by Heather Demetrios
Summary:
Chloe Baker has finally managed to fit in. No one knows her as one of the infamous Bakers Dozen, a reality show that followed her family since she was born. Instead she's a normal teenager, with friends and a crush! Then she finds her nice normal world crashing down around her as Bakers Dozen prepares to return to TV. With cameras following her and her family 24/7, it's impossible to go back to her nice normal life. And now America is sitting in the front seat watching everything about her family implode.
Review:
This book is an amazingly written cautionary tale about the price of fame, particularly for those who don't choose it. With so many reality shows that feature parents and their children, the book really strikes a cord (and makes it even harder to condone watching shows with children who didn't sign up for the life). Chloe is a relateable character that teens will cheer for as she fights for her privacy. Definitely a good contemporary read for slightly older teens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Showing posts with label Siblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Siblings. Show all posts
Friday, March 14, 2014
Thursday, August 22, 2013
In Honor
by Jessica Kirby
Summary:
Just days after Honor found out her brother Finn was killed in Iraq, she gets a letter from him. Now that the funeral is over, she's going to do what the letter asked. As she sets out to drive to California to go to a concert of a superstar that they both loved, she runs into Finn's best friend Rusty who decides to come with her, against Honor's protests. What starts as a journey to fufill Finn's last wish just might turn into a way for them both to heal a bit from losing him.
Review:
This book was fantastically written. Honor's struggles to both grieve and heal, to let herself live even though he joined the Army in order for her to go to college, are heartbreaking yet so easy to identify with. The characters are all well drawn and pull you in. It's a book that is extremely apt given how many people died in the Iraq war leaving behind their families. It's a great read for anyone who likes realistic fiction, though best for the slightly older set as it does feature some drinking.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Summary:
Just days after Honor found out her brother Finn was killed in Iraq, she gets a letter from him. Now that the funeral is over, she's going to do what the letter asked. As she sets out to drive to California to go to a concert of a superstar that they both loved, she runs into Finn's best friend Rusty who decides to come with her, against Honor's protests. What starts as a journey to fufill Finn's last wish just might turn into a way for them both to heal a bit from losing him.
Review:
This book was fantastically written. Honor's struggles to both grieve and heal, to let herself live even though he joined the Army in order for her to go to college, are heartbreaking yet so easy to identify with. The characters are all well drawn and pull you in. It's a book that is extremely apt given how many people died in the Iraq war leaving behind their families. It's a great read for anyone who likes realistic fiction, though best for the slightly older set as it does feature some drinking.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
The Silence of Murder
by Dandi Daley Mackall
Summary:
What if your brother had been accused of murder? Would you stand by him? Accuse him? Stay to the side and do nothing? Hope knows that her brother didn't murder Coach Johnson. But her brother has always had problems, developmental ones that were just a part of his life. But now those problems are what has caused the town to turn against him, and his unwillingness to talk about the events of that night might result in him going to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Unless Hope can find a way to unearth the truth.
Review:
This was an excellent read about a girl who's never been given a break, a family that has been torn apart so many times they don't know how to stand together. Its realistic portrayl about how mental disbilities are misunderstood by those who are scared is well done. It's a whodunit with a great twist at the end, but at it's core its about the staying power of family in terrible circumstances. Definitely a good read for those who like murder mysteries.
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
What if your brother had been accused of murder? Would you stand by him? Accuse him? Stay to the side and do nothing? Hope knows that her brother didn't murder Coach Johnson. But her brother has always had problems, developmental ones that were just a part of his life. But now those problems are what has caused the town to turn against him, and his unwillingness to talk about the events of that night might result in him going to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Unless Hope can find a way to unearth the truth.
Review:
This was an excellent read about a girl who's never been given a break, a family that has been torn apart so many times they don't know how to stand together. Its realistic portrayl about how mental disbilities are misunderstood by those who are scared is well done. It's a whodunit with a great twist at the end, but at it's core its about the staying power of family in terrible circumstances. Definitely a good read for those who like murder mysteries.
