. Sharazad tells the king a story on their marriage night, but she doesn’t finish the story, so the king lets her live another day. She starts another story and the king lets her live another day and this goes on for several years. But now Sharazad is running out of stories and she doesn’t know when the king will kill her, if she doesn’t find more stories to tell. Sharazad meets another character in the story and asks her for help in finding the stories. The other girl tells her a story and Sharazad tells the king that story, but the king has heard it before, but he hasn’t heard the second part of it. He asks Sharazad if she knows the second part and she says yes, but she actually doesn’t know it. She thinks the other girl might know the second part, but that girl also doesn’t know the second part of it. Now the girl has to find the second part of the story before the next night comes.

By Maninder Kaur

A California Young Reader Medal Nominee for 2006-2007 (Middle/Jr. High category)

Moose and his family have just moved to Alcatraz Island. It is 1935 and Moose’s father got a job as a guard so that Moose’s autistic sister can attend a special school in San Francisco (autism had not yet been defined but her behavior is that of an autistic). Moose did not want to move but his needs and desires always take a back seat to his sister’s problems.

Moose’s mother is convinced that the school can help his sister but the school kicks her out her after 1 day. To pay for private therapy to give Natalie another shot at the school, their mother takes work teaching piano in the afternoon. This means that Moose is stuck on the island watching Natalie after school instead of playing baseball with his new friends in San Francisco. Although Moose loves his sister he resents having to care for her and is angry at his mother for working.

To further complicate Moose’s life he is in the same class as the warden’s beautiful but trouble-making daughter, Piper. This being the midst of the Great Depression, jobs are scarce and the warden holds a great deal of power over the lives of his employees, including Moose’s family. Any problems involving Moose or Natalie could cost their father his job. Moose tries to stay out of Piper’s way but she is determined to involve him in her various schemes.

Moose is very likeable protagonist, mature beyond his years but with believable thoughts and emotions. The tension between Moose and his mother is well drawn as is his close relationship with his father. Several of the father-son scenes are very touching as are the later scenes between Moose and Natalie. Choldenko does an excellent job portraying a family dealing with a maturing special needs child and the kind of stresses it places on the family, particularly the mother. She also treats us to a delightfully satisfying (though improbable) ending.

By Mr. Doyle

A California Young Reader Medal nominee for 2006-2007

The title and the cover picture of a large smiling dog with his tongue lolling out of his mouth belie the seriousness of this book. Instead of a cute story of boy and his dog we get a lesson on the Vietnam War and its effects on soldiers, their families, and American society in general. The protagonist, Mark, learns some hard lessons about politics and personal sacrifice.

Mark has always lived in the shadow of his popular, older brother Danny. Danny’s talent, good looks, and outgoing personality make him the center of attention wherever he goes. Danny, with some prodding from his father, enlists in the Army to serve his country in Vietnam. Mark, jealous of the attention Danny gets for his sacrifice, impulsively decides to donate his beloved dog, Wolfie, to the Army’s scout dog program. Soon he begins to regret this “selfless” act.

Mark learns that the Army classifies dogs as equipment and has no plans to return donated animals. He also learns that the Vietcong have placed bounties on scout dogs and their handlers. With help from a teacher and some war protesters Mark begins a campaign to change the Army’s policies toward dogs. Throughout the story Mark exchanges letters with Wolfie (written by Tucker, his barely literate handler).

The changes wrought by the war on Mark, Danny, and their parents are of course profound. Sherlock handles a controversial topic deftly without becoming preachy. The bittersweet ending is very moving and will tug at the heart strings of all dog lovers. A brief afterward provides some interesting historical information on canine soldiers.

By Mr. Doyle

In the book A Great and Terrible Beauty, by Libba Bray, Gemma Doyle is taken from her home in India, and sent to a finishing school in London. While she is there, she learns about the schools history, and the death of two girls and a teacher that happened many years before she arrived.This book has mystery, supernatural powers, and a good storyline. It is a really interesting book and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys mystery or supernatural stories.

By Kim Davis

After reading the novel Children of the River by Linda Crew i found myself rapped in her story. Taking place during the attacks in Cambodian a young girl named Sundara and her relatives escape capture and flee to America. Here pressured by her family to focus only on school and work she finds herself losing that focus to the most popular boy in school, who seems to be highly interested in her. But that’s only one of her problems as Sundara waits for news about her parents and siblings she left behind as everyone around her is receiving either bad or good news, while all the time being haunted by an incident that happened to her on the journey to a new life. How will Sundara balance her new life all while falling in a love with someone she shouldn’t even talk to? Will she ever see her family again or will she continue to wonder if they’re alive? The only way to find out is to read it, which I most definitely recommend you do. Have Fun!

By Kimberly Machado

Suspenseful, intriguing, and superb are all words to describe To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This story is about a family living in Maycomb, Alabama. The family encounters many problems throughout the story, and the setting is based on a time during the Great Depression. Their names are Scout finch the young daughter that brings compassion and humor to he story, Atticus Finch the widowed father who works as a lawyer, and his son Jem who is an adventurer, and who loves to discover new things. Although the focus is on the young girl, Scout , the story definitely invokes the realism of racism of America at and leaves the reader pondering of how far we have come, economically and socially. To Kill a Mockingbird is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.

By Melissa R.M. ?

In Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye, Pecola, the main character, is anAfrican American girl who wants to have blue eyes. Pecola lives in a white society that values blonde, blue-eyed people. In Pecola’s society, people with white skin and blues eyes are considered to be beautiful. She is an African American girl who has dark skin and dark eyes. She counters the image her society values. Pecola is ,thus, considered to be ugly. Furthermore, Pecola is abused by her father and treated unfairly by her society. She, then, starts praying for blue eyes. Throughout the novel, the reader see’s Pecola struggle with her society’s values.

The climax of the novel is towards the end when Pecola decides to choose between her society’s value and her own identity. The novel’s non-fiction aspect reminded me of how a person tries to define themselves by what others value. The novel The Bluest Eye is true story of how racism can affect a person’s life. It is one of the most touching books I have read and I recommend it to those who are looking for a great novel.

By Gurpreet Kaur

Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquirel is an inspirational book to young women and girls. It illustrates how a teenage girl should grow and stand up for herself. The girl’s mother tells her she can’t get married or have a family because she is the youngest daughter and she must stay at home and take care of her mother. However, “God is on her side” and her mother dies while she is still young. She never marries but she did stay in love with Pedro, her only love, even through his marriage with her sister. She ends up raising her sister’s daughter when her sister dies, at a young age. She dies in a fire with Pedro in a tragic fire right after her nieces, his daughters, wedding.

By Angela Mireles

If you want to enjoy one of the best Civil war novels or just want to experience the contrast between war and peace The Red Badge of Courage is for you. Crane skillfully uses the horrors of war with the hope for peace to let the reader decide the meaning of war.

It is an adventurous story of a young man named Henry Fleming who joins the Union Army for the honor of a warrior but soon finds out about the gruesome realities of war. Henry goes through a mental war along with the physical battle to survive and earn an honorable name.

In his first battle he flees and the guilt of cowardice eats him from inside. Henry’s guilt transforms him in a way he never imagined. It is a story of a youth’s transformation to manhood as he finds himself in the horrors of war and strives to attain the pride he always wanted.

A novel that will make you feel as if you are in the shoes of Henry Fleming as the deadly bullets fly everywhere with one with may be your name on it. If you like action, history, and battles, it is a novel you do not want to miss!

By Ehsan Choudhry