Previously, I have only discussed new books in my blog, but after I reread Cinder for my WHS Book Club, I finally decided to read the rest of the series. I don't know if read is strong enough of a word. I consumed the series, and now I, like many of my students, am in the pangs of withdrawal as I await Winter, the final book in the series, to be published this November. I had not read Scarlet and Cress because I was stuck on the idea that the story should just be about Cinder. However, the interweaving of the Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White fairy tales only serve to make Meyer's story more complex, imaginative and rich. I was holding my breath waiting for the moment when all of their paths would cross and all of their secrets be revealed, and I was not disappointed. These wonderful re-imaginings of traditional fairy tales bring the stories to a futuristic world with ease. Moreover, I enjoyed how the stories are told from multiple perspectives, so guys and gals can enjoy it, if the guys are brave enough to choose the book despite the feminine covers. I highly recommend this series to fans of fantasy, sci-fi, fairy tales, romance or action. There is something for everyone to love in this amazing series.
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
Previously, I have only discussed new books in my blog, but after I reread Cinder for my WHS Book Club, I finally decided to read the rest of the series. I don't know if read is strong enough of a word. I consumed the series, and now I, like many of my students, am in the pangs of withdrawal as I await Winter, the final book in the series, to be published this November. I had not read Scarlet and Cress because I was stuck on the idea that the story should just be about Cinder. However, the interweaving of the Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and Snow White fairy tales only serve to make Meyer's story more complex, imaginative and rich. I was holding my breath waiting for the moment when all of their paths would cross and all of their secrets be revealed, and I was not disappointed. These wonderful re-imaginings of traditional fairy tales bring the stories to a futuristic world with ease. Moreover, I enjoyed how the stories are told from multiple perspectives, so guys and gals can enjoy it, if the guys are brave enough to choose the book despite the feminine covers. I highly recommend this series to fans of fantasy, sci-fi, fairy tales, romance or action. There is something for everyone to love in this amazing series.
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How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon Sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson was coming home from the corner store when he was gunned down by Jack Franklin, a white man with a gun. The police release Franklin saying it was self-defense. According to them, Tariq had a gun. Others at the scene claim Tariq was unarmed. What really happened? Written from perspectives of all the people around Tariq who were impacted by his death, you will be engrossed in this mystery as you try to understand who Tariq was, if he was innocent, and why so many black young men are gunned down without recourse. After a year of listening to the media disclose many cases where unarmed black men have been killed by the police or other armed white men, this is a timely story. It was fascinating how his death affected people so differently and how people perceived him so differently. As a reader, I so wanted him alive, so I could meet him, and he could reach his potential. This slice of life story from the inner city is one everyone should read, so we can better bridge our differences and make a better tomorrow. Highly recommended. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir At age six, Elias was chosen to train to become a soldier for the Martial Empire. Now he is the most promising soldier at the academy, but secretly, he loathes the cruelty of the Empire and is planning to desert. Then he learns that he has been selected as one of four students who will be tested to become the next Marital Emperor, and his chances of escape fall apart. Laia is a scholar, a group of people who have become second-class citizens when they lost the war with the Martial empire. When her brother is taken by the Martial Empire, Laia will do anything to get him back. Even though her parents were betrayed by the Scholar Resistance they had led, Laia knows the rebel Scholars are her only chance to get her brother back. They agree to help her if she will pose as slave for the deadly commander of the Martial training academy and spy on her. Of course, Laia agrees. One Scholar girl who is certain she will never be strong enough to protect those she loves, and one Martial boy who dreams of a world of peace. When they meet at the Academy, they will both inspire each other to fight for the world's they desire. However, their dreams will come at a terrible price. Finally, a new fantasy series that you can get excited about! Tahir creates a world where it is difficult to know who trust, where cruelty reigns, and where the stories of magic are coming true. Laia and Elias are well-drawn characters that you will grow to admire, and their relationship is rich and complex. Fans of Game of Thrones will love this new series. Highly recommended! Laughing at My Nightmare by Shane Burcaw Shane Burcaw is a typical 21 year old, enjoying school, sports, friends, and girls, stuck in a body that is anything but that is anything but normal. At age two, Shane was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, which means his muscles are continually degenerating and he has been in a wheel chair his entire life. Although there is no cure for the disease and Shane is constantly dealing with new challenges from his failing body, Shane has dealt with his life with a raw humor instead of hopelessness. He began blogging about his everyday life, and within months, his blog "Laughing at My Nightmare" had more than 500,000 followers. Due the popularity of his blog, this book was created. I am going to start this review admitting, once again, that I rarely enjoy nonfiction. However, this book was riveting. Shane's raw honesty about the struggles of dealing with a debilitating condition and the frustrations of being thought of as mentally disabled based on his wheel chair made me reexamine my own assumptions about living with a disability. I laughed about his frank discussions about peeing when one is stuck in a wheelchair and how he and his cousin used his condition to miss a lot of class in high school. I appreciated how angry he was when he learned his baseball league for students with disabilities would not be at all competitive, which totally changes how I see the one-size-fits-all approach to adaptive programs for people with disabilities. I especially loved how he dealt with his challenges with humor and how he felt his challenges were no more powerful than the challenges all of us face in life. If we use humor to face them, everything can be better. Shane's words have a universal appeal, and I highly recommend everyone should read them. |
AuthorMs. Smith has been the librarian at Washington HS in Sioux Falls, SD, since 2005. She enjoys reading, watching K-Dramas, Harry Potter and hanging out with her family. Archives
October 2021
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