That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger

From Goodreads,

"It's been three years since the Virgil County High School Massacre. Three years since my best friend, Sarah, was killed in a bathroom stall during the mass shooting. Everyone knows Sarah's story--that she died proclaiming her faith. 

But it's not true. 

I know because I was with her when she died. I didn't say anything then, and people got hurt because of it. Now Sarah's parents are publishing a book about her, so this might be my last chance to set the record straight . . . but I'm not the only survivor with a story to tell about what did--and didn't--happen that day. 

Except Sarah's martyrdom is important to a lot of people, people who don't take kindly to what I'm trying to do. And the more I learn, the less certain I am about what's right. I don't know what will be worse: the guilt of staying silent or the consequences of speaking up . . ."

Goodreads - That's Not What Happened

One of my biggest fears as a teacher is that there will be a school shooting.  We have procedures in place and everyone knows what to do in the event of a lockdown.  Nonetheless, I am still terrified of it happening.  This book centers around a school shooting and the aftermath of the lies that spiraled out of control by hearsay and the media.

This book is told from the perspective of Lee, who is one of the survivors of the school shooting at Virgil County High School.  While there were many students who were in the building when the shooting happen, only six came face to face with the shooter and survived.  Each survivor has a piece of the story and a piece of the truth.  A lie spirals out of control about a victim of the shooting, and everyone believes it.  It is up to Lee to try to get the truth told and for each person to tell their piece of the story.

This story reminded me a lot of the book about Cassie Bernall who was a victim of the Columbine shooting.  The story went that Cassie was asked if she believed in God, and that she said yes and was shot.  I recall reading the book when I was in Junior High and I absolutely believed what I read.  However, after reading the book Columbine I realized it was far from the truth.  One student heard one thing, one heard another, and it came down to the fact that Cassie was actually never asked if she believed in God, that she in fact wasn't even asked a question.  This book reminded me so much of that same incident.  That's Not What Happened focuses on Sarah who was in the bathroom stall with Lee when the shooter came in.  The shooter did ask someone if they believed in God, but it wasn't Sarah.  Another student in the hall heard this and assumed it was Sarah responding.  While the stories were eerily similar, it also had an important message.  We can't believe everything we hear.  We need to get the facts straight from the people who were present, not the people who heard something in passing.  This is how gossip starts and snowballs.  One person says one thing, someone else passes it along with a little bit different information, and soon enough the story is out of control and far from the truth.  It is so important that we know the truth before we start running around and sharing information.  I think this could be a highly beneficial lesson to teach to students in middle school.

The format of this book was interesting the way it was written.  The first thing I noticed was that each chapter was labeled with XXX.  There were never any chapter numbers or titles.  I'm still not sure of the significance of the chapters the way they were.  I absolutely loved that throughout the book there were little informational pieces about each of the victims.  It was interesting to learn about them as a character in a book and not just a name on a plaque.  I also liked that the main character Lee asked for each of the survivors to write their story telling the truth of that day.  While some were reluctant, it honestly helped each one deal with the day and the demons they were harboring.  I've read other "school shooting" genre books and this is the first one that included the truth from the survivors and a small emphasis on the life of the victims.

This was a well written book by Keplinger.  While preparing this post I was shocked to find out that she wrote The DUFF.  I had no idea she was the mastermind behind that book. (I only watched the movie, but it was still really good!)  I think this would be a popular book with educators and with young adults.  The storyline of a school shooting is morbid, but it still has important messages.  Overall I give this book 4 stars out of 5.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

From Goodreads,

"Bestselling author Sherman Alexie tells the story of Junior, a budding cartoonist growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation. Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.

Heartbreaking, funny, and beautifully written, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which is based on the author's own experiences, coupled with poignant drawings by Ellen Forney that reflect the character's art, chronicles the contemporary adolescence of one Native American boy as he attempts to break away from the life he was destined to live.

With a forward by Markus Zusak, interviews with Sherman Alexie and Ellen Forney, and four-color interior art throughout, this edition is perfect for fans and collectors alike."

Goodreads - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Awards and Nominations:

• National Book Award for Young People's Literature (2007)
• Michigan Library Association Thumbs Up! Award Nominee (2008)
• Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction (2008)
• American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Young Adult Book (2008, Rescinded in 2018)
• Florida Teens Read Nominee (2009)
• The Inky Awards Nominee for Silver Inky (2009)
• Odyssey Award (2009)
• James Cook Book Award Nominee (2009)
• The Inky Awards Shortlist for Silver Inky (2009)
• California Young Readers Medal for Young Adult (2010)
• South Caroline Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2010)
• Lincoln Award Nominee (2011)

This cover made me a little bit nostalgic.  The cowboy and indian figurine made me think of the times that I would play with my brother as a kid.  We had toy soldiers.  We had cowboys and indians.  We had a farm set with cows and fencing.  It really made me think of my childhood and the memories I have spending time with my brother.  However, the cowboy and indian on the cover of this book is there to represent Junior being an indian on the rez and a cowboy at school. 

