The Barn by Avi

From Goodreads,

"The schoolmaster says nine-year-old Benjamin is the finest student he's ever seen-fit for more than farming; destined for great things someday. But his father's grave illness brings Ben home from school and compels him to strive for something great right now -- to do the one thing that will please Father so much he'll want to live. But first Ben must convince his older sister and brother to work with him. And together, they succeed in ways they never dreamed possible."

Goodreads - The Barn

I bought this book based on the summary, which is how I purchase 95% of my books.  The summary really led it that this book had very important ties to the education of Ben and the great things he was destined to do.  I however, feel that the summary was misleading and that this story was something else completely.

This book is told from the aspect of Ben who is just a young boy living in the 1800s.  Ben was sent to a school for a few months, until the day his sister comes to bring him home.  Ben finds out that his father has suffered an accident and is in terrible condition.  Ben, his sister Nettie, and his brother Harrison try to work together to take care of the farm and to take care of father.  Ben soon gets it in his head that building a barn will save father.  The others reluctantly agree with hopes father will improve.

This book was not what I was expecting at all.  As I mentioned before, I feel that the summary was misleading.  The summary really made it out that education would be a big piece of this book, but it wasn't.  It was mentioned a few times about Ben being smart and returning to school, but I ultimately feel that the story of family and working together had a bigger role.  Nettie was the oldest at only 15 when the book begins.  The children were literally children.  They weren't adults or almost adults.  They were young children who were having to take care of a farm and take care of their father.  I think it is amazing that these three children were able to develop plans and follow them through in order to keep everyone alive and the farm running.  This book takes place in the 1800s so things were definitely different then than they are now.  In today's world, I don't think that three children at that age would be able to keep a farm going and take care of their ill father.  That being said, I think this book really shows the work ethic that the kids had.  I think that many young adults (and adults) need to read this book and realize how easy their life is.  I know that I was definitely feeling grateful for the life I live by the time I finished this book.

While I was reading the plot of this book seemed very familiar.  It dawned on me about halfway through that the book sounded very similar to the plot of Stone Fox.  To an extent I felt like I was reading a version of Stone Fox without the snow or sled dogs.  There was the same aspect of "saving the farm" and the adult (grandfather or father) being sick.  Interestingly, The Barn was written 16 years after Stone Fox was published.  It definitely leaves me questioning if Avi took ideas from Stone Fox.

Overall, this book was just okay.  It lacked excitement and there was a constant hope of father getting better that just never happened.  I feel like the ending was quick and done, with nothing to tell us what happened after the barn was built.  It has a good story, but it is so similar to Stone Fox that it was honestly a let down for me.  I give this 2 stars.

Dry by Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman

From Goodreads,

"When the California drought escalates to catastrophic proportions, one teen is forced to make life and death decisions for her family in this harrowing story of survival from New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman and Jarrod Shusterman.

The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.

Until the taps run dry.

Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbors and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive."

Goodreads - Dry

I am guilty of not drinking nearly enough water.  My boyfriend is constantly telling me that I'm not drinking enough water and that I need to stop drinking Pepsi or apple juice or milk.  And I have to admit he's right.  I need to drink more water.  While reading this book I had a constant longing for a cold glass of water. 

This book takes place at the exact moment that the taps go dry in California.  Everything is fine until people start to panic and fight for every precious drop of water.  Over the course of the book we meet Alyssa and her brother Garrett, their next door neighbor Kelton, Jacqui the street smart girl, and the rich boy Henry.  The five stories intertwine quickly as they try to survive the great tap out.  The biggest question is if they will find water or if they will die trying.

