Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson

 From Goodreads, 

""Hope is the thing with feathers," starts the poem Frannie is reading in school. Frannie hasn't thought much about hope. There are so many other things to think about. Each day, her friend Samantha seems a bit more holy.” There is a new boy in class everyone is calling the Jesus Boy. And although the new boy looks like a white kid, he says he is not white. Who is he?

During a winter full of surprises, good and bad, Frannie starts seeing a lot of things in a new light: —her brother Sean's deafness, her mother's fear, the class bully's anger, her best friend's faith and her own desire for the thing with feathers.”

Jacqueline Woodson once again takes readers on a journey into a young girl's heart and reveals the pain and the joy of learning to look beneath the surface."

Goodreads - Feathers

Awards and Nominations: 

• Newbery Medal Nominee (2008)

Lately, I've been powering through books.  I wanted to continue on my reading goal to read 52 books, but I wanted a quick read.  I've been avoiding this book for a while now.  I decided over a year ago that I was going to read it because it was small.  I settled into bed, opened the book, read two pages, and passed out asleep.  I tried again the next night and the exact same thing happened.  So I shelved the book and decided I would move onto a different book at the time.  I've been trying to read through my young adult books to get them off my shelves at home and back into my classroom or another teacher's room.  Needless to say, it was finally time to settle in and get this book finished. 

Feathers is told by an African American girl with the nickname Frannie.  Frannie's real name is Abby, but her brother who is deaf can say Frannie, but not Abby.  Frannie's teacher reads a poem about feathers and hope.  This leads Frannie to think about hope.  But one day at school there is a new student who calls himself Jesus.  Kids and Frannie start calling him Jesus Boy.  He stands out because he is white, while everyone else at the school is black.  Frannie will eventually learn the true meaning of the poem and of having hope. 

This book is packed with important lessons, but they all felt very scattered and unfinished.  I felt like this book should have had more storyline and more substance to really hit the lessons that are so important.  The entire book is centered around having hope.  At one point Jesus Boy and Trevor start to fight.  Jesus Boy knocks Trevor down and Trevor just sits on the ground in shock.  Frannie ends up running over and helping Jesus Boy help Trevor up.  Eventually, it is discussed why Frannie helped him.  She said it felt like the thing to do.  Jesus Boy even states that he hopes that if he becomes the big bad bully that maybe Trevor will let go of all his anger.  I would have loved for this to have been a big character development for Trevor.  That Frannie and JB ar nice to Trevor and he ends up letting go of some of his anger and making friends instead of hating everyone.  This book had a lot of potential for moments like that and Woodson just let them slip by and simplified the book.  

Because of Woodson not "finishing the book" as I'll refer to it, I felt like this book was so very shallow.  I didn't feel like it really delved into any of the characters and we definitely didn't find out what happened with all the characters, their friendships, their future, etc.  I most definitely want to know if Sean ends up getting a girlfriend or if Frannie's mom has a healthy baby.  These are exciting points that would have honestly made this book 10 times better. 

I've read some of Woodson's books before and I've disliked them all so far.  I don't know if it is her writing style or I just feel disconnected from the topics she writes about.  I give this one star.  This is a quick read, but it is also a very dull read.

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

From Goodreads, 

"Five years. That's how long Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, have lived on the road in an old school bus, crisscrossing the nation. It's also how long ago Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash.

Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished - the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box - she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days...without him realizing it.

Along the way, they'll pick up a strange crew of misfit travelers. Lester has a lady love to meet. Salvador and his mom are looking to start over. Val needs a safe place to be herself. And then there's Gladys....

Over the course of thousands of miles, Coyote will learn that going home can sometimes be the hardest journey of all...but that with friends by her side, she just might be able to turn her “once upon a time” into a “happily ever after”."

Goodreads - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise

Awards and Nominations: 

• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2019)

During my second year of teaching, I had the opportunity to go to a reading conference for teachers.  I remember going into the convention center's main room where they had vendors set up and authors you could talk to.  There was also a school bus parked in the room.  It had been renovated and completely remodeled inside and was a library on wheels.  I immediately fell in love with the idea of having a mobile library and thought it sounded like a load of fun.  When I realized this book had a school bus at the center, I immediately knew this book would be full of excitement. 

