Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart.

Fleming, Candace. Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart. 2011. Schwartz and Wade Books, 118 pages. $18.99 ISBN: 978-0-375-84198-0

Plot Summary:

Amelia Lost recounts the life of the famous female aviatrix, Amelia Earhart. Earhart was born in Kansas on July 24, 1897. Earhart’s parents indulged her tomboy behavior and interest in athletics. So, in 1920 when Amelia announced she was going to take flying lessons, her parents did not stand in her way, despite their concern about the dangers of flying. In 1920 airplanes were still rudimentary and navigational tools were almost nonexistent and airstrips few and far between. These factors and several others made flying perilous.

In 1928, Earhart became the first woman to make a trans-Atlantic flight, though she did not actually pilot the plane, it was still an important first for women. It was the beginning of Earhart’s aviation career and fame. It was also when Earhart met her future husband, George Putnam, who worked tirelessly to promote Earhart’s career. Over the next 9 years, Earhart set several aviation records, piloting her own plane. She was constantly setting new challenges for herself until her disappearance in 1937 on her round the world flight.

Review:

Fleming quickly hooks her reader by introducing her book with an account of Earhart’s last hours. Fleming recounts Amelia’s life chronologically, but between chapters she inserts updates about the search for Amelia directly after her disappearance that she introduced in the beginning of the book. This tactic keeps the reader interested and the drama high. Amelia Lost is an intriguing and page turning biography of the pioneering woman. In her own time Earhart encouraged and inspired young women to challenge themselves and follow their dreams. Fleming’s well researched biography is sure bring Earhart’s inspiring character to a new generation of girls.

Genre:

Non-fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 5 to 7/Grades 5 to 11

Awards/Honors:

ALA Notable Children’s Book 2012

Author’s Website:

http://www.candacefleming.com/

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Lin, Grace. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. 2009. Little Brown and Company Books for Young Readers, 278 pages. $16.99. ISBN: 9780316114271

Plot Summary:

Minli has grown up listening to her father’s stories of Old Man of the Moon and Never Ending Mountain. After a magic goldfish tells Minli how to find Never Ending Mountain, Minli sets out to change the fortune of her impoverished family. Along the way Minli meets Dragon, who wishes to learn how to fly and join Minli on her journey. Along the way Minli and Dragon make many friends and hear many stories. When Minli finally meets Old Man of the Moon she is only allowed one question and she must decide whether to ask the Dragon’s question or how to change her family’s fortune.

Critical Review:

In Where the Mountain Meets the Moon Grace Lin elegantly interweaves together folklore and fantasy in this original story. Lin incorporates short stories about the different characters Minli meets into Minli’s story. Minli is a brave and open hearted heroine who is not shy about sticking up for the less fortunate and proves to be a loyal friend. Lin also contributes beautiful fully colored paintings to Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. This is sure to be a cherished classic for years to come.

Genre:

Fantasy

Adventure

Reading Level:

3^rd to 6^th grade

Similar Books:

The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum

Awards/Honors:

2010 Newbery Honor Book

2010 ALA Notable Children’s Book

2009 Cybil Award Finalist

Author’s Website:

http://www.gracelin.com/

Geography Club

Hartinger, Brent. Geography Club. Harper Tempest, New York, 2003. 226 pages.  Tr. Pbk. $6.99 ISBN 0060012234

Plot Description:

Russel Middlebrook is convinced he is the only gay kid in his high school until one night he meets GayTeen in a chat room.  GayTeen is not only from Russel’s town, but says he goes to Russel’s high school.  The two agree to meet in person, despite not knowing each other’s true identities.  Imagine Russ’s surprise when Gay Teen turns out to be Kevin Land, star of the baseball team and one of the most popular guys in school.  Kevin and Russ agree to keep each other’s secret and to continue to meet outside of school.  Meeting Kevin encourages Russ to come out to his best friend Min, who in response tells Russ that she is bisexual and is dating another classmate, Terese.  The four teens, along with Ike, a fellow gay classmate, decide to form a support group for gay teens.  However, none of them are ready to come out at school so they call their group the Geography Club hoping no one else will want to join such a boring club.

