Revised Reading List

Here's my reading list as of now:

The Giver
30 Guys in 30 Days
The Golden Compass
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass
When You Reach Me
Along for the Ride
Howl's Moving Castle
Castle in the Air
House of Many Ways

**still on the lookout for a potential Brown Summer High School book though...

Book Review: Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

Dessen, Sarah. 2009. Along for the Ride. New York: Viking. 382 pages.

I will be the first to admit that even to this day, I still buy Sarah Dessen books from the bookstore for my own personal reading. Whenever I need a good dose of real life that just happens to work out in the end with some romance and drama thrown into the mix, something labeled with the name Sarah Dessen always holds the answer. In Along for the Ride we meet Auden, an overachiever and highly motivated student to the core, with two impressive scholar/authors as parents. Auden is also an insomniac, a habit built up from long late-night drives she would take that began when her parents started arguing behind closed doors, eventually splitting up. So Auden's world became more and more immersed in schoolwork and less and less in the world of people and friends. But no matter, as she graduates at almost the top of her high school class and is ready to move on to one of the most highly selective colleges in the area. But in a flash of spontaneity, Auden gets frustrated with her mother's attempts to rewind back into single-hood and Auden finds herself heading to the beach town where her father, new stepmom Heidi, and new baby stepsister live for a summer unlike any she would have foreseen.

The beach town creates the setting for Auden's unlikely mission--to go back and make up for all the things she missed as a kid--girl friends, hanging out, sleepovers, and riding a bike. Life at her dad's also isn't quite what she expected: her stepmom is stressed out of her mind, her dad completely oblivious and out of the picture--it's a pattern Auden's seen with her dad before. So Auden keeps some of her old habits, driving through the streets in the dead of night in order to find another haunt, but no luck for a while until she meets Eli, another night owl and a mysterious once-famous biker star that the townspeople say hasn't touched a bike since his best friend died in a car accident. And together Eli and Auden develop a connection or late nights and long talks over good coffee and fabulous pie, creating a friendship somewhat secret from the rest of their friends. What will Auden make of Eli? A friend closer than she had had for many years, and she cannot help but be drawn to his mysterious nature. But circumstances arise that compel Auden to close herself up again, but now she is clearly changed. But is she too late to go back?

How do the people in our lives make an impact upon our way of thinking, our way of interacting, our way of being? Any readers who like Sarah Dessen will thoroughly enjoy this novel, as well as readers who like Mary Pearson and similar authors. Readers will find themeselves surprised at the depth of content, amused by the vibrancy of well-formed characters and settings, and unable to pull away for even a second until they find out what happens between Auden and Eli. In this story Dessen crafts a real and alluring tale of Auden's summer of letting go, simply being, and for once enjoying life as the present and not as the future.

Book Review: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Pullman, Philip. The Golden Compass. New York: Random House, 1995. 399 pages.

The first installment in Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, The Golden Compass introduces us to the adventures in store for eleven year old Lyra Belacqua. Lyra is an orphan under the care of the scholars of Jordan College in Oxford, England, but one quite different from our world. The people in Lyra’s world all possess daemons, animals that embody a certain part of the nature their human companion. Lyra lives a carefree and happy life playing on the streets of Oxford with the town’s children, and only has one living relative, Uncle Asriel, a man of great power and influence, but who is constantly away on explorations to solve important questions that Lyra doesn’t quite understand yet. At the beginning of the novel, we are immediately introduced to Lyra’s precocious nature as we find Lyra hiding in a cupboard in the office of the Master of Jordan College where she overhears a plot to poison Uncle Asriel. Lyra is able to intercede and prevent the death of her uncle, but a mysterious series of events follows. We follow Lyra’s adventures as she tries to sift through the layers of deception of the church, the pervading fear of The Gobblers, and the mysteries of the alethiometer.

This book brings readers on a journey that is so compelling that they will eagerly keep turning pages to find the answers to their questions, but even the end brings up only more questions. I’ve heard many times that this book and this series have been on lists of banned books, very likely because of the negative portrayal of the church. For me, it’s a little difficult to designate a specific age group for this novel. Lyra is 11 at the beginning of the novel, and this may be a misconception left over from believing some other myths about reading, but I’m hesitant to believe that Pullman really intended this book for teenagers, especially older teenagers like 16 or 17 year olds because the main character is only 11. An 11 year old character simply markets as being an accessible book for younger adolescents. But as I was reading I found that the language style is really quite sophisticated, and readers really need to be on point and aware while they are reading. At times even I felt a little confused, but I think that’s part of the draw of the book—it keeps you wondering, thinking, and postulating until the end, and even after.

In addition to the higher complexity of language, this story is essentially a coming-of-age tale and the battle between being a carefree child to a person of immense power. It also portrays grown ups in a less-than-perfect, at many times negative way (another reason why it may be banned for some), and Lyra and the readers come to the realization that grown ups are clearly not infallible. Some of the questions I thought of while reading included: How does destiny play a role in someone’s life? What makes someone special? What would life be for us if each person possessed a daemon like in Lyra’s world? All in all, I completely understood why this has come to be such a popular book for children and young adults. An attention-grabbing introduction to a trilogy, The Golden Compass paints a beautifully troubled world, and definitely one in which readers will definitely want to get lost.

Book Review: Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

Jones, Diana Wynne. Howl's Moving Castle. New York: HarperCollins, 1986. 336 pages.

