Among the Hidden (Shadow Children #1)

Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Finally getting around to reading this. It's one of my daughter's favorite books and she has been hounding me to read the series. Good start.

Luke is a shadow child--a third born in a world where only two are allowed. He lives his lit hidden in his family's attic, until he sees another child in a window. Add in a scary government, young angst, and the universal desire to fight the power and live free and you've got the formula for an interesting young adult series. It definitely skews younger adult, but it's still a good story and a fast read. I'm excited to discuss with my daughter and will be tracking down book two.



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A Monster Calls

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book! So many feels. I have a knot in my chest a day later just thinking about it.

I run the risk of spoiling this story if I say too much, but it's about a boy who is coming to terms with his mother's cancer. It's amazing. The illustrations are haunting and perfect. The balance of grief, anger, and hope is perfectly struck. It seems like a children's book, but wait! It's so much more. Layered and deep and nearly perfect. Mothers will relate. Anyone whose life has been touched by cancer will relate. Read it. Read it slowly, immerse yourself in the illustrations, and then grab a box of tissues and read it again.



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Enclave (Razorland #1)

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dystopian future. Earth in peril. Tribes of people surviving in the underground subway tunnels of New York City. Welcome to Enclave.

Deuce has reached adulthood in her underground enclave on her 15th birthday--the day she receives her adult name and job. She is a huntress, and is paired up with Fade, a hunter who joined them after growing up Topside. The pair uncover danger from the Freaks during one of their hunting runs and are exiled for their discovery. Forced Topside, they have to learn to work as a team to survive.

Deuce and Fade make a great team. She is brave, but not unrealistically so, and is decently flawed. Fade, while taking the lead Topside, is smart enough to work with Deuce to help him survive as well. It's an interesting dynamic and the ending leaves you eagerly awaiting the next book.

Better than a lot of the standard YA dystopian fare out there. 3 1/2 stars.



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Little Women

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Ah, Little Women. I did not quite realize it when I read you many years ago, but I am the Jo of my family. Tomboyish, hot-tempered, geeky. Unladylike, swearing, opinionated. Clumsy--I would be the one to burn my dress, spill things on me, and not be asked to dance. I love books more than socializing. And I have three wonderful sisters.

This book is a charming return to my childhood, and I had the treat of viewing it through the lens of life experiences this time around. I didn't understand Jo's romantic choices when I was young, but I completely understand now. I would have done the same thing. I won't spoil you if you haven't read it already, but if you have, which Marsh sister are you?



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Paper Towns

Paper Towns by John Green

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I liked it better than "Looking for Alaska" and less than "The Fault in Our Stars".

But Margo was selfish. One of my hot buttons. Girl, seriously, your parents are part of the reason you are messed up, but grow up.

Overall, just ok.



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Fever 1793

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Interesting young adult book about a young woman growing up in the midst of the yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia 1793.

Mattie is a strong heroine, but not perfect. I like that she was flawed and didn't always do the right thing. I also loved her silly grandfather. It would have been nice to get a better idea of her mother's motivations, but overall the characters were fleshed out well and realistic.

A good introduction to the devastation of the epidemic and how it impacted families. It is a time I hadn't read about before so I will find further reading to learn more.



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Gathering Blue (The Giver Quartet #2)

Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lois Lowry does it again.

This is the second book in The Giver Quartet, but has nothing to do with The Giver other than being about a different dystopian community as far as I can see. That's ok, though, because it's a good book on its own. Kira is a likable heroine. Born crippled, she has learned to be strong in life. Her mother dies and she is left on her own. Luckily, she has a talent for embroidery, and is taken in by the Council to repair and finish the Ruin Song robe. Along the way she makes new friends, deepens old ones, and finds out more about who she really is.

The ending is a bit of a non-ending, and you will want to continue reading Messenger next. At least I did.



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Tiger Eyes

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love revisiting some of my favorite authors from growing up, and Judy Blume wrote some great ones. However, I hadn't read Tiger Eyes. Shocking, I know.

Davey's father is killed in a tragic holdup at their convenience store, and her family tries to find a way to move on. They visit her aunt and uncle in New Mexico and each person grieves and moves on in their own way. It's sad, and it's real, just like all Judy Blume books. Definitely worth the quick read.



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Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye

Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye by Lois Lowry

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Lois Lowry, I love you.

