Book Blog #9-16

Book Notes # 9

Bascomb, N. (2013, September). The Nazi hunters: How a team of spies and survivors captured the world’s most notorious Nazi. New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Summary: The Nazi Hunters is the story of the search and capture of Adolf Eichmann, who is reponsible for the deaths of millions of Jewish people.  Eichmann was the Lieutenant Colonel of the Nazi army and Chief of Department 4B4, with the mission to exterminate all Jews.  From 1939-1945 Eichmann captured Jewish people, stole their belongings, moved them to concentration camps, and either killed or worked them to death.  After World War II Eichmann escaped to Argentina where he lived in hiding for fifteen years.   The Mossad, Israeli Intelligence Agency, assembled a team of people who successfully located, identified, captured, and transported Eichmann to Isreal.  On April 11, 1961 Eichmann was charged with 15 counts, to which he denied all guilt.  The jury found Eichmann guilty of all, but two accounts.  Eichmann was the first and only individual sentenced to the death in Isreal.   

Response: The Nazi Hunters is a spy tale that developed because of much research.  Research included traveling to four contents, interviewing Mossad spies, tracking down former Nazis in Argentina, and looking at German archives, researching, and interviews.  Although the story is factually accurate, the author took some liberties to recreate minor details to construct the narrative.  Nonfiction reading is usually not the genre I reach for.  I was pleasantly surprised with this book because the content is presented in a narrative form.  This book contains photographs of people and artifacts from the time.  Unfortunately, my library only had the audiobook format, so I missed out on the photographs.  This book is good for middle grades 7^th and up. People who enjoyed The Nazi Hunters might also like the Real Justice series of books.  Each book features the real-life story of a different person and their battle with justice.

Type of text: Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults 2014

 

Book Notes # 10

Brown, B. (2016). Tetris: The games people play. New York, NY: First Second

Summary:  Tetris was invented by Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian computer scientist at the Moscow Academy of Science.  Alexey turned one of his favorite puzzles into a computer program.   Tetris gained popularity and spread throughout Russia.  Tetris caught the attention of several software, computer, and gaming companies.  Robert Stein thought he made a deal with Alexey to acquire the rights to Tetris, however Russia did not give Alexey the authority to sell Tetris.  This is when ELORG, the Russian agency that controls hardware and software, stepped in.  By this time, Stein’s involvement had led to Atari and Nintendo selling their own version of Tetris.  This caused a legal battle, Nintendo eventually won.  Nintendo paid ELORG what was owed to them for the licensing of Tetris.  Alexey did not receive compensation for creating Tetris until ELORG fell apart in 1996.  Then, Alexey and Henk Rogers formed The Tetris Company.  Tetris once again belonged to Alexey.

Response: Tetris: The Games People Play is a graphic novel suitable for middle grade and up.  This book is mostly about Tetris but starts with a brief history of games.  The history of Tetris is unexpectedly complex, and I think most people will find it interesting.  The graphic novel format is a perfect choice for telling the story of Tetris.  The illustrations that accompany the text are essential to a deeper understanding to the history of the game. I was eager to read this book when I found it on the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list.  Tetris was a game I played often growing up, so I have firsthand knowledge of its addictive power.  To renew your love for Tetris you can play online free at https://tetris.com/play-tetris.  View a book trailer/review for Tetris: The Games People Play here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbm8WJjqLkg.  Box Brown’s newest book, Is This Guy For Real?: The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, was released this year.

Type of text: Great Graphic Novels for Teens

 

Book Notes # 11

Stead, R. (2009). When you reach me. New York, NY: Wendy Lamb Books

Summary: Miranda receives four mysterious notes with hints about the future.  The notes include instructions, explanations, and four events that will later come true. The goal of the notes is to save Sal’s life.  Miranda’s friend Sal is terrified of Marcus after he mysteriously punched him on the way home from school.  Later Marcus tries to talk to Sal, but Sal runs in fear.  He runs so fast that he runs into the street in front of a truck.  Sal would have been killed if it weren’t for the crazy homeless laughing man on the street corner who saves his life.  The laughing man dies from the impact of the truck but saves Sal from death.  Miranda later pieces together that the four notes where from Marcus’s future self, the crazy homeless laughing man on the street corner.  Marcus has traveled back to 1979 to right his wrongs and save Sal’s life.  The mysterious notes from Marcus are essential to the outcome because Marcus can only save Sal with Miranda’s help.

Response: The 2010 Newberry winner, When You Reach Me, is ideal for middle grades and up. This fictional mystery has an engaging storyline that will be enjoyed by young readers.  Throughout the book the protagonist, Miranda indirectly mentions her favorite book, A Wrinkle in Time.  This book is important to the development of the plot.  It is the reason that Marcus and Miranda started talking about time travel.  It establishes Marcus’s interest in time travel and provides a foundation for the ending of When You Reach Me.  A Wrinkle in Time is a good companion read for When You Reach Me.  These books work well together for comparison lessons.  The Junior Library Guild has a thorough teacher’s guide for When You Reach Me found here https://www.juniorlibraryguild.com/images/9780982350690/StudyguideTeacher/WhenYouReachMe_TE_JLGGuide.pdf.  Follow the link for the When You Reach Me book trailer here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VlwnoQ7lVA.  Students who like When You Reach Me might also enjoy From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.

