**spoiler alert** Wow. What a powerful book. I got 2/3 read last night before bed, and I was crying so hard, I wasn't sure I could calm down to even g**spoiler alert** Wow. What a powerful book. I got 2/3 read last night before bed, and I was crying so hard, I wasn't sure I could calm down to even go to sleep. The story on its own is beautiful and moving, but so many aspects of the story hit me so hard personally... Into the Woods? Hope is the Thing with Feathers? Beauty and the Beast? Plus, even though my mom was only 45 when she died, she had written my brother and me letters to read in case something ever happened to her. Reading Jake's similar letter from his grandma is what really made me lose it and was my biggest connection. That letter, for Jake and for me, was a gift, but so painful to read because the loss was so great.
This book made me look at anorexia in a new way. For Jake, it wasn't really about body image; it was about not believing that he deserved to exist at all... that he didn't deserve to take up any space in the world. It hurt my heart beyond measure. I know I've had students that deal with those feelings every day. This book gives me hope that they can overcome and persist through. It didn't come easily for Jake, however. He learned that he had to "do the work." Boy, I was rooting for him. I'm glad he found a friend in Kella and that they could support each other.
My favorite scene in the book was the day trip with Jake and his dad. My heart sang over and over and over again during that trip. What a book for book nerds and theatre geeks like me. I loved it and can't wait to recommend it to others!
This book was a delight. With the way it's set up, the reader knows what's going to happen, but I found myself holding my breath, worried that it justThis book was a delight. With the way it's set up, the reader knows what's going to happen, but I found myself holding my breath, worried that it just might not work out. Maybe the whole thing was wrapped up a little too neatly, but sometimes we just need a book that's a gift, right? If you listen to the audio book, the actor who does the voice of the octopus is OUTSTANDING! He made me laugh out loud more than once. The other voice actor is Marin Ireland, whom I've heard on many other books (the whole Beartown series by Fredrik Backman and Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr). She IS good, but when I saw a listener's review that said they'd buy and listen to any book read by her, I thought that I really need to get into the audio book recording business. ;)...more
Oh, this book. This book! THIS BOOK!!!!!!! THIS is what I'd hoped The Librarianist would be when we chose that for our 2nd Fridays Book Club. THIS booOh, this book. This book! THIS BOOK!!!!!!! THIS is what I'd hoped The Librarianist would be when we chose that for our 2nd Fridays Book Club. THIS book perfectly illustrates why we read fiction and how reading enriches our lives and hearts. It captures the importance and influence of a community of readers sharing a story together. Through its pages, the characters grew to love some of my own favorite books (To Kill a Mockingbird, The Time Traveler's Wife, Little Women, Pride and Prejudice), and I remembered why I love them so much. I added two new books to my TBR list, and I remembered some other books I'd read in the past. The characters in this book stole my heart, and I feel like they became friends. This book was an absolute delight and a true gift....more
This is an important book. I don't know if I've ever read a book that has drawn so much attention from other students; most wondered if I drew on the This is an important book. I don't know if I've ever read a book that has drawn so much attention from other students; most wondered if I drew on the front cover, and that gave me the opportunity to tell them what the book was about... a lot of informal little book talks.
I didn't understand the character of Mrs. Sett. She had very nice, understanding moments with her students, but her blinders were so unforgiving that she left me unconvinced.
I was pretty disturbed by Mac's dad. I felt like that was another book, and I wanted to know more, while at the same time, I just wanted him to go away. I was so glad Mac had his grandpa, who was my favorite character in the book.
I won't give away the ending, but it was very satisfying and even got an audible gasp from me.
This isn't a perfect book, but I love what it's trying to do. And if it gets kids thinking about censorship and their rights, I'm all for it....more
So good. Just so so so good. I love Gary D. Schmidt. I stopped counting how many times I teared up in this book because there were so many touching paSo good. Just so so so good. I love Gary D. Schmidt. I stopped counting how many times I teared up in this book because there were so many touching parts. I'll forgive him any outlandish plot points that are a little over the top because the journey of the characters always fills my heart. Always. He also writes great teachers, and this book is not exception. The teachers he writes about remind me why I'm a teacher.
Also... Don't start with this book if you're just starting Gary D. Schmidt books. Start with Okay For Now and Wednesday Wars, but then, don't skip Just Like That. THEN, read this one. The experience will be so much better. Trust me. You could probably enjoy them for themselves, but they really do build on each other, and I you'd be missing out on all the feels if you don't have all the stories.
