Thirteen Chairs by Dave Shelton

From Goodreads,

"When a boy finds himself drawn into an empty house one cold night, he enters a room in which twelve unusual-looking people sit around a table. And the thirteenth chair is pulled out for him.

One by one, each of those assembled tells their own
ghost story: tales of doom and death; of ghostly creatures and malevolent spirits; of revenge and reward. It is only at the end of the night that the boy starts to understand what story he must tell . . ."

Goodreads - Thirteen Chairs

This story starts with Jack entering a room with 12 other people seated around a table.  There are candles lit in front of each person and they all stare at him as he enters.  Each person takes a turn telling a ghost story.  After they tell their story, they blow out their candle.  Jack becomes more and more unsettled as the night goes on.

I decided to read this story because it was close to Halloween and I figured my students would enjoy getting to hear a review of a spooky book.  I did not expect this to be a collection of ghost stories, and was quite taken aback when I realized the format in which this book was written.  I really enjoyed how the ghost stories seemed to get scarier and creepier as the book progressed.  Some were set in present day with technology, while some were more of the old school ghost stories.  I enjoyed that balance because it is hard to find ghost stories that are set in the technology era, which people can relate to.

I didn't care for the ending.  I expected there to be a big finale of an ending.  It didn't really happen.  The book ended in a way that allowed the reader to interpret it in whatever way they felt fit.  I personally took the ending as Jack was consumed by darkness and died on that night, but there is also a part of me that feels that he lived to tell the story to others.  I really dislike having to interpret the ending and making my own decision on what happened.  I really wanted the people at the table to tell Jack that he was dead and that that was why he was there.  I wanted him to have to come to terms with being dead and dealing with moving on to the other side.  I think it would have been a good plot twist and surprise ending.

This would be a good spooky read to read around Halloween.  There were a few mentions of alcohol in the beginning, and there are some graphic moments such as talking about slitting throats and blood.  I probably won't put it in my classroom library, simply because of the mature content that is in the book.  I give this book 3.5 out of 5 stars.  I would have given it 4 stars, but I wasn't fond of having to interpret the ending.  I think middle school students would find this book perfectly creepy.

The BFG by Roald Dahl

From Goodreads,

"Captured by a giant! The BFG is no ordinary bone-crunching giant. He is far too nice and jumbly. It's lucky for Sophie that he is. Had she been carried off in the middle of the night by the Bloodbottler, the Fleshlumpeater, the Bonecruncher, or any of the other giants-rather than the BFG-she would have soon become breakfast. 
When Sophie hears that they are flush-bunking off in England to swollomp a few nice little chiddlers, she decides she must stop them once and for all. And the BFG is going to help her!"

Goodreads - The BFG

Awards:

• Red House Children's Book Award (1983)
• Zilveren Griffel Award (1984)
• West Australian Young Readers' Book Award (WAYRBA) for Young Readers (1985)
• Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis for Kinderbuch (1985)
• Books I Loved Best Yearly (BILBY) Award for Read Aloud and Read Alone (1991)

I initially purchased this book because the movie version was going to be released this year.  A couple of the other fourth grade classes read it during our all day read in at the end of year, while my class read Stone Fox.  I finally sat down and decided I needed to read it, and it was definitely worth my time.

The book is about orphan Sophie being snatched out of her bed after she sees a giant outside her window.  The giant happens to be the BFG (Big Friendly Giant) who soon befriends her and explains that he doesn't eat humans like the other giants.  Sophie gets to experience life in giant land and eventually decides that her and the BFG should make a plan to stop the other giants from gobbling up children in England.

This book was an obvious work of Roald Dahl.  It had so many of his infamous words such as "scrumdiddlyumptious", which was used more than once in the book.  I really enjoyed the character of Sophie and her ability to have confidence to face the BFG.  I also really enjoyed that Sophie didn't argue with the BFG about words and their pronunciation, but she accepted his way of speaking and learned the new things with open eyes and ears.  She also taught the BFG some things about living in human land.  She was a wonderful example of a child is willing to listen, learn, and grow.

