YA – Page 7 – One Chapter

The Initial Insult by Mindy McGinnis

I try to go into my books blind, that added mystery as to lies before me, intrigues me. This book however, it bit me! I woke up early today as I had about thirty pages left and I had to know how it ended so. Well, this is book number one! What?!? I’m left hanging for a few months as the second book isn’t due out until then. Mindy left some important questions unanswered. She definitely had me in her grips, clearing some of my uncertainty as she connected each character to the story. I didn’t know what the final outcome would be, but I wasn’t thinking, it was going to be reading a second book.

In the town of Amontillado, time carries more weight than gold. It doesn’t matter how well-off your family is or what type of car you drive, what matters is how long you’ve been a resident of this small community. A stone pillar, engraved with Amontillado’s founding fathers has been placed in the center of town, so they will never be forgotten. You too will not forget some of Amontillado’s residents.

Seven years ago, both Felicity Turnado and Tress Montor had it all. Family, friends, money, and each other. Now, they’re both trying to discover what remains. Tress is currently living with Grandpa Cecil who runs an area animal attraction. My heart immediately broke as I read about her, as she can’t quite recall what happened that turned her world 180 degrees and no one will fill in the blanks for her. Her parents are gone but where exactly, did they go? Tress knows that there were four of them together that night and now, just the two of them remain. Yet, Felicity won’t say a thing and Tress doesn’t realize what that night also did to her.

Tress will try to make Felicity talk; she has her ways. As the perfect opportunity arises, Tress has Felicity right where she wants her. I felt that Tress wanted answers yet she also wanted revenge, she wanted Felicity to feel the pain that she has felt since that night. Felicity is at Tress’ mercy, the night in question begins the conversation but it doesn’t stop there. I too, wanted answers, I wanted them quickly, what happened that was so disturbing and caused so much denial? Just tell Tress what happened to her parents. What did Tress’ parents have to do with the girls not being friends anymore?

The emotions and energy that poured out of this book was intense. Told in a dual timeline, I thought these flashbacks helped build-up the story. In the current time period, Tress and Felicity were interacting under a stressful situation. As they brought up their past, we were whisked back in time to when these events actually took place. I wanted the best for them, but there were times that I really felt my sinister laugh coming through for the characters didn’t act like they deserved it. I can’t wait to finish this one, I need to know how this one ends………I mean really ends. 4.5 stars

Moth by Amber McBride

“That day there was only enough prayer & blood for one of us to walk out.”

Moth was the lone survivor that day and the causalities included her brother and both of her parents. Since that traumatic day, Moth has lived with her Aunt Jack, pondering whether she should change her name, since there’s no one left who cares. Why was she left behind? I hated to hear that Moth gave up her love of dancing since the accident. Struggling to achieve her success, she was now just throwing it all away. Moth had no friends at school either. Attending a mostly white school, Moth found that the few black students that do attend, don’t include her in their conversations; they’re just like her previous school. It’s not like she’s trying either. She’s just existing, living on the memories that she can recall.

Sani took the seat beside her on the school bus, this seat that no one has ever sat in. Who would have thought it all began on a school bus? Sani is having family issues and he’s popping these mysterious pills, that he’s reluctant to discuss. Being of Navajo descent, Moth feels a connection to Sani through her Hoodoo. With their relaxed conversations, they come to realize that they’re both just surviving. They’re both just there. Sani offers a solution, a way out. A place where they can breathe. Sani asks Moth to run away with him.

I felt at first, when Sani asked Moth to run away with him, that he wasn’t serious. I thought he was just throwing something out there for them to dream about as they were both frustrated but when she responded, he jumped on it. This was an opportunity! This was going to happen! He obviously had been thinking about this.

What a trip this turns out to be for both of them. I enjoyed their journey and the places that they went. I liked that the trip was about connecting and discovery and not a love connection between the two of them. I loved the way the story was written in verse as the words weren’t forced nor did they feel cheesy. I enjoyed how the characters and story came together and the ending was impressive as I didn’t see that one coming. I can’t wait to see what else this author writes.

The sky & the rain baptize our bodies- sinless & free.”

“Sani (looking sad): Do the ancestors ever answer?

Me (Moth): They sent me you.”

Just Like That by Gary D. Schmidt – He does it again!

And just like that, Gary Schmidt does it again! A fantastic book containing two incredible main characters whose lives were meant to cross. As I was reading both of the storylines in this book, my mind was trying to figure out how the two stories were going to collide. I had a feeling their initial meeting would be memorable.

