The Tiger Rising by Kate DiCamillo

From Goodreads:

"A National Book Award finalist by Newbery Medalist Kate DiCamillo.

Walking through the misty Florida woods one morning, twelve-year-old Rob Horton is stunned to encounter a tiger—a real-life, very large tiger—pacing back and forth in a cage. What’s more, on the same extraordinary day, he meets Sistine Bailey, a girl who shows her feelings as readily as Rob hides his. As they learn to trust each other, and ultimately, to be friends, Rob and Sistine prove that some things—like memories, and heartache, and tigers—can’t be locked up forever. Featuring a new cover illustration by Stephen Walton."

Goodreads - The Tiger Rising

Awards:

• Charlie May Simon Honor Book - 2003-2004

The story takes place in Florida at the Kentucky Star Motel.  Rob, our main character, has a lot of pent up sadness from the fact that he lost his mother only six months prior.  His father told him to not cry at the funeral and since then Rob hasn't cried.  One morning Rob was out wandering around and he stumbled across a tiger in a cage.  Shortly thereafter Rob meets Sistine Bailey.  Sistine is a girl who is always in dresses and is always standing up for herself.  Sistine lives with her mother because her father cheated and she constantly believes that one day he will come back and take her away from the horrible town they are in.  Rob and Sistine become friends and Rob eventually tells Sistine about the tiger.  They go and visit the tiger and Sistine immediately wants to free the tiger.  The tiger's owner hires Rob to feed the tiger.  Sistine is still dead set on letting the tiger go.  Rob eventually makes the decision to let the tiger go and in turn the tiger is shot to keep it from eating anyone.  An emotional outpouring happens immediately after the tiger is shot.  Of course everyone lives happily ever after in the end.

There were two big messages I encountered in this book.  One of the biggest messages that I took away from this was that you have to let your anger and sadness go so that happiness can find its way into your heart.  Rob held all his sadness in.  He wouldn't let it go because his father told him not to cry.  He was somewhat angry that his father wouldn't even say his mother's name.  Rob freed himself when he let the tiger go.  After he let the tiger go and the tiger was shot he had no choice but to be angry and upset at his father for killing the tiger.  Rob's outburst though, allowed him to get closer to his father and he was able to let happiness back into his life.  Sistine was the same way.  She honestly thought that her father was going to come and pick her up from the town she was in, but her mother continued to call her father a liar.  Once Sistine accepted that he wasn't coming she was able to let the anger and sadness go and let happiness into her heart.  The tiger was a symbolic piece in this book.  While the tiger was caged he was unhappy, angry, and pacing his cage just waiting to explode.  Once they opened the cage it took him a minute to accept that he could be free and happy and to let it happen.  And after the tiger left the cage he became happy, even if it was for a short time.  While we may get sad or angry at things, we cannot let it stay pent up inside us and allow it to control us.  We must let the sadness and anger go in order to find peace and happiness within.

The other message I picked up on was the focus on friendship.  Rob didn't have someone who he could call a friend until he met Sistine.  Of course Sistine was the sassy pants friend while Rob was the shy and quiet one.  The two really complimented each other, which is what most friends do.  One friend will make up for what the other friend lacks.  Rob had concealed his feelings in his "suitcase" and he refused to open it up and look at his not-thoughts and his not-wishes.  Sistine was a persistent friend who would continue to ask a question until she got an answer.  And if she didn't get an answer then she would leave Rob standing there to mull over what was happening.  Sistine always got an answer and Rob figured out how to open up his suitcase and let himself feel again.  This book really put an emphasis on the value of friendship and how it can help you learn to feel again.  Both Sistine and Rob discovered how to let their anger and sadness out and to let their happiness in because they found each other and helped each other.

This book was really well written.  It was short with only 116 pages in the copy I purchased.  It would be a good read for a 4th or 5th grade class.  It would also be a good book to use to talk about feelings, friendship, and even bullying.  It has a good message and is written by Kate DiCamillo who also wrote Because Of Winn Dixie.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it didn't hold my attention long enough for me to sit down and read this book in a day.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry

From Goodreads:

"Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures."

