The Best Man by Richard Peck

 From Goodreads, 

"Newbery Medalist Richard Peck brings us this big-hearted novel about gay marriage from a kid’s endearing perspective.

When Archer is in sixth grade, his beloved uncle Paul marries another man—Archer’s favorite student teacher. But that’s getting ahead of the story, and a wonderful story it is. In Archer’s sweetly naïve but observant voice, his life through elementary school is recounted: the outspoken, ever-loyal friends he makes, the teachers who blunder or inspire, and the family members who serve as his role models. From one exhilarating, unexpected episode to another, Archer’s story rolls along as he puzzles over the people in his life and the kind of person he wants to become…and manages to help his uncle become his best self as well."

Goodreads - The Best Man

The more I read middle school and young adult books, the more I find that I like certain authors.  Alan Gratz, Kwame Alexander, and Dan Gemeinhart all rank fairly high on my favorites list.  Richard Peck has slowly wormed his way into this list as well after I read A Long Way From Chicago.  I was surprised that he continued writing into his 80s before he passed away.  When I found this book on Scholastic Book Clubs it seemed like a good book that had a good message and good diversity. 

The Best Man is told by Archer who chronicles the time leading up to him being the best man at a wedding.  We learn of the mishaps throughout school and the friendships that were made and built along the way.  The entire book is a journey to turn archer into the best man he can be. 

I loved the LGBTQ+ support that was present in this book.  It was a bit of a subtle thing at the beginning.  And I honestly don't think that a middle school kid would easily pick up on the hints that were dropped throughout the book about Archer's uncle.  And the entire journey that all of the men in this book were going through is a wonderful example of growing up and being the best you.  Archer and his dad have to learn to cope with the loss of Archer's grandpa.  And his dad has to learn how to readjust that aspect in his life.  Archer and his dad both help his uncle realize what he needs and wants and how to get it.  They are able to convince him to be happy with Archer's previous student teacher.  The book also touches on changes that are happening at the middle school age and the differences that start to become present between boys and girls.  This book was a wonderful coming of age story.  

The story wasn't quite what I was expecting.  The summary led me on to believe that the book was going to be about him being the best man at a wedding.  The entire book focused around school and everything that went along with it.  The wedding didn't happen until the final chapter of the book and even then it was a very brushed over event.  

The title of this book is definitely a double meaning.  Archer gets to be the best man at his uncle's wedding, but the big point is that archer learns how to be the best man.  He looks up to his grandpa, his dad, his uncle, and even his student teacher.  He learns what makes them the best men they can be and what he can do to be like them.  This was a good book, especially for it being Peck's final book before his death in 2018.  I give this 3 stars.  I think this book has the perfect balance with nothing that is too in your face and overwhelming.  

The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

 From Goodreads, 

"Bob sets out on a dangerous journey in search of his long-lost sister with the help of his two best friends, Ivan and Ruby. As a hurricane approaches and time is running out, Bob finds courage he never knew he had and learns the true meaning of friendship and family."

Goodreads - The One and Only Bob

I was so excited to learn that Katherine Applegate was releasing a new companion book for the book The One and Only Ivan.  I read it six years ago and did a reread just recently.  (My reread review was posted last week!)

The One and Only Bob follows a wiry little dog named Bob who first appears in The One and Only Ivan.  Bob now lives with Julia and is pretty content with his comfortable life and bed.  But he soon feels that something is coming.  Julia and George both say that a hurricane is coming.  Julia decides to go with George to the zoo to see Stella and Ivan before the hurricane hits.  But soon everything is a mess because a tornado makes landfall right on top of the zoo.  Habitats are destroyed and animals are everywhere.  But Bob thinks he hears a familiar bark.  He thinks he hears his sister.  He soon takes off to try to save her and save the rest of the animals. 

This book had emotion like The One and Only Ivan, but it was a different kind of emotion.  Bob really talks about his past and the demons he faces with the decisions he's made.  He is presented as a rough and tough street dog in the first book, but he definitely morphs into a very caring dog in this book.  I loved that he talked about how he felt bad for leaving his siblings behind when he was just a puppy.  They were thrown out of the car while it was driving down the road.  He thought he heard a whimper, but he thought only about food and shelter, and ultimately only thought about himself.  He faces this and has to learn how to sort it out and even apologizes to his sister when he finds her.  I love that this was brought up and he had to learn how to forgive himself.  I think so many people have made similar decisions and they've struggled with the decision that they made because they were only thinking of themselves.  You have to learn to forgive and move on.  This is something that Bob has to learn to do, and he makes amends in the best way possible. 

This book had a much different feel to it than the first.  It had a more upbeat feeling even though a tornado and hurricane happen in the book just moments apart.  I enjoyed it and give it 4 stars.  It was missing something, but I can't put my finger on what.  If you've read the first book I absolutely advise you read this!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

 From Goodreads, 

"Ivan is an easygoing gorilla. Living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, he has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he’s seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art and how to capture the taste of a mango or the sound of leaves with color and a well-placed line.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home—and his own art—through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it’s up to Ivan to make it a change for the better.