Meryl Lee was attending an all-girl’s prep school, a school where she felt she didn’t belong. Matt, he was living in an old lobster shack trying to keep to himself, helping out on a lobster boat. Both of their personalities were similar and the road that life that led them both on, had given them similar tests, so it felt as if they were destined to meet sometime in their lifetime.

Hollings car accident had left Meryl Lee devasted. Her parents thought that St. Elene’s Prep Academy for Girls was the answer that Meryl Lee needed to give her a fresh start but Meryl Lee isn’t so sure. The school was geared more towards the wealthier girls and the social aspects of the school don’t match those of Meryl Lee. It’s a difficult move for Meryl Lee yet she holds firm to who she is, as she’s called out for not following the prep school’s rules and her peers also see her as being different. Meryl Lee is a great character and it’s interesting to see the school through her eyes. Matt is a loner and the more that I read about him, the more I understood why. The pieces of Matt’s history are slowly revealed in the book and at times, I was losing my patience as I wanted more. He’s not had a typical childhood but as we start the story, Matt’s has a pretty stable life. Currently, Matt has a job, a place to stay, and most nights, he has a playful competition of skipping stones down by the water with a Mrs. Nora. Mrs. Nora took a walk one night down by the water and found Matt skipping stones and they started meeting up every night since. Matt’s street smart but not book smart, yet. Mrs. Nora decided that she wanted to educate Matt. Mrs. Nora is the headmistress of St. Elene’s Prep Academy for Girls and yep, that’s how Meryl Lee and Matt came together.

This book was quite the journey! Following Matt’s history and the roads that he has traveled was quite an adventure in itself. The book really took off when Meryl Lee met Matt. I had to laugh when Matt was waving a hatchet in his boxers and then, my body was covered in chills and the words seems to be running all together as Meryl Lee hides Matt on the bus. Dang, this book had my emotions all over the place. There were a lot of fantastic moments in the book, parts where the words on the page touched something deep within me. It may be set in the 1960’s but some things never change. Pick this one up, you’ll be glad you did.

How I Became a Ghost by Tim Tingle

So, how does one really become a ghost? I can’t imagine that everyone that leaves this earth, is sent in this direction. Does Isaac come back as a helpful ghost or a ghost that has unfinished business to attend to? A casualty of the Trail of Tears, Isaac narrates for us, how he became a ghost in 1830, while living in the Choctaw Nation in Mississippi, which I found entertaining and interesting.

Isaac begins his story as a 10-year-old child living with his family. His best friend is his dog which he does everything with. Treaty Talk. When Isaac overhears his parents talking about the subject, he remembers that Treaty Talk and Nahullos go hand-in-hand, a serious situation for the Choctaw Nation. Mother leads Isaac on a series of walks that day as he witnesses important events that are being held by his community. Gracious! What Isaac witnesses with his very own eyes is totally different from what his own mother sees, who is standing right beside him. Good heavens, Isaac is a young child and he sees this!?! I’m with Isaac when he questions his mother about what he’s seeing, yet her response is not what I’d expect from his very own mother. This Treaty Talk has a shattering effect on their town and the individuals inside it.

I had a few questions as I read this book, perhaps it was because I analyzed what was happening too much instead of just going with the flow. Why were some individuals shape shifters, some ghosts, some……? Did that have to do with lineage? Didn’t Isaac think it was strange as a child to hear a dog talk? Didn’t he once read in a book that dog’s go, bark, bark? Did he realize when he was little, that he was unique? I liked learning about the Choctaw traditions and practices. I enjoyed the relationships that Isaac built in the book and how he accepted his fate and assisted others. There’s an engaging story inside this short book.

“Choctaws never say “good-bye.” There is no word for it. We say “chi pisa la chike, which means, “I will see you again, in the future.””

Switch by A.S. King

I am a huge A.S. King fan and I was super excited to get this new release. The synopsis sounded strange but if you’ve read anything by her, you’d know that’s just her style. As an amazing author, she takes me on these incredible journeys in which, I see the world in a different light. Imagine living in a world in which time has stopped, you live in a house in which a switch takes center stage yet no one knows exactly what that switch controls and you have just discovered, that you possess a new talent. Picking up a javelin, you hurl that javelin like a trained athlete yet you haven’t had any prior experience. You’re breaking records as you throw, how can you do this? What is happening and why? Enter the world of Switch.

