When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

From Goodreads,

"Winner of the 2010 Newbery Medal. Miranda is an ordinary sixth grader, until she starts receiving mysterious messages from somebody who knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late. For ages approx 9-14.

Four mysterious letters change Miranda's world forever. 

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. 

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: 

I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. 
I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. 

The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late."

Goodreads - When You Reach Me

Awards and Nominations:

• Andre Norton Award Nominee (2009)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009)
• Newbery Medal (2010)
• IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award for Young Adult-Fiction (2010)
• Indies Choice Book Award for Middle Reader (2010)
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction and Poetry (2010)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2011)

I always read the summary/review of a book before I start reading it.  I know I shouldn't do this because it sets a tone before I ever start the book, but it is also good to have some kind of idea of what I'm getting myself into.  When I read through the Goodreads review for this book my first thought was that this sounded a LOT like the book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  This gave me mixed feelings because I didn't really care for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close when I read it, and I had to hope that When You Reach Me wouldn't disappoint.

When You Reach Me is told by Miranda who is in the sixth grade.  She knows that she has her Mom and Richard, her best friend Sal, the lunatic on the street corner, and her favorite book.  All of these things are consistent and always there.  But one day Sal gets punched by a boy named Marcus and Sal decides that he doesn't want to be friends with Miranda.  This flips her world upside down as she tries to make new friends.  One day Miranda receives a mysterious note.  Then another and another and another.  There were 4 in total that explained they were just trying to save her friend's life and his own.  Miranda must work to figure out who is leaving the notes and what it all means.

This entire book is a mystery and I was absolutely there for it.  The entire time I was reading the book I was wondering who was sending the notes and why.  I did feel like it was someone we were introduced to early in the book, and sure enough it was.  Once I figured out who it was and what was happening I gave a loud audible gasp in shock.  I think that some my fourth graders would enjoy this book since there is the entire element of mystery of who was sending the notes.  I think that Stead did an excellent job at including lots of little hints sprinkled throughout the book, while also keeping an element of surprise until exactly the right moment.

There were two things I didn't like about this book.  One was that it referenced the book A Wrinkle In Time which interestingly enough was a Newbery Medal book.  The title of the book is never mentioned, but after a few references to the same book I did a little research and discovered the title of the book.  It was frustrating that the title was never mentioned, but I figure it was due to copyright.  I feel like I would have understood parts of the book better if I had read A Wrinkle In Time prior to reading When You Reach Me.  That being said, there were discussions that took place between characters that concerned time travel.  They talked about jumping forward and back in the future and the whole concept of it, and honestly it got a little confusing at times.  I feel that those parts would be something that would push kids away from reading this book because I think kids would say it was "hard" to read or understand.  There were some abstract concepts in this book and I would be weary about handing this to just any student.

Overall, this book was different that what I expected.  It was a good solid mystery, but was a little confusing at times.  I give this 4 out of 5 stars.  I would recommend it to some of my advanced readers, and as always recommend this to anyone reading the full list of Newbery Medal winners.  

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park

From Goodreads,

"The story of Celadon pottery. From the Newbery Project: "2002 Newbery Medal Winner Tree-Ear is a young orphan boy who lives under a bridge with his companion, Crane-man, in 12th century Korea. The two friends never know where their next meal is coming from, but what is lacking in food and money is made up for in heart and friendship. When Tree-Ear is not scrounging for scraps of food, he watches master potter Min make his beautiful Korean Celadon pottery. One day he can't resist picking up a beautiful piece of pottery and ends up damaging the work. Because he can't repay Min in money, he agrees to work for Min to repay him in hopes of learning from this master potter. But Min has other things in store, and Tree-Ear finds himself doing excruciating manual labor. When the king sends his emissary to find potters for a lifelong commission, Tree-Ear finds himself going on a journey that forever changes his life. A Single Shard is a beautifully written and emotional novel about friendship, hope, love, and acceptance. Here's a passage near the beginning of the novel that particularly spoke to me: The gentle curves of the vase, its mysterious green color. The sharp angle of the plum twigs, their blackness stark amid the airy white blossoms. The work of a human, the work of nature; clay from the earth, a branch from the sky. A kind of peace spread through Tree-Ear, body and mind, as if while he looked at the vase and its branch, nothing could ever go wrong in the world. (p. 52) But things do go wrong in the world as we witness Tree-Ear on both his physical journey and his emotional journey in the book. Through Tree-Ear's story, the reader also learns a lot about pottery making during the 12th century and the hard work involved in creating one single piece of celadon pottery. The Author's Note at the end of the book along with an essay about celadon pottery teach us more about the time period and the art of creating this rare and beautiful pottery...""