This book is told by the main character Junior who lives on the Spokane Indian Reservation.  He has spent his whole life on the reservation dealing with a lazy sister and drunk parents.  But one day he has had enough.  He decides he wants to go to the white school Rearden for a chance at a better life.  He soon realizes he is facing one of the of biggest challenges of his life and that he will have to find the strength to overcome them.

This book really surprised me.  I thought this was going to be a light hearted book until I realized how many awards it had.  While the book had its funny moments, it also had a strong message about perseverance and strength.  The book focuses on the hardships that Native Americans face.  Junior talks about how there are casinos that people work at, but that everyone is still broke and drunk.  One of the early turning points in the book is when Junior gets a book in school that has his mother's name in it.  He realizes that it isn't fair that he is being taught from the same materials that his mother was taught from over thirty years ago.  At this point he decides he wants to transfer schools so that he can have a better chance at life.  I think this is an important message for everyone.  We as a society seem to do what we have done for the past thirty years because that's just "how we do it".  I think we need to start branching out of our comfort zones and start looking for opportunities to better ourselves.  It's hard for me to take my own advice because I'm comfortable.  But I know there are better opportunities for me in my career and in my education.  I have yet to get my master's because I am scared I don't have the strength to finish it.  If we all work on persevering and finding strength in ourselves we honestly can accomplish anything we want to. 

While this book had a strong message about strength and perseverance, it was also very vulgar.  There were repeated cuss words throughout the book along with absolutely filthy jokes.  There were sexual references in the book and frankly I was taken aback just a little.  I will read absolutely anything, but I honestly read with a teacher mindset.  I read so I can put books into my classroom library and so that I can recommend books to students.  This was not a book that I would recommend to a fourth grader.  This book was full of vulgar language and references. 

This book was humorous and had a strong message, but it was also vulgar in my opinion.  If you can overlook the language and dirty jokes then you will definitely enjoy this book.  It definitely took me a few chapters to get over it, and even then there were times when I was still in shock that such words would be written in a young adult book.  I give this book 3 stars out of 5.  

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

From Goodreads,

"From the author of the critically acclaimed Wolf Hollow comes a moving story of identity and belonging.

Twelve-year-old Crow has lived her entire life on a tiny, isolated piece of the starkly beautiful Elizabeth Islands in Massachusetts. Abandoned and set adrift on a small boat when she was just hours old, Crow's only companions are Osh, the man who rescued and raised her, and Miss Maggie, their fierce and affectionate neighbor across the sandbar.

Crow has always been curious about the world around her, but it isn't until the night a mysterious fire appears across the water that the unspoken question of her own history forms in her heart. Soon, an unstoppable chain of events is triggered, leading Crow down a path of discovery and danger.

Vivid and heart wrenching, Lauren Wolk's Beyond the Bright Seais a gorgeously crafted and tensely paced tale that explores questions of identity, belonging, and the true meaning of family."

Goodreads - Beyond the Bright Sea

Awards and Nominations:

• Goodreads Choice Nominee for Middle Grades & Children's (2017)
• Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction (2018)
• Carnegie Medal Nominee (2018)

The past couple of reviews I have been extremely obsessed with the covers of books.  I've said before that the cover has to sell the book before the reader ever picks it up.  I like covers that are colorful and catch my attention.  While scrolling through Scholastic I stopped at this stunning book and immediately added it to my cart without reading the summary.  I felt that the cover told enough about the story.  I believed that it would be about someone going on a journey, where a feather played some important role since there was a feather hidden in the water and the sun.  I was so excited to finally dive into this book and go on the journey with the main characters. 

This book is told by a girl named Crow who is wondering who she is and where she comes from.  She does know that she was placed in a skiff as a new baby and sent to sea, only to wash up on the shore of a small island inhabited by a man named Osh.  Crow grew up happy and knowing nothing different, but she began to wonder where she came from.  Osh told her what little he knew and shared a pieced together half missing letter with her and a gold ring.  Crow was immediately set on finding out where she came from and along the way finding out who she was. 

