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The memoir Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka will hit home for anyone affected by a family member with an addiction. This is Jarrett’s story of being raised by his grandparents because of his mother’s heroin addiction. The story begins with some background into his grandparents’ lives and then his mom’s. His mom began using when she was only thirteen. She cleaned up while pregnant with Jarrett, but couldn’t fight her addiction once he was born and through his upbringing. She served jail time and her relationship with him consisted of periodic visits and letters. Jarrett didn’t meet his dad until he was graduating high school.

Jarrett’s love of art provided an outlet for him and got him through difficult times at home and school. His grandparents had their own issues with drinking, but their love for him is apparent throughout his life. They supported his art by sending him to classes, buying supplies for him to use at home, and helping his application process to art colleges. I felt endeared to his grandparents (despite some not so great moments) because of his grandfather’s sense of humor and his grandmother’s crassness. They went through a lot with their daughter as well.

This is a graphic novel with an incredible sense of detail. Krosoczka used actual drawings that he saved from his childhood throughout the book. He even used his grandmother’s favorite pineapple wallpaper between story sections. This book is clearly a labor of love. Jarrett came to terms with the mixed emotions he had for his mother and her choices and ensured that his life would be positive. Two important points become evident in this story: the tenacity of the human spirit can push one through difficulty, and home is found where you are cared for and loved.

Souls of War

It is difficult for anyone to fully comprehend what it feels like to be in war unless they’ve been through it themselves. To me, Alan Gratz’s book Grenade represents the turmoil, aggression, fear, survival instincts, and desperation of war quite well. The story takes place in WWII Okinawa, where the Japanese army is hoping to slow down the advancement of the American soldiers into Japan. The author’s afterword is worth a read to get more context too.

The plot shares perspectives between an American soldier named Ray, and Blood and Iron Student Corps soldier Hideki. Both are young men thrust into this brutal war. Hideki’s tale begins when his Student Corps are given two grenades; one is to kill as many Americans as possible and the other is to kill themselves. Hideki’s grenades become a strong symbol throughout the story. His first grenade is used (SPOILER AHEAD) and it takes Ray’s life. He contemplates using the second at numerous points in the story, but ultimately places it down before he surrenders. In doing so, he hopes to spare his life and his sister’s. His sister is his only remaining living relative, and finding her was his final promise to his dad before he died.

Through the story, first Ray and then Hideki, collect pictures of fallen soldiers with their family members. These represent the humanity lost from both sides. The Okinawan people were very much in the middle of this battle. They were used as sacrifices by the Japanese Army, and they became expendable to both sides fighting around them. Hideki took note many times of the fear that makes man a killing machine. It is kill or be killed. The photos are an important reminder that underneath these “killers” are someone’s brother, father, and son.

Also enmeshed in the story is Okinawan culture. Mubui is a term that to me is described as a person’s soul. At first, Hideki has an ancestor’s mubui attached to him which makes him cowardly and afraid. Throughout the story, Hideki conquers this cowardice by making strong choices for the survival of himself and of others. Ray’s mubui also attaches to Hideki, and he must make amends with Ray’s death in order to free his soul.

While stories about war are not normally top picks for me, this one was so well written. There is attention to detail and realism in the representation of both soldiers’ and civilians’ deaths. My recent visit to the Scholastic Book Summit gave me the early copy of Grenade. Before even receiving this book, two other people mentioned Gratz’s other book, Refugee. This author is getting good buzz, and I will definitely be looking to read Refugee soon.

Countdown

The book Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story by Nora Raleigh Baskin (another 2019 Intermediate Nutmeg nominee) opens by recalling the weather. It was a beautiful day in which nobody could have possibly foreseen the tragedy about to occur. We sometimes talk about the weather when we are not quite sure what is the right thing to say. It is a fitting start to the horrors of 9/11; a day we will never forget.

Baskin does a phenomenal job of weaving together four very different characters. Their stories begin on Sept. 9th at O’Hare Airport. Sergio is an African American teen who is returning to NYC after receiving a special math award in Chicago. He lives with his grandmother in NYC. Naheed is a Middle Eastern Muslim girl from Columbus, Ohio. She is with her family waiting to pick up her visiting aunt and uncle. Aimee is transplanting from Chicago to California due to her mother’s new job. Will is a boy from Shanksville, Pennsylvania who is still healing from his father’s death one year ago. His family is just returning from a trip to Disney that was donated by their town.

The book moves everyone to their individual homes, with their own situations to work through. Timing is critical in that a couple of these characters almost lose loved ones to the events. Sergio’s newly met mentor is a firefighter who rushed to the scene to help. Aimee’s mom is scheduled to have a conference in the World Trade Center that very morning. The author captures the fear, chaos and heavy sadness of this day.