Tru, 16, is dealing with some deep issues at home and at school. There is the time issue that the school is exploring. Working in the groups, they hope to find a solution. At home, Tru would like her family to be back together again. I was surprised how easy the door opened up at their house and people walked in and out. Tru also has to deal with her house shifting and her new responsibility of being on the track team.

This was one book that took me a while to read. There were times as I read that I felt that what was written in the text was not the intended message but there was something deeper behind those words. I had to read this book over many days so I could really appreciate what was being said. The writing was unique with the use of a backslash to break-up the text along with the usual punctuation marks. It felt poetic at times as I read, the way the text came together. Time is the major player in the book and as I stopped, I thought how the author was addressing this issue. It made me think about my own time and how it applies to me. Make sure you read the Acknowledgments in the back of the book.

This is not my favorite A.S. novel but this is definitely one of hers. I enjoy reading her novels as I’m really not sure where I will be going or where my feet will land but I know that while I’m away, my eyes will be wider and I will emerge with a different view and I will have enjoyed my journey.

“The minute they put us in this building we’re expected to be something we aren’t. Interested / engaged / athletic / baby grown-ups with the will to be social and succeed in life. The building acts factory / as if it can turn out capable adults, and it will. Adults like Richard/ our rifle/ normal on the outside/interiorly, needs an exterminator. Adults like our sister / an assortment of bombs/ an anomaly to the truth. Adults like Mama and Daddy / broken and shamed for nothing but being human / having never been given human skills/….”

Kate the Chemist: The Awesome Book of Edible Experiments for Kids by Kate Biberdorf,

I was all excited about another Kate, the Chemist book but I felt confused as I looked inside to see what types of experiments, she was featuring this time. I hoped it wasn’t filled with slime recipes but I wasn’t expecting tomato sauce, chocolate chip cookies, defrosting berries, and creating pretzels bites. Perhaps the title of the book threw me off and reading her last book which had another edible experiment. To me, these weren’t experiments, they were recipes that turned into experiments based on how you went about preparing them.

Don’t get me wrong, this is not a horrible book, it’s just that I was expecting something totally different. This book focuses on why something works in a recipe. While doing this, it also provides alternative methods (more experiments) to achieve this result. Take for example the Banana Bread Experiment. To make great banana bread, you usually need overripen, sweet bananas, but what if you only have yellow bananas? Kate has an experiment for this recipe that has the reader doing 3 different methods for ripening your yellow bananas, so you can make the bread. You’re recording your results as you perform the 3 different experiments. Once you get your results, you can continue on with the rest of the Banana Bread Experiment.

For each of the chapters, Kate provides a brief note about the project, a messiness level (most were 2 out of 3), a list of materials needed, whether you need: oven mitts, latex gloves, an adult, wonderful step-by-step instructions with fantastic illustrations, a What Do You Think? Section, and a How It Works: section.

Each chapter is its own experiment (recipe). I can’t say enough about how organized and detailed each chapter is. That is what I love about Kate’s books, she is very detailed-oriented. The illustrations are in color and the directions are detailed, with easy-to-understand language. The What Do You Think? section asks the reader a handful of thought-provoking questions about what they have done and has them think about what might happen had they done something else. I really enjoyed the How It Works section as it goes into detail about why this experiment does its job. This section is quite lengthy which is why I like it also. This section is not a bunch of scientific words but it explains the science behind why the reaction occurred which might be overwhelming to some young readers. You could have an older individual read this section and explain it to a younger child so they could understand it.

I liked reading why these experiments worked as I found it interesting and cooking can be fun, if you make it fun. I feel that some children will be like me and be shocked when they open the book and see what each chapter is about. I’m afraid they will see the book as a cookbook and they’ll want to pass on it while others will love it. If you haven’t seen Kate before, I suggest you check her out. She’s on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and online. This is a great book; I just wished the title was something else. 4.5 stars

Luck of the Titanic by Stacey Lee

What I enjoyed the most about this book was how the stories of the book came together. Although the story is mainly about Val and her twin brother Jamie, there are little stories that thread throughout the book that give the story its strength. Val had an agenda and she was determined that what she wanted was best for everyone involved. I had to laugh a few times while I read, when Jamie’s insight was better than hers. Was Val only seeing what she wanted to see? Was it possible for Val to admit that Jamie might know something about their own family?

