Ship Breaker

by Paolo Bacigalupi
PRMS paperback 326 pages
genre: dystopian fiction, adventure

I didn't realize I hadn't blogged about this until I just blogged about the sequel! I really enjoyed this book a lot. It's dark, but powerfully written. I find it interesting that Cina really likes The Maze Runner (I don't) and she really dislikes this book . . . I wonder if there's an underlying political perspective that I'm not seeing. Or if the characters just "speak" differently to us. I was drawn to the protagonist - Nailer Lopez - and his struggles to avoid his father's dangerous wrath. I also liked how Nailer wanted more out of life than just surviving. His friend Pima and Pima's mother Sadna are wonderful characters. This is just such a wonderful book!

added 23 Jan 2014:
I marked this passage and wanted to record it here:

(from chapter 9, page 99)

Now though, the dark reek of the oil room filled his mind - the memory of being up to his neck in warm death staring up at Sloth high above him, her little LED paint mark glowing - salvation if only he could convince her, if only he could reach out and touch that part of her that cared for something other than herself, knowing that there was a lever inside her somewhere, and if only he could pull it, she would go for help and he would be saved and everything would be fine.

He'd been so desperate to get Sloth to care.

But he hadn't been able to find the lever. Or maybe the lever hadn't been there after all. Some people couldn't see any farther than themselves. 

I'm not sure exactly why this resonated so much for me. Partly because he is remembering a time of desperation, a time when his life hung in the balance and he was so desperate for salvation. Perhaps because of his realization that "some people" cannot "see any farther than themselves." I worry sometimes about being selfish and self-centered. I wonder, too, about finding the "lever" for some of my students in terms of getting them to care about their future and their education.

I had marked another passage, but the post-it flag got lost. This one could be a re-read someday, so I'll probably mark more then!

The Drowned Cities

by Paolo Bacigalupi
sequel to The Ship Breakers
PRMS paperback 434 pages
genre: dystopian fiction, adventure

Although this future Earth is extremely depressing and brutal, it's frighteningly believable. The disparity between rich and poor, the deterioration of society, and the desperation for power and survival all ring eerily true. His follow-up to Ship Breaker, I am eager to see what his next book will bring. This one opens with Tool escaping a cruel captivity. Out in the land outside the drowned cities, Mahlia and Mouse live with Doctor Mahfouz since no one else wants to associate with them. Mahlia is half Chinese (because of her peacekeeper father) and half drowned cities. Her right hand has been cut off by one of the paramilitary groups but she escaped them with Mouse's help. Mouse's family has all been executed by another group and Mahlia has helped him survive. The boy soldiers in this story remind me of the child soldiers written about in other books (based on events actually happening in various African countries).

I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
Hennepin County Library hardcover 327 pages
genre: non-fiction, biography

This is a fascinating book. It seems hard for me to believe that just over a year ago, this teenager was shot in the head and not killed. Her love for Swat valley in Pakistan is eye-opening to me. She grew up there and loves her homeland (and wishes she could go back), but to me, the presence of the Taliban and the dangers to people who live there is just too scary. This is a wonderful book, but the difficulty of helping people who have such unique challenges (military, Taliban, cultural differences, etc.) is daunting. What a unique girl (and what an amazing dad she has!). I wonder if she'll ever be able to go back to Pakistan.

The Book Whisperer: Awakening the Inner Reader in Every Child

by Donalyn Miller
Hennepin County Library paperback 211 pages

I read this over a year ago, but found hand-written notes while cleaning up and realized I had never blogged about it. Here goes:

pg. 86 - Bucking the Sarge (Curtis) / read-alouds / Tripping Over the Lunch Lady (stories?) / The Sixth Grade Nickname Game (Korman) . . . I think I wanted to read / buy these titles for PRMS . . .

pg. 93 Genres - Poetry, traditional literature (better name than "classics"), fantasy, science fiction, realistic, historical fiction, mystery, biography / autobiography, informational, true crime . . . then I added a post-it note that says "humor," "romance," "paranormal," "dystopian"

pg. 114 - Why you should read children's books as an adult (book by Jen Robinson) - blog by her???

pg. 116 - websites! sources - Books That Don't Bore 'Em (Blasingame) / www.goodreads.com / http://jkrbooks.typepad.com / teenreads * link on my page!

pg. 137 - do book commercials

pg 165 - Notion that one teacher cannot tell another what to do / not do

I recall being really excited by this book. She promotes reading and kids respond. Too often, teachers' efforts serve more to dampen students' enthusiasm for reading. It's so exciting to see kids "get it" and get excited about books. I wish all language arts teachers would read this!

Shrimp

by Rachel Cohn
PRMS hardcover 272 pages
genre: teen realistic fiction, coming-of-age

This book is the follow-up to Gingerbread. Cyd Charisse is determined to be near her "true love," Shrimp (surfer and artist). Like the first installment, I don't feel that drawn to this challenging teenager who defies her mother and pushes boundaries in so many different ways. It's pretty mature. (She has had an abortion after making mistakes with Justin and is sexually active with Shrimp. She also swears like a sailor and has a fairly negative attitude about most things in life.) I'm wondering if I even want to keep it in the middle school collection or if I should send it to the high school . . .

Mistakes Were Made

Timmy Failure (book one?)
by Stephan Pastis
Hennepin County Library hardcover 294 pages
genre: YA humor

I generally enjoy Pastis' sense of humor (in Pearls Before Swine, his comic) but this book seemed to drag on. There's an endorsement from Jeff Kinney, but I'm not sure the fans of the Wimpy Kid books would enjoy this book much more than I did.

Timmy Failure has a detective agency and a pet polar bear who is his business partner. He's really bad at noticing things, making logical connections, and following up on information. Besides being a terrible detective, he's fairly rude and self-centered (fits with Greg Heffley there!). It was mildly amusing, but I don't think I'll buy a copy for my collection.

Resistance (book 1)

by Carla Jablonski & Leland Purvis
PRMS paperback 121 pages
genre: YA graphic novel, history

Set in WWII France, Paul and his sister Marie are both friends with Henri, a Jewish boy. When Henri's parents are taken by the Nazis, the kids scheme to find them. Well-written, I would love to read book 2 (if it exists). The artwork is unusual, but it works with the story. History is brought to life in the sneers and smiles of the different characters. Paul's affinity for drawing plays a cool role in the story. This is one of five graphic novels for my sixth grade book club.