Goodreads - The Little Prince

Awards:

• Prix du Festival d'Angoulême - 2009

I love movies and I love watching trailers for upcoming films.  A trailer I watched a few months ago was titled The Little Prince and it was absolutely adorable.  A few weeks after watching the trailer I found myself scrolling through the Scholastic website looking for new books that would pique my interest.  I stumbled across the book The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupéry.  I love reading books and watching the film adaptation and I figured that this would be a wonderful book to read and then compare to the film.

Honestly, I don't know how to feel about this book.  I read this over the course of 17 days and I really had to force myself through it.  The general outline of the story is that a guy crashes his plane in the desert and his is trying desperately to fix it.  In the meantime a tiny man known as the little prince shows up.  They talk and the little prince tells of how he came from a different planet.  He tells of the other planets he traveled to and what was on each of them.  He eventually finds himself on Earth where he meets the pilot who has crashed his plane.  The story ends with the little prince being bit by a snake and "traveling" back to his home planet and the pilot finally fixing his plane.

My first initial review of this book was that it was straight up awful.  I didn't understand how this was a children's book because I felt that it was so poorly written.  The book has been translated from French and I felt that there was some meaning lost in translation.  I honestly felt that the book was scattered and that the mysterious little prince was so fictional it wasn't even funny.  I enjoy fiction books, but I also enjoy fiction books that are somewhat believable.  In my opinion it wasn't plausible that a little prince would come from a little planet from far away where he had a rose and three volcanoes.  The book was repetitive and I found myself often confused as to if the little prince was telling the story or if the pilot was.  This was my first reaction after reading the book.

Okay.. Now on to my second reaction after a little time to think about the book.  I will admit that I went to Goodreads and I read reviews that had been posted by other people to see if they had the same dislike for the book.  They didn't.  All the other people absolutely loved the book.  Loved it.  I had to look long and hard to find a review that had three stars or less.  A lot of the people stated that this was a book that should be read once as a child, once as a young adult, and once as an adult.  I can understand where they are coming from in that perspective.  My views have most definitely changed from when I was a child, and I still consider myself a young adult since I'm just starting to really do the whole life thing on my own.  I think in 10 or 15 years I could read this book again and it would be like reading a totally different book.  I thought the book was childish and a lot of make believe.  I think that I felt this way because I don't act childish or have time for make believe.  I am focused on being an adult and doing adult things like paying bills, going to work, and ensuring I'm insured.  This shows me though, how much of my inquisitive nature I've lost.  I don't ask why anymore like I did as a child.  I don't inquire about things and I don't go out of my way to visit new places.  While I would love to go visit other "planets" or places in real life, I find that I can't let myself because I tell myself I have to be an adult and do adult things.  This book made me feel really old and showed me that my inner kid was definitely lost.

One good thing that I got from this book was the value of friendships.  The little prince valued his rose that was on his planet and he also valued his friend the fox.  In turn the pilot started to value his companionship with the little prince.  This book really captured how we will go out of our way and do what we must for those we love.  My friends are a very important component in my life and I think that is why I picked up on this as much as I did.  I value my friends and family and would do anything for them.  The little prince was the same way to an extent.  He "tames" the fox and he "tames" the pilot.  I think that taming was a metaphor for forming and making that relationship bond.  The fox mentioned that if he was tamed then the prince would rely on him and the fox would rely on the prince.  I love that part of the book because that is true.  If you become close friends with someone you often tame each other and rely on each other in so many ways.  I love the taming reference.  It really captures what it is like to make a new friend or form a new relationship; it's hard and sometimes brutal, but totally worth it in the end.

This is a book that I'm torn between liking and disliking.  To an extent I want to pass this book on to someone else, but I also want to keep it on my shelf and read it 10 years from now.  I think that my views on this book would definitely be different and it would be a good reality check to see where my inner child is.  Even though I liked the friendship aspect of this book I have to give it 1.5 out of 5 stars.  This book just didn't do justice for me and I thought that it was written in a chaotic fashion.  I think that if someone had read this book to me while I was a child I probably would have enjoyed it.  Even though I gave the book a low rating I would still love for everyone to go read the book and see what they interpret from it.  I will try to remember to read this book again in ten years or so and see if my opinion of the book has changed any.  I still haven't seen the movie, but will try to remember to make an update on here once I do!