This book was not what I was expecting, but it was honestly everything that I needed.  I live in Arkansas where running out of water is a foreign concept.  There has never been a time in my life where I have worried where my next sip of water would come from.  We don't have to conserve water by limiting showers, not filling swimming pools, or not watering our plants and yard.  This isn't a life I'm familiar with.  So naturally, this book was quite the eye opener.  I can't even imagine having to live like the residents of California during a drought or even worse, during a time where there is absolutely no water running through the tap.  I feel like this book definitely educated me on water crises.  You never imagine that a resource like water would disappear, but it clearly happened in this book.  Not only did this book paint a picture of drinkable water becoming scarce, but it showed the true human nature of people.  When it came down to it people were only worried about themselves and their immediate family.  People were not worried about their neighbors or their friends.  They were only worried about themselves.  I think this book gives a pretty accurate picture as to what would happen in a water crisis like this. 

One thing that I found interesting was the way the story was written.  The book was broken into parts, and in each part the story was told by alternating points of view from Alyssa, Kelton, Jacqui, or Henry.  There were also snapshots that showed what was happening elsewhere that would eventually come into play with the main characters.  I still don't know how to feel about this story structure.  I typically frown on books that have varying points of view because I feel the story is just incomplete and scattered.  This book didn't leave me with that feeling.  This book was written so that when one character concluded their part of the story the next person picked up where it was left off.  I didn't feel like I missed information or events because each character continued the story, just from their point of view.  I feel like the snapshots in the story were not needed.  They gave minor points of view from characters that would never have a large part in the story.  I felt like it was wasted information and that it could have easily been omitted.

Overall, this book was extremely well written and informative.  I got a different perspective of life in California and the challenges they can and do face.  This book is perfect for young adults.  After reading the acknowledgements I realized this book is to be turned into a movie.  I couldn't find much information about the movie, but I am definitely excited to see it.  I give this book a solid 5 stars. 

Fallout by Ellen Hopkins

From Goodreads,

"Hunter. Autumn. Summer.
Different homes. Different guardians. Different last names.
Different lives.
But there is one person who binds them together.
Kristina.

Nineteen years after Kristina Snow met the monster---crank---her children are reeling from the consequences of her decisions. Instead of one big, happy family, they are a desperate tangle of scattered lives united by anger, doubt, and fear.

A predisposition to addiction and a sense of emptiness where a mother's love should be leads all three down the road of their mother's notorious legacy. Sex, drugs, alcohol, abuse---there is more of Kristina in her children than they would ever like to believe. But when the thread that ties them together brings them face-to-face, they'll discover something powerful in each other and in themselves---the trust, the hope, the courage to begin to break the cycle.

Fallout is bestselling author Ellen Hopkin's riveting conclusion to her trilogy begun by Crank and Glass. It is a revelation and a testament to the harsh reality that addiction is never just one person's problem."

Goodreads - Fallout

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2010)

I am so glad that I have finally finished the Crank series.  I think I expected Fallout to follow the storyline of Kristina, but that wasn't the case in this book.  Fallout tells the aftermath of Kristina's addiction through the eyes of three of her children.  The story alternates between Hunter, Summer, and Autumn and their struggle to find love and avoid the cycle of addiction. 

I struggled with this book at the beginning.  I found the alternating story lines difficult to keep up with and the connections weren't clear.  I was well into the middle of the book before I discovered Autumn and Summer's connections to Kristina.  I wish that that information had been shared at the beginning of their storyline.  I struggled to keep Summer and Autumn's stories separate because I felt that there were some similarities between the two.  Hunter was easy to keep separated due to his being a male and being raised by Kristina's parents.  The concept of having the three stories of the kids was a great idea, but it was not executed well.

I do however love that the final book was the story of Kristina's kids.  The reader was able to see the impacts of her doing drugs and how it has impacted their lives.  All of the kids at some point in the book faced the issue of addiction or of teenage troubles.  Hunter cheated and smoked weed, Autumn had sex and was possibly pregnant and was quickly gaining a drinking problem, and Summer had a boyfriend doing meth and ran away to be with him.  All of these kids had problems and I think it was directly connected to Kristina's addiction.  I think this book is a wonderful example of how your choices can affect others later down the road.  Many people don't see drugs and alcohol as being part of a cycle.  This book is a prime example of how you get sucked into the cycle and you have to fight to get out and stay out of it.  Unfortunately, these kids were having to constantly fight to avoid turning out like their mother. 