Goodreads - A Single Shard

Awards and Nominations:

• Newbery Medal (2002)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2003)
• Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature for Children and Young Adult Honor (2003)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2006)

When I was in tenth grade I had to take a beginning art class as a part of my graduation requirements.  I was blessed to have an amazing teacher who introduced us to so many techniques and mediums.  One of them that was by far my favorite was pottery.  I loved working with clay.  I remember making an Egyptian tablet that had my name written on it.  I also remember making a bowl that had Native American symbols around it.  While they were not perfect, they were definitely one of a kind and special to me.  So naturally when I realized this book was on my list of Newbery winners I knew I needed to jump in and devour it.

This book tells the story of a young boy named Tree-ear who is an orphan.  He lives with Crane-man who took him in as a young child.  Tree-ear enjoys watching the many potters in his village, but he enjoys watching Min in particular.  One day Tree-ear gets too close and accidentally breaks a piece of his work.  Min has him repay his debts, which later led to Tree-ear gaining an apprenticeship with Min.  As time passes Tree-ear must find if he has the courage and strength to complete the task Min has given him in hopes of one day working with clay.

Thousand Cranes Vase

I was 18 pages into this book when my boyfriend asked me how it was going.  I said it was horrible so far as I made fun of the characters' names and mentioned that the book took place in the 12th century.  He laughed along with me and I knew I would have to trudge through this book because it was on the Newbery Medal list.  The longer I read the more I found myself overlooking the names of the characters and I completely forgot that this took place in the 12th century.  I begin to focus on the pottery and the history behind it.  At the end of the book a piece of pottery is mentioned called the Thousand Cranes Vase.  No one knows who made it or even when.  Linda Park worked this piece of art into the book to leave the reader wondering if the fictional Tree-ear had made the vase in honor and memory of Crane-man.  After further research into this vase I came across a website for Linda Park that explained that the book was fiction, but the pottery and history mentioned in the book was based on actual pieces.  You can check out her website here, Linda Sue Park - A Single Shard.  I love that there was so much history in this book.  Park took a lot of time to research the process and methods of making pottery during this era.  If I were an art teacher I would be begging the literacy teacher to incorporate this to do some integration across the subjects.

I didn't enjoy this book at the beginning, but the longer I read the more invested I became.  I settled into the names of the characters and the way of life.  I think I would have been more excited to read this book had my copy of the book had a different cover.  Like many award winning books there are multiple covers, and the copy I had had the cover that I included in this review.  The other cover was more updated instead of looking like it just came from the 80s.  I give this 5 stars and recommend this to teachers and artists alike.  I think both the teachers and students would benefit from this book integrated into the classroom.  

42 Is Not Just A Number: The Odyssey of Jackie Robinson, American Hero by Doreen Rappaport

From Goodreads,

"An eye-opening look at the life and legacy of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball and became an American hero.

Baseball, basketball, football -- no matter the game, Jackie Robinson excelled. His talents would have easily landed another man a career in pro sports, but such opportunities were closed to athletes like Jackie for one reason: his skin was the wrong color. Settling for playing baseball in the Negro Leagues, Jackie chafed at the inability to prove himself where it mattered most: the major leagues. Then in 1946, Branch Rickey, manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, recruited Jackie Robinson. Jackie faced cruel and sometimes violent hatred and discrimination, but he proved himself again and again, exhibiting courage, determination, restraint, and a phenomenal ability to play the game. In this compelling biography, award-winning author Doreen Rappaport chronicles the extraordinary life of Jackie Robinson and how his achievements won over -- and changed -- a segregated nation."

Goodreads - 42 Is Not Just A Number

I read The Hero Two Doors Down a while back and actually placed the book in my classroom library.  Some of my boys read the book and absolutely loved it.  I purchased this book in hopes that more boys would find a book they would enjoy reading that was a rough and tough book about strength and sports. 

This book is nonfiction and is written in third person narrative.  It tells the story of Jackie Robinson from the time he was a child until he conquered segregation in major league baseball.

This book was a little disappointing in my opinion.  By the time I finished I had a few complaints.  The first problem was that this book had no pictures in it except for the cover photo and a picture of Jackie Robinson on the back.  I think it would have been really beneficial to include a couple insert pages that had photos or even including pictures throughout the book itself.  There were a couple historic moments mentioned in the book that would have been nice to have a picture right there with it, but instead I had to go look up the picture myself. 