Genre: Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Monday, August 19, 2013
A Matter of Days
by Amber Kizer
Summary:
What if a virus mutated so that it was immune to all known cures? What if it was engineered to wipe out most of the population? It could happen. And it's what happened. It's now 56 days since the virus known as Blue Star was unleashed, and it's killed most of the population. Nadia and her brother were protected by a shot given to them by their uncle, one of the military's top doctors, before the virus hit but now are alone and must make their way across the country to their grandfather's compound. Not knowing if he's alive, and forced to avoid the gangs of people who survived, they must try to survive and figure out who to trust.
Review:
While there is a lot of post-apocalyptic type novels out there, Kizer's does stand out. Nadia and Rabbit are resourceful, but they get a lot of their knowledge about how to survive from previous lessons from their KIA military commando father and from books, which makes it more realistic. They are smart kids who have to use their instincts on who to trust, and while they do have a bit of luck following them, generally the book is pretty believable. It's a good read for those who like disaster fiction, and will drive more than one teen to a book on survival preparedness.
Genre: Disaster Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
What if a virus mutated so that it was immune to all known cures? What if it was engineered to wipe out most of the population? It could happen. And it's what happened. It's now 56 days since the virus known as Blue Star was unleashed, and it's killed most of the population. Nadia and her brother were protected by a shot given to them by their uncle, one of the military's top doctors, before the virus hit but now are alone and must make their way across the country to their grandfather's compound. Not knowing if he's alive, and forced to avoid the gangs of people who survived, they must try to survive and figure out who to trust.
Review:
While there is a lot of post-apocalyptic type novels out there, Kizer's does stand out. Nadia and Rabbit are resourceful, but they get a lot of their knowledge about how to survive from previous lessons from their KIA military commando father and from books, which makes it more realistic. They are smart kids who have to use their instincts on who to trust, and while they do have a bit of luck following them, generally the book is pretty believable. It's a good read for those who like disaster fiction, and will drive more than one teen to a book on survival preparedness.
Genre: Disaster Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Friday, November 16, 2012
See You at Harry's
by Johanna Knowles
Summary:
Fern loves her family, she really does. But sometimes she just feels invisible. Between her older sister and brother and their antics, and her little 3 year old brother Charlie clamoring for attention, she just kind of gets lost in the mix. But when an accident happens, an accident Fern is sure she caused, the family is ripped apart. You never know how much you can take until you are taken past your breaking point, and Fern doesn't know how her family will survive.
Review:
Knowles' book is a poignant reminder of how easily breakable life is. Fern's family life wasn't perfect before the tragedy, but they all loved each other and were a constant presence in each other's lives. Now she has to deal with her own guilt about the accident, a sister and brother sorting through not only their grief but their own immense issues, and parents who have completely withdrawn from their children. Fern is a great character who you really identify with as she tries to find a way to bring her family back together. A great read for a slightly older tween or teen.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7th-8th Grade
Summary:
Fern loves her family, she really does. But sometimes she just feels invisible. Between her older sister and brother and their antics, and her little 3 year old brother Charlie clamoring for attention, she just kind of gets lost in the mix. But when an accident happens, an accident Fern is sure she caused, the family is ripped apart. You never know how much you can take until you are taken past your breaking point, and Fern doesn't know how her family will survive.
Review:
Knowles' book is a poignant reminder of how easily breakable life is. Fern's family life wasn't perfect before the tragedy, but they all loved each other and were a constant presence in each other's lives. Now she has to deal with her own guilt about the accident, a sister and brother sorting through not only their grief but their own immense issues, and parents who have completely withdrawn from their children. Fern is a great character who you really identify with as she tries to find a way to bring her family back together. A great read for a slightly older tween or teen.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7th-8th Grade
Friday, June 15, 2012
Breathless
by Jessica Warman
Summary:
Katie never meant to lie about her brother. But it's so much easier to be the new girl with a brother who died rather than the new girl with the brother who is crazy and is in and out of mental hospitals. Or the new girl with the brother who tried to kill her father, or might have killed a hospital worker. So instead she lies and moves on with her life. She's captain of the swim team and has a great boyfriend and friends. But while things are great on the surface, when you are hiding a big lie it's bound to come out sometime.
