Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I guess I should not be comparing this book with Hunger Games, but I can't help myself. Both books have a female character who appear to have great strength and endurance, and exhibit such bravery that it's mind boggling, but...I fell in love with Katnis, but never felt the same connection with Tris.  Both books take place in the future, in a dystopian world, but it seems that Tris' world is not as cruel, there is a government, and most people are taken care of. Don't get me wrong, Divergent is a good story, and it did keep me reading to the end. In Tris' world, at the age of sixteen you take a series of tests, and are placed in your community. There are a few exceptions, where you don't exactly fit, and you are considered Divergent, which can be dangerous. There is a love interest, and the training seems to go on and on, but the real action doesn't start until the last few chapters in the book. I'm not sure if I will read the next book in the series. We'll see.


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Inside Out and Back Again

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a beautiful, beautifully written story. This is based on the author's life as a young girl in Saigon, South Vietnam, just at the end of the Vietnamese War, and takes us all the way to Alabama. Ha's father, an officer in the their navy, has been missing, and her mother is trying to keep a roof over their heads, and food on the table for her and her three brothers. As the Communist troops draw closer, they realize they have to leave. With Canada, France or the USA as their choices, the family votes on the USA. They are sponsored by a kindly man from Alabama, who has a rather unkindly wife. Ha finds herself in school, an outcast, not speaking the language, and with some very mean children to deal with.  With it's simple, sparing style, the author gives us a glimpse into this very important year in Ha's life. A very quick read, but very memorable.


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Jefferson's Sons

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is an interesting tale of one of our most important Founding Fathers, Thomas Jefferson. Yes, the man who penned the Declaration of Independence did indeed own slaves on his plantation, Monticello, in Virginia. He was also the father of Sally Hemings' children, Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston. Sally Hemings was one of Jefferson's slaves. The story is told through the eyes of all four children, who have been told that they will be free when they turn 21, as promised by Jefferson to their mother. Sally tells her children that when they leave Monticello, they will "pass" as white people, and live with all the advantages of white people at that time. I'm not sure all of the historic facts are accurate, and for sure, the dialogue is not, but it is an interesting piece of historical fiction.


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Within Reach My Everest Story

Within Reach: My Everest Story by Mark Pfetzer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting story of a young boy's determination to climb Mt. Everest. It is not just a thirteen year-old's fantasy, Mark is so focused and willing, that he gives up at least 3 high school years to pursue this quest. It is told as if Mark is keeping a journal, from when he first discovers mountain climbing on a camping trip when he is in the seventh grade. Mark becomes obsessed with climbing, and like any obsessed kid, it becomes his heart's desire to find a way to eventually climb Everest. I will say, I am pretty amazed at how he came up with the money to do all the traveling, buy the equipment and train on "smaller" mountains until he goes for Everest. Obviously, he is not your typical teenager. This is an amazing journey, and it is told through Mark's teenage eyes.


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A dog's Life The Autobiography of a Stray

A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray by Ann M. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reading this book reminded me of Black Beauty, by Anna Sewell, which I read when I was a little girl, a long time ago. Even though I was a city girl, who had no pets at all, that book allowed me to see what a horse might be thinking or feeling as it meets up with both good and bad humans. Well, Ann M. Martin does a very good job on letting us see what life may be like for a stray dog. Squirrel and her brother Bone are born in a barn, and begin their lives as two close companions. As they grow a bit older, their mother leaves them, and eventually, Squirrel is on her own. There are good and bad humans, and good and bad animals, but the writing allows us to believe everything that Squirrel thinks and feels. This is a good story, even if you don't own a dog.


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Life As We Knew It

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

An interesting take on what life would be like if we had never recovered from Superstorm Sandy. I know many of the Plainfield students were without power and heat for over a week after that storm, so they may be able to relate to some of the things going on in this story. The moon has been hit by a huge meteor, and has moved closer to the earth, which causes major tsunamis, flooding, power outages, and earthquakes. Miranda lives with her mom and two brothers in a town in Pennsylvania, and they are coping with food shortages, oil shortages, and no electricity. We learn about all this through Miranda's journal. This is the first in a trilogy.


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Football Genius

Football Genius by Tim Green
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book that I have read by former NFL player Tim Green, and I enjoyed this one just as much as I enjoyed Football Hero. This book is set in Atlanta, and actually involves Green's former team, the Atlanta Falcons, but the story really is about Troy, a middle school-age boy who is a great quarterback, but who never gets to play. He feels it is because the coach plays favorites, (his son), and Troy also feels slighted because he does not have a dad. Troy does have two great friends, Tate, a girl who is a great kicker, and his friend Nathan. Troy has one other gift, a football sense, where he can anticipate what plays are going to happen on the field. It all leads to a great story, with some pretty exciting scenes.


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Wonder

Wonder by R.J. Palacio
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very, very good story. I will certainly be getting it for the Maxson MS library collection. It seems as if writing about young people with different kinds of disabilities seems to be in vogue, as I had read Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper just a few weeks ago. This is the story of a boy, his mother and father, his sister, and the friends he meets as he enters school for the first time as a fifth grader. August was born with a rare condition, which has left his face so deformed, that most people gasp and look away when they see him. So, starting school in fifth grade is a huge step for him, and for all those people who care so much about him.
It is told by the different voices, but mostly by Auggie, and it is so well written that I could not put it down. A great read for all middle school students, (and adults, too.)