Some of my favorite books growing up were written by Lois Lowry. "Anastasia Krupnik," "A Summer to Die" (sob!), The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline." As an adult, it has been nice to re-read some of the ones I loved before and explore newer books as well, like "The Giver." She's really amazing. Ms. Lowry, if you are reading this, I want to meet you and tell you how much "A Summer to Die" impacted me growing up!

"Find a Stranger, Say Goodbye" is a book about young woman searching for her birth parents during the summer between high school and college. Commencement is a time of beginnings, and Natalie feels she needs to discover this unknown piece of her past before starting college and her adult life.
It's classic, tug at the heartstrings Lowry. Natalie ends up learning more about herself during the journey and grows up a bit along the way.

Poignant and touching, Lowry tells a story that will stick with anyone who was adopted, loves their family, or has felt like they don't fit in. So pretty much anyone. She's that talented.



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Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


*Part of the "Reviewing Children's Classics Series".

This "based on a true story" children's novel tells the story of Karana, a young girl left stranded on her island home when her tribe is taken by missionaries to Santa Barbara. It is based on the true story of Juana Maria, a Native American left alone on San Nicolas Island from 1835-1853.

Similar to the survival stories found in Hatchet and Sarah Bishop, we get a glimpse into the fictionalized life of Karana and how she survived on her own. Her adventure begins at the age of 12, and she learns to defend her home from wild animals, hide from the Aleuts who come to hunt otters, hunt for food, and survive without being taught many skills.

The real star of the show is Rontu. In the interest of not spoiling anyone who hasn't read it, I'll just say that I fell in love with him, and tears were shed in his honor. Rontu, I love you and your yellow eyes. If I were stranded on an island alone (and at times that sounds like a slice of heaven, to be honest), I would want Rontu with me.

I love that it is based on a true story, and I love reading about the minutia of her daily life. Great classic, and one that is often required reading in schools. If you haven't read it and like survival novels for kids, you should enjoy.



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My Brother Sam Is Dead

My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

*Part of my "Reviewing Children's Classics" series.

I don't remember reading this one growing up, which is strange because of my love of books and all things history. I now see I didn't miss much, although my perspective might have been different if I had read it when I was 11 instead.

Tim is growing up during the turbulent times prior to and during the American Revolution. He adores his obnoxious big brother, Sam, who is attending Yale and appears to be the smuggest, least likable person in the world. If I had to hear the phrase, "scored a telling point" one more time, I might have thrown the book away. Seriously, dude, you are the world's worst. Anyway, Tim has some serious hero worship going on for his big brother, who decides to drop out of Yale, steal his father's rifle (really, Sam? You are a bad person) and join the revolutionaries. Sam's parents are opposed to this, naturally, as no parent wants their 16-year-old son to join the military during war time. Sam does what he wants, and ultimately we get to the title of the book.

Between Sam running off to enlist and the ending where he dies, a lot of sad, depressing things happen. It's Revolutionary times. Besides the war, you have cholera outbreaks, hunger, and decapitations. Plus you have to endure Sam's girlfriend Betsy Read, who is tied with Sam for "most unlikeable character is a children's book". For a young woman who should have been behaving like an adult, she acted like an obnoxious child.

I'm sure there are better historical fiction books out there about the American Revolution. The only thing that saved this from one-star territory was the authors' notes at the end. I liked how they explained who and what were historically accurate and where they embellished or created things for the book. For the additional interesting information, I added one star. My recommendation? You can skip this one.

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The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1)

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I bought this book based on nothing but a recommendation from a member of a book group I am in. She said, "Hands down, this is my favorite series. Ever." Well, with that kind of recommendation, how could I not? I got about 3/4 of the way through it before I understood why she was raving. It's good. But the beginning is slow, the main characters are, quite frankly, unlikeable, and the plot isn't clear. It's the ending that you need to hang in for. Once I got there, I knew I would be reading book 2. And from what I hear, book 2 is better than book 1.

In the interest of not spoiling too much of the story, I will keep my description brief. Gen is released from prison by the Magus to retrieve an ancient treasure. Gen is a skilled thief, and joins the Magus and his band of merry men on the quest, and with rotting in prison as the alternative, why not? Gen turns out to be as skilled a thief as his reputation states, and begins to earn a small bit of respect from the Magus by the end. Obstacles and treachery are at every turn, and it's a pretty good read if you enjoy YA fantasy worlds.