Review:
While Katie's brother is in the book quite a bit, the book itself is not about him. it instead shows the devastation that having a person with mental illness can have on the family (especially when it's an illness that manifests violently). Katie chooses to hide any association with her brother, and we can see throughout the book how guilty and ashamed it makes her feel. It's an interesting look at mental illness from a person who is not suffering from the diseases themselves but is suffering from the aftereffects and from being a bit ignored by her parents because she is not the problem child. Good read for older tweens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Summary:
Katie never meant to lie about her brother. But it's so much easier to be the new girl with a brother who died rather than the new girl with the brother who is crazy and is in and out of mental hospitals. Or the new girl with the brother who tried to kill her father, or might have killed a hospital worker. So instead she lies and moves on with her life. She's captain of the swim team and has a great boyfriend and friends. But while things are great on the surface, when you are hiding a big lie it's bound to come out sometime.
Review:
While Katie's brother is in the book quite a bit, the book itself is not about him. it instead shows the devastation that having a person with mental illness can have on the family (especially when it's an illness that manifests violently). Katie chooses to hide any association with her brother, and we can see throughout the book how guilty and ashamed it makes her feel. It's an interesting look at mental illness from a person who is not suffering from the diseases themselves but is suffering from the aftereffects and from being a bit ignored by her parents because she is not the problem child. Good read for older tweens.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9th Grade
Rules of Survival
by Nancy Werlin
Summary:
Matthew's used to protecting his sisters from their erratic mother But constantly reading her moods and keeping everyone playing their parts so that their mother won't go off the deep end is no job for a 13 year old. So when Matthew sees Murdoch stepping between a father about to hit his son in a grocery store, he sees a man who might be able to help his sisters and him escape their mother. But the problem with trying to escape a mother who can't be trusted to act sane is you never know what she is really capable of.
Review:
Written from Matthew's perspective as a letter to his youngest sister explaining what happened in their childhood, Rules of Survival is a gripping novel that makes you want to know what happens next to this family. Matthew is a likable character, a boy who is trying to protect his family but realizes he can't do it on his own. He has his flaws which show him for the boy he still is, even though he is trying to be the 'man of the house for his family. The book demonstrates the absolute havoc that can be wrecked upon a family by untreated mental illness and the necessity of banding together in such a situation. A good read for older tweens especially.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Summary:
Matthew's used to protecting his sisters from their erratic mother But constantly reading her moods and keeping everyone playing their parts so that their mother won't go off the deep end is no job for a 13 year old. So when Matthew sees Murdoch stepping between a father about to hit his son in a grocery store, he sees a man who might be able to help his sisters and him escape their mother. But the problem with trying to escape a mother who can't be trusted to act sane is you never know what she is really capable of.
Review:
Written from Matthew's perspective as a letter to his youngest sister explaining what happened in their childhood, Rules of Survival is a gripping novel that makes you want to know what happens next to this family. Matthew is a likable character, a boy who is trying to protect his family but realizes he can't do it on his own. He has his flaws which show him for the boy he still is, even though he is trying to be the 'man of the house for his family. The book demonstrates the absolute havoc that can be wrecked upon a family by untreated mental illness and the necessity of banding together in such a situation. A good read for older tweens especially.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 8th Grade
Thursday, May 17, 2012
You Against Me
by Jenny Downham
Summary:
Rape is an ugly thing. It tears up not only the victim, but their family and friends. But the family of the perpetrator, what about them? What is their family supposed to do? When Mikey's sister claims she was raped, Ellie's brother is the one accused of it. As he goes to jail, and then is released, she stands by him because that's what sisters do. But what if the claim is true? Who can she stand by then?