Val was a great character but she also needed the individuals around her, to shape and mold her. From Mrs. Sloane, to the passengers, to the circus manager, all these individuals pushed and encouraged her which allowed her maturity, within the pages of this book to grow. She was a determined, passionate individual but her mannerism wasn’t the greatest when she approached the gangway to board the Titanic. With her attitude, was it possible for her, to persuade her brother to return to their previous occupation? America was supposed to be the land of opportunity and that is where she wanted to go but now, the Titanic was her playing field.

While I thought this book might be centered on the sinking and the life-saving that accompanied this vessel, I was surprised these events occurred at the end. I learned about the Chinese Exclusion Act and how that effected many individuals, which was new to me. I really enjoyed this book as it provided something different about this time in history.

“Life is a balancing act. You could be killed walking down the street, but you don’t let that fear stop you. You just practice until the fear is no longer part of the equation.”

“An afterlife without one’s loved ones doesn’t seem like a place I’d want to go. Maybe that’s why Jamie likes to study the stars. Whatever the answer is, surely it’s written up there.”

The Radium Girls: The Scary But True Story of the Poison That Made People Glow in the Dark by Kate Moore

5 stars Nonfiction Middle School/YA

I have already read the adult version of this book, so when our book club decided that The Radium Girls was going to be this month’s selection, I opted to read the young readers version of the story. I was anxious to read this book as I read lots of books geared towards young readers and I hoped this one was as great as the adult version. I had hoped that they hadn’t taken this incredible story, watered it down and condensed it. Had they changed the storyline and make it more reserved for these young minds? This book really surprised me as I began reading.

This was fantastic! This book was condensed but the author had not watered it down. This was as great as the adult version only; it didn’t go into as much detail as the adult’s version. It had been a few years since I have read the adult version but it all came back to me as I began reading and I fell in love with it all over again.

Filled with hope and opportunity the girls began working at the watch dial factory. They were teenage girls, working with the “wonder element,” the miracle wonder that was treating cancer and helping with other illnesses. This “liquid sunshine” was incorporated into toothpaste, butter, and skin products as everyone wanted to benefit from its greatness yet only wealthy could afford to indulge in these. Radium, the glow-in-the-dark paint, was expensive in the late 1910’s.

Working in the factory, the girls sat and they painted. Holding watch faces, the girls manually painted the watch dials onto each one. It was delicate work that relied on a steady hand and the perfect tool. With the factory suppling the brushes, the girls took their brushes and created the perfect tool.

Lip-dip-paint. The girls did lip pointing as they painted their watch dials. Since the girls were paid based on the number of dials they painted, they needed to work quickly and efficient. By wetting the end of the brush in their mouths to make a tapered end, this technique made their jobs easier. Lip-dip-paint. There would be no rinsing of the brush between each dial, there was only a minimal amount of radium on the brush at all times while she painted, and she had been told that the radium was safe. She was set to make millions, right? It sounds right but these girls were doing this every day, all day, and the number of times that her brush touched their lips each day was high, for she painted hundreds of dials each day.

It wasn’t until years later, that things started to change for the girls and they started to realize that perhaps this “liquid sunshine” wasn’t as safe as they were led to believe. I marveled at how this book didn’t shy away from the facts. The trips to the dentist had me squirming in my chair. I’m not fond of dentists but they had to go. Their pain was so bad but their diagnose was worse than cavities. The girls had enjoyed working in the factory, they’d made lots of cash and enjoyed their new lifestyle but now, was it worth it?

As more girls were getting sick, more individuals were getting involved and it irritated me that no one was working together to solve the issues. Hired individuals, doctors, lawyers, family members, everyone was a witness but what was the cause? How can they move forward?

This book is not for the weak, as the author tells it like it was. As I thought about what these girls had to endure, it made me cringe. The pain, the frustration, and the emptiness they must have felt, had to be exhausting. It’s sad and horrific that the girls had to battle this. To have to fight for their lives and also for support. That’s so frustrating. These girls are heroes for what they went through and how they shaped our future. I’m glad that this book was written for young readers so they can read how these young women fought for others and themselves. They weren’t quitters, whinners, or looking for a handout- they did it by believing in themselves and moving forward. A great book that should be read by mature young readers (middle school).

“After her jaw was gone, an important discovery was made. Knef had always hoped that by removing a tooth or a piece of infected bone, the progress of the mysterious disease would be stopped. “

“Her mouth, emoty of teeth, empty of jawbone, empty of words, filled with red, hot blood instead. It spilled over her lips and down her stricken, shaken face.”

