Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

From Goodreads, 

"When Marty Preston comes across a young beagle in the hills behind his home, it's love at first sight—and also big trouble. It turns out the dog, which Marty names Shiloh, belongs to Judd Travers who drinks too much and has a gun—and abuses his dogs. So when Shiloh runs away from Judd to Marty, Marty just has to hide him and protect him from Judd. But Marty's secret becomes too big for him to keep to himself, and it exposes his entire family to Judd's anger. How far will Marty have to go to make Shiloh his?"

Goodreads - Shiloh

Awards and Nominations:

• Newbery Medal (1992)
• Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award for Grades 6-8 (1993)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (1993)
• Pacific Northwest Library Association Young Reader's Choice Award for Youth (1994)
• Charlie May Simon Children's Book Award (1994)
• Children's Choice Book Award (1994)
• New Mexico Land of Enchantment Award (1994)
• IRA-CBC Teacher's Choice, William Allen White Children's Book Award (1994)
• Oklahoma Sequoyah Award for Children (1994)
• Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award (1994)
• Texas Bluebonnet Award (1994)
• Grand Canyon Reader Award for Intermediate Book (1994)
• Nene Award (1994)
• Massachusetts Children's Book Award (1994)
• Flicker Tale Children's Book Award (1994)
• Bluestem Book Award Nominee (2015)

I still remember vividly when my dad showed up in the middle of the day from work and he left a beagle in our yard.  He told my mom not to let my brother or I play with it until he got home and could really spend time with it.  At the time the movie Shiloh had just been released on VHS and we happened to have a copy.  I remember looking through our front door at the dog and saying he looked like Shiloh on the cover.  And just like that our new dog was named Shiloh.  And coincidentally had a very similar life to the Shiloh in the movie.

Shiloh is about a young boy named Marty and a beagle he finds near a bridge where he lives.  Marty feels a connection and pull to the dog and fears that his owner, Judd Travers, is not treating the dog right.  Marty knows that his parents will not let him have a dog, especially one that belongs to someone.  But the beagle, which Marty names Shiloh, shows up again and Marty decides to build a makeshift pen and hide Shiloh on the hill by their house.  Everything is fine until Shiloh is in an accident and Judd finds out that Marty has been hiding his dog.  

I actually watched the movie years before I read the book.  I first read it in college for a children's literature class I had to take.  It was a wonderful read and triggered a lot of happy thoughts and memories then.  Now that I'm reading through award lists I decided it was officially time for a reread.  I love that this book really focuses on the love and joy that a pet can bring to a family when they are treated well.  Shiloh was clearly being treated poorly by Judd.  Judd wouldn't feed them to teach them a lesson or he would kick them if they did something wrong.  His dogs were not named but were called whatever foul thing came out of his mouth.  Marty sensed that this dog needed help and wanted love, and Marty acted on that.  Marty worked hard to get Shiloh even though he knew his parents didn't have the money to afford a dog.  In turn, each and every member of his family fell madly in love with Shiloh.  His dad was seen letting Shiloh lick his plate after he had finished dinner.  This book has small moments that will make you reminisce about your favorite pet and the memories you have with them.

Unfortunately, I watched the movie before reading the book which means that I prefer the movie over the book.  There were a lot of things that were in the movie but weren't in the book.  One of the main things being Sam!  In the movie, Marty has a friend named Sam.  She lives in town and they talk about Shiloh and she gives advice about what to do.  Sam also clearly has a crush on Marty and it gives it a nice fluff to a story that is very much written with a boy in mind.  

This book is about so much more than a boy wanting a dog and saving one that is being abused.  It is about a boy setting a goal with himself and working to reach the goal to get what he wants.  I love when books have serious goal-setting in them where it takes grit and hard work to reach them.  I give this 5 stars.  At some point, I plan to read the rest of the books in this series.  

Deepfake by Sarah Darer Littman

From Goodreads, 

"What happens when anyone can make a video of you saying anything?

