What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott

From Goodreads,

"It's a beautiful, sunny day. Callie Velasquez holds hands with her boyfriend Jeremy as they follow Callie's new BFFs Penelope and Lissa up the trail. The four friends are embarking on a camping trip -- a trip that immediately goes awry. They lose their way on the trail, and encounter a charismatic stranger with questionable motives. And when Callie stumbles upon a dead body, it becomes clear that the danger that lies in the woods is deadlier than she could have ever imagined. Tensions mount and friendships are tested as these teenagers try to survive the most sinister of circumstances."

Goodreads - What Waits in the Woods

Awards and Nominations:

• Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee (2018)

It is finally October which means I can break out all the scary and spooky Halloween movies!  When I was younger I never wanted to watch the scary movies.  I was worried they would give me nightmares.  Then one day I walked in on my brother-in-law watching Saw and was hooked on the horror movie genre.  While I have always said I would read any book, I think I may have found a genre that I'm not a fan of: horror/thriller mystery.  While this was a good book, I had some mixed opinions on it. 

What Waits in the Woods starts with a recovery journal entry by an unknown person.  The story then quickly begins with four friends setting off for a five day hiking and camping trip in the woods.  The first night three of the seasoned campers tell Chicago native Callie that the skinner murdered some teenagers in the same woods they are in.  Callie is obviously freaked out, especially when they all start hearing creepy laughing in the woods.  Things go fine for a couple days, but then they veer of course and find themselves face to face with a stranger who says he has a cabin not too far away.  All of the teenagers just hope and pray they will all make it back to civilization in one piece.  

I did enjoy this book, but I really would have enjoyed it in movie format instead.  There are two problems I had with this book.  One is the author's fault and the other is my fault because of the author.  My first problem is that the book was slow.  Super slow.  The book started out calm enough, but there wasn't any escalating events throughout the book.  People weren't getting attacked and they weren't dying.  I was almost to the end of the book before the first death happened and an injury just moments after the dead body was discovered.  The book lacked fire and pizazz.  If this book was turned into a movie it would have to be really beefed up to make it scary.  I felt very bored through the first two-thirds of the book.  

My next problem is due to the book being slow.  I ruined the book for myself.  The book wasn't progressing with exciting events and horror, so I went to the internet.  I googled who the killer was and ruined the ending.  No one in the book was being attacked or murdered, and frankly there wasn't anyone to point the finger at.  I couldn't take it anymore because it was taking so long to form a suspect list, so I just found out who the killer was.  It of course made the ending disappointing and then I was looking for signs throughout the entire book, but a decision had to be made.  I was either going to stop reading the book or find out who the killer was thanks to Google. 

I honestly feel like I was more bored than thrilled with this book.  The slow progression was irritating.  I like horror movies because I feel like I'm racing to figure out the killer, but with a book it just isn't the same.  If you do decide to read this book, DON'T go look up who the killer is.  Just read the book and let it play out.  I give this 3 stars out of 5.  I won't be putting this in my classroom library, but would recommend it to teenagers and fans of the mystery/murder genre.  

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.

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.