This book was beautifully written. I wish I had read David Copperfield to be able to compare the two, but I know the gist of it, and I think AppalachiThis book was beautifully written. I wish I had read David Copperfield to be able to compare the two, but I know the gist of it, and I think Appalachia in the beginning of the opioid epidemic is a brilliant and heartbreaking setting. I was rooting for the main character the whole time, through the worst possible choices, through every triumph, and through his interactions with every character he encountered along the way. Some of those people were good and true, and some were utterly loathsome. I wanted to crawl through the book and take care of some of them myself! As I'm sure David Copperfield did in Charles Dickens's day, Barbara Kingsolver gives Demon Copperhead a platform to highlight the many societal problems of poverty, the pharmaceutical industry, and the foster care system in our country. Many parts of the book made me uncomfortable, sad, and angry, but many parts made me smile and cheer as well....more
I had a really hard time getting into this book. I was well over 50% through when I could finally remember which character was which. I'm glad I stuckI had a really hard time getting into this book. I was well over 50% through when I could finally remember which character was which. I'm glad I stuck it out, though. Even though the end was a little too neatly wrapped up, the writing style made me laugh out loud on several occasions. How the Supremes talked with each other is how my best friends and I talk with each other. We have a special language made up of memories, facial expressions, and gestures... sometimes the flick of an eyebrow is all it takes to communicate. I LOVED Odette's ability to connect with the afterlife, and Eleanor Roosevelt made that part of the book even funnier. Probably 3.5 stars, but I'm glad I finished it even though I didn't have it done in time for my book club discussion last month....more
I know what this book was trying to do, and that’s why it got my attention. I’m not sure it hit the mark, but it did have a good point of looking at cI know what this book was trying to do, and that’s why it got my attention. I’m not sure it hit the mark, but it did have a good point of looking at challenges as opportunities for growth and that if smart people only see success in things they find easy, they’re never growing and improving. Even though I wish this book had been better, it’s the first book I’ve read that looks at these issues. I applaud it for that. ...more
My personal rating of the book itself would be a 3, but my rating of its message is a 5. I love that books are addressing periods much more openly forMy personal rating of the book itself would be a 3, but my rating of its message is a 5. I love that books are addressing periods much more openly for this generation. All I had was Judy Blume's Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret... and it was already completely outdated by the time I read it (I still have never seen a pad belt in my life, and I hope to never see one!). I loved it, anyway. The main message of this book is that 50% of the population has periods, so what is the big deal? Why is it taboo to talk about them? The other message of the book is that access to period products should be easy, everywhere, and cheap (if not free), especially to kids in school. Every girl knows that we can't count on the machines in the bathrooms to work or to be stocked. Um, why is that? And, why do we just accept that?
What I didn't love about the book was that it felt a little contrived/preachy at points. Also, the main characters are four high school girls, but they talked and acted a lot more like middle school girls, in my opinion. I felt like middle schoolers were the target audience, and maybe that was intentional. Like, I don't know (and have never known) any real seventeen-year-olds who read Seventeen magazine. I had a subscription when I was thirteen. Maybe by making the characters high schoolers, the authors thought more middle schoolers would choose the book. I don't know.
Anyway, I admire the purpose of the book, even though the execution wasn't always there. This book is an Iowa Teen Award nominee for this year, so that's why I initially read it. I will have a copy in my classroom now, and I also am thinking of ways I can improve access to period supplies in my school. ...more
This was a fun summer-kind of book, a stereotypical beach read plot. I could (and did) put it down, but I enjoyed it when I picked it up again. It wasThis was a fun summer-kind of book, a stereotypical beach read plot. I could (and did) put it down, but I enjoyed it when I picked it up again. It was set in a reality cooking show, which I loved. What really drew me to it, however, and what made it unusual, was that one of the main characters identified as nonbinary pansexual, and I’d never read a romance with a queer main character like that. As in life, the pronouns were the hardest part for me, but I’m working on it. ...more
**spoiler alert** There are parts of this book that I'd give 4 stars... I found the questions at the end of the sections a little condescending and to**spoiler alert** There are parts of this book that I'd give 4 stars... I found the questions at the end of the sections a little condescending and too much like a textbook. I also was not a fan of how much the end left me hanging. I selfishly wanted more closure to the story, but that's my personal taste. I wanted everyone to be OK, and I won't ever know if they are OK or how things turned out for them.