Now one of my favorite books, Howl's Moving Castle was given to me by a very good friend while we were in high school. At first I was skeptical, how could a fantasy book be so compelling post Harry Potter? Well since it was a gift, I decided to give it a chance, and I loved it. The story was light, but empowering as it regaled the tale of Sophie Hatter. Growing up in the land of Ingary, Sophie believed that she was never destined for greatness because she was the oldest of three sisters. Sophie wasn't the most beautiful like middle sister Lettie, nor was she given good fortune like her youngest sister Martha. Sophie didn't even have an evil stepmother to brag about since Fannie her stepmother was perfectly cordial. When Mr. Hatter died, Fannie even made arrangements for each of the daughters to be taken care of in some way--Martha became the apprentice of a witch, Lettie began work in a bakery, and Sophie stayed in the shop to learn the hat trade and eventually inherit the shop.

Sophie soon becomes bored with the routine and loneliness the accompanied working in the back rooms of the shop. Her life was looking bleaker and bleaker until one day Sophie's life is turned upside down when she gets on the bad side of the wicked Witch of the Waste, who subsequently places Sophie under a spell that ages her about 60 years. Needless to say being cursed wasn't exactly what Sophie was looking for, but it became her excuse to leave home and seek out the help of the Wizard Howl. As an old lady, Sophie finds it easier to speak her mind and not care so much about what other people think--and so she cons her way into staying at Howl's home (a moving castle with a magical door that opens to multiple portals) under the guise of being the hired cleaning lady. The novel chronicles Sophie, the Wizard Howl, his apprentice Michael, and the fire demon Calcifer and their adventures as a dysfunctional magical family. Will any of them ever break free from their mysterious curses?

Jones writes in such a way that transplants the reader to a different land that the reader will never want to leave. Filled with action, magic and complexity, readers will find something to love about the larger-than-life characters, with personalities so varied and vibrant that readers won't know what to expect next. Something fun to do would be to read the book before watching the movie, and readers will have a great time picking out differences and analyzing why the directors chose to change certain details. This book would be enjoyed by both girls and boys, and I would imagine anyone from ages 10-17 would be able to enjoy it, especially those who enjoy books with magic such as The Golden Compass .

Book Review: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Stead, Rebecca. When You Reach Me. New York: Wendy Lamb, 2009. 208 pages.

Twelve-year-old Miranda has had an okay life in New York City. She’s learned some street smarts, how to live in the big city, avoid trouble and troubled people like the laughing man who frequents the corner outside her apartment building. Miranda’s single mom, a paralegal in a small law office, always has the means to provide Miranda with food, shelter, and nice things every once in a while. Miranda has become increasingly more self-conscious about their modest living situations however, as she begins building friendships with her 6th grade classmates Annemarie and Colin after a falling out with her best friend Sal. Since the afternoon that Sal was beaten up by a boy in the neighborhood, Sal refuses to talk about it with Miranda, or anything else for that matter, and begins avoiding Miranda for reasons unknown to her. Soon after, she begins to receive a cryptic note from mysterious someone desperately in need of Miranda’s help. Despite trying to ignore the note, other unusual things begin happening in her life and she can’t help but notice that the mysterious note-writer has an uncanny sense about the events unfolding before her, and more notes with the same pleading tone make their way to her hands. What’s more unsettling are the messages in the note, “I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own.”

Rebecca Stead’s writing style is smart, telling a familiar type of story, but in such a way that keeps the reader engaged and eager for the rest of the story to unfurl. The main character Miranda shows incredible insight for her age, and young adolescents will be exposed to a variety of themes ranging from class, race, friendship, growing up, and much more. This book would greatly appeal to readers ages 10-14, especially those who would also like A Wrinkle in Time or similar books, but honestly this book transcends typical labels, showing elements of science, realistic, even historical fiction (it does take place in the late 1970s). The only issue with this book is whether it is more of under the category of children's vs. young adult literature, but the book's complexities are so compelling that both younger and older readers will definitely enjoy. When You Reach Me is a clever mix of adventure, mystery, and suspence and is rightly appreciated as a recipient of the Newbery Medal (2010), An ALA Best Book for Young Adults for Top Ten (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009, and Parents' Choice Gold Award (2009).

**EDIT**

This book has gotten so many wonderful reviews I feel like I haven't done it justice. Here's a longer review by a librarian
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1790000379/post/760043876.html.

random thought as reading articles for learning log #4

I just had to say...reading these articles and reading books for class and reading books for my list has made remember why I love reading, and that's probably one of the best gifts I've ever gotten out of a class :)

Book Review: 30 Guys in 30 Days by Micol Ostow

Ostow, Micol. 30 Guys in 30 Days. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005. 304 pages.

With its lime green cover and a title that was a little too absurd to pass up, 30 Guys in 30 Days tells the story of Claudia B. Clarkson as she begins her freshman year at Woodman College outside Boston. Starting in a new place also has Claudia starting a new life as a single girl for the first time in four years, having broken up with her high school boyfriend Drew. Very quickly Claudia realizes that she’s been out of the dating game for so long that flirting and approaching boys have become foreign to her. Thus her southern belle roommate Charlie suggests a sort of a challenge for Claudia, to meet one new boy every day for thirty days. Fondly nicknamed “target practice,” Claudia definitely misses the mark often at the beginning—throwing up on a boy, embarrassing herself in front of her professor, unknowingly flirting with the sorority queen’s boyfriend, among many other mishaps—but she definitely gets points for trying. Besides target practice, Claudia’s adventures in her classes and while writing some articles for the newspaper have got her pretty busy as she tries to make her way through her first semester and find her place in this new environment.

Clearly intended for teenage girls, the story gives insight to a different kind of love life that the modern young woman experiences. It also offers a message for any girl that is looking for a revival in her love life by challenging readers to take a chance and step out of one’s comfort zone, and that life is a series of making some silly mistakes but to have faith that it’ll be worth it in the end.