Another problem I had was the way this book was written.  This book was very dry.  The information was thrown at us quickly and I felt like I didn't really have time to process it all.  The first few chapters were short as they captured a few moments in Jackie's childhood.  The chapters got a little lengthier as the book went on into his adulthood, but there was still something that didn't sit right with me.  Each chapter was an important moment or milestone for Jackie, and I think that that took away from a good progression in the book.  One chapter would take place in one year, then the next chapter would be a few years later.  I felt like there were gaps in this which made me wonder what was going on in that time frame that wasn't included for us.  I'm a firm believer that if you are going to tell us the story of someone or something, then you need to be committed to doing it justice by giving us all the details. 

I think that some of my boys would enjoy this book, but I think that many would find it boring.  I expected so much more out of this book.  I was very disappointed and unfortunately have to give it 2 out of 5 stars.  I'm going to place this in my classroom library in hopes that some kiddo likes baseball decides to read it. 

Ascent by Roland Smith

From Goodreads,

"A few months after returning from Afghanistan, Peak Marcello is in Myanmar visiting Alessia. Myanmar has been in the grips of a brutal military regime for more than fifty years, but recently the government has allowed more tourists to enter.   While there, Peak is invited to climb Hkakabo Razi, one of the most isolated mountains in the world, to discover the exact elevation of the mountain. But getting to the mountain will involve a four-week trek through tropical rain forests rife with hazards—from venomous reptiles and leeches to corrupt police and military. In the end, summiting Hkakabo Razi may be the easiest thing Peak does."

Goodreads - Ascent

I read Peak when I was in high school.  I found the book at a thrift store last summer and decided to reread it.  That lead to me discovering that Roland Smith had published a second book titled, The Edge.  In ordering that book I found that Smith was publishing ANOTHER book titled Ascent.  I ordered was able to get it and quickly started reading it while the story of Peak and his friends were still fairly fresh in my memory. 

Ascent starts just months after where The Edge leaves off.  Peak gets the opportunity to go climb Hkakabo Razi with his friend Aleesia and her bodyguard Ethan.  But to get to the mountain they must first endure the hardships of the tropical rainforest from the animals and insects living within to the murderous mad man hunting them.  The book and Peak continue to ascend in hopes he reaches the summit. 

I absolutely loved Peak when I read it, and I thought that The Edge was okay.  But Ascent was a whole new level.  When the book first started in the rainforest I felt like I was just dropped off in the middle of a book with no back story on how or why we were where we were.  So naturally I hated this book when it first started.  It was slow and I was trudging through it, much like the characters were in the book.  Things picked up in the middle of the book, and I found myself getting a little more invested in it.  But once the third part of the book started I was so pumped up and excited for Peak to climb Hkakabo Razi.  It wasn't until the day after I finished the book that I realized Smith had written this so that the reader was feeling the same way as the characters in the book, and that they too were making the ascent to the summit.  I don't know if he meant for this to happen, but I definitely loved that the book started slow and picked up pace as we went on until we reached the top or the end of the book.

The only thing I absolutely despised was the beginning and ending of this book.  As I said earlier I felt like I picked up a book and started reading in the middle without getting a solid back story.  But the ending killed me.  I was so excited to see what happened on the climb back down and what obstacles they would encounter.  Did I get that?  No.  The book ended.  It just ended with everyone standing all happily overlooking the mountain.  I needed more after the summit.  I wanted there to be danger and excitement well after the summit had been reached.  I seriously hope that Smith decides to write a fourth book to give me more about Peak and his team. 

I am a big fan of the Peak Marcello series and this book did not disappoint.  I give this 5 stars and would love to get a set of the Peak series to put in my classroom.  (I rarely let students get their hands on my personal copies.)  I would recommend this to fans of the Peak series or people who enjoy adventure books. 

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

From Goodreads,

"“We were all heading for each other on a collision course, no matter what. Maybe some people are just meant to be in the same story.” 

At first, Jude and her twin brother Noah, are inseparable. Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude wears red-red lipstick, cliff-dives, and does all the talking for both of them. 

Years later, they are barely speaking. Something has happened to change the twins in different yet equally devastating ways . . . but then Jude meets an intriguing, irresistible boy and a mysterious new mentor. 

The early years are Noah’s to tell; the later years are Jude’s. But they each have only half the story, and if they can only find their way back to one another, they’ll have a chance to remake their world. 

This radiant, award-winning novel from the acclaimed author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once."

