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Archive for the ‘Drama’ category

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

January 7th, 2011

“Sometimes the trail you leave behind you is more important than the path ahead of you.”

How to Steal a Dog is easy to read, yet spoke a challenge into my own life. So often I’m not thankful for what I have and this book, without making me feel guilty, reminded me of how fortunate so many of us are.

Main character Georgina starts out the book soon after her mother, brother, and her are thrown out of their house. They live in their car and have to park it somewhere new every two days so the police won’t hassle them. One day Georgina sees a reward poster for a lost dog and decides to steal a dog and wait for a reward to be offered.

Author Barbara O’Connor does a fantastic job of describing a hard situation without becoming preachy. We’re not guilted into liking Georgina; we care about her and yet we’re able to disagree with her decisions. O’Connor also adds very realistic details about what it’s like to have to take baths in the sink at McDonald’s or wash your clothes in the bathroom at Texaco. The adults are not portrayed as complete morons, which is sometimes a rarity in YA fiction, but the story still depends on the protagonist’s actions.

This book is another quick. enjoyable read. I don’t read that quickly and even I was able to finish it in one day. Definitely worth checking out. Also, if you’re interested in helping people in the same situation as Georgina, you might look at organizations like the House of Refuge or St. Mary’s Food Bank for a place to start.

24,550 students in Arizona were homeless last year.

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Posted in Drama, Society-Challenging

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

June 29th, 2010

I know that this book has been out for a while but I finally had a chance to read it. It’s always on hold at school.

I just finished the book, like, five minutes ago and I’m still reeling. Most students and teachers had alluded to a sad ending, so I expected that. But the way it ended still had suspense for me.

There are a lot of books about World War II out there. Many people are trying to make sense of what happened to so many families. Some think that it was a clear cut-good versus evil with the Axis and the Allies and want the excitement you see in Medal of Honor video games. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas has no action scenes whatsoever but I’m willing to bet that once Bruno meets Shmuel, you will be hooked.

Because the issues are so complex it is beautiful that Boyne chose a nine year-old boy as the person to follow. His mispronounciations of key people and places in the Holocaust let the reader know where he’s at but clue us in to his naivete. You’ll probably figure out what he’s talking about early on, but a great scene is when Shmuel draws the symbol he was forced to wear, the Star of David, and Bruno draws the swastika from his dad’s uniform. They talk frankly about which symbol is better and wonder why they’re different.

Saying anything more about the plot will ruin the innocent exploration of a horrible concentration camp. Go read the book, plain and simple.

What I will challenge you to do is research modern day holocausts. Check out Darfur. Look at Rwanda. Get to know Bosnia-Herzegovina.

And then do something.

Arizona has an influx of refugees from war-torn parts of the world. Like Boyne says in his author’s note, there will always be fences like what separated Bruno and Shmuel. I hope that the students I interact with will tear down those fences and not build them up.

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Posted in Drama, Historical, Society-Challenging

Girl to the Core by Stacey Goldblatt

March 8th, 2010

This is proof that I can and do read books that don’t have giant monsters and/or helicopter chases.

Girl to the Core is a simple story of Molly, a high schooler from a strong Irish family. Her mom passed away when she was little, so she has been raised by her dad and her uncles. Molly must stand up to a controlling boyfriend and a pushy best friend and figure out who she is.

This is a similar plot for many books.

But what makes this one stand out is that her boyfriend pushes her too far at the beginning of the book. Most books have this towards the middle to end of the plot arc. By having Trevor be a jerk up front, we now follow Molly on a journey of how to continually stand up to someone (more realistic than a single confrontation) while she redefines herself.

Another perk is Molly’s Irish family. Many different personalities try to give her differing advice on life with the common theme that they care for her. The family members are written in such a way that you want to be a part of their family.

An added bonus to the book is the collection of journal questions at the end of the book. Molly starts to journal and learn more about what she truly believes. Goldblatt gives readers questions to get their journal writing processes started.