Review:
"You Against Me" is interesting because it not only looks at the aftermath of rape from the point of view of the victim's family, but also of the perpetrator. The book addresses the shame and fear experienced by the victim, but also the social and emotional repercussions that those related to someone who commits a terrible crime face. Both Ellie and Mikey have to come to terms with the face that the other's family is not the enemy, and have to learn that regardless the truth is the only thing that is really important, even if it is what tears one of their families apart.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10-11th Grade
Summary:
Rape is an ugly thing. It tears up not only the victim, but their family and friends. But the family of the perpetrator, what about them? What is their family supposed to do? When Mikey's sister claims she was raped, Ellie's brother is the one accused of it. As he goes to jail, and then is released, she stands by him because that's what sisters do. But what if the claim is true? Who can she stand by then?
Review:
"You Against Me" is interesting because it not only looks at the aftermath of rape from the point of view of the victim's family, but also of the perpetrator. The book addresses the shame and fear experienced by the victim, but also the social and emotional repercussions that those related to someone who commits a terrible crime face. Both Ellie and Mikey have to come to terms with the face that the other's family is not the enemy, and have to learn that regardless the truth is the only thing that is really important, even if it is what tears one of their families apart.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10-11th Grade
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Want to go Private?
by Sarah Darer Littman
Summary:
Abby knew high school was going to be different than middle school, she just didn't expect everything to be so hard. Her best friend Faith is making new friends left and right, joining clubs and having fun, but Abby can't seem to find her place. Combined with parents who just ignore her and the most annoying little sister, it's no wonder she prefers to spend all her time online with her new friend Luke. She's never met him, in fact they met in a chat room on her favorite website, but he understands her more than anyone else. When she's fed up with everything he suggests they have a fun weekend together. He loves her after all, so Abby decides to meet him. But what happens when online fantasy changes to reality, what's actually real and what's not. For Abby it might be too late...
Review:
Want to go Private? is a story about the dangers of the internet, about the dangers that anyone who goes online is exposed to. Abby has been taught all about how to be safe on the internet, that she shouldn't give out personal information to people she doesn't know, but Luke slowly gains her trust and she is convinced she's doing the right thing by telling him her name, about her life, giving him her address. The book is a chilling reminder that even when someone knows the facts about something, all it takes is someone pushing the right buttons to get them to forget themselves. A really good read for older tweens and younger teens about the dangers of falling for a fantasy.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Summary:
Abby knew high school was going to be different than middle school, she just didn't expect everything to be so hard. Her best friend Faith is making new friends left and right, joining clubs and having fun, but Abby can't seem to find her place. Combined with parents who just ignore her and the most annoying little sister, it's no wonder she prefers to spend all her time online with her new friend Luke. She's never met him, in fact they met in a chat room on her favorite website, but he understands her more than anyone else. When she's fed up with everything he suggests they have a fun weekend together. He loves her after all, so Abby decides to meet him. But what happens when online fantasy changes to reality, what's actually real and what's not. For Abby it might be too late...
Review:
Want to go Private? is a story about the dangers of the internet, about the dangers that anyone who goes online is exposed to. Abby has been taught all about how to be safe on the internet, that she shouldn't give out personal information to people she doesn't know, but Luke slowly gains her trust and she is convinced she's doing the right thing by telling him her name, about her life, giving him her address. The book is a chilling reminder that even when someone knows the facts about something, all it takes is someone pushing the right buttons to get them to forget themselves. A really good read for older tweens and younger teens about the dangers of falling for a fantasy.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Brother/Sister: just give them a chance to explain
by Sean Olin
Summary:
They didn't mean to do it. Any of it. It all just sort of happened. Will and Asheley have had a hard life. Not hard like they've never had a home, or enough food, or trauma. But their father left them when they were little. Their mother is an alcoholic who got violent with them on occasion. It's not an excuse you see, but an explaination. It all became too much, got out of hand. Will didn't mean to murder those people, classmates and their sort-of stepfather, but they were all trying to hurt Asheley, and he couldn't let that happen. What kind of brother would he be if he did? Asheley was just trying to protect her brother by not telling anyone what he did. At least that's what they say....