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The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

For those of you living in a cave without access to internet or television, The Fault in Our Stars is about 2 teenagers living with and dying of cancer. It's sad. Not sad enough to make me cry, shockingly, because I love to cry at sad books and movies. Out of Africa makes me sob hard enough to throw myself on the couch wailing. But I digress.

If you don't know the story, I refuse to spoil it for you. Just read it. It's pretty good. And I have read the criticisms that Hazel and Augustus don't talk or act like typical teenagers. It's because they aren't. They are dying, they are a little bit hipster, and they have been forced to look their own mortality in the eye and deal with it. I can't imagine what that would feel like at 16, and I would bet neither can you. Their witty banter and interesting conversations are what kept me from the eye rolling, honestly. The part that bugged me most was her father. Please stop crying about everything around your daughter. Man up, dude. She's the one dying. It struck me as incredibly selfish.

TL:DR. Cancer sucks, and this book is sad.

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Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1)

Life As We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

True confession time: I have a real jones for post-apocalyptic, survival, dystopian fiction. I eat it up! Part of the appeal for me is thinking through how I would react in a similar situation. I'm convinced I would be the last survivor, regardless of the situation. I think I would be very similar to Miranda's mom. Cool in a crisis, I would cash out everything and stockpile food and supplies to help my family survive. In Life As We Knew It, we view everything through Miranda's journal entries. She's immature, and scared, and doesn't always grasp the severity of the situation (naturally--she's 16). Suspend your disbelief as an asteroid hits the moon, moving it closer to the Earth. Chaos ensues. Nature is out of balance. And society as we know it collapses.

Now please excuse me as I go to the store to stockpile gallons of water and food for my pantry. 3 stars.

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Mathematics Week

Mathematics

This week we each read a mathematics book from one of the subtopics we laid out for Reading University.  Our subtopics needed to fit one of the following criteria:

Math - fiction or non-fiction book involving mathematics or numbers, or a math teacher or mathematician as a main character
Probability and Statistics - fiction or non-fiction book about odds, gambling, or a gambler. May also include books about chess or a chess player
Computers and Cryptography - fiction or non-fiction book about computers, computer science, or cryptography
Finance - fiction or non-fiction book about money, the stock market, or a book where the main character is a millionaire or on a quest for riches

Books Selected:

Zach (Probability and Statistics - Gambling)

Banker by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Banker starts off with a bang.  Tim's boss has a meltdown and soaks himself in the fountain outside of work.  While he is recovering, Tim takes over his duties at the merchant banking house and uncovers a horse racing mystery that nearly costs him his life.

I was surprised at how much I liked this book.  I thought it would be boring, but it kept my interest.


Michelle (Finance - Money)

 Banker by Dick Francis
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Dick Francis was the master of writing the everyman hero: ordinary people thrust into extraordinary situations. It's part of the appeal for me. He always found a way to combine an interesting topic with characters you could root for, and worked them seamlessly into the world of horse racing. This time, we step into the world of finance with merchant banker Tim Ekaterin. As Tim takes on more responsibility at his family's banking house to cover for a sick colleague, he takes a chance on financing a prize-winning race horse. What follows takes on twists and turns, with some surprising revelations.

The good: I liked Tim. Like most Francis protagonists, he was a good guy, and you want everything to work out for him. The mystery kept me guessing. Just when I thought, "Oh, I totally know what's going on," another piece of the puzzle dropped and made me rethink my suppositions. The unique topic was banking, and it was an interesting look into the world of finance and how some of the decisions are made. And the racing! I love horse racing, and his books make me wish I was an English trainer, or jockey, or horse owner.

The bad-ish: The ending was abrupt, and I felt like this book was begging for an epilogue. Minor nitpick, but still a bit disappointing. Subtracting a half-star for that.  Otherwise, it was an enjoyable read for me, as always.



Maddie (Probability and Statistics - Chess)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first book in the epic series, we join Harry as he begins his life as a young wizard.

Summer Book Club: Reading University

Logo designed by Maddie

We are starting our annual summer book club this week.  The kids and I have had a summer book club every summer since 2010.  We choose a new genre each week and everyone selects a book within that genre to read and discuss. This year we have added a twist: Reading University.  Each week we will share out our books and our reviews in the selected subject, and by the time school starts again we will have earned our degrees.  I'll be updating the blog as we go.  Hope you find some good new reading suggestions from our choices!