Coyote Sunrise lives on a school bus with her dad Rodeo.  For the last five years, they have been traveling across the country following their hearts and running from their past.  After her weekly phone call to her grandmother, she finds out that the park where she grew up is being destroyed.  This wouldn't be a big deal, except that Coyote, her mother, and her two sisters buried a time capsule in the park.  Coyote's mother and sisters were killed in a car wreck and Coyote quickly realizes that she has to somehow get Rodeo to go back home first the first time in five years because that box is the only thing she has left of them. 

Favorite quote from The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise:

"It's something to have someone who misses you when you're gone.  And it's something to have someone who fights to get you back."

Coyote was by far my favorite character in the book.  She had a wonderful character arc.  In the beginning, she was very much like Rodeo in that she would go with the flow and was very laid back.  She agreed to his rules of no-go topics and was okay with not returning home.  Once she found out about the park being demolished, she started to change.  She was secretive to get Rodeo back home and found her voice.  She started talking to people that would help her with her quest for the time capsule.  Near the end of the book, she had completely changed.  She finally opened up to Rodeo about how she was feeling and laid down the law about going home.  Coyote's arc was beyond necessary for Rodeo to finally start healing.  I would love to have another book that follows the next chapter in Coyote and Rodeo's life.  

There were a few curse words in the book.  I really wish that more details had been given about Coyote's mom and sisters' death.  All we are really told is that they were in a car crash and that they were compensated for the accident.  I really wish there had been some kind of explanation of what happened.  It wasn't a necessary detail in the story, but I'm nosy and wanted the information. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  There were always new people joining the crew on the bus or something crazy happening.  I think this is a fantastic young adult book and I'm surprised that it doesn't have more nominations or awards.  I give this 5 stars.

Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other by Craig Grossi

From Goodreads, 

"A heartwarming story of a stray dog and a U.S. Marine who met under the unlikeliest circumstances in Afghanistan—and who changed each other’s lives forever.

As part of an elite team of Marines, Craig Grossi was sent on his most dangerous assignment to the Sangin District of Afghanistan. He expected to face harsh conditions and violence from Taliban fighters. What he didn’t expect was to meet a stray dog, with a big goofy head and little legs—a dog all on his own, filthy and covered in bugs, in a bomb-ridden district, but who carried himself with confidence. And even though the Marines have a rule against approaching strays, Craig couldn’t help but offer some food and a pat—and was shocked when the dog wagged his tail.

From that moment on, they were inseparable; whether out on missions or back at the base, the dog named Fred went along. When the time came for Craig to leave Afghanistan, he knew that Fred had to leave with him no matter what. And as Craig tried to get acclimated to civilian life, Fred was there for him.

This book tells the inspiring story of two friends who ultimately rescued each other and the stubborn positivity and love that continue to shape their world."

Goodreads - Craig & Fred

I have always grown up with pets, and can't honestly imagine a time that there wasn't a special dog in my life.  As a toddler, I remember our Rottweiler named Odie.  Right before I started kindergarten my Dad brought home a beagle that had been abused.  I named him Shiloh just like the dog from the movie.  In Junior High, my Dad got an English Bulldog and George became my dog and his.  He passed away in 2017 and for almost a year my parents didn't have a dog and neither did I.  My Dad moped around and seemed lost without George and my Mom ended up splurging and getting him a French Bulldog they named Mickey.  And even though I don't live with them, Mickey and I have a special bond.  Needless to say, dogs make me say "Awww!" and I am immediately sucked into anything that includes a dog.  So it was no question to get this book when a student pointed it out at the book fair at school. 

Craig was deployed to Afghanistan when a dog wandered into their compound.  Craig was immediately pulled to the dog and started feeding him and caring for him.  Before he knew it the dog had been named Fred and he was one of the Marines.  But Craig knew that having a dog in a war zone was dangerous and that Fred wouldn't definitely be shot if taken back to their main camp, as dogs were against the rules.  Craig, along with some friends, had to work quickly to try to smuggle Fred out and back to the United States.  Craig knew Fred was special, but wouldn't find out how special until he got back home. 

First off, good news, the dog doesn't die in the book!  But honestly, this book was about more than just Fred.  The first half of the book Craig tells Fred's story and you are really led to believe that this is all about Fred and Craig's adventure.  But then Fred gets sent to the United States and you are left wondering what is going to happen next.  And the next is rough.  The rest of the book is Craig learning how to talk and cope with everything he has been through.  We learn that Fred's story gives Craig an outlet to talk about his time in a warzone.  This edition is meant for young adults, and I think some of my students would read it and be intrigued by the dog part, but bored by the healing.  As an adult, the second half of the book was the most important.  I think it is so crucial for veterans to talk to someone about what they've been through.  Someone close to me refuses to seek therapy and they are a different person because of what they have been through.  And to me, it is heartbreaking because this is someone that I was close to for years and now they feel very far away.  Craig really pushes the message that it is okay to get help and it is okay to talk about your experiences.  I think this is good for anyone to hear, veteran or not. 

