Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4
Ender's Game has been one of my favorite books since I read it a few years ago in high school and ever since then I have slowly but surely been making my way through the rest of the books in the "Enderverse" series. Ender's Shadow tells pretty much the same story as Game, except from the perspective of the character Bean. It's nice to get a different perspective on Battle School, Ender, and the Bugger War. Also, it's nice to have another book devoted to kids, as the other books in the series that I have read have focused on Ender when he is an adult.
What concerns me most about this book is that through it I started to dislike Bean. I know exactly where it happened, too: page 217. Bean is quite the analytical Machiavellian character, which usually I enjoy--in a minor character. However, I felt that since this book is all about Bean, the Machiavellian concepts were overkill, instead of being a useful perspective on how the Bugger war could have turned out. I got a little bit sick of reading all about how Bean would do things differently if he were the commander and him comparing himself to Ender. Of course, I must admit that I have a bias because, like so many characters in the book, I nurse a fierce loyalty and devotion to Ender.
This novel is the first in the parallel "Shadow" series. For more information about the order of the books and timeline of events, I found this Wikipedia entry very useful. I'm excited to read the rest of the books in the "Shadow" series, but first I think I am going to go back and re-read Ender's Game, since it has been awhile. It's always nice to revisit a favorite, right?
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 2.5
Fallen Angels is a Vietnam war story following Richard Perry, a young African American boy in the army. Myers is, of course, an excellent writer, but I just don't think this story was for me. It took me a lot longer to get through than a young adult novel usually would, mainly because whenever I took a break from reading I had to convince myself to pick it up again. Towards the end--the last 100 pages or so--the story became more interesting and held my attention better. There was a lot more action in the last 100 pages, which is what I think I liked better. In the first 200 pages, there was a lot of sitting around and talking, and when the talk is about war it just doesn't interest me that much.
I do, however, think that this novel is an apt representation of what soldiers had to face in Vietnam. I probably wouldn't use it in the classroom because there is a lot of violence and a lot of swearing, but if a student was looking for something about the Vietnam War, I might recommend it to them. The violence isn't gratuitous, and I think the swearing is suitable for what Myers is trying to portray. However, if I did use it in the classroom I would probably meet a lot of censorship problems, and the book just didn't interest me enough to be willing to fight for it.
Rating: 2.5
Fallen Angels is a Vietnam war story following Richard Perry, a young African American boy in the army. Myers is, of course, an excellent writer, but I just don't think this story was for me. It took me a lot longer to get through than a young adult novel usually would, mainly because whenever I took a break from reading I had to convince myself to pick it up again. Towards the end--the last 100 pages or so--the story became more interesting and held my attention better. There was a lot more action in the last 100 pages, which is what I think I liked better. In the first 200 pages, there was a lot of sitting around and talking, and when the talk is about war it just doesn't interest me that much.
I do, however, think that this novel is an apt representation of what soldiers had to face in Vietnam. I probably wouldn't use it in the classroom because there is a lot of violence and a lot of swearing, but if a student was looking for something about the Vietnam War, I might recommend it to them. The violence isn't gratuitous, and I think the swearing is suitable for what Myers is trying to portray. However, if I did use it in the classroom I would probably meet a lot of censorship problems, and the book just didn't interest me enough to be willing to fight for it.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Chinese Cinderella by Adeline Yen Mah
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4.5
Chinese Cinderella is the memoir of author Adeline Yen Mah, who grew up in China during WWII. She is the youngest of four children and, unfortunately for her, her mother died from childbirth complications therefore crowning Adeline with the honor of being the unwanted daughter because she is considered to be bad luck. Her father remarries a beautiful Eurasian woman, who treats her stepchildren cruelly, especially Adeline. To try to impress her father, Adeline works very hard in school and consistently achieves top marks in all of her classes. He remains unimpressed until she wins an international writing contest when she is a teenager.
This story is deeply moving, and the fact that it is true makes it all the more compelling. Yen Mah has a simple writing style, but her words are nevertheless cutting and to the point. It is clear that she has poured her heart into writing her story. I think that this would be a useful and poignant book to use in the classroom, especially as it would add exposure to different authors, cultures, and genres to the reading list.
Rating: 4.5
Chinese Cinderella is the memoir of author Adeline Yen Mah, who grew up in China during WWII. She is the youngest of four children and, unfortunately for her, her mother died from childbirth complications therefore crowning Adeline with the honor of being the unwanted daughter because she is considered to be bad luck. Her father remarries a beautiful Eurasian woman, who treats her stepchildren cruelly, especially Adeline. To try to impress her father, Adeline works very hard in school and consistently achieves top marks in all of her classes. He remains unimpressed until she wins an international writing contest when she is a teenager.
This story is deeply moving, and the fact that it is true makes it all the more compelling. Yen Mah has a simple writing style, but her words are nevertheless cutting and to the point. It is clear that she has poured her heart into writing her story. I think that this would be a useful and poignant book to use in the classroom, especially as it would add exposure to different authors, cultures, and genres to the reading list.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 4.7
I can see why this book is a modern young adult classic. I think that this would be a really great book to use with seventh or eigth grade students. The story is set in a futuristic, utopian society that has gotten rid of all pain, emotion, and idleness. The main character is a boy named Jonas. Through him and a man called The Giver we learn that only the Giver has all the memories of pain, sorrow, joy, love, war, etc. The Giver gives all of these memories to Jonas.