Dara Simons and Will Hochman have everything they've ever wanted. They are the rulers of Greenpoint High's geekdom, overachieving in every way, and it's intense competition to see who will be valedictorian. One the entire school is invested in. That is, until Rumor Has It, the anonymous gossip site, posts a video of Dara accusing Will of paying someone to take the SAT for him.

When the video goes viral, suddenly Will's being investigated, and everyone's wondering how he pulled off cheating on the SAT. But Dara swears that she didn't say any of those things, which seems a little hard to believe since it's her in the video.

Did Will cheat?

Is it Dara saying he did?

Who's lying, and who's telling the truth?

The answer is more shocking than anyone realizes ..."

Goodreads - Deepfake

Technology has progressed so much in my lifetime.  Some of it has been for the better and some has been for the worst.  As a teacher I see my students being affected by the technology and having EVERYTHING literally at their fingertips.  It is so easy for students to hack into someone else's account.  Cyberbullying is a much bigger issue today than it was years ago and kids are much smarter about it and can find ways to cover their tracks.  With all the technology we have, deepfakes intrigue me the most.  I recently watched a video and it was of a guy talking about editing software.  He explained how easy it was and then shared that his face wasn't even real and he proceeded to change his "face" two different times.  It left me wondering if any of them were the actual face of this guy.  Then I realized I had just watched a deepfake video.  A video of someone pretending to be someone else.  I am beyond excited to share my review of this newly released book. 

Deepfake is told by Will, Dara, and MJ in alternating points of view.  All three are in the top three spots in their graduating class and they are all trying to be valedictorian.  Will and Dara have been dating since summer when they worked together at a camp.  They have been keeping their relationship quiet because Dara doesn't want to hear the comments about her beating her boyfriend for valedictorian or vice versa.  Will studied all summer to raise his SAT score and has applied to his Dad's number one choice of Stanford.  MJ had a summer job, but every time she tried to hang out with her best friend Will he just blew her off.  MJ applied to Carnegie Mellon even though her parents told her not to and that she probably wouldn't get in.  Everything comes crashing together when a video is posted by the school rumor account.  The video is of Dara saying that Will cheated on his SATs.  Everything starts to blow up and fall apart as they try to figure out if Dara really did say those things, if Will did cheat, and if the video is even of Dara. 

Spoilers are ahead.  Read with caution. 

This book started off so strong, but as it progressed and the plot thickened I was questioning all decisions that were being made.  I absolutely love the idea of a book being about the "bad" of technology, and even more specifically, deepfakes.  This book had an extremely strong STEM storyline and it was weaved into so many aspects.  Dara was an EMT and wanted to be a doctor.  MJ wanted to go to Carnegie Mellon and really delve into technology.  Will's dad wanted him to go into business and near the end of the book he decided he wanted to go into cybersecurity.  Will, MJ, and many of their friends are in the robotics club at school.  All of the characters in this book are somehow exceptionally bright and are at the top of their class.  I loved that STEM was pushed in this book, but for me it made the whole mystery of who made the deepfake that much easier to solve.  It was portrayed that one must have a high tech and fast processing computer to make a deepfake video.  When in fact there are many apps that can be used to make a deepfake.  As soon as the computer which belonged to MJ's brother was introduced I immediately knew that MJ was the one who made the deepfake.  She was jealous when she found out that Will and Dara were dating and she didn't know about it.  She was upset she didn't get into her first pick college, while both Dara and Will got into theirs.  I think it would have been a more exciting turning point for it to have been Will's sister Sadie or one of their other friends who was just a secondary character.  There was just too much evidence that easily pointed to MJ. 

There were believable points in this book and there were some that made me scratch my head.  One of them was everyone's reaction when they found out who made the deepfake.  Will figured out it was MJ and was basically like "I'm mad, but we're totally still besties."  Like this chick almost ruined your chance at getting into college and you're okay with it?  I would have been DONE with that person if they had tried to ruin my future.  And when Will found out about the video he got super upset with Dara, which is understandable, but he lashed out at her without listening to her.  Of course after he figured out it wasn't her, he tried to suck up and make up with her.  The redeeming point in this book was that Dara was not taking him back after his reaction.  Dara did NOT need that negative and toxic energy in her life.  