This book is a sleeper hit. You won’t see big publicity for it but Girl to the Core is a necessary read for junior high libraries in modeling how to peacefully/respectfully stand up for yourself.

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Posted in Drama, Romance

Schooled by Gordon Korman

August 21st, 2009

To call Schooled by Gordon Korman the guy version of Stargirl would be selling it short.

In the same tradition as Son of the Mob and No More Dead Dogs, Gordon Korman delivers another funny book. Cap Anderson has been raised on a commune for his whole life. When his grandmother, his only caretaker, breaks her hip, Cap must go to the local public school and see how the world has changed since the 1960s.

What I liked about the book is that each chapter is told from a different character’s perspective. Cap, through his caring attitude towards everyone, changes the school one person at a time (he memorizes every student’s name from the school yearbook).

The especially funny parts are how Cap reacts to things that we take for granted, like lockers and television. He can’t figure out why we can’t share our possessions; he also worries deeply for the people on a teen drama show, hoping that they can sort out their complicated lives.

Schooled is a quick read that will entertain while challenging you to evaluate how you treat other people.

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Posted in Comedy, Drama

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

October 8th, 2008

You need to read it. This will be one of those books people talk about for years. The pacing is amazing: when you have a question, so does the main character. The chapters are just the right length and there’s enough society-challenging that this may end up being a class novel. Great stuff, Suzanne Collins!

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Posted in Action, Drama, Sci-fi, Society-Challenging, Survival

Sweethearts by Sara Zarr and Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

March 3rd, 2008

If you haven’t heard from Ally Carter or Standhart yet, you need to read Sweethearts.

It’s funny (okay, so it’s a drama) that the book has some plot, but not in a giant way.

It’s life, and that’s alright. How do we define ourselves? Can we/do we change from junior high to high school and beyond? This is a great follow-up to Story of a Girl. The characters and setting are very believable and the serious issues are dealt with in a respectful, and intriguing, way that doesn’t downplay but also makes it accessible to junior high students.

A first-time novelist, Polly Shulman succeeds with Enthusiasm. Even if students don’t catch the Pride and Prejudice references, it’s still a fun book. “He said, she said, but does he really mean this?” situations make this a great romantic comedy.

Librarians – get both of these books. Students – read both of these books. Authors – make more of these books.

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Posted in Drama, Romance

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz

December 29th, 2007

Spoiled teen Hamilton Prince finds out that his dad was murdered by his uncle, who just married his mom. Sound familiar? Horatio tells the tale in Something Rotten.

To Be

1. A modern retelling of Hamlet, which wins points for me. (Although not every modernization is classic…remember the Romeo and Juliet rap? “Modern does not necessarily mean “rap”, teachers.)
2. Denmark, Tennessee is the new setting. Old money in a small town down south. Rosencratz and Guildenstern drive a Charger that plays “Dixie” as a horn.
3. All of the major scenes from the play are in the book, although mixed in order. “To be or not to be…” is discussed over XBOX and the polluted river means even more danger for environmental activist Olivia/Ophelia.

Not to Be

1. Horatio Wilkes is modeled in the same style of a Raymond Chandler hardboiled detective. Fun stuff, but sometimes his one-liners are kinda cheesy. It doesn’t detract too much from the storyline, but students may not get all of the jokes.
2. Quotes from the play show up throughout, which is great. I feel like I appreciate it more, though, since I read Hamlet first and then read the book. Tough to call which order for students to read the two in.

All in all a fun read. I think that even if the students don’t get the references it stands on its own as an intriguing murder mystery. When taken as a straight-up story, the events are crazy. When taken as an allusion, it only adds to the fun.

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Posted in Drama, Mystery

Tags: Shakespeare

A Taste for Rabbit

December 20th, 2007

I finally finished A Taste for Rabbit. At a recent district librarian meeting I was asked if I liked it. That’s a tough call.

The Heroic

Rabbits are disappearing and a trend is discovered: the missing rabbits are political dissidents. I can see a connection between the Holocaust, but it could go with any dictatorship/Anthem-type scenario
Fans of animals killing other animals, like Redwall or the Warriors series, might like it. I GIVE A DISCLAIMER, THOUGH. This series is definitely rougher. Nothing too extreme, but not every fan of Redwall will dig the book.