This book was large, and by large I mean over 600 pages.  It made it difficult to hold because it was so thick, but that's just a personal complaint.  The book was an interesting conclusion to the Crank series.  I would love to know what happened to the actual children and how their life has been changed forever by the monster.  I give this 3 stars.  The mixed story lines were complicated and the book was too long and dragged on forever.  If you've read the first or second book, then I recommend reading Fallout.

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart

From Goodreads,

"In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He's got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.

But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.

So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier--even if it's the last thing he ever does.

The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and the incredible journey of the human spirit."

Goodreads - The Honest Truth

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2015)
• Gouden Lijst for vertaald boek (2016)
• Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee (2018)

I read this book about four years ago and absolutely loved it.  This past school year we had some time and I decided to start reading it to my class.  Just two pages in and they were absolutely hooked.  They were asking me to read just one more chapter even when it was time to dismiss to go home.  Needless to say, I'm so excited to share my review of this book.

The Honest Truth tells the story of a young boy named Mark who runs away with his dog Beau.  He has plans to climb Mount Rainier with his camera and backpack full of supplies.  Unfortunately, he is sick and this presents its own problems.  The looming question in this book is will Mark and Beau survive and make it to the top or will they fail to reach the top.

I love this book and the questions that accumulate at every chapter.  I read this to my 4th grade class and they constantly had questions.  The questions started as "Why is he running away?" and "Where is he going?" to "Will Mark make it to the top of Mount Rainier?" and "Will Beau survive if Mark dies?"  This book really got my students to question things happening in the story and we definitely got to work on predictions.  I think it is so good for students at this age to work on questioning skills.  They need to learn how to question things and try to figure out the answer.  This book was absolutely perfect for this because each chapter felt like a cliff hanger and left us asking more and more questions.

I love the format in which this book is written.  The book is written so that the whole chapters are told by Mark and the half chapters are told by Mark's best friend Jessie.  Some of my students hated it and some were mixed, but the overall conclusion with them was that it shouldn't have been told by both Mark and Jessie.  I think that it gave a great view of what was also happening at home while Mark was running away.  This format was great for some of my kids because it was so different than what they typically read.  By the time we reached the end the students understood why the story was told the way it was.

My biggest complaint was the language that was used in this book.  I had to filter and edit as I read this book to my students because some of the language was unacceptable for 4th grade.  I think that other vocabulary could have been used instead of the cursing that was present.

This book was well liked by many of my students and it definitely kept them interested and begging for one more chapter.  They all hated the ending of the book because they felt like it was incomplete and didn't finish telling the story of Mark.  My students said this deserves 4 stars and I completely agree with them.  I give this 4 stars and recommend it as a read aloud for 4th or 5th grade or as an independent read for junior high aged students. 

On Thin Ice by Michael Northrop

From Goodreads,

"Ked Eakins is about to lose everything.

He's just discovered that his dad has gambled away their rent money. They're going to get kicked out of their home.

But Ked is determined to fight back. He hatches a plan to save their apartment by rebuilding a vintage minibike in his school's maker space, which he'll sell for a profit.

Still, the plan is a gamble of his own: Going to maker space forces Ked into the path of a school bully, who torments him about his progressive spinal condition.

Can Ked -- with the help of some unlikely new friends ​​​​​​​-- find a way to fix the bike and save his family from going under before it's too late?

New York Times bestselling author Michael Northrop has written a powerful story a boy who ​​​​​​​-- against all odds ​​​​​​​-- decides to bet on himself and create something new from broken pieces."

Goodreads - On Thin Ice

This was the final book I received from Scholastic, and it was a bittersweet moment to read the note saying it was the last one.  The copy I received was an uncorrected proof that won't be released in stories until July.  Needless to say, I was extremely excited to be able to read this book before it even hits the shelves. 