I really enjoyed the chapter about dreams.  It stated that the BFG had dreams for girls and dreams for boys because they dream entirely different things.  I don't know why, but I've never thought about what a boy dreams about.  I'm sure they don't dream about the same things that a girl dreams about, but the thought never crossed my mind that we dream different.  It was also interesting to see the fearlessness that existed in boys dreams and that girls tended to dream about school related things.  This is an interesting observation because I feel like most boys do dream about more dare-devil things, while girls dream of rainbows and lollipops.  It was just an interesting observation that Dahl made prominent in the book.  Dahl really showed how girls have the role of being proper students and that boys have the role of being fearless and courageous.  I also liked that Sophie was interested in seeing the dreams for boys because obviously they were dreams that she would never really have.

It took me a little bit to really get into this book, because the whole giant theme just didn't interest me.  Once I really sat down and started reading though, I got so interested in the BFG and his mannerisms.  I think this book would be a great read for a classroom.  There were a lot of different parts in the book that would allow for measurement to take place.  They could measure how tall the BFG was, and then measure how they would compare to the BFG.  They could also measure the various things such as the jars or the other giants.  It would be a great book to incorporate math.  Geography could also be incorporated since it the book included so much involving locations such as Panama, New Jersey, Wellington, etc.  The students could also create their own map of giant land.

I enjoyed this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars.  I haven't seen the movie yet, but plan to see it as soon as possible.  I'll try to remember to give an update as soon as I see it!

SOS Titanic by Eve Bunting

From Goodreads, 

"Fifteen-year-old Barry O'Neill, traveling from Ireland to America on the maiden voyage of the Titanic, finds his life endangered when the ship hits an iceberg and begins to sink."

Goodreads - SOS Titanic 

Awards:

• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award for Senior - 1999

I love the Titanic and all things that pertain to it.  My best friend and I fell in love with a Titanic book in second grade... you could say it was the start of a wonderful friendship.  So naturally when I saw this book I knew I had to buy it and put it in my Titanic collection that is in my classroom.  I wanted to read the book beforehand to make sure it was suitable to put in a 4th grade classroom.  While I love the Titanic, this book was a little bit of a letdown.

The book follows Barry O'Neill as he boards the Titanic to travel to America to live with his parents.  Barry's enemies, the Flynns, are also boarding the boat, but as third class passengers.  Throughout the book Barry is trying to stay out of trouble and keep from getting thrown overboard by the two Flynn boys.  However, Barry does start to enjoy the company of Pegeen Flynn and he tries to see her as often as possible without being caught fraternizing with third class passengers.  Barry gets in a few scuffs throughout the book and at the end has to fight to survive the sinking.

This book really lacked a good storyline.  The entire book focused on Barry trying to avoid running into Frank and Jonnie Flynn, while also trying to make eyes at Pegeen Flynn.  There weren't many exciting moments in the book, and there definitely wasn't a solid storyline to follow.  I knew the entire book was leading up to the moment of the ship sinking.  That was probably the most exciting moment in the book because there was so much chaos going on.  It was also predictable at the end because I knew that Barry was going to focus on finding Pegeen and saving her.  The entire book kind of gave me the sense of reading the novel version of the movie Titanic.  Just the way that it was all laid out and presented really gave me the feeling that it was along the same storylines as the movie.

I did however enjoy the fact that Eve Bunting focused on trying to include factual information.  She did include names of people who were on the ship such as Mr.Andrews and Mr.Murdoch.  I thought that she paid attention to detail in that aspect.  I enjoy learning about the facts and events of what really happened, and I'm glad that she tried to incorporate them the best she could.

I will still add this book to my Titanic collection in my classroom, but I'm unsure if any kids will find it interesting enough to read it.  I give this book 2.5 stars out of 5.  It just didn't excite me the way that I thought it was going to.  I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the Titanic.  

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper

From Goodreads,

"From award-winning author Sharon Draper comes Out of My Mind, the story of a brilliant girl who cannot speak or write.

"If there is one book teens and parents (and everyone else) should read this year, Out of My Mind should be it." (Denver Post).

Melody is not like most people. She cannot walk or talk, but she has a photographic memory; she can remember every detail of everything she has ever experienced. She is smarter than most of the adults who try to diagnose her and smarter than her classmates in her integrated classroom - the very same classmates who dismiss her as mentally challenged, because she cannot tell them otherwise. But Melody refuses to be defined by cerebral palsy. And she's determined to let everyone know it - somehow.

In this breakthrough story, reminiscent of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, from multiple Coretta Scott King Award-winner Sharon Draper, readers will come to know a brilliant mind and a brave spirit who will change forever how they look at anyone with a disability."