However, what I learned from this book and how much this book made me think and how much it changed me is all 5 stars. It made me see ASL differently. I don't think I'd really thought of ASL as a different language before this book. I considered the people who spoke it as just speaking English but in a different way. I didn't even know that BASL existed. I understand sign language in a new way now, and I'm thankful for that. One connection I can make is that the community RVSD gives its kids in True Biz is very similar to what GOAL does for my kids. It gives a community to people who need to know others like themselves. My heart breaks for students whose communities have dissolved or who don't have a place where they can find their community.
Thank you, Sara Nović, for changing me and for helping me see the world from a different point of view. I can't ever fully understand, but I can have empathy. Thank you....more
I THINK I liked this book. I honestly can't say more than that. I listened to this book the week I had Covid and the week after. I was definitely not I THINK I liked this book. I honestly can't say more than that. I listened to this book the week I had Covid and the week after. I was definitely not in my right mind. Though parts were confusing in my muddled brain, what I took away from it more than anything was the beautiful storytelling gift of Louise Erdrich. She read the audio book, too, and that's unusual. I liked it. The book showed the power of books, the power of words. Those parts filled my heart. That said, I honestly think I'm not ready to read about 2020 yet. I don't think of the pandemic as past tense, and I don't think of George Floyd as history. It still feels too raw to read about. Maybe I'll give this book another try down the road....more
What a weird book. In a good way… I think…? It’s about the power of good food and of listening to your heart, with a little otherworldly singing sourdWhat a weird book. In a good way… I think…? It’s about the power of good food and of listening to your heart, with a little otherworldly singing sourdough starter thrown in. I enjoyed it!...more
I chose this book as the first read-aloud for my high school TAG class. It wasn't an easy book to read aloud because there are lots of pictures to shoI chose this book as the first read-aloud for my high school TAG class. It wasn't an easy book to read aloud because there are lots of pictures to show (that are quite small), and I wasn't sure I found Christopher's voice until pretty far into the book. All 5 of the students agreed the book had a satisfying ending, and I'd say they were fairly into it, although I could tell they're not used to being read to in high school. There's also quite a bit of language in the book, and I usually am very adamant about reading the author's language the way they wrote the book, but... I realized I cannot drop the f-bomb in front of a class, even if it's in a read-aloud book. That's where I draw the line. I think this book is the first book I ever read that shows the world from the point of view of someone with autism. I remember finding that unique when I first read it, which was a long time ago... 15 years, maybe? It was long enough that I didn't remember the ending, so it was fun discovering it again with students. I think I'll continue a read-aloud book each trimester with my high schoolers; I'm just going to have to work out exactly how it's going to happen and exactly what I'm going to read. It will be a good project for me in all my free time. LOL...more
I think it’s been 15 years since I last read this book, but I still adore it. I love the four girls and their friendship. I love their adventures and I think it’s been 15 years since I last read this book, but I still adore it. I love the four girls and their friendship. I love their adventures and that they don’t all end up happily ever after. There are growing pains and lessons learned along with the humor and happy bits. I had smiles as well as tears, even though I knew what was going to happen. It’s ever-so-slightly outdated, but the relationships still hit the target perfectly. ...more
This was a beautiful book that made me sigh at the end because my heart was full. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was even better. I thoughtThis was a beautiful book that made me sigh at the end because my heart was full. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but it was even better. I thought from the description that it was going to be a love story. It WAS a love story, but not a romantic love story. Root's relationship with the Professor was my favorite part. Very satisfying, very sweet story....more
This book is over 20 years old, so I don’t know if Parvana’s story would be the same today, but this book really kept my attention. The action was griThis book is over 20 years old, so I don’t know if Parvana’s story would be the same today, but this book really kept my attention. The action was gripping and didn’t gloss over danger or atrocities. The characters were courageous and inspiring. I don’t know that I’ll continue on with the series, but I’m certainly rooting for Parvana and her family....more
This was probably 4.5 stars for me. I loved the characters, and it made me sob. I know it’s because a huge part of me is still a girl whose mom died aThis was probably 4.5 stars for me. I loved the characters, and it made me sob. I know it’s because a huge part of me is still a girl whose mom died and who misses her so much it hurts. Coyote’s friendship with Salvador was one of the best things in the book. I especially loved when they were riding on top of the bus screaming all the things they couldn’t tell their parents. Beautiful book. ...more
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