Review:
Brother/Sister alternates between Will and Asheley's point of view. They explain the events of that summer pretty matter of factly, trying to explain why Will murdered 3 people tyring to defend his sister and why Asheley was completely innocent. All along the book we are led to believe Will is the crazy one, the one at fault, but it's not until the very last paragraph that everything the book tells us is called into question. It is a book that leaves the reader in suspense, wondering how much of the story they told us was real and how much was made up. The ending is definitely what made the book.
Genre: Realisic Fiction
Age Level: 8th-9th Grade
Summary:
They didn't mean to do it. Any of it. It all just sort of happened. Will and Asheley have had a hard life. Not hard like they've never had a home, or enough food, or trauma. But their father left them when they were little. Their mother is an alcoholic who got violent with them on occasion. It's not an excuse you see, but an explaination. It all became too much, got out of hand. Will didn't mean to murder those people, classmates and their sort-of stepfather, but they were all trying to hurt Asheley, and he couldn't let that happen. What kind of brother would he be if he did? Asheley was just trying to protect her brother by not telling anyone what he did. At least that's what they say....
Review:
Brother/Sister alternates between Will and Asheley's point of view. They explain the events of that summer pretty matter of factly, trying to explain why Will murdered 3 people tyring to defend his sister and why Asheley was completely innocent. All along the book we are led to believe Will is the crazy one, the one at fault, but it's not until the very last paragraph that everything the book tells us is called into question. It is a book that leaves the reader in suspense, wondering how much of the story they told us was real and how much was made up. The ending is definitely what made the book.
Genre: Realisic Fiction
Age Level: 8th-9th Grade
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Revolution
by Jennifer Donnelly
Summary:
Andi has nowhere to go. Trapped by the grief after the death of her younger brother, guilty that she might have been able to stop it, abandoned by a father who moved out and a mother whose grief has rendered her completely dependent on Andi, she has nowhere left to turn. There is only one thing that comforts her, her music, but even that has not been enough. When she finds herself stuck in Paris for two weeks with her father, she turns even more to her music. When she finds a 18th century guitar in the house they are staying in, she finds comfort in it's strings. But it is the diary she finds hidden inside it, written by a 17 year old girl during the French Revolution, which helps her find the peace she needs.
Review:
Revolution weaves French history with modern life in an interesting fashion. The book deftly showcases life during the revolution, a time of horror for those who lived it, and relates it to the struggles that Andi is having in her life, as well as putting things in perspective for her. The book is pretty accurate in it's history, though it does take liberties to incorporate Alexandrine's acts. The book is also interesting in how it relates the struggles both girls have, both struggling with loss and feeling abandoned and alone. In the end it is Alexandrine who gives Andi the strength to move forward with life.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction
Age Level: 8-9th Grade
Summary:
Andi has nowhere to go. Trapped by the grief after the death of her younger brother, guilty that she might have been able to stop it, abandoned by a father who moved out and a mother whose grief has rendered her completely dependent on Andi, she has nowhere left to turn. There is only one thing that comforts her, her music, but even that has not been enough. When she finds herself stuck in Paris for two weeks with her father, she turns even more to her music. When she finds a 18th century guitar in the house they are staying in, she finds comfort in it's strings. But it is the diary she finds hidden inside it, written by a 17 year old girl during the French Revolution, which helps her find the peace she needs.
Review:
Revolution weaves French history with modern life in an interesting fashion. The book deftly showcases life during the revolution, a time of horror for those who lived it, and relates it to the struggles that Andi is having in her life, as well as putting things in perspective for her. The book is pretty accurate in it's history, though it does take liberties to incorporate Alexandrine's acts. The book is also interesting in how it relates the struggles both girls have, both struggling with loss and feeling abandoned and alone. In the end it is Alexandrine who gives Andi the strength to move forward with life.