Review:

Brent Hartinger’s novel Geography Club is an insightful and revealing novel into the life of a gay teenager.  Russ is not reader to come out, but he is uncomfortable not being himself, despite his admitted practice at lying to friends and family.  Russ feels incredibly uncomfortable leading Trish on, but he also wants to be a good friend to Gunnar, so he agrees to date her even though he doesn’t want to.  Russ draws the line at having sex with Trish; he knows that he would not be being true to himself or to her if he was to sleep with her, even though she wants him to.  Russ has a very difficult time fitting in at school.  He doesn't want anyone to know his true identity so he plays along when fellow baseball players are teasing Brian Bunce for supposedly being gay.  In the end Russ learns a lot about himself and becomes a better and more empathetic person.

Genre:

Realistic Contemporary

GLBTQ  

        

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 7 to 11

Similar Books:

Pink Lili Wilkinson

Awards/Honors:
Lambda Literary Award 2003 Finalist

Author’s Website:

http://brenthartinger.com/

The Misfits

Howe, James. The Misfits Atheneum Books for Young Readers, New York, 2001. 274 pages.  Tr. $16.00 ISBN 0689839553

Plot Description:

The Misfits is the story of the Gang of 5; four life-long friends, Bobby, Addie, Joe, and Skeezie .who have bonded over their mutual status as outcast, all teased and called names by their peers throughout school.  The seventh grade has just begun and Addie is out to make waves.  She is determined to start a third party and run for student council.  The rest of the Gang of 5 are not sure the best way to survive middle school is by drawing attention to themselves by running for election, but they are devoted friends and agree to help Addie anyway.  Running for student council is not as easy as the friends had hoped; they are up against stubborn teachers and peers that generally spend their time making, Bobby, Skeezie, Joe and Addie miserable.  Bobby has the brilliant idea to use their status as outcasts as a campaign platform and the No Name Party is born, but does the No Name Party stand a chance at winning against the smartest and most popular kids in school?

Review:

Howe’s The Misfits is an inspiring story about standing up to bullies and accepting one’s self.  Each of the four characters is teased for different reasons and they all deal with bullies differently.  Joe for instance responses to having “fagot” written on his locker by pointing out to the bullies that if they are going to call him names they should at the very least know how to spell them.  Joe was my favorite character; a young boy who has known he is gay from a young age and who despite facing constant ridicule from his peers refuses to be anyone but himself.  The Misfits is thought provoking book that will make readers think twice about calling anyone names again.  A must have for nay middle grade collection!

Genre:

Realistic Contemporary

GLBTQ

Humor

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 4-8

Similar Books:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Jeff Kinney

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life James Patterson

Liesl and Po

Oliver, Lauren. Illustrator, Acedera, Kei Liesl and Po. 2011. Harper, 307 pages. TR. $16.99 ISBN: 9780062014511

Plot Summary:

Liesl wants nothing more than to put her father to rest and escape the house of her stepmother where she is locked in the attic day and night. Po and Bundle are ghosts who wander the other side, one night they are drawn to cross over and visit Liesl as she looks so sad and lonely. Will passes by Liesl’s window every night as he does his work for his master the alchemist. Little do the children know everything is about to change and it all starts when Will mixes up his package of magic he is suppose to deliver to the Lady Premiere with the package of Liesl’s father’s ashes waiting to be delivered.

Liesl with the help of Po and Bundle, escapes the attic and steals the package of what she believes to be her father’s ashes, but in reality is the great magic. At the same time Will is on the run from the Lady Premiere and the alchemist, who have discovered his mistake and are furious, convinced Will stole the magic for himself. Both on the run, the children join together and commence an incredible journey.

Review:

In Liesl and Po, Oliver creates a fairytale complete with magic, neglected orphans, and evil step-mothers. Oliver weaves a complex and exciting story that will keep readers engaged. Delightful illustrations by Kei Acedera are interspersed throughout the novel, bringing life to Oliver’s words. At times the plot and number of characters are hard to follow, but all loose ends are woven together brilliantly and all is revealed in the end of this charming novel.

