Thanks to: TeachMentorTexts and Unleashing Readers for the inspiration! Thanks to Jen and Kellee for the meme! Enjoying books week by week… I decided to spread out what I’m reading recently over a few weeks… so this isn’t everything but I’ve enjoyed them all!
Laugh with the Moon by Shana Burg – Realistic Fiction – This book has sat, taunting me in my “to be read” pile. So glad I finally had time to read this brilliant treasure. It honestly connects to the following book I’m sharing about as well- Listen, Slowly- with a reluctant teen who doesn’t want to go to another country and live there. This book, Laugh with the Moon, introduces you to a thirteen year old girl named Clare who is having a difficult time dealing with her mother’s death and also is dealing with her father who decided to move them from the US to Africa. She barely knows a thing about Africa, only has a few Chichewa words she’s familiar with, and is completely thrown adjusting to the culture shock. Clare quickly learns how to make new friends, adjust to school, surprise and challenge herself, and appreciate bits of the lifestyle. This book is packed with heartache and brilliance, appreciated this beautiful novel. Think it would be a good book for world awareness exposure, a read aloud (carefully as there is a heartbreaking portion), and discussion on children’s rights for education. Goodreads Summary: “Thirteen-year-old Clare Silver is stuck. Stuck in denial about her mother’s recent death. Stuck in the African jungle for sixty-four days without phone reception. Stuck with her father, a doctor who seems able to heal everyone but Clare.
Clare feels like a fish out of water at Mzanga Full Primary School, where she must learn a new language. Soon, though, she becomes immersed in her new surroundings and impressed with her fellow students, who are crowded into a tiny space, working on the floor among roosters and centipedes.
When Clare’s new friends take her on an outing to see the country, the trip goes horribly wrong, and Clare must face another heartbreak head-on. Only an orphan named Memory, who knows about love and loss, can teach Clare how to laugh with the moon.
Told from an American girl’s perspective, this story about how death teaches us to live and how love endures through our memories will capture the hearts of readers everywhere.”
Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai - Realistic Fiction, mature 5th grade and up – Wonderful novel, not a novel in verse- will share more closer to the release date- Feb. 17th, 2005- Goodreads Summary: “A California girl born and raised, Mai can’t wait to spend her vacation at the beach. Instead, though, she has to travel to Vietnam with her grandmother, who is going back to find out what really happened to her husband during the Vietnam War. Mai’s parents think this trip will be a great opportunity for their out-of-touch daughter to learn more about her culture. But to Mai, those are their roots, not her own. Vietnam is hot, smelly, and the last place she wants to be. Besides barely speaking the language, she doesn’t know the geography, the local customs, or even her distant relatives. To survive her trip, Mai must find a balance between her two completely different worlds.”
Gamer by Chris Bradford – Science Fiction/ Dystopia – Barrington Stoke Teen – 7th grade and up for readers- very violent, good fight sequences but many deaths as well. I read this one aloud as a joint book between my son and I, he loved the print which is specifically dyslexia friendly with good spacing between the lines and clear font style. We agreed that he could handle the book but it was upsetting for the concept and storyline. Back cover info: “Virtual Kombat is the most realistic video fight game ever. So when Scott is chosen to be a gamer, he jumps at the chance. He must work his way up the ranks to win the ultimate prize. But when his friend Kate goes missing in the battle arena, he starts to wonder if it’s more than just a game…”
Want more book ideas and reviews? – Yes, I’m quite brief, but a prolific reader! Please visit me at Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1941055-the-styling-librarian Also, please follow this blog through email updates – (do so to the right of this blog post), my Facebook page, comment, or meet up with me on Twitter. I appreciate all of the support, makes my day! Honored by all the wonderful followers.
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© 2013 by Debbie Alvarez of The Styling Librarian. All rights reserved. You can also follow me @stylinlibrarian or at my Styling Librarian Page on Facebook.
Filed under: Blog, Book Recommendations, Book Review, Books, Weekly Reading Update, World Awareness