Genre: Historical Fiction/Contemporary Fiction
Age Level: 8-9th Grade
Forgotten
By Cat Patrick
Summary:
Sometimes we all wish we could forget things from our past. That we could wake up and start completely fresh. Wouldn't it be easier? For London Lane it means waking up not remembering anything from the past. Not what clothes she wore the day before, not what happened in school, not what happened when she was little. All she has is the notebook she writes in every night, full of reminders about what happened each day. But what has she been leaving out of the notebook? What happened in her past that triggered this reset?
Review:
Forgotten is an interesting book about how a trauma can cause a person to reset themselves. AfterLondon
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Summary:
Sometimes we all wish we could forget things from our past. That we could wake up and start completely fresh. Wouldn't it be easier? For London Lane it means waking up not remembering anything from the past. Not what clothes she wore the day before, not what happened in school, not what happened when she was little. All she has is the notebook she writes in every night, full of reminders about what happened each day. But what has she been leaving out of the notebook? What happened in her past that triggered this reset?
Review:
Forgotten is an interesting book about how a trauma can cause a person to reset themselves. After
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 7-8th Grade
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Judy Moody
Judy Moody
Author: Megan McDonald
Publisher: Cambridge, Mass. : Candlewick Press, 1999.
Plot Description:
Judy Moody was in a bad mood. A rotten, no good, terrible mood. But then the first day of third grade began, and she got her very first assignment: to create a ‘me’ collage. There’s only one problem, what on earth can she put in the collage that will make her stand out amongst her peers! But Judy Moody won’t let that stop her, she’s got a plan.
Review:
A bit young for most tweens, but for more developed 8 year olds it does present an excellent and interesting chapter book. It would also appeal to lesser developed 4th graders. Judy Moody is a fun character who is ready for adventure and is ready to do whatever it takes to make herself heard! I chose to read and include it as an option for younger tweens who want a fun read.
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Reading level: 3rd-4th Grade
Similar Books: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Stink
Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- Fun but young for most tweens
Subjects/themes- Siblings, School, Fiction
Series information- Several other Judy Moody books as well as Stink and Judy Moody ones
Character names/descriptions-
Judy Moody- adventurous 8 year old in a bad mood
Stink- Judy’s annoying younger brother
Annotation: Being in a bad mood can lead to some great ideas.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Al Capone does my shirts
Al Capone does my shirts
Author: Gennifer Choldenko
Publisher: New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c2004.
Plot Description:
Mathew “Moose” Flanagan and his family have just moved to San Francisco. Well not San Francisco exactly but Alcatraz island, home of the worst of the worst of California’s criminals. His father just got a new job as the islands electrician, and his mother hopes that moving to Alcatraz will help get his sister Natalie into a special school for kids like her who are a bit different. Moose makes friends with the other kids on the island, including the warden’s daughter. But when they start a scheme to make money from the other kids at school by having the prisoners wash their laundry they find themselves in trouble with the warden. But this gives Moose the idea to ask one of Alcatraz’s most notorious criminals for help, that criminal was Al Capone.
Review:
Much more than a book about a boy moving to Alcatraz, or even about the title character, this book is an interesting take on a family dealing with a little understood disease at the time. Moose’s older sister has autism, and his mother especially wants desperately to find a cure for her. Moose is the younger brother who is actually the older brother, the one who best knows how to deal with his sister and understands her the best. He finds himself ignored by his family as their focus lies mainly on his sister. But overall this book is about family itself, and struggling with difficult choices and decisions to make the best of a difficult situation.
Genre: Historical Fiction
Reading level: 4th Grade
Similar Books: Bud, Not Buddy
Reader’s Advisory:
Personal thoughts- Really good book, but especially helpful in helping children understand illness
Subjects/themes- Autism, Siblings, Moving, Criminals, Alcatraz
Awards- Newbery Honor Selection
Series information- There is a sequel called Al Capone Shines my Shoes
Character names/descriptions-
Moose- loves baseball, but wishes things could be easier in his family
Natalie- Moose’s 16 year old sister with autism, whose mother insists she is 10
Piper- the warden’s scheming daughter
Annotation: Sure, asking a criminal for help might not be the best idea, but what if it’s the only one you’ve got?
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