On Thin Ice is about a boy named Ked who has a back condition that makes him stand out.  His mom left and his dad spends all their money gambling.  Ked quickly realizes that they are behind on rent and that they are going to be evicted.  He decides to make a gamble himself by using what little money they have left to purchase a Road Rokkit.  He makes plans to restore it, but one problem after another keeps happening.  The real question is will his gamble pay off and will they make rent.

This book started off really slow.  I couldn't get into it and found myself reading and finishing another book to avoid this one.  I finally sat down one evening and finished it.  After reading it, I found there was a message that kept jumping out at me, and that was resolving conflicts and making amends.  Ked had lost his friends and he thought it was because they didn't want to be with him because of his back.  Ked soon realized that if he just approached them, that there would be the possibility of making amends.  Ked approached a couple of his friends, started a conversation, and things were made better between all of them.  There was also the situation with the bully Landrover.  Landrover was constantly mean and aggressive toward Ked.  At the end of the book Ked saves Landrover and they talk and discover they have more in common than they think.  This results in them being cordial to each other instead of Landrover being mean.  I can think of a ton of people who need to read this book and learn how to solve problems with someone and make amends.  We are so fixated on electronics and social media that we don't know how to have a face to face conversation with someone and how to make amends.  This book shows good examples on how to have a face to face conversation and how to resolve problems. 

This book was an uncorrected copy and it did have some grammatical errors.  There weren't many, but I did catch some.  The book has a very slow start in my opinion.  I don't think that it would really grab and keep the attention of young students.  The book picks up as it goes, but I just don't think a fourth or fifth grader would find it engaging enough.

Overall, the book was okay.  It was a little bit of a let down.  I expected a lot more out of it, but it just didn't happen for me.  I give this 2.5 stars. 

Over The Moon by Natalie Lloyd

From Goodreads,

"Twelve-year-old Mallie's prospects are grim. In her mining town, Coal Top, boys leave school at 12 to work in the mines, and girls leave to work as servants for the rich people. Mallie can't stomach the idea of that kind of life, but what choice does she have? Especially when her family is counting on her wages to survive. 

All that changes when Mallie is recruited for a dangerous competition in which daring (and ideally, orphaned children) train flying horses to battle the monsters that lurk beneath Coal Top. If she wins, she'll earn a fortune for her struggling family. If she fails . . . her family will have one less mouth to feed. 

But the situation proves even more sinister than Mallie realizes, and in addition to fighting for her life, she finds herself uncovering a dangerous mystery at the heart of Coal Top's struggles-a mystery that the charismatic ringleader Mortimer Good will do anything to protect."

Goodreads - Over The Moon

I received this wonderful book free from Scholastic as a part of their Book Insider program.  The program requires me to read the book provided and then give a thorough review in return.  I received this book just a week before the review was due.  I had to fly through this book in pretty much one sitting to get it finished and the review completed.  That being said, it was an easy and enjoyable read.

This book follows the story of Mallie who lives in a town covered in dust.  She unfortunately has to work for a rich family to earn money for her family.  Mallie's goal is to take care of her parents and keep her little brother out of the coal mines.  Everything is fine until the Guardians who watch over everything come swooping in to take her little brother.  Mallie hides her brother to keep him safe, but she decides she must do something.  Mallie decides to go to a secret meeting being held for wiry young fellers, even though she is a girl.  Once there Mallie is told to fight the monsters in the woods to get a chance at riches untold.  Mallie doesn't get a chance to fight them though, because a starbird saves her.  Mallie is amazed at the flying horse and soon learns that he will take her on missions to make money and save everyone.