The characters come together at Ground Zero to conclude the story. The message that we are all connected is a powerful part of the book and one that touched me in the ending quite a bit (definitely some tears).

Grave Life

Everlasting Nora by by Marie Miranda Cruz was aptly titled for me because the time it took me to read this book seemed everlasting! I don’t mean this in a mean way, but that it wasn’t a quick, light read. I started this shortly after going to the JLG Day of Dialog and just finished it this past week. It is a book rich in culture, family, friendship and the strength of the human spirit.

I think this book has a lot to offer, but might be a bit tough for some younger readers to get into without some background and enrichment along the way. As an educator, I see the ways that someone could delve into all these important topics. The author seems very conscious of teaching readers a lot of what she knows about Philippine culture. Food and language are two strong components which would be fun to pair with actual samples, along with strong visuals of the area and people.

The story explores the struggles Nora must face with her mom after losing her dad in a house fire. They are forced to make their home among the cities’ poorest folk in the cemetery shantytown right with her father’s tomb. This would be difficult enough, but Nora’ mother has a gambling addiction which matches her up with some terrible people. Nora, only a twelve-year-old girl, must stay strong through the ordeal that this creates and finds some true friendships along the way.

Overall, this is a well-written book with a lot to offer for a reader looking to learn.

Thirteen

13 Minutes by Sarah Pinborough is a memorable read. I say that because I finished it almost two weeks ago and I still remember so much (unusual for me)! Let me try to do this review in 13 sentences:

Natasha is part of the most popular group in school coined the “Barbies.”
Natasha almost drowns and suffers amnesia after the incident.
Natasha questions her two “Barbie” friends; were they involved in her near-death accident?
She reaches out to a former, more trustworthy friend (Becca) for help.
Becca is willing to try being friendly with Natasha to help her.
Becca helps Natasha by hinting to the other girls that Natasha is getting her memory of that night back.
The girls are getting nervous and it seems they are guilty.
Meanwhile, Becca’s current friend is feeling left out.
Suddenly, another terrible accident occurs, and this time there’s a casualty.
Everything twists in an unexpected way!
I didn’t see it coming at all and I am not giving away spoilers on this one!
Becca proves to be a smart, strong person.
The ending is the only part that I just couldn’t figure out; it made no sense to me!!

Reality?

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline transported me into another world. The setting is a bleak future in which the majority of the population prefers spending time in the virtual reality world named Oasis. This video game is free to users and is wildly popular, even giving its users the opportunity to shop, dress their avatars, socialize with other players in personally designed chat rooms, AND go to school! Players can either acquire special powers or accessories through experience points. They can teleport to locations within the Oasis universe.

There is SO much to this story. The central plot deals with the main character, Wade, who lives in a towering trailer home with an aunt and other random family members. He uses the Oasis to escape his miserable life. When one of the Oasis’s founders dies, he leaves behind a massive treasure hunt to discover his multi-billion dollar fortune by following clues in his game. Wade and a couple of his on-line friends are eager to win, but less savory characters are also after the prize. These people will stop at nothing, including murder and cheating, to get the money. Enmeshed with this is an unbelievable amount of 80s throwback references, including music, movies and TONS of video games.

Cline’s attention to detail in representing this world was amazing

All American

A colleague recently shared Trevor Noah’s interview with author Jason Reynolds. His closing lines of the interview, in which he talks about how to make reading matter for teens, resounded with me, “they [students] then build relationships not just with literature but with literacy. Then we start fixing violence, we start fixing gangs, all of that, once you realize that your life is dependent on your relationship with words.” Coincidentally, the timing of watching this interview was the same as I was starting to read All American Boys by Reynolds and co-author Brendan Kiely. This is my first Reynolds novel, but it most definitely won’t be the last.

I can’t help but make the initial comparison to The Hate U Give based on the primary conflict of police brutality and racism. For me, this book added a different element to the table. Point of view and empathy are critical pieces to this novel. The narrative switches back and forth between Rashad and Quinn’s voices. Both are regular high school guys from the same school getting ready to start their weekend with a party. They attend the same high school and have acquaintances in common, but don’t personally know each other.

The Friday night takes a terrible turn for Rashad. He stops at a convenience store for some snacks, and he’s thought to be stealing because of a silly accident by someone near him. An officer is in the store, and he is pulled out and horribly beaten while handcuffed. Quinn (and other bystanders – there’s a tape made) witnesses this event, and it turns out that the officer is the older brother of Quinn’s good friend. It turns out that this officer is also the same man who has been a stand-in father figure for Quinn. The intense internal and external conflict that this creates for the main characters and their families, friends, and the school community as a whole is compelling.