Goodreads - Out of My Mind

Awards:

• Josette Frank Award in 2011
• Buckeye Children's Book Award for 6-8 in 2011
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for Grades 6-8 in 2013
• New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award for Young Adult in 2013
• Washington State Sasquatch Award in 2013
• Intermediate Nutmeg Book Award in 2014

This book was one of the most profoundly moving books I have ever read as an educator.  The story follows a young girl named Melody who has cerebral palsy, wheelchair bound with the only full control of her thumbs, and is unable to speak.  Everyone from the doctors to her classmates think that Melody is mentally incompetent.  Melody's parents believe that she isn't and has so much to give the world and their neighbor and good friend Mrs.V believes the same.  It is soon noticeable that Melody is a very gifted student who has so much to say, but is unable to.  She finally receives a device that allows her to share her voice with the world in the best way possible.  Melody lets her brilliance shine and we see her grow and become the beautiful flower that she is meant to be.  There are various obstacles and downfalls throughout the book, but Melody learns to overcome them and not care what people think.  There were more than a few events that made my mouth drop from what was happening.  There is also a little twist at the end that I absolutely loved, but I'll let you read the book and discover that yourself!

This book was extraordinary.  I will admit that it took a little bit for me to fall in love with Melody's character and her perspective of things, but once I did, I couldn't put the book down.  Melody really tells what it is like to be a student with special needs.  She shares what it is like to be in the special education class.  She talks about the other kids in the room and what they are each like.  She talks about the snowman that they decorate year after year at Christmas.  She notices that the teacher gives them green snowflakes, which makes no sense to Melody.  She even shares her love for the teacher who let her listen to books on tape throughout the school year and she shares her dislike for the teachers who teach the alphabet over and over and treat the kids like they are dumb.  I think this really takes a look at what it is like to be in a special education classroom.  There are people out there who are absolutely destined to work with students with special needs, and there are some who aren't.  This book really shows how some people are meant for students like Melody, and some aren't.  Melody's perspective also allowed us to see that most people thought she was mentally incompetent and shows how so many people treat people with disabilities.  Some people don't mean to stare or act the way the do, it just happens.  I understand that.  But it shouldn't be happening.  Just because someone is different, doesn't mean that we should judge them and deem them as stupid.  We shouldn't treat anyone like they are dumb, because they may just be the brightest person in the room, like in Melody's case.

This brings me to my next point.  Melody had stored so much information in her head and she has been unable to share it.  When she finally gets Elvira, her talking device, she is able to communicate with others and participate as a normal student.  Melody ends up making it on the Whiz Kids Team and she gets to show off her ability to retain information.  She gets to be a part of a team, which is something she never thought was possible.  The kids however, decided to be snobby kids and they treated Melody like an outcast.  She was glad to be a part of something so important, but she didn't feel welcome with the other kids on the team.  This sends such a powerful message, because so many kids judge the students who are in special education or are pulled for special classes.  This book has a big anti-bullying message.  At first, Melody gets so frustrated with how the kids are treating her, but she learns to overcome it at the end of the book.  She learns that kids are going to be mean and she will always be the bigger person.  Her teammates feel bad about what happened and someone Melody called a friend is the one who was behind the big ordeal.  The kids feel awful about what the did and I think that that is progressive because so many books don't really care or finish addressing the bullying issue.  Kids need to be taught that bullying is not okay and will never be okay.  They need to be taught that staring at someone who is different is almost just as painful as being bullied.  They need to be taught that making jokes and talking about someone is bullying.  Sometimes adults are just as bad as the kids with the bullying issue, which is what we find with the Whiz Kids coach.  We need to learn that no one is more superior that someone else.  We are all equals.  It doesn't matter if you walk with your legs, roll in a wheelchair, use a walker, or any other form of movement.  It doesn't matter if you can talk or if you can't.  It doesn't matter if you are short or tall.  It doesn't matter if you are dumb or smart.  We are equals.  We have to learn to love ourselves and learn to love others.

I loved this book for so many reasons that I just can't seem to put it all into words.  I loved the viewpoint of Melody and I loved the anti-bullying/love the disabilities message that was sent.  I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to any and every educator.  I highly recommend it to teachers who work with special needs students, because I can almost guarantee it will change the way you look at your students.