I love books where people make a journey of some sort.  I really expected Crow to make a long distance solo journey to find herself, but she only traveled to nearby islands with someone usually with her.  This was a very subtle and slow journey, not a grueling one that is often seen in young adult books.  I love that Crow's journey was slow and that Osh made her think about her decisions before she acted upon them.  Osh gave her plenty of room to make her own decisions and to learn and fail.  I see so many people making decisions for their kids when they are perfectly able to make the decision themselves.  Kids need to learn to consider the options, pick one, and handle the consequences.  They need to learn how to fail.  As adults we make decisions for kids because it is so much easier to make a decision for them than to let them think, decide, and possibly fail.  We are all on a journey and we must all learn to make our own decisions.  I love that Wolk wrote Crow in this manner because she is a perfect model of how we should be living.  We need to take our time, think things through, be true to ourselves, and make our decisions.  Life is a journey and it is our journey to make. 

This book was wonderful and I am so glad that I read it.  I absolutely plan to use this in my classroom or to have it in my classroom library.  I love the historical aspect of this book and think that some kids would really invest in the history side of it.  I also love that there is a journey happening and it shows that it is okay to make a decision and it be the wrong one.  Mistakes happen, but we must learn to deal with it and move on.  I give this 5 stars and recommend this to anyone and everyone.  

The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

From Goodreads,

"From the critically acclaimed author of Waiting for Normal and All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook, Leslie Connor, comes a deeply poignant and beautifully crafted story about self-reliance, redemption, and hope.

Mason Buttle is the biggest, sweatiest kid in his grade, and everyone knows he can barely read or write. Mason’s learning disabilities are compounded by grief. Fifteen months ago, Mason’s best friend, Benny Kilmartin, turned up dead in the Buttle family’s orchard. An investigation drags on, and Mason, honest as the day is long, can’t understand why Lieutenant Baird won’t believe the story Mason has told about that day.

Both Mason and his new friend, tiny Calvin Chumsky, are relentlessly bullied by the other boys in their neighborhood, so they create an underground club space for themselves. When Calvin goes missing, Mason finds himself in trouble again. He’s desperate to figure out what happened to Calvin, and eventually, Benny.

But will anyone believe him?"

Goodreads - The Truth As Told By Mason Buttle

Over 13 years ago my family purchased some land and decided to put a house on it.  It was an exciting change happening in my life and I was the first one that had my entire room packed up and moved.  At the time there was a small pond in front of our house with two big oak trees nestled in beside it.  I begged my dad for weeks to build a treehouse for me.  He ended up getting deployed and I never got my treehouse.  Still to this day I feel that I missed some magical part of childhood because I didn't have a treehouse to call my own.  The cover of this book absolutely pulled me in with the treehouse in the big tree and a sunset sky behind it.  Not to mention the boy and his dog that was featured on the cover.  I was so excited to jump into this book and hopefully get to experience the joys of a treehouse through the main character Mason Buttle.

Mason Buttle is not your average kid.  Mason is big, he sweats a lot, and he struggles to read because of his dyslexia.  Unfortunately Mason is caught in a pickle.  His best friend Benny died at the treehouse he built.  A police officer keeps coming around trying to pry information out of him even though he has said everything he knows.  Mason finally makes a new friend named Calvin.  Mason and Calvin are great friends, until Calvin goes missing.  Mason must try to find Calvin and figure out the truth about what happened to Benny before the police officer decides that Mason is guilty of everything.

This entire book was centered around friendship in the midst of chaos.  Mason was placed in an unfortunate spot more than once in this book, but he was always loyal.  He was loyal to Benny until the very end and he was loyal to Calvin.  I think it is great for students to read about good, healthy friendships.  I also think it is beneficial that there were bullies in this book because it is clear what can happen when someone takes "teasing" too far.  I plan on putting this in my classroom library with a huge part being because there is such a strong example set by Mason on what it means to be a friend.

One of the things I didn't like about this book was that Mason was so "extra".  I felt like Leslie Connor gave him too much going on with his life.  Mason has a condition where he sweats too much, he's dyslexic, he can see colors when there's a feeling, his Mom is dead, his Dad is gone, and his best friend is died in a freak accident.  I mean how much more can this kid have going on in life!?  I felt like the colors condition was a little far and the sweating was an unnecessary addition.  I feel like Connor was trying to relate to as many students as possible, whereas making Mason a regular kid who is big and bullied would have presented a more relatable front.

Overall I did enjoy this book.  However, there was a climactic point in the book where Calvin was missing and it ended rather quickly and disappointingly.  I would have liked for that to be extended a little longer to build more suspense.  When the book ended I was begging for a second book that told me what happened after it was discovered who was behind Benny dying.  I wanted to know how Calvin was and how Mason was doing.  I would love to see a second book that followed the same characters going through a trial with an upset town.  I give this book 4 stars out of 5.