The Barbaric

This book is weird. Now, I know I wouldn’t let a student get away without clarifying a statement like that, so here goes. Many times a character will run a hypothetical situation in their head. The narrative interrupts, complete with indentation and font change, to act out a fantasy scene. But! Even though AR says it’s 4.8, this makes it trickier for struggling readers.
I know that I was supposed to learn some kind of lesson. “Don’t kill sentient beings”? “Forgive your brother”? “Don’t play moochy-poochy stones with badgers”? I love books that give a lesson, so this is kinda a positive and a negative since I felt like Marlin:

I swear he’s trying to speak to me.

I felt like the author was directly trying to teach me, like Ishmael (shudder) or Fountainhead (just threw up in mouth), instead of letting the story be the story and the reader draw their own interpretations.

I love books and I think that this one has potential, but it’s not for every reader. We’ll see if it circulates.

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Posted in Drama, Fantasy

Love, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

November 19th, 2007

What I love about the character of Stargirl is how she struggles to act in unconditional love in each situation. If you are not familiar with the character, Susan Carroway (Stargirl) tries her best to cheer up the people around her. The first book is told through Leo’s perspective as he struggles with maybe having a crush on her, wondering what people think. In Love, Stargirl, Stargirl is writing letters back to Leo.

Take happy stones out of your wagon

There’s not as much funny high school drama. Susan wanders around town to interact with people.
It’s told from Stargirl’s perspective, so it appears like she’s clueless instead of the average person just not knowing what to make of her.
Some people are uncomfortable with a weird protagonist.

Add happy stones to your wagon

Whether it’s the middle-aged woman who won’t leave her house, a widower who sits daily at his wife’s gravesite, or an angry young girl ready to explode.
In the beginning of the book, her dad (who’s up at 4:30 in the morning) leaves a light on for her to find her way home. As she impacts more and more people, more lights come on on the porches to help her get safely home.

Final conclusion: Light-hearted, makes you feel good about living.

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Posted in Drama, Society-Challenging

Tags: relationships

Boot Camp by Todd Strasser

November 14th, 2007

In 2005, over 100,000 teens were held in boot camp facilities. Until they are 18, those kids are treated like the property of the camp. Many camps hire transporters to bring in detainees (as featured in Nadya Labi’s Want Your Kid to Disappear? ), kidnapping them from their own homes.Returning with the same research style that made Give a Boy a Gun and Can’t Get There From Here work, Todd Strasser gives us a scary glimpse of one boot camp in the northern part of the United States through the eyes of Garrett.

A Great Escape

This book screams of Shawshank Redemption and 1984. Garrett may have been wrongly thrown into the camp, but since the police are not involved there is no trial. Once Garrett is inside the camp, all rights are forfeit.
Garrett struggles with maintaining his integrity and compassion in such a harsh environment. Many times he chooses not to retaliate but instead to try to understand what is going on.
The camp members will beat him until he recants. The adults may be under contract, but what is to stop other detainees from getting in a couple of cheap shots to move up. Detainees are ranked by levels of merits, earning more by selling out other camp members. More than once Garrett points out that the guards (much like Hitler’s soldiers) are still responsible for their actions, even if they were “only following orders”.
There is a chase scene where Garrett and his transporter are face to face and it distinctly reminded me of the face-off between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive. Throughout that chase the level of suspense is expertly maintained. I honestly didn’t think that the book would have that type of action in it, but it still added to the plotline.
The book will challenge students to compare to their own lives and then to expand their worldview, much like Dave Pelzer’s A Child Called It got students talking.

A Shiv in the Back

The book is rough. Namely, someone gets stabbed in the back by a homemade toothbrush shiv.
The topic of boot camps is controversial, especially when the parents in the book could be very wrong.

I personally love the book. The students that have read it so far have been very gripped by what’s inside.