This book sounded like it would be really cool, but it was kind of a drag.  The most exciting parts were probably in the first and last 50 pages.  The flashback in the middle of the book wasn't called for and it felt like it was more of a space filler than actually being part of the plot.  I think this book would hit home with some teenagers, but I think it lacks that piece that makes you connect and relate with a book.  I give this 2 stars.  

The Angel Tree by Daphne Benedis-Grab

From Goodreads, 

"A heartwarming Christmas mystery and friendship story!

Every Christmas in the small town of Pine River, a tree appears in the town square--the Angel Tree. Some people tie wishes to the tree, while others make those wishes come true. Nobody's ever known where the tree comes from, but the mystery has always been part of the tradition's charm.

This year, however, four kids who have been helped--Lucy, Joe, Max, and Cami--are determined to solve the mystery and find out the true identity of the town's guardian angel, so that Pine River can finally thank the person who brought the Angel Tree to their town.

This is a heartwarming Christmas mystery, full of friendship, discovery, and loads of holiday cheer!"

Goodreads - The Angel Tree

Christmas is my favorite time of year.  I love putting up my Christmas trees (Yes, I have more than one.) and decorating them.  I love listening to Christmas music while making and baking sweets.  I love the cheesy Christmas movies along with all of the classics.  Christmas has always been a very happy time in my family.  As I got older I of course changed my Christmas wishlist from toys to electronics and then from electronics to necessities such as socks or having step rails put on my truck.  While in college I decided to give back.  I selected an angel off of the local angel tree and purchased clothes, shoes, a winter jacket, and toys for a child I didn't even know.  The happiness I felt that Christmas cannot be matched.  This book is the same concept, just tweaked a little bit for the small town of Pine River. 

In the town of Pine River, a tree always appears in the middle of the town at Christmas time.  People in the town write their wishes on a slip of paper and tie them on a branch.  The idea is that if you can help out you take the slip of paper and fulfill it for that person.  This is the Angel Tree.  But after 25 years of tradition, four kids who each have their own wish, decide that it is time to officially thank the person behind the Angel Tree.  

I absolutely love the concept of angel trees.  That people will put what they need on the tree and it gets filled.  Most of the time you see these in local grocery stores and they are to help families with children who can't give them a proper Christmas.  But I love the idea of having a tree that ANYONE can put their wish on it and those who can help out, do.  Obviously, in today's greedy world I can foresee this being a problem.  People would be asking for cars when they didn't even need one.  They would want huge flat-screen TVs when it isn't a necessity.  There wasn't a single wish that was presented in this book that was being greedy or luxurious.  Max's family had suffered a house fire just weeks prior and he asked for a house.  The town handymen and the secret person behind the angel tree stepped in to give this family something that they honestly and truly needed.  Lucy's guide dog was diagnosed with cancer, but her family was unable to pay to have the cancer removed and treated.  Lucy wished for her dog to be better and someone paid for the surgery and the cost of the medicine.  Joe is a newcomer to the town and just learned about the angel tree.  He decides to put his wish to have his mom home for Christmas since she is a marine.  Just a few days later Joe received a call that his mom would be home on leave for Christmas because someone had paid for her flight.  All of these seem to be large wishes (especially the house), but all were feasible.  I love that the entire town rallies around those who need help and help out in any way that they can.  I also love that the secret person behind it all makes sure that all the wishes are filled by Christmas.  The entire thing is just a feel-good story.  And it honestly led me to ask myself what I would put on an angel tree if such a thing existed.

While I loved the entire story of the angel tree, I absolutely despised the ending of this book.  As the book came to a close we find out who was behind it and that they are getting older and the bank account is dwindling which is making it harder and harder to fulfill all of the wishes.  I so badly wanted to know what happened the next year.  I want to know if they were able to continue the Angel Tree or if it all fell apart because there wasn't a large bank account to fill the wishes.  I felt like there were all of these loose ends that were never fully tied up properly.  I want to know if Lucy's dog made a full recovery and beat cancer.  I want to know if Joe was able to get into a better home than the one that he lived in.  I also want to know if Joe's mom made it home safely.  I want to know if Max and his family were able to move into their new home and how they furnished it since they lost everything in the fire.  Cami didn't have a big piece in the plot except for wanting to find out who was behind everything, so I'm not too upset over not hearing what happened after the fact with her.  I need answers and frankly would love to see a second book.  