Type of text: Author Rebecca Stead

 

Book Notes # 12

Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. New York, NY: Graphix

Summary: Sisters is about sibling rivalry between Raina and Amara.  The girl’s bedroom gets too cramped after their brother Will is born.  Raina’s parents decide to give their room to Raina, so she can have personal space.  To be fair to Amara, they let her get the pet snake she has always wanted. Raina is terrified of Arama’s snake, Mango.  Raina fears their upcoming trip to a family reunion in Colorado because Mango has been hiding in the car ever since he got loose.  The girls bicker during the entire vacation over anything and everything. The family car breaks down on the return trip.  While their mother hitch hikes to get help, the girls wait for hours in the heat and out pops Mango!  Raina and Amara work together to trap Mango.   With Mango trapped in a suitcase the rest of the ride home is peaceful.

Response: Sisters is an autobiographical graphic novel ideal for middle grades.  Sisters is the sequel to Smile and both are memoirs of author Raina Telgemier’s life.  I had a sister growing up and experienced firsthand the sibling rivalry this book narrates.  I fell into the annoying little sister category and therefore could identify with Amara.  I enjoyed reading this book to get insight on the older sister’s perspective.  Many graphic novels are written for boys, it’s nice to see Telgemeier’s graphic novels focus on girls.  Scholastic has written a useful guide for educators called the Guide to Using Graphic Novels With Children and Teens.  This guide includes resources, discussion questions, classroom activities, educational resources, etc.  Follow the link to view https://www.scholastic.com/graphix_teacher/pdf/Graphix%20Teachers%20guide.pdf.  Follow the link to view a book trailer for Sisters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsEXPhq0aIU.  Readers who enjoy Sisters will likely enjoy Tegemeier’s Ghosts and Drama too.

Type of text: Author Raina Telgemeier

 

Book Notes # 13

Green, J. (2017). Turtles all the way down. New York, NY: Dutton Books

Summary: Ever since Aza Holmes’s father died her compulsive thoughts rule her decisions, her world, and her relationships.  Aza fears dying from illnesses caused by microbotia. Daisy, Aza’s best friend, convinces her to reconnect with Davis after his billianire father goes missing.  Daisy and Aza are seeking information about Davis’s father in order to collect the $100,000 missing person reward.  Davis gives Aza $100,000 to stop searching and ultimately to test Aza’s true intentions for their relationship.  Aza truly cares for Davis, but fears their intimacy will cause her to become sick.  Davis’s little brother, Noah, gives Aza a clue from his father’s phone that leads authorities to his dead body.  After Davis’s father is found he and Noah move away.  Before Davis moves he gifts Aza a valuable spiral painting from his father’s collection.  The painting mimicks Aza’s spiralling compulsive thoughts and follows her throughout the rest of her life.

Response: Imprisonment is the motif throughout Turtles All The Way Down.  In the beginning, Aza compares her high school to a prison.  They both are overcrowded, have metal detectors, cinder-block walls, are underfunded, and someone else decides the schedule that others must live by.  Aza is obsessed that the microbiota living in her body and worries it will cause her illness and death.  The motif of imprisonment continues when Aza compares the microbiota to prisoner and worries if, “the prisoners run the jail now.”  Aza is imprisoned by her own thoughts and compulsions.  Her thoughts spiral and tighten around her until she has lost all freedom, like being in a prison.  The author establishes the theme, “life goes on,” which provides hope for the characters and readers. For discussion questions for Turtles All The Way Down and other books written by John Green click here http://www.penguin.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Turtles_DiscussionGuide_8p.pdf.

Type of text: New York Times Best Seller 2017

 

Book Notes # 14

King, A.S. (2016). Still life with Tornado. New York, NY: Button Book

Summary: Sarah is having an existential crisis.  She acknowledges her parent argue often and her brother has not lived at home for many years, but Sarah refuses to acknowledge other problems in her life.  Sarah confronts her problems with the help of her 10, 23, and 40-year-old selves.  The Sarahs help her work through seeing Miss Smith kissing Vicky, a fellow student.  Also, that Miss Smith did nothing when Sarah’s art piece was thrown away just before the contest, that Vicky won.  Sarah acknowledges that her father, Chet, is abusive and her parents are on the verge of divorce.  Sarah remembers Bruce moved out because of physical abuse from her father.  Chet becomes violent after Sarah convinces Bruce to return home to visit her.  They call the police and Chet is arrested.  Helen finally starts the divorce that should have happened years ago. 