Genre:

Fantasy

Reading Level:

4^th to 7^th grade

Similar Books:

Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas

Author’s Website:

http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Little Brown, New York 2007. 230 pages, TR. $16.99 ISBN: 9780316013680 

Plot Description:

Arnold Spirit was born with water on the brain, making him somewhat more susceptible to head trauma than most kids.  He is a loser on the Spokane reservation where he lives and goes to school.  This is why Arnold decides to change school and go the white school the next town over, Reardan.  When Arnold tells his best friend Rowdy his plan to go to school in Reardan, Rowdy ends their friendship.  Rowdy is not the only one on the reservation mad at Arnold for leaving either, most of the reservation thinks he is turning his back on his people, that he wants to be white. 

At first Arnold is an outcast at his new school and sticks out as the only Indian, but soon he has made several friends.  This is the first time Arnold has friends and feels like he belongs somewhere.  Arnold does not believe it can get any better when he makes starter on the varsity basketball team.  However, while Arnold’s school life is wonderful, life on the reservation is not.  Arnold’s family is poor and sometimes that means he has to hitchhike or walk the 30 miles to school.  Arnold’s father has a drinking problem, like many of the Indians on the reservation.  Alcohol brings a lot of grief to Arnold’s life.  Arnold’s grief encourages him to strive for a future outside of the reservation. 

Review:

It may seem like Arnold is ashamed of being an Indian at times in this book, that is certainly what his tribe thought of him, but Arnold saw the reservation not as a way to hold onto his culture, but as what the reservation was originally intended to be, a prison.  As Arnold points out in his story the government originally moved Indians to the reservations as a punishment, a way to keep track of them and make sure they were not consorting with white citizens.  Arnold still sees the reservation this way, everyone who lived on the reservation was poor and the schools on the reservation were bad as well.  Arnold is not ashamed of being on Indian, but he refuses to be put at disadvantage because he is Indian.  Arnold has just as much of a right to a good education as any white kid and in recognizing that Arnold starts a journey of self discovery.  Alexie’s humorous story paired with Ellen Forney’s cartoons brings this book to life and reminds me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid for teens. 

Genre:

Multicultural Fiction

Realistic Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 7 and up

Similar Books:

Looking for Alaska John Green

Awards/Honors:

American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008

Cybil Award, 2007 Young Adult Finalist

National Book Award, 2007 Winner Young People’s Literature

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults, 2008

Author’s Website:

http://www.fallsapart.com/

Bud, Not Buddy

Curtis, Christopher Paul. Bud, Not Buddy. Delacorte Press, New York, 1999. 242 pages.  Tr. Pbk. $5.99 ISBN 0440413281

Plot Description:

Ten year old Bud has been living in foster homes and orphanages in Flint, Michigan since his mother passed away four years earlier.  After running away from his latest foster home, Bud decides to set out to find his father.  Bud’s mother never told him who his father is, but she left behind a number of flyers for the musician Herman E. Calloway of Grand Rapids, Michigan and Bud is sure this was his mother’s way of telling him who is father is.  But finding one’s way to Grand Rapids in 1936 is easier said than done, especially when you are an orphan on the run.  Bud must brave vampires and battle hunger to find his way to Grand Rapids and meet his father.

Review:

Christopher Paul Curtis’s Bud, Not Buddy is a touching and humorous novel about one young man’s quest to find his family.  Bud has know a lot of misfortune in his short life, having lost his mother at age six and enduring abusive foster homes, but Bud is a resilient young boy and never gives up on the idea of family.  Bud never feels sorry for himself in the novel and is quick to thank anyone who helps him, knowing that no one has much to give during the Depression.  Not only does Curtis create a lovable and memorable character in Bud, but he also gives readers a glimpse at the hopelessness of the Depression, describing the long food lines and the sad Hoovervilles bordering most cities at the time. 

Genre:

Historical Fiction

Multicultural Fiction

Reading Level/Interest Level:

Grades 4-6

Similar Books:

Al Capone Does My Shirts Gennifer Choldenko

The Mighty Miss Malone Christopher Paul Curtis

Awards/Honors:

ALA Notable Book 2000

Coretta Scott King Book Award 2000

Newbery Award Winner 2000

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2000

Author’s Website:

http://www.nobodybutcurtis.com/