This was a wonderfully cute story and I think it would be a wonderful story to read to my fifth graders around Christmas.  If we weren't already in the middle of a book I would definitely jump in with this one.  I give this 4 stars.  I love the idea of the angel tree, but I had some questions by the time it was all over.  This is a wonderful read that people of all ages will enjoy!

Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome

 From Goodreads, 

"In a debut historical novel about the Great Migration a boy discovers Chicago's postwar South Side and the poetry of Langston Hughes.

When 11-year-old Langston's mother dies in 1946, he and his father leave rural Alabama for Chicago's brown belt as a part of what came to be known as the Great Migration. It's lonely in the small apartment with just the two of them, and at school Langston is bullied. But his new home has one fantastic thing. Unlike the whites-only library in Alabama, the local public library welcomes everyone. There, hiding out after school, Langston discovers another Langston, a poet whom he learns inspired his mother enough to name her only son after him."

Goodreads - Finding Langston

Awards and Nominations:

• Coretta Scott King Book Award Nominee for Author (2019)

As a middle school teacher, I often observe what students are reading and even take suggestions from them.  After a visit to the library, students were introduced to the Charlie May Simon nominees for this school year.  Soon thereafter, many students were wielding books from the list.  I quickly looked on Scholastic to find as many from the list to get them in my library, but I came up short.  Only two of the nominated books were on Scholastic and at a reasonable price.  I quickly ordered Finding Langston and The Season of Styx Malone.  After a long and tiresome week at school, I decided I would cozy up with a short book that I could quickly and easily devour.  That book just so happened to be Finding Langston.  

Finding Langston is told by a young African American boy who leaves his home state of Alabama to move with his father to Chicago.  Langston doesn't like being the new kid because he doesn't fit in.  He doesn't like his new house.  And he definitely misses everything about his mom and Alabama.  Langston tries to cope with the loss of his mother, being the new kid and having the desire to read books even though his father doesn't want him to.  

I sat down and devoured this book in just a few hours.  Consuming it that quickly may have an impact on my overall review, but I also waited over three weeks before giving this a final and full review.  I loved that Lesa incorporated Langston Hughes into this story and even had the main character named after him thanks to his mother.   I think she missed the mark by not incorporating more of Langston Hughes' poetry in this book.  It would have been a wonderfully beautiful way to really pull history into this book.  As I mentioned earlier, the main character Langston was named by his mother.  I truly loved that he was able to learn a little more about his mother from finding books at the library and learning about Langston Hughes.  Langston was able to read a letter his father had and put pieces together to determine that his mother could read and enjoyed poetry by Langston Hughes.

I felt like there were a lot of small starts to big plot points in this story, but they didn't fully develop.  The entire time I kept waiting for Langston's dad and their neighbor to get together and start dating.  I kept waiting for his dad to find happiness with her, but that never really and truly happened.  I also felt like there was too much going on with the bullies at school and it didn't really fit into the overall theme and plot of Langston finding himself and being happy where he was.  It felt like the entire bully situation was added in just to possibly connect with kids today.  This book does take place in the past and I think that can and would be a deterrent or problem for some kids reading this.  The entire time that I read this I thought the book was taking place in the 60s or 70s and it was actually taking place in the 40s.  I wish there would have been more historical background on this time and why Langston and his dad moving to Chicago was such a big deal.  I think that having the historical significance and really incorporating life in Chicago in the mid-40s would have fit better in the overall theme and plot than the bullies at school.  

Overall, I don't think this book is a knock it out of the park award winner.  I felt like there was SOOOO much potential for this book and nothing ever really came to fruition.  There were a ton of historical things that could have easily been brought in and would have made this book a wonderful teaching tool to use in a classroom.  I give this three stars.  The story lacks a true plot and it honestly just plugs along until you reach the end with little to no excitement.