Flying Solo by Ralph Fletcher

From Goodreads:

"Friday, April 28, 9:00 a.m.

Opportunity is knocking at the door of Mr. "Fab" Fabiano's sixth-grade class. Mr. Fab is absent and a substitute never arrives. The class wants to prove that KIDS RULE, so they decide to run the class on their own. Super smart Karen leads the way in the class routines and most of the kids join in. But for Rachel White, this isn't just any other day. Rachel's been silent for six months and communicates by writing notes. Rachel knows today is exactly six months since their classmate Tommy Feathers died. In her own way, Rachel reminds the class about this--and for the first time, Mr. Fab's students reveal their true and sometimes hurtful thoughts. Where is Mr. Fab's class headed now? The school day isn't over yet. Will they keep flying solo or crash?"

Goodreads - Flying Solo

Awards:

• Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award - 2000

A fellow co-worker told me that I absolutely HAD to read this book.  She said that it was a wonderful read and that she expected I would really enjoy it.  She gave me a copy of the book to borrow and told me to read it whenever I had time.  She gave me the book back in February or March.  Obviously it took a little while for me to get around to reading it, but the book did not let me down.

At the beginning we are introduced to four different students who are members of Mr. "Fab" Fabiano's class.  We soon find out that he is absent and the sub has called in sick.  A few mishaps happen and a replacement sub is never called in for the class.  The students follow their normal routine in the class and follow the lesson plans that Mr.Fab left for the sub.  We see the students interact with each other and it finally comes down to almost the end of the day when Rachel accuses Bastian of bullying Tommy Feathers who died earlier in the year.  I don't want to give away the ending, but it is incredible.

This book was wonderful.  I loved every word on every page.  I loved how Fletcher introduced us to four of the students at home so we could come to terms with what they were dealing with at home.  As a teacher, there are so many times that I want take a glimpse into a student's home life.  I want to know what is going on at night when they should be sleeping or why their homework is never completed.  But I can't do that.  Fletcher allowed us to see what kind of home each student was living in in terms of parents and siblings.  Throughout the book we see characters interact with each other in the classroom.  I think in reality it shows how some people carry different baggage with them and how they can't help what is happening at home, but we all have to love each other and help each other out.  This would be a wonderful lesson to teach to students about how we all have things going on in our lives that others may not know about.  We shouldn't be quick to judge people.  This was a profound message in this book.  There was also the bullying message that was included.  It was more toward the end of the book, but it was there none the less and the students owned up to what they had done as far as bullying goes.

I also enjoyed how there isn't a sub and the students just run the class themselves with minimal issues.  As a teacher this is one of my goals.  I want my students to be able to run my class without me being there.  They should know how to take attendance, how to do their classwork, at what time we do certain things, how different procedures happen in class, etc.  In reality though kids would probably go crazy in this situation.  There would be some who would say they needed to tell another teacher or that everyone needed to just sit quietly.  And of course there would be those who would be bouncing off of the walls of my classroom.  I just loved the environment that Mr.Fab had created and how it was such a set routine in his classroom.  I also really enjoyed his rock ceremony.  I enjoyed it so much that I'm currently coming up with the logistics of having a rock ceremony in my own classroom.  I plan to structure mine where everyone brings a rock in and we have a ceremony that joins us as a class.  Then if students leave we have a leaving rock ceremony and if kids join our class they have a welcoming rock ceremony.  It really creates a culture for learning and helps solidify a class as a family and not a bunch of students in a room.  My one last comment was Mr.Fab using the teachable moment the Monday after the class was "flying solo".  Instead of getting angry or upset at what had happened, he simply asked the students to write and tell him what happened.  He could have went off on a tangent, but instead he had them put their thoughts, feelings, and actions from Friday into a well thought out writing.  It was brilliant.

This book made me love my job more than I already do.  It made me want to do all these amazing things, such as the rock ceremony or special writing or reading time.  This book deserves 6 stars, but I have set my limit at 5 so 5 stars is what the book gets!