Response:  Still Life with Tornado is ideal for grades 9 and up.  I’m just going to come out and say it, I did not care for this book.  I thought the book was realistic fiction, but I soon realized it was not.   The protagonist, Sarah, could see and talk to her past and future selves.  That I could embrace, but it was strange when her mother and father could see and talk to the other Sarahs also.  Yet, they did not recognize them as a Sarah.  That was hard for me to get past.  Based on what I learned from the chapter reading Still Life with Tornado would be considered low fantasy.   It has many elements that relate to the world as we know it and include some elements that could not be possible.  Upon researching, I noticed people referring to the book as magical realism.  According to The Masters Review blog, “Magical realist fiction takes place in a world that resembles our own, except for the introduction of a magical element, which cannot be explained by the conventions of our reality.”  Based on this definition Still Life with Tornado sounds like magical realism.  The article goes on to compare magical realism to science fiction and fantasy.  After reading this article I left wondering if magical realism is a sub-category of low fantasy?  A.S. King shares how Still Life with Tornado mirrors her real life in The 5 Things You Need to Know video, found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8nl0f1IcBY.

Type of text: Author A.S. King

Reference:

The Masters Review. (Jul 1). Literary terms: Magical realism, science fiction, and fantasy [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://mastersreview.com/literary-terms-magical-realism-science-fiction-and-fantasy/

 

Book Notes # 15

Quintero, I. (2014). Gabi, a girl in pieces. El Paso, Texas: Cinco Puntos Press

Summary:  This diary style novel covers the problems Gabi, her friends, and family experience during her senior year of high school.  Gabi’s a food loving, boy crazy, poetry writing, high school girl dreaming of one day attending Berkeley.  Issues out of Gabi’s control like homosexuality, pregnancy, abortion, and drug addiction threaten to derail her plans.  Gabi’s plans for college are really threatened when Gabi finds out her mom and meth addicted father are expecting a baby.  Gabi faces her biggest fear when she finds her father overdosed and dead in the garage.  As Gabi’s mom faces raising a baby on her own she pressures Gabi not to go to college.  Gabi almost gets expelled for fighting, but her principal decides to give her a second chance.  Gabi overcomes many obstacles and fulfills her dream to attend Berkeley, her first-choice college.

Response: Gabi: A Girl in Pieces is a realistic fiction novel containing serious, yet relatable life issues.  This book is best for high school aged readers because of the serious nature and profanity.  The diary style of the book allows readers to bond with the protagonist, Gabi.  The reader quickly gains an understanding of what life is like for Gabi.  Although it feels almost too personal to read someone’s diary the author does it in a way, so the reader does not feel like a voyeur.  Gabi’s casual language and humor are inviting and make it seem more like she is talking to the reader like a friend.  This book also illustrates how problems beyond Gabi’s control are impacting her life.  Gabi’s character is strong and independent.  She helps her friends and family with their problem while still maintain her own independence to achieve her goals.  For a teacher’s guide click here http://www.cincopuntos.com/files/gabi_a-girl-in-pieces_teachers_guide.pdf.

Type of text: Required

 

Book Notes # 16

Garvin, J. (2016). Symptoms of being human. New York, NY: Blazer + Bray.

Summary: Is Riley a boy or a girl?  Everyone at Riley’s new school is asking that question, including Riley.  Riley is gender fluid.  Riley describes being gender fluid as a dial, sometimes the dial points more to male and sometimes the dial points more to female.  Riley’s counselor, Dr. Ann, suggests that Riley start an anonymous blog to cope with the dysphoria of being gender fluid.  When Riley’s blog goes viral it brings fans and foes alike.  Riley gets publicly outed by a blog/school peer stalker at his/her congressman father’s election fund raising event.   Riley is forced to explain to everyone what it means to be gender fluid.  Riley’s two friends, Bec and Solo, support Riley throughout the hardships of being bullied, stalked, publicly outed, physically assaulted, and hospitalized for being gender fluid.

Response: Symptoms of Being Human is a realistic fiction novel, told in first person.  Throughout the novel Garvin is intentionally vague and conceals Riley’s true gender. The first-person point of view is critical and allows the author to avoid the use of pronouns when referring to Riley.  The use of limited pronouns prevents the reader from knowing Riley’s birth gender. I wondered throughout the entire novel, when is the author going to give us the final clue to Riley’s true gender? I was in shock after reading the last page of the book and the answer was still not obvious.  After further reflection, I realized this was skillfully executed motif created by the author.  Riley does not truly know his/her gender and the reader doesn’t get to know either.  Leading the reader to better understand what it’s like to be gender fluid and the uncertainty Riley lives with daily.  Garvin’s engaging and insightful novel peaked my curiosity about him.  I found out he was a child actor and, in several sitcoms, including The Wonder Years.  That was a childhood favorite of mine! Another reason to like Garvin. Learn more about Jeff Garvin here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWbsq1UrmOs.

Type of text: Quick Picks Top Ten 2017