Sunday, November 30, 2008
Smack by Melvin Burgess
Smack is a tough book to read---just like Strasser's Can't Get There from Here, teens narrate each of the chapters from their point of view. Fourteen year old Gemma and Tar are on the run, Gemma wants a life away from her parents, but Tar's father beats him and his mother is a raging alcoholic. They squat in abandoned homes and become hooked on heroin. They lie, steal and cheat to feed their habit. Life on the street is tough and bitter!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tyrell by Coe Booth & Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
Two that I just read may be too dark for 7th grade but great anyway and worth a mention--Tyrell by Coe Booth is about a 17 yr old whose family is homeless because his dad is in prison and his mom won't work. Now with his little brother, Tyrell lives in a roach infested halfway house waiting for a better place to live. But he has lots working against him and the book really explores how he copes--drops out of school, really loyal to a girl and taking care of his brother. Tyrell wants to provide but is also overwhelmed by how to do it and so we see Tyrell spiral and try to do right for himself. Another one I read right after that was Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin---Matthew the older brother tries to shield his two sisters from their crazy, abusive mother. Nikki professes to love her children but harms them, scares them and Matthew tries to get help from a man named Murdoch who he befriends after seeing him come to the rescue in a hold-up. Matthew's love for his sisters makes him do almost anything to keep them safe. Nikki's sanity slips as she is plunged into psychosis but she really thinks she is a great mom. These two books are great survival tales and the teens are heroes despite tremendous odds.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
I just love all of Sonya Sones' books and this one is awesome. Robin and Sophie finally hook up but Robin has no idea why Sophie likes him! In free verse, popular Sophie choses weirdo Robin "You're a real Murphy" as the love of her life. Only problem is, not one of Sophie's friends and all the other students at Cambridge High seem to understand what Sophie sees in the Murphster. But Robin is young, sweet, amorous and totally ga-ga about Sophie, her eyes and her heart. Robin is also an artist with real talent and I loved the classes he audits at Harvard and the great art students he becomes friendly with. You will laugh, you will cry--this is the guy take on first love and it is amazing.
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