The Only (Endling #3) by Katherine Applegate

Is this really the end? This is the third book in this series, supposedly the last book, yet I feel that the journey is far from over for some of the species in this book. It has been quite an adventure and as I read this book, the struggle became more intense and determined than it had ever been. Assigned to a mission, they knew that success was the only answer, and drawing from all sources, they gave it all they had.

I feel Byx and Tobble have come a long way from when I first met them in The Last and now, they’re responsible for gathering recruitments for the Army of Peace. The Army hopes that a peaceful agreement can be obtained amongst all the world’s species before the two most powerful groups come head-to-head and engage in war. I thought this was a lot of responsibility for these two friends to take on, considering their lack of experience and all the risk that was assigned to this task. They each had a skill but would that keep them alive?

I enjoyed this series and I would like to reread it now, that all the books have been written. I did cry reading this last book (it wasn’t when I closed the last page), it was when the two friends were with one another and their friends were close by, and that is all I am saying about that moment. This was a wonderful journey, created with great imagination and unique characters. I enjoyed the friendships that were created and how they developed. The characters encouraged one another and they believed in teamwork. I was surprised though, in this final book, at the difficult vocabulary used and the way that the author described the last scene. I thought the author used some challenging words in this book which, if you’re able to decipher words, is fine. Sometimes though, it was hard to decipher a few of those words and I had to use the dictionary. This is not a bad thing, it’s just something that caught me off guard. The final scene though, I thought it might contain too many details for some students. The confrontation that occurs gives some descripted details which to some students might be okay while to others, they would be fine with, “his xxxxx would never be the same.” A great series that I highly recommend.

“I think being brave means being afraid and still doing what you must do.”

Links to trailers for Book 1 and Book 2

BOOK 1

BOOK 2

No Vacancy by Tziporah Cohen

This book had a lot of themes going through it but it worked. Miriam, an 11-year-old girl is the protagonist in the story as her family moves into a rundown motel, in the hopes of creating a new future for themselves and the business. They had only planned this to be a short-term plan, hoping to save some money and then move on. Moving into a small community was different than New York City and the longer I read, the more I realized what this family was hiding internally.

As the family moves into The Jewel Motor Inn, the two children live in one of the rooms and the parents’ take-up residence in an adjoining room. As an 11-year-old, I thought that would be fun but I could understand the novelty wearing off. Maria, continues to work at the Inn, taking care of the housekeeping issues and helping the family become familiar with the motel. I loved how she helped Miriam learn Spanish and I felt that Maria was a very kind and tolerant individual. As her parents start the clean-up process, Miriam pitches in. On an errand to the diner next door, she meets Kate. Kate’s grandmother owns the diner and eventually, Miriam ends up helping out at the diner making pies.

Now that Miriam has met a friend, the two girls start hanging out together. While talking about their small town, they come up with a plan that they think will benefit everyone in it. Now, if only they don’t get caught creating their plan! An innocent plan which when you think about it, was harmless. I thought the girls were rather clever. As guests arrived to the hotel, Miriam meets Anton. This child was a gem! Anton arrived with his mother and his wheelchair. Miriam saw the wheelchair. I really think she saw the wheelchair before she saw Anton until Anton met her in the swimming pool. After that, Miriam changed how she looked at him. Anton was not the only person who tried to help Miriam with her fear of water, Uncle Mordy tried his hand at that, too. Uncle Mordy arrived to help out the family so he decided to help Miriam. Slowly, he introduced her the water, letting the water touch her upper thighs, it was a start.

The girls felt guilty for what they did for the town but they didn’t want to admit to anyone what they did. Just as the family is enjoying their new home, they discover something painful and disturbing at the motel. This event has a snowball effect on the community which all began because of emotions and the lack of accountability. I cringed to see this happened to them and I had to hope that somehow, they found find strength to fight it.

And what do you see? Just one of many that are out there.

A middle school read that packs religion, faith, friendship, disabilities, and family all in one book. I found it to be a fast read and I really enjoyed it. 4.5 stars

” They stand with their arms around each other. The man points and traces somthing in the air. The woman nods and smiles and I see tears rolls down her cheeks. “
“Is what we did good or bad? Yes, we fooled people, but if it makes them happy and gives them hope and saves the motel and the diner, is that so bad?”