I loved the main character Mallie in this book.  She was so strong willed and determined.  Mallie had what I would call a difficult start.  She was born without part of her right arm, which made her different from everyone else.  Mallie had to work twice as hard to show that she could keep up and do the work.  All throughout the book I was just in awe of Mallie's resilience and strength.  She was constantly worried about her family and her friends.  She also worked to save everyone and didn't worry about herself.  I think I like characters like this because I sometimes see myself in them.  I am a pretty hard headed person and determined once I set my mind to something.  I also put others before myself too often that it is a fault of mine.  Sometimes I feel like my being hard headed is a flaw because it sometimes gets me into trouble.  But then I see lead characters like Mallie and they are portrayed as heroic.  I love strong female leads because they are paving the way and showing that is is okay if you are determined and bossy.  Like Mallie, those are the girls who get things done.

I don't really have any complaints about this book.  There were a few grammatical errors concerning quotation marks, but other than that it was a great book.  The storyline was intriguing with the dust covering the town and the magical starbirds that existed.  It was definitely a book that I would enjoy seeing a sequel to.  I give this 5 stars.  I think this book would be great for young girls needing a strong female lead in a book.  It is also a good reading level for kids in fourth to fifth grade. 

Flutter: The Story of Four Sisters and One Incredible Journey by Erin E. Moulton

From Goodreads,

"A beautiful debut novel for fans of The Penderwicks. Big things are about to happen at Maple's house. Mama's going to have a baby, which means now there will be four Rittle sisters instead of just three. But when baby Lily is born too early and can't come home from the hospital, Maple knows it's up to her to save her sister. So she and sister Dawn, armed with a map and some leftover dinner, head off down a river and up a mountain to find the Wise Woman, who guards a pool with miraculous powers. But the dangers Maple and Dawn encounter on their journey make them realize a thing or two about miracles--and about each other."

Goodreads - Flutter

A few years ago we had our class Christmas party full of snacks and fun.  I always have students who feel the need to bring me a present and they are always so excited to present it to me.  Near the end of the party I settled into a chair to open all the presents that kids had brought.  One of my students brought me a box and she apologized because it was all she could afford and she knew that I liked to read.  Inside were two books, some nail polish, and a couple pieces of candy.  I told her I was so excited about getting this present because I love to read and I love student recommendations even more.  She was so pleased with herself and shared that she had read both of the books before.  I told her I couldn't wait to dive into the two books.  One of the books was Flutter and I am so glad she gave me this book.

Maple is the second born of the Rittle sisters.  Her older sister Dawn thinks she is so smart and Beetle is just a toddler, but Mama is expecting a fourth baby.  Everything is fine until Mama has the baby early.  Maple hears everyone worrying over the baby and if it is strong enough to survive.  Maple immediately decides that she needs to collect miracle water from the Wise Woman in the Mountain to help save her baby sister Lily.  Dawn soon finds out her plans and decides to go with her.  Things take one scary turn after another as they race against the sun to collect the water and get home.

This book gave me so many feels.  The biggest thing that I loved about this book was the bond the sisters shared.  They were all willing to go to the ends of the Earth for each other.  Dawn knew that it was dangerous, but she also knew Maple had made up her mind and it was dangerous to let her go alone.  I relate so much to this book because my family has been my absolute support system.  They have fought for me, defended me, and would do anything to make sure that I was happy and okay.  The bond that is shared between siblings is an unbreakable one.  This bond was present in the Rittle sisters from the moment the book started.  They had the deep love of sisters, but also had the fighting sibling side as well.  I think many kids could relate to this book and the importance of family.  I would love to see this bond continue into other books following the Rittle sisters.

One thing that drove me crazy was that the whole concept of the Wise Woman of the Mountain was fictional.  While I was reading I was trying to find out where it was located and what it looked like.  After about ten minutes I realized it was a fictional place created for this book.  There was an awe that surrounded the place.  I wish that a real natural landmark would have been used because it would have made this book a thousand times better than it already was. 

This book was so good.  It had so much adventure and excitement.  This book had the perfect balance of thrill and sisterly love.  I give this 5 stars.  I was actually extremely disappointed when I realized this book only had 5 ratings on Goodreads.  It is well worth the read and I think that boys and girls alike would enjoy this book.