This is usually the paragraph where I would talk about something I disliked in the book or something I thought that should be different.  I have no complaints about this book.  In fact, I have another positive comment.  At the very end of the book, there is a Memorium section.  It is written by the parents of two soldiers that were killed in action with Craig.  I think it is absolutely wonderful that he opted to have them and their thoughts included in the book.  I think it really shows that they were human and had lives outside of being Marines.  They were no longer just a name in a story.  And that is so important. 

I absolutely loved this book.  I honestly wish that I had read the adult version, but it was good for me to read this since I will be placing it in my classroom library.  I loved Fred and all the special things about him.  Craig and Fred have an unbreakable bond that is evident throughout the book.  I give this 5 stars.  Everyone should read this.  It is such a good book!!

The Hidden Summer by Gin Phillips

From Goodreads, 

"After a falling out between their mothers, 13-year-old best friends Nell and Lydia are forbidden from seeing each other for the whole summer. Nell struggles with the thought of not only losing her best friend, but also losing the only person in whom Nell finds refuge from the difficulties she faces at home. Determined to find a place of their own, Nell and Lydia spend the summer hiding out in an abandoned golf course where Nell and Lydia find mysterious symbols scattered throughout the grounds. As they reveal the secret of the symbols, Nell discovers she isn't the only one seeking haven and begins to uncover what’s really been hidden all along, finally allowing herself to be truly seen.

Hidden Summer is a quietly beautiful coming of age story about self-discovery, family, and friendship. An elegantly written children’s book debut from an award-winning author in the vein of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and for fans of Moon Over Manifest."

Goodreads - The Hidden Summer

I have always wondered what it would be like to live with my best friend, even if it were only for a couple of months.  We went to different colleges so we definitely skipped out on living with each other.  And now we live in different states and only see each other a couple times a year.  I like to think we would have grand adventures, but in reality, I think we would have gotten tired of each other. 

The Hidden Summer starts with Lydia presenting her best friend Nell with a problem.  Lydia's mother doesn't want her to spend time with Nell.  Lydia's mother thinks that Nell's mother isn't a good influence, thus meaning that Nell isn't a good influence.  Nell decides to take things into her own hands and presents Lydia with the option for them to still spend the summer together.  Nell says they should spend their summer at an abandoned golf course close to where they both live.  Nell creates cover stories for both of them and they start spending their days at the golf course.  Lydia keeps reminding Nell that eventually, they have to return home for good.  Nell has to decide if she is going to run away forever or return to her life at home. 

This is very much a coming of age story.  Nell and Lydia both have dysfunctional moms but in varying ways.  Lydia's mom comes across as being the perfect mother but in reality, she ignores Lydia.  Nell's mom is sometimes nice and sometimes she isn't, but she never seems genuinely happy to have Nell there.  Both girls want more out of their mothers and as a result, end up running away to the golf course.  They have grand adventures and make tons of memories, but in the end, Lydia wants to return home.  Her father is coming home and she misses her family.  It takes a little longer for Nell to realize that family is all you have that will always be there.  This is really a story of growing up and being happy with what you have because other people have it worse.  

Unfortunately, this book left some things unfinished for me.  At the beginning of the book, we learn that Lydia's mom doesn't want her around Nell and her mom.  We know there has been a fight or something between the two to cause this.  However, we never learn about what caused the riff.  I really wanted to know what Nell's mom did that was so bad that Lydia's mom didn't approve of.  Also, the ending was rather abrupt and didn't have a grand finale.  I think the ending would have been better if the mothers had figured out what the girls were doing all summer and they would have realized why they had spent all summer at the golf course.  Also, them making up and getting over their fight for the sake of their daughters' friendship would have been a good ending too.  

I think that after doing a book talk on this book in my class that some of the students will want to read it.  I think that people with dysfunctional parents will totally relate to Nell or Lydia.  There are some other characters that I think some students could relate to.  I give this 2 stars.  The ending really killed it for me.  It had a good story, just not a lot of pizzazz as it neared the end.