Katherine Applegate blends humor and poignancy to create Ivan’s unforgettable first-person narration in a story of friendship, art, and hope."

Goodreads - The One and Only Ivan

Awards and Nominations:

• California Book Award for Juvenile - Gold (2012)
• Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Middle Grade & Children's (2012)
• SCBWI Crystal Kite Member Choice Award for California/Hawaii (2013)
• Newbery Medal (2013)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for Grades 3-6 (2014)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2014)
• Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award Nominee (2015)
• Bluestem Book Award (2015)
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for Children (2015)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2015)

I tend to jump on and off the reading list bandwagon.  I've been working on reading through multiple award-winning lists for a while now.  I figured it was time to jump back on for a book or two before I lead astray and read random books.  

The One and Only Ivan is told by a silverback gorilla named Ivan who lives at a mall right off of exit 8.  His best friends are an elephant named Stella, a wiry dog named Bob, and a girl and her dad who clean at night named Julia and George.  But one day a new animal arrives to hopefully become the star of the show.  A baby elephant named Ruby arrives.  Soon Ivan makes a vow to get her out of the big top mall by hopefully painting a sign asking for help.  

I absolutely love that this book is based on a true silverback who lived a very similar life to the Ivan in the book.  This book has an overall sad feel to it.  You can tell that Ivan isn't happy in his domain at the Big Top Mall.  He experienced tragedy very young when his twin sister died after they were captured.  I think the emotion in this book was such a big piece of the story.  After Stella dies Ivan is determined to get Ruby to the zoo so that she can be happy and safe.  Even when trying to get George and Julia to pay attention he had to be aggressive to get them to realize what all the paintings they had meant.  I find it so intriguing to read about animals who have emotions and feelings.  I've heard so many people say that animals don't have emotions or feelings, and I absolutely disagree.  This book is a great example, especially since it is based loosely on a true story. 

In August 2020 this book turned movie was released on Disney+.  I watched it and felt it was only fair to give a good review of it as well with this book review.  The movie and the book have very little in common.  Mack was portrayed in the book as being a terrible human who didn't care about his animals.  In the movie, Mack cared for them to an extent.  He never used the claw stick in the movie which was kind of a pivotal point in the book.  In the movie, the animals all made a grand escape to go live in the wild.  That never happened in the book.  While I was watching I was quite confused as to what was happening since it was a turning point in the movie.  The movie was cute and it was well put together, but the book was way better in my opinion.  

This is a wonderfully cute book that has a good story.  I'm excited to read the sequel to this book which is told by the wiry dog named Bob.  This would be a perfect read in a classroom.  Especially since students could go research the real Ivan and his story.  I give this 4 stars.  

Blind Rage: A True Story of Sin, Sex, and Murder in a Small Arkansas Town by Anita Paddock

 From Goodreads, 

"When Ruie Ann Park—a pillar of the Van Buren, Arkansas, community—was found beaten to death and lying in a pool of blood in her home, the police and local residents assumed the son was the murderer. But the years would uncover a more sinister story.

Up till that night, the Park family seemed to have it all. For fifty years they owned and published The Press Argus newspaper. Hugh was well-connected politically and his wife, Ruie Ann, was the local historian, journalist, and teacher. They had a brilliant son and a shy adopted daughter.

They built a beautiful home on top of Logtown Hill with a vista overlooking the Arkansas River, but their idyllic life ended with divorce. Ruie Ann stayed in the home, becoming more bitter and more demanding of the daughter who couldn't match up to her beloved son.

The son, Sam Hugh, had a promising legal career but his fondness for young boys, alcohol, and drugs doomed what should have been a successful law practice in his hometown. The daughter, Linda, graduated from college, married an attorney, and moved away to a small town near Little Rock.

The police were baffled. Who was smart enough to hide all evidence and pass the lie-detector test?

And who would want to bludgeon this mother to death?"

Goodreads - Blind Rage

Over the summer I participated in my local library's reading program.  All summer I logged the books I had read hoping to win a gift card to some local shop.  And all summer my name was never picked.  The reading program ended on a Friday and I had pretty much given up and forgotten about the prizes.  But then I got an email saying I had won a grand prize which was a Kindle Fire!  Now, I'm super hardcore about books only.  I like the concept of a Kindle, but I like being able to read a book and then either pass it to someone, sell it, or put it in my classroom library.  You can't do that with a Kindle.  So that night I updated everything and set up my accounts.  I ended up stumbling across this book in the free section.  I recalled that my mom had read it a while back.  I downloaded it and then proceeded to devour it. 

Ruie Ann Parks was a well-known woman in Van Buren, Arkansas.  She had one biological son and an adopted daughter.  One night someone went into her house and murdered her in cold blood.  All blame was put on the son who was drunk the night before.  The daughter lived in Cabot which was hours away.  Police tried to get a confession, but one never came.  Ruie's son died.  A few years passed and the killer was finally apprehended. 

Spoilers Below!!!