Sanctum by Madeleine Roux

From Goodreads:

"In this haunting, fast-paced sequel to the New York Times bestselling photo-illustrated novel Asylum, three teens must unlock some long-buried secrets from the past before the past comes back to get them first. Featuring found photographs, many from real vintage carnivals, Sanctum is a mind-bending reading experience that blurs the lines between past and present, genius and insanity, perfect for fans of the smash hit Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Dan, Abby, and Jordan remain traumatized by the summer they shared in the Brookline asylum. Much as they'd love to move on, someone is determined to keep the terror alive, sending the teens photos of an old-timey carnival, with no note and no name. Forsaking their plan never to go back, the teens return to New Hampshire College under the guise of a weekend for prospective students, and there they realize that the carnival from the photos is not only real, it's here on campus, apparently for the first time in many years.

Sneaking away from sample classes and college parties, Dan and his friends lead a tour of their own—one through the abandoned houses and hidden places of the surrounding town. Camford is hiding a terrible past, and the influence of the asylum runs deeper than Dan ever imagined."

Goodreads - Sanctum

I read Asylum a few weeks ago and absolutely fell in love with it.  I was worried that I wouldn't like the suspense and horror filled book, but I was enthralled in the series.  I was in the middle of a few other books when I finished Asylum, but I didn't hesitate to pick up Sanctum and start reading.

Sanctum picks up a few months after where Asylum left off.  Dan, Abby, and Jordan have all been having nightmares from what happened during their summer at Brookline.  It turns out that Abby and Jordan have received a ripped photo that starts to really creep them both out.  Dan in turn is asked to visit Felix because Felix keeps asking to see him.  Felix gives Dan the other portion of the ripped photograph and a list of coordinates.  The three come up with an elaborate story to go back to Brookline to hopefully end the nightmares and find the answers that Dan is searching for.  The three are only in Camford for a few days and they have to immediately delve into searching for clues and answers.  They eventually find that there is a cult that the Warden was involved with and that is still very active on the campus.  The story of course ends, but not before there are a few deaths and questions still in the air, which leaves room for the third book Catacomb to answer.

This book had the same exciting format with pictures sprinkled strategically throughout.  I really wish that there had been pictures included of the Scarlets and their strange world.  I also feel like they should have had some kind of special emblem or insignia besides a skull.  I just felt that since they were taking the "we are a prestigious organization" approach that they would have had a prestigious insignia that would have looked more professional than a skull.  I thought the cult approach was an interesting turn of events.  I kind of saw it coming after Dan and Jordan saw someone looking through the window while visiting Lucy.  On that same note I was expecting Lucy to be somehow involved with the Scarlets.  Even though she had had a lobotomy, it would have been a crazy turn of events to see that she somehow had a role in the Scarlets.  As for Cal, I think we all saw his involvement from a mile away.  He was sketchy and unstable.  He was bound to be involved with the Scarlets.  I hope we get some kind of update on Cal in Catacomb.  

Micah is a little bit of a different story.  He had moments where he was very nosy as to what Dan, Abby, and Jordan were up to.  I was really expecting him to turn on them while they were out house hunting the night of the carnival.  When the Scarlets showed up the book said that Micah was very white in the face.  This is great and all, but he didn't panic like a normal person would have in those circumstances.  At that point I knew that he was on their side and that he was going to "sacrifice" himself so they could get away, when in reality he was on the same side as the Scarlets.  It was very unfortunate what happened to him, and quite unexpected, but I expect that we will hear from Micah again in Catacomb.  The fact that he was dead and waving to Dan as he left just left that unfinished business feeling.

This book was absolutely phenomenal.  I don't think I enjoyed it quite as much as the first book, but it was still very good.  There were a few times where I went back and reread a chapter because I wanted to make sure I collected all the facts that I could while I was reading.  Some of my questions were answered, some were not, and I have come up with a few new questions that I'm hoping will be answered in Catacomb.  This was a 343 page read with pictures dispersed throughout the book.  I have no complaints about this book and I give it 5 stars for its ability to keep me engaged and interested.