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Smiles to Go

Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I usually really love a Jerry Spinelli book. He has written so many beautiful books, like Maniac Magee, Stargirl, and one of my favorites, Who Put That Hair in My Toothbrush? I always used to read that one to my classes. Smiles to Go seems like a combination of a few of his novels. It is a love story with some science thrown in, but there is also sibling rivalry, friendship issues, and a lot of other good middle school angst. A good read for both boys and girls in 6th or 7th grade.


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My Voki

Children of the Great Depression

Children of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very good non-fiction book about the children who lived through the depression, from all areas of our country. There are photos of children from the rural south, the northern cities, and the migrant camps of California. There are pictures of kids hopping trains, and outside of a school in West Virginia. It amazes me that these kids grew up during this difficult time, and became the greatest generation--the heroes of WW II.
A great book to read, or, just to look at the incredible pictures.


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Out of My Mind

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a wonderfully written book that every teacher and middle school student should read. This is the story of Melody, a remarkable 11 year-old who thinks thousands of words in her mind, but is not able to speak aloud. She has cerebral palsy, and terrific, supportive parents, and a wonderful neighbor who has always believed in her. The story is Melody's struggle to find a way to communicate with her world. It is also a story of good and very bad teachers, and kids who are cruel. I was very moved by this story. Bravo, Ms. Draper.


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"I'll Fight You For The Library" performed by Taylor Mali

Secret Saturdays

Secret Saturdays by Torrey Maldonado
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a very different kind of story about friendship. Justin and Sean are best friends, they have each other's back in school and on the streets. It's a rough neighborhood, Red Hook, Brooklyn, and the two boys do not want to fight with fists, but with words. School is important to them. And then, Sean begins to change, turning into a bully, and Justin wants to know why. The story rings true, and that could be because the author grew up in Red Hook, and was a teacher in a New York City public school. The dialogue is real, and so are the problems these two boys face. This is a book that middle school boys and girls might enjoy, if they give it a chance.


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Freaky Green Eyes

Freaky Green Eyes by Joyce Carol Oates
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a book that I could not put down. Francesca, or, Franky (as she likes to be called) is a 14 year-old, whose father is a famous retired football player- turned-announcer. She seems to have this great life, but very quickly, the reader discovers that Franky's father has a super short temper, is brutal and has his wife and children terrified of making him angry. This is a scary novel, that moves quickly. I would recommend this book for Maxson's mature 8th grade readers.


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Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a very interesting biography, dealing with a subject that many middle school students know very little about--autism. Temple Grandin was very lucky that she had such a brave and loving mother, because at the age of three, Temple's father wanted to put her away in a mental institution because she was not normal. She was diagnosed with autism, a disorder of the brain. This was way back in 1950, when most people had no idea what autism was.
This book does a wonderful job in explaining how Temple grew up, and was able to go to college. It tells this story with photographs and diagrams of Temple's work. Temple has been able to become a scientist and professor of animal science at Colorado State University, and has changed the livestock industry with her incredible designs for handling cattle. The author writes this story in a clear, straight-forward way. We see the many trials Temple had to deal with, as she learned what she needed to do to help change the world's view of people with autism.


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13: Thirteen stories that capture the agony and ecstasy of being thirteen

13: Thirteen Stories That Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen by James Howe
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

This is a collection of short stories by some really good writers. I thought some of the stories were good, and some were just OK. I would definitely say the very last story, Tina the Teen Fairy, by Ann Martin and Laura Godwin was my favorite--short, cute, and funny. Some of the stories were way too serious, but a reader could always skip them. The stories are meant for both boys and girls, but I don't think too many middle school boys will find them that interesting.


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Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting

Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another very good non-fiction book from Jim Murphy--this time about the First World War. Murphy does a very good job explaining how the war began, without getting too complicated. There are actual photos and some illustrations of both sides, which brings this war to life. The remarkable truce that happened on a cold Christmas Eve during the fighting, is a remarkable story.


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Maximum Ride the Angel Experiment

The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was non-stop action, from the opening pages right to the end, when I said to myself, "I think I really need to read the next book in the series". I'm not a particular fan of James Patterson, and the writing style in this book is pretty basic, but I will admit the action and dangerous situations will definitely keep middle school and high school students on the edge of their seats.
Max and her crew are on the run. They are a group of kids that have been genetically modified- they all have some kind of super power. Max, for example, has great strength. They escaped from the "school" where the scientists experimented on them as if they were lab rats. Oh, and by the way, they all have wings and can fly! Now, it looks like the scientists who created them, want them back in the lab. Lots of fun!


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The Truth about Truman School

The Truth about Truman School by Dori Hillestad Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An absolutely up-to-date book on social media and bullying on the middle school level. Zebby and Amr are friends, and they are not part of the "cool" kids at Truman Middle School. They decide to set-up a webpage, when the school newspaper becomes too restrictive. Zebby just wants to have a discussion on the important issues at Truman, but things go terrible wrong. The website takes off, but it becomes a forum to attack one particular girl. A quick read, told by the different voices of the students at Truman. Very realistic.


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