It was Linda, the adopted daughter, who murdered her mother.  It was a moment of blind rage, but I also feel that there was a lot of things that built up to her snapping.  It was definitely stated that Ruie was a woman not to be crossed.  She dressed her son Hugh up in dresses and he was in dance class.  Linda was outcasted and often criticized for choices she made or didn't make.  The night of Ruie's murder, Linda showed up with one of her three boys.  He was asleep in the car.  Linda went in and was talking to her mother about how unhappy she was and that her husband was upset over something.  Ruie said that Linda needed to get over it and go home.  Linda stated that she was going to leave, but Ruie started making up a bed for her and the little boy.  Ruie was basically running her mouth and Linda snapped.  I think there were a lot of things that happened in childhood that led to Linda being treated much differently than Hugh.  I think that led to some resentment.  The book needed way more details about the two kids' childhood in it.  It would have made for a fuller and more interesting story. 

As the book was beginning and events were unfolding I immediately pegged who the killer was.  I actually called my mom and was like "It's the daughter isn't it?"  She kept on that she couldn't tell me, but ended up coming clean that it was.  There were subtle things that were mentioned that were just too obvious in the first few chapters.  I quickly and easily put the pieces together.  I don't know what that says about me or the law enforcement that was working at the time.  The title of this book is also a little questionable.  The first part "Blind Rage" makes total sense.  But the "Sin and Sex" doesn't quite make sense.  Linda didn't murder because of sins or because of sex.  Sure, Linda sinned when she murdered, but the sex part I questioned as to why it was included.  

This book was definitely interesting.  It was dull at times because it was just evidence and telling the story.  There's no ridiculous flair to the story and there are parts that are extremely boring and drag on.  After a little dive online I was able to actually find where the house that Ruie was murdered in is at.  I found it quite intriguing that I have driven by it multiple times and never knew the history of the house.  I give this 3 stars.  It is definitely a good read if you are from this area or even remember this case when it was happening. 

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

 From Goodreads, 

"When Jack meets his new foster brother, he already knows three things about him:

Joseph almost killed a teacher.

He was incarcerated at a place called Stone Mountain.

He has a daughter. Her name is Jupiter. And he has never seen her.

What Jack doesn’t know, at first, is how desperate Joseph is to find his baby girl.

Or how urgently he, Jack, will want to help.

But the past can’t be shaken off. Even as new bonds form, old wounds reopen. The search for Jupiter demands more from Jack than he can imagine.

This tender, heartbreaking novel is Gary D. Schmidt at his best."

Goodreads - Orbiting Jupiter

Awards and Nominations: 

• Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee (2018)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award Nominee (2018)

I wasn't a crazy and wild teenager.  I was well behaved, had my moments of rebellion, but ultimately was a rule follower.  I think walking the straight and narrow (for the most part) has opened up this genre where I want to read about kids who are rebellious or have a troubled past.  I just live vicariously through them.  This book gave me all kinds of feels as I read it.

Joseph is just a regular boy.  Except that he is in foster care.  And that he just got out of juvie for almost killing a teacher.  And that he is a teen father.  Joseph goes to live with a nice family who has a son named Jack.  Joseph just wants to find his daughter and meet her, but he also has to learn how to cope and be a part of a family.  

Spoiler Alerts Below!!!

This book was a super slow and super weird start.  One chapter in I was questioning if I would be able to read this.  I love that this book touched on topics that are so common in the age that Joseph is, but are never talked about.  Joseph is a teen dad.  And by teen dad, I mean that he is 14 years old and has an infant daughter named Jupiter that he has never met.  Joseph was madly in love with Maddie (Jupiter's mother).  I think that Schmidt very tastefully painted their love for each other.  It was a classic Romeo and Juliet type situation.  Maddie was from a wealthy family, Joseph wasn't, and they were never to be.  But they felt such a connection and love with each other that they ended up having sex.  Schmidt kind of glazed over the entire event, but focused on the aftermath of that choice.  Maddie got pregnant at 13, Maddie gave birth, and Maddie died.  I know that if I had read that as a teen I would have been like "OMG I could die!"  Not all kids are going to think that way, but I think it's good to have realistic events in books.  Teenagers need to realize that doing these things can have serious consequences.  It's not all rainbows and butterflies.  

I had no complaints about this book, but the ending... guys I was legit freaking out.  This is a huge spoiler alert.  But Joseph ends up dying.  Joseph's dad ends up showing up at Jack's house and demands that Jack's parents let Joseph go with him.  Jack ends up walking up to the house and Joseph's dad grabs Jack instead.  He is threatening to kidnap him basically.  Joseph ends up agreeing to go so that Jack will be safe.  They drive off and end up wrecking and Joseph dies.  I was BEYOND shocked and devastated.  Joseph had made all this progress throughout the entire book and had learned the value of family.  He was open to hugging his foster parents and they were going to fight to get Jupiter so she could live with them.  AND THEN HE DIED!!!  I was so upset.  The moment Schmidt killed him off I knew how the book would end.  It was such a jaw-dropping moment.

The entire book was so well written.  I'm so excited to pass this book off to the 7th/8th grade ELA teacher in our building.  I think she is going to love this and I genuinely hope she puts it in her library.  I give this 5 stars.  This is a perfect book for 7th/8th grade and up.