I was caught up in even the most minor character and the emotions of everyone involved from the very beginning. Even the ways that different teachers tried to handle the aftermath was representative of how people deal with the reality of harsh situations. From the basketball coach who wants the team to “leave it at the door,” to the teacher who breaks down in tears in front of her class, to the teacher who helps organize their march. So many lines stood out to me, including this one on page 296, “Had our hearts really become so numb that we needed dead bodies in order to feel the beat of compassion in our chests?”

Every word of this book matters.

Body or Mind?

My next selection was oddly disturbing, but in a good way. Unwind by Neal Shusterman tells the tale of the strange compromise reached from a futuristic war between pro-life and pro-choice factions. The agreement states that parents must raise kids until age 13, at which time if things aren’t working out for various reasons, they can decide to have them unwound. Unwound kids are basically disassembled and all their body parts go on to help others in need. The premise is that they aren’t being killed because their entire body is being recycled. Readers are in the mind of one unwound character toward the end of the book, and it really creeped me out as he was mentally aware through the whole procedure!

The book focuses on a few runaway Unwinds whose paths intersect. The story centers on their travels to escape being sent to harvest camp. They eventually find a refuge for kids like themselves. In the process of reading, I couldn’t help but connect to story lines like The Walking Dead (tv series) or books such as Lord of the Flies as a commentary about human nature and how people might deal with lack of order/civilization. Natural leaders arise, some with evil intentions, and they shape and twist what happens throughout the story.

The story kept my interest but was a bit slow going in parts. There was an entire section about one of the character’s rescuing a storked baby (“Storked” refers to undesired babies left on someone’s doorstep. The law is that if you get storked, then you must raise the baby until at least 13). This part was an entire early subsection of the book which I’m guessing was to build some character background.

I felt the author had a lot of thoughts about this surreal idea, and it brought up many existential points to grapple with.

Thug Life

The blog title refers to my latest read- The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. My library social media feeds have been bringing up this book repeatedly, so I had to check it out.

Verdict is- the hype is well-deserved. After finishing, I couldn’t help but imagine how incredible it would be to read with a class if I was still teaching English. The conversations among students would be amazing because there is SO much to discuss. The story includes the main plots of police brutality, gang life (including the various reasons someone may become involved in it), family, friendship, depth of character and conversations, pop culture (the shoes, the TV references, music). Themes such as standing up and speaking out for what is right, coping through life’s tragedies, self-identity, and so much more!

These characters jumped off the page for me with the writer’s attention to detail. One example is Starr’s cute superstitions while watching LeBron play basketball. I found myself laughing at so many of her family’s exchanges. Yet, while being able to laugh, there is the plot of Starr as witness to her friend’s brutal murder at the hands of a police officer. She must figure out how willing she is to become a visible and vocal witness of this murder, and how it will affect her friendships at the mostly white school that she attends. The main story is hope for justice and equality.

This book will make you think and feel on so many levels. It’s a conversation starter and it’s a conversation that I would enjoy having with students, adults or anyone interested.

Getting Started

Why do this? Who really wants to read my opinion about books I’ve read? These thoughts are a running record in my mind.

Actually, I wish I started a long time ago. I read nonstop, and I’ve been at it since I was a young girl. This will be a way of keeping track of my reading, but also a way to practice my writing. Anyone who happens to find my posts entertaining along the way is a bonus.

The first book I want to review was finished two weeks ago (yes, I procrastinated a bit). Time is always a factor, and the annoying doubts that I previously mentioned. Anyway, the first book I want to review is John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down. As a former high school English teacher, I am a definite John Green fan. I’ve used his videos, and of course, his books with my classes. In my current role as an elementary librarian, my audience isn’t age appropriate for Green’s books. But, several reviews in library social media groups sparked my interest to push Green’s new book to the top of my reading list.

I admit, I spent the first twenty pages or so thinking the main character was male. I had it in my mind that the book was Green’s memoir, so just assumed a male character. Once I figured out Aza’s gender, I sailed through the book, at times connecting with some of Aza’s obsessive traits, while at other times feeling annoyed by them. Green’s writing is strong as ever, but the characters didn’t have the normal spark for me as they do in his other novels. While the subplots of romance/mystery were entertaining, they just didn’t keep me captivated. I think it felt unrealistic to me.

Maybe someone like Aza needs a break from her sense of reality.