When You Reach Me

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I liked this simple story very much. It is written in a clear, insightful way, really getting into the mind of a young girl dealing with life in New York City, friends, school, and staying safe as she treks back and forth to school. I loved the connection with "A Wrinkle in Time", and the ending was quite surprising.



View all my reviews

Mockingjay

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Wow, what a story! Suzanne Collins has completed a trilogy that is pretty amazing. Her story of Katniss Everdeen will haunt me for a long time. This last book is heart-wrenching and grim, but still leaves the reader with a faint glimmer of hope. What an incredible imagination. The series is nonstop action from the first book to the last.



View all my reviews

Olive's Ocean

Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read this short novel called Olive's Ocean by Kevin Henkes a while ago. It is a simple story about a few summer days in 12 year-old Martha's life. The title refers to a girl Martha hardly knew, but one summer day Olive's mom visits Martha and gives her a journal that belonged to her daughter. Olive died in a bicycle accident. This whole incident changes Martha. It was simply written, and part of the story takes place on Cape Cod, one of my favorite places.

Check it out--it's in our library.



View all my reviews

The Sacrifice

The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheck




During a very warm 4th of July summer afternoon, I finished an interesting book called The Sacrifice by Diane Matcheak. This book had been hanging around my office for over a year, and I finally cataloged it and decided to read it. I love books about the Native American experience, and so this was right up my alley.



The Indian girl has no name at the beginning of the story. She is considered an outcast among her people, because her mother is dead, her twin brother was killed in a raid, and her father, who was once a great warrior, is no longer important among his people. The girl has trained herself to become a great warrior, and wants to prove herself in her village.



The setting is out west in Montana, Wyoming and Nebraska. Her people are Apsaalooka, or Crow, and although most girls did not become warriors, it was not forbidden to do so.



The ending was so exciting, I could not stop reading it until I was done. I heartily recommend this book--really--give it a chance!



View all my reviews