Saturday, November 22, 2014

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Title: Wonder
Author: R.J. Palacio
Release date: February 14, 2012
Pages: 316

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.
Wonder is the story of August (Auggie) Pullman, a young boy born with a facial deformity who is finally going to a traditional school.  The story is told from multiple points of view including Auggie, his sister, his best friend, and other people somehow connected to Auggie's life.  It's a story about trying to blend in when you were meant to stand out, trying to be brave when you're more afraid than ever, and trying to be ordinary when  you're nothing short of extraordinary.

Wonder is a middle grade novel that is a lot heavier than most middle grade books. It's aimed at readers around Auggie's age (5th grade) but can be read and enjoyed by readers much older.  It's a novel that makes you think and makes you take a deeper look at the world around you.

Themes:

Judgment
Compassion
Friendship
Identity
Courage

Extra content:

Badass Book Reviews' review: "Our world could use a dose self-reflection, and it could use a good size helping of compassion too."

The Well-Read Redhead's review: "This book was obviously written with young adults as the target audience, but as a parent, I also took a lot away from this in terms of the lessons I'd like to teach my kids about accepting and helping others."

Interview with R.J. Palacio

Friday, November 21, 2014

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Title: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
Author: Matthew Quick
Release date: August 13, 2013
Pages: 273

Leonard Peacock is turning 18. And he wants to say goodbye.

Not to his former best friend, whose torments have driven him to consider committing something tragic and horrific.

Nor to his mum who's moved out and left him to fend form himself. But to his four friends. A Humphrey-Bogart-obsessed neighbour A teenage violin virtuoso A pastor's daughter A teacher

Most of the time, Leonard believes he's weird and sad but these friends have made him think that maybe he's not.

He wants to thank them, and bid them farewell.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is the story of Leonard Peacock's final day. He has decided it's time to kill his former best friend as well as himself. He has presents for the few people he considers his friends and once those have been distributed his life can be done. The story is told from Leonard Peacock's point of view only and he is a bit of an unreliable narrator. Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock was not one of my favorites this semester. I found Leonard really hard to like and a little overdramatic. I also found the portrayal of his mom to be unrealistic. The story itself was good and covered a lot of really interesting topics but other than that it had very little to recommend itself to me.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock is definitely best read by older teens. The topics covered are very heavy and emotional. It could be read by a younger teen but there are some things that might be difficult to comprehend.

Themes:

  • Forgiveness
  • Death 
  • Religion 
  • Suicide 
  • Abuse 
  • Loss of Innocence 
  • Friendship 
  • Family 
  • Love 

Extra content:

Cuddlebuggery's review: "All in all, I’m really glad I decided to check Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock out."

Steph Su Reads' review: "FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK is arguably one of the most explosive and important books of this year, but if you knew nothing about Matthew Quick, most famously the author of Silver Linings Playbook, you probably wouldn't expect it."

Discussion Questions


Sunday, November 9, 2014

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Title: The Book Thief
Author: Markus Zusak
Release date: October 15, 2003
Pages: 552

It's just a small story really, about, among other things, a girl, some words, an accordionist, some fanatical Germans, a Jewish fist-fighter, and quite a lot of thievery.

Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's groundbreaking new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist: books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids - as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.

This is an unforgettable story about the ability of books to feed the soul.
The Book Thief is the story of Liesl, a young German girl growing up in Germany during World War II.  The story, however, is not narrated by Liesl.  It is instead narrated by death.  Death tells the story of Liesl stealing books, learning to read, learning compassion, writing her own story, and finally, grieving.

The Book Thief is a historical fiction novel that focuses on some very heavy topics.  The Book Thief was published in Australia before it was published in the United States and it was classified as adult fiction in Australia.  The decision to make it YA in the US centers on Liesl's age but it's actually very controversial since the subject matter could be better suited to older readers.  I, personally, think the adult classification might be better suited for The Book Thief but I do think young adult readers with enough maturity can take away a lot from the story.

Themes:
  • power of words
  • kindness/cruelty of humans
  • mortality
  • war
  • cowardice
  • criminality

Extra content:


Cuddlebuggery's review: "Zusak is an adept writer who uses words to great effect, and I love what he has done here."

Novelicious' review: "When a book is described to you as one of the greatest novels ever written, it has a lot to live up to, but this incredible book certainly managed to live up to the hype."