Goodreads - I'll Give You The Sun

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2014)
• Stonewall Book Award Nominee for Children's and Young Adult Literature (2015)
• Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor Book (2015)
• Josette Frank Award for Younger Readers (2015)
• Michael L. Printz Award (2015)
• Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Nominee for Mejor novela extranjera independiente (2015)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2016)
• Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2016)
• The Inky Awards for Silver Inky (2016)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2016)

Summer means I get to spend all my free time lounging about reading.  But now that summer is wrapping up I'm trying to get all the reading in that I can before school starts up.  I typically grab a book off the shelf and start reading.  I just so happened to grab this stunning hardback.  The book was big, heavy, and daunting.  I wanted to put it back on the shelf, but decided that I was going to read it eventually so I should go ahead and start then.  After finishing this book I counted up how long it took me to read it.  I figured it was roughly 36 hours from the time I read page one to the time I finished it completely.  This book was absolutely phenomenal in so many different ways.

This book is told by Jude and Noah who are a set of twins.  In their lives there is an event that happens.  Noah tells the story from when he and his sister were 13-14 before the event.  Jude tells the story when they are 16 after the event.  Their lives have changed over the years and they each have their own side to the story.  Each chapter rotates from one twin to the other, while they tell their side of the story until it all falls into place at the end in a blazing finale.

I honestly don't even know where to begin in reviewing this book!  That is how great it was.  But I must start somewhere, so I'll start with the structure of the book.  I don't mind reading books that rotate narrators, but it is a very delicate situation.  It needs to be approached in the right way in order for the book to be successful.  I recently reviewed a book where I absolutely hated rotating between the two narrators, which could have been because each character was written by two separate authors.  This book was completely written by Jandy Nelson.  I liked that because the writing style was similar from one character to the next, but there was still something that set Jude and Noah apart.  Since Nelson developed both characters, their stories were woven together delicately and precisely.  When I first started this I didn't really like how we were jumping from past to present every other chapter, but I eventually saw that we were getting small pieces of the puzzle from both the past and the present.  The moment I realized that was happening I was sold on the format of this book.

Jude and Noah were the two main characters in this book.  I absolutely love how they were one way when they were younger, but somewhat swapped places once they were older.  I like that they had independent and developed personalities, but they also had similar traits that somewhat connected them as twins.  I feel like so many characters in books nowadays are underdeveloped.  I felt like I knew both Jude and Noah on a personal level.  There were other characters in the book that I wasn't connected to due to lack of character development, but of course they weren't the focus of this book.  Nelson did an excellent job at developing Jude and Noah into what seemed to be living and breathing people.

Another thing I want to talk about is the wisdom that I found in this book.  Jude's grandma had a bible that was full of quotes and little scriptures and sayings.  Jude followed them religiously.  Things like giving someone an orange will make their love for you multiply.  There were some quirky sayings, but there were some that were good.  We also heard from some famous philosophers and painters and some of their quotes spoke to me, while some did not.  My favorite quote was:

"So Plato talked about these beings that used to exist that had four legs and four arms and two heads.  They were totally self-contained and ecstatic and powerful.  Too powerful, so Zeus cut them all in half and scattered all the halves around the world so that humans were doomed to forever look for their other half, the one who shared their very soul.  Only the luckiest humans find their split-apart, you see."

When I read this I got kind of tingly inside.  When people get married they will say they found their other half.  They are indicating that they found the other half of their body and their soul.  I wondered to myself if I would ever find the other half of my body and soul.  I also asked myself if I had already found that and let it go.  I loved the quotes and quirky sayings that were all throughout the book.  It made me excited to turn the page and see what else the book was going to offer up to me.

The only negative thing I have to say about this book was that some of the chapters were unbearably long.  There was one that was over 50 pages long.  At that point I have just read a mini book within a book.  I like shorter chapters because it makes it easier for me to pick up and put down a book.  I don't like to stop reading in the middle of the page in the middle of a chapter.  I like to read until the next chapter and stop.  There was one evening where I was sitting there reading and I decided that I would grab dinner at the end of the chapter.  I read and read and read and read.  I finally flipped forward until I found the next chapter.  It was over 30 pages away!  I ended up just pausing to get food then came back.  Long chapters are at turn off for me, but fortunately the book had tons of other amazing things happening.

I loved this book and the way it was written.  The long chapters were a downer, but the characters and quirkiness of the book was a huge plus.  Since I make the rules of the blog, I give this book 6 out of 5 stars.  It was an absolutely amazing read that I recommend to anyone!