Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury*

 My ninth grader's reading list for this coming school year is forcing me to read books that have intimidated me or have not appealed to me.   So far I have been pleasantly surprised at how much I have enjoyed them!!  Guess they are called "classic literature" for a reason!

Montag is a fireman . . .he starts fire . . .to burn books.  When he begins to interact with his mysterious  neighbor, Clarisse, he begins to view his boss, his job and his life differently.  Does he dare test the system?

I especially found the afterword, coda and author interview enlightening and witty in this edition.

*Highly recommend (for high school or older-see warnings).

Warnings: God's name used as a curse word, swearing, demise of human kind-no regard for human life, mentions sex and heroin

Journey to the Cross by Paul David Tripp*

 A 40-Day Lenten Devotional

Although it is not the lenten season, this thought-provoking devotional is apt for any time of the year.  Each day Mr. Tripp invites the reader to consider uncomfortable aspects of our human nature and the wonderful mercy of God.  He encourages the reader to ask difficult questions and delves beneath the surface of being a Christian---he addresses the heart.  

I liked how at the end of each devotional Mr. Tripp provided a reference to a large section of scripture to read.

Since this book is new, I had to return it to the library before I finished it (could not renew it ) but hopefully will finish it at a later date.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Glitch by Laura Martin*

 Finally, I read a book that I will recommend to my eleven-year-old!

Regan and Elliot despise each other.  Both are training to be "glitchers", individuals who travel back in time to preserve history and capture "butterflies", time travelers who want to change history.   When they are placed in a top- secret program as partners, they are incredulous.  How could their advisers even contemplate the idea that they would work well together?  

When Elliot finds an illegal letter from Regan's future self, they must decide if they are going to follow the rules or become butterflies to save their future selves.

Fast-paced plot, fallible characters, will appeal to both boys and girls   

Regan and Elliot both tell the story from their point of view in alternating chapters.

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Prairie Days by Patricia MacLachlan illustrated by Micha Archer*

 Stunning artwork! (collage, homemade stamps etc)

Mrs. MacLachlan describes a day on the prairie with poetic language.  I wanted to participate in their daily life!  Word choice is exact and utilizes senses.

I spent a long time studying the art on each page and appreciating the language.  Definitely a book to linger over!  I love how oversized it is (maybe a nod to the opening sentence that describes the largeness of the sky on the prairie??) and how the sky is depicted on almost every single page!

* Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Little Fox in the Forest by Stephanie Graegin

 A sweet wordless book 

A girl loses her favorite stuffed animal, a fox, when a real fox snatches it.  The girl and her friend follow the fox into the woodland to discover a wondrous world.  A satisfying compromise is established.

The endpages are vital to look at and to discuss!

-Borrowed from the library.

Unbound: The Life + Ar of Judith Scott by Joyce Scott with Brie Spangler illustrated by Melissa Sweet

 Joyce Scott shares how her childhood was entwined with her twin sister, Judith who had Downs Syndrome, how she felt incomplete when her sister was sent to an institution, and how in her adult years she welcomed her sister into her home and offered her a chance to express herself through art.  

-Borrowed from the library.

Ungifted by Gordon Korman

 I am trying to find humorous and quality books for my eleven-year-old son to read.  I probably won't be suggesting this book to him.

Donovan is implusive and suffers many consequences from his antics.  When he whacks the Atlas statue's butt in front of his middle school, the metal world that Atlas was carrying, thumps to the ground, rolls down the hill into the middle school gym, and ruins the gym floor (and the entrance).  By crazy circumstances, Donovan is sent to the district's gifted school instead of getting in trouble.  He hides out in this challenging school and soon becomes friends with the robotics team.  Will the superintendent, Mr. Schultz, ever find the kid who destroyed the school?  Is Donovan really needed at the gifted school?  The teachers there are onto him and his charade . . .

The chapters alternate points of view with numerous characters.

Warnings/points to discuss: lying, cheating, destruction to property, brawls that show no respect for property/people  By accident the district had forgotten to offer the course Human Growth and Development to the eighth grade gifted students.  So there is some talk about "sex ed" and the need for summer school or "hands on experience"-you can imagine what inferences can be made with that phrase!

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck

 Newbery Honor Book

Joey recalls his week-long visits in the summer with his sister, Mary Alice, at their grandmother's.  Each chapter is dedicated to a different year.  As the week in August arrives, they never know what adventures await them  . . .a corpse that "awakens", pie contests, hiding a girl from her abusive mother, running fish traps and much more.

The last chapter was especially sweet.  

-Humorous and entertaining

Warnings: sheriff and his men are drunk; cheating, lying

-Borrowed from the library.

Gawgon and the Boy by Lloyd Alexander

 When the doctor recommends that David remain at home to recover after a long illness, David's parents recruit his Aunt Annie (he calls her "The Gawgon", a derogatory name) to tutor him.  Although he is relieved that he does not have to return to Rittenhouse Academy, he dreads meeting with his tough aunt.  His opinion of her quickly changes as she enlivens all subjects-history, Shakespeare, geometry.  Then two major events transform his life-the stock market crash/Great Depression and Aunt Annie's death.  As he adjusts to these unforeseen happenings, he matures.

For most of the book I wondered why the library had it categorized as "fantasy".  At the end, David imagines Aunt Annie talking to him, almost like a ghost.  Maybe this is why they labeled it "fantasy"??  Interspersed are stories David creates which are based on his current area of study.  At first I was annoyed by them, wanting to return to the main story.

Warnings: lying (he confesses and tells the truth eventually), he admires his sister's friends who have "blossomed. His sisters warns  them that he would try to look down their dresses.  He admits this is true.  Because of her warning, he "could only ogle" from a distance.

-Borrowd from the library.

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

 Valora Luck sneaks onto the Titanic using her acrobatic skills.  Her twin brother, Jamie, is working on the Titanic, shoveling coal.  Disguisng herself as her deceased employer, Mrs. Sloane, Valora uses her status to convince a circus manager to hire her as circus performer.  Will she be able to convince Jamie to leave his dependable job and join her in America?  With the Chinese Exclusion Act, admittance may  prove even more challenging.  

The story is told in first-person, present tense.  Present tense was a bit different for me, but after I read the book, I understood why the author chose this tense.  I did not connect to Valora; I liked Jamie better. I also did not like the ending.   The inclusion how the Chinese were treated during this time period was eye-opening.  Ms. Lee incorporated a lot of figurative language that was well executed.  

Categorized as "young adult".

Warnings: a few swear words, Valora thinks someone wants her to work at a brothel but is mistaken, a minor character who interacts with Valora throughout the story is most likely a lesbian (the term is never used-just hints-Jamie was not her "type" and that she had no interest in men), beliefs about the afterlife and heaven, Valora has strong romantic feelings for Bo