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Release date: April 26, 1993
Pages: 179

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.
The Giver is a dystopian novel about a boy named Jonas who lives in a perfect society.  There is no crime, no racism, no poverty, no disease.  In faction, most members of the society don't even know what those things are.  They lives of everyone are mapped out from the start.  Everything is chosen for you and society members have no chance to make any decision for themselves.  Jonas would be perfectly content to live his life like this is he hadn't been chosen as the receiver of memories.

As receiver of memories, Jonas is given the knowledge of what life was like in the past.  He learns of war, poverty, hunger, and sickness but also joy, holidays, snow, and love.  With this new knowledge he must look closer at their society and see if there is something he can do to change things.

The Giver is often read by children in middle school but it can be read by much older readers.  Reading it as an adult allowed me to comprehend many things that I would not have understood as a younger reader.

My full review!

Themes:

  • importance of memory
  • choice
  • coming of age
  • individuality
  • love

Extra content:


Luna Station Quarterly's review: "The plot didn’t feel fully developed enough for me and I was still left with questions such as how did the world become this way?"

Thinking Out Loud's review: "This is a story that rallies against the sacrifice of freedom for the sake of sameness and peaceful control."

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Title: The One and Only Ivan
Author: Katherine Applegate
Release date: January 17, 2012
Pages: 307

Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope.
The One and Only Ivan is a middle grade novel about Ivan, a silverback gorilla raised as an exhibit in a strip mall.  He's content with his way of life until a baby elephant named Ruby is brought to the mall as a new exhibit.  He makes a promise that he will get Ruby out and to a better life, no matter what it takes.

The One and Only Ivan is aimed at readers between the ages of 9-12.  However, that does not stop it from appealing to people not in that age range.  It can be read by someone much older, such as myself, or possibly even someone younger.

Themes:

  • friendship
  • belonging
  • art
  • hope
  • humanity
  • death

Extra content:



Blog of a Bookaholic's review: "Katherine Applegate has weaved together a haunting, beautiful story, filled with such vibrant, lovable characters that have set themselves a firm place in my heart."

Sweet on Books' review: "The One and Only Ivan has incredible depth."

Saturday, November 8, 2014

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Release date: January 3, 2012
Pages: 390

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

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.
Cinder is a dystopian retelling of Cinderella with a heroine who is part cyborg.  It's set in New Beijing, a futuristic Beijing featuring crazy technology and cyborgs as lesser citizens.  The story does feature similarities to Cinderella but there is much more to the story than a romance with a handsome prince.  At the heart of the story is a race for control of Earth, being headed by Queen Levana of the Lunar race of the moon.  Surprisingly, Cinder plays a huge role in the coming battle and Cinder is just the beginning of a 4 book series centered on this war.

Cinder is a dystopian with hints of steampunk, fantasy, and science fiction.  The age range would probably be around 13 and up though there is not much content that would be unsuitable for younger teens.

My full review!

Themes:
  • discrimination
  • death
  • friendship
  • identity
  • love
  • family 
  • war

Extra content:


Knite Writes' review: "It reads fairly young — much younger than I anticipated it would — and has basically no, even vaguely, mature content."

Nosegraze's review: "Marissa Meyer, you are now one of my favourite authors and the Cinder is right up there with my favourite books of all time!"

Marissa Meyer's website

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Title: Divergent
Author: Veronica Roth
Release date: February 28, 2012
Pages: 487

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her.
Divergent is the first in a young adult dystopian series.  It takes place in a futuristic Chicago where society is divided into five factions.  Each 16-year-old must choose a faction, pass through initiation, and become a full-fledged member of that faction, giving up anything and everything from outside the faction.  Each person only fits into one faction except for a rare group of people called Divergent.  Divergents are special and hated by the government.  Tris, the main character, is a Divergent and in her initiation she sets in motion things that may ultimately lead to war between the factions.

Divergent is dystopian with some science fiction, adventure, and romance.  Ideally it's for teens 13 or older because it does deal heavily with death and violence.

My full review!

Themes:
  • identity
  • bravery
  • family
  • society
  • love
  • friendship
  • choices
  • values
  • bullying

Extra content:


The Book Smugglers' review: "Though entertaining, this book does not provoke, incite, or demand a closer look at society – unlike, say The Giver, or Ship Breaker, or Patrick Ness’s Chaos Walking books."