This would be a good book for writing prompts: What is one of your happiest memories? Aren't we better off without memories of pain or grief? What emotions were left out of the novel? If there was something you could change about our society today, what would it be? How does our society compare to the one portrayed in the book?
The Giver was a pretty easy read and I appreciated the fact that, even though there was a lot of background information on how the society works, the plot still moved quickly and there was a good amount of action. I don't think that students would get bored. My one reservation is that I think young students--especially reluctant readers--would dismiss this as stupid and hard to understand since it is set in the future and in a society that is completely different from our own.
Rating: 4.7
I can see why this book is a modern young adult classic. I think that this would be a really great book to use with seventh or eigth grade students. The story is set in a futuristic, utopian society that has gotten rid of all pain, emotion, and idleness. The main character is a boy named Jonas. Through him and a man called The Giver we learn that only the Giver has all the memories of pain, sorrow, joy, love, war, etc. The Giver gives all of these memories to Jonas.
This would be a good book for writing prompts: What is one of your happiest memories? Aren't we better off without memories of pain or grief? What emotions were left out of the novel? If there was something you could change about our society today, what would it be? How does our society compare to the one portrayed in the book?
The Giver was a pretty easy read and I appreciated the fact that, even though there was a lot of background information on how the society works, the plot still moved quickly and there was a good amount of action. I don't think that students would get bored. My one reservation is that I think young students--especially reluctant readers--would dismiss this as stupid and hard to understand since it is set in the future and in a society that is completely different from our own.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Read for: Leisure
Rating: 5+
I've been delaying writing about this because the ending of the book absolutely blew me away, and I've been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. My best attempt at an analogy is to compare it to an episode of LOST: You've been watching the whole show (reading the whole book) and you think that you have it all figured out and know what is going on, then in the last 5 minutes (or five pages) EVERYTHING changes which makes you question everything that happened before, and you are left not knowing what to believe.
So, way before the last chapter bamboozled me, I was in total awe of the quality of writing. The style is ... amazing. I wanted to underline every sentence. On the page of "Praise for Life of Pi" there is an excerpt from The Seattle Times that says "each chapter is a well-polished pearl." I think it is more apt to say that every sentence is a well-polished pearl. Every word choice is a well-polished pearl. Martel is the master of the metaphor. Each one that he gives is so vivid with imagery and yet so grounded and applicable to the situation being described. For example, during the storm that sank Pi's ship:
"Nature can put on a thrilling show. The stage is vast, the lighting is dramatic, the extras are innumerable, and the budget for special effects is absolutely unlimited" (p. 128).
Or, when Pi is enchanted by listening to a man recite the Qur'an in Arabic:
"The guttural eruptions and long flowing vowels rolled just beneath my comprehension like a beautiful brook. I gazed into this brook for long spells of time. It was not wide, just one man's voice, but it was as deep as the universe" (p. 78).
I feel that there is not much I can say about Life of Pi that would do it justice. I would absolutely love to teach this book; it is probably at the senior level. There is so much heart, so much feeling, and so much to discuss. I feel that every student would have their own interpretation of the ending. Even now, looking back through the pages I've found passages that I underlined for the sheer beauty of the words, but seeing the words through the lens of the last chapter drastically changes my interpretation of those words. They are still beautiful and deep, but now even more poignant.
The best I can do is say that this a book that everyone should read.
Rating: 5+
I've been delaying writing about this because the ending of the book absolutely blew me away, and I've been trying to wrap my mind around it ever since. My best attempt at an analogy is to compare it to an episode of LOST: You've been watching the whole show (reading the whole book) and you think that you have it all figured out and know what is going on, then in the last 5 minutes (or five pages) EVERYTHING changes which makes you question everything that happened before, and you are left not knowing what to believe.
So, way before the last chapter bamboozled me, I was in total awe of the quality of writing. The style is ... amazing. I wanted to underline every sentence. On the page of "Praise for Life of Pi" there is an excerpt from The Seattle Times that says "each chapter is a well-polished pearl." I think it is more apt to say that every sentence is a well-polished pearl. Every word choice is a well-polished pearl. Martel is the master of the metaphor. Each one that he gives is so vivid with imagery and yet so grounded and applicable to the situation being described. For example, during the storm that sank Pi's ship:
"Nature can put on a thrilling show. The stage is vast, the lighting is dramatic, the extras are innumerable, and the budget for special effects is absolutely unlimited" (p. 128).
Or, when Pi is enchanted by listening to a man recite the Qur'an in Arabic:
"The guttural eruptions and long flowing vowels rolled just beneath my comprehension like a beautiful brook. I gazed into this brook for long spells of time. It was not wide, just one man's voice, but it was as deep as the universe" (p. 78).
I feel that there is not much I can say about Life of Pi that would do it justice. I would absolutely love to teach this book; it is probably at the senior level. There is so much heart, so much feeling, and so much to discuss. I feel that every student would have their own interpretation of the ending. Even now, looking back through the pages I've found passages that I underlined for the sheer beauty of the words, but seeing the words through the lens of the last chapter drastically changes my interpretation of those words. They are still beautiful and deep, but now even more poignant.
The best I can do is say that this a book that everyone should read.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Pre-Blog Reads: YA Lit Class Edition
Read in: February 2008
Read for: YA lit class ... duh
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4.4
I don't know why, but I really enjoy solo survival stories. I found Hatchet to be very suspenseful. I immediately liked Brian, the main character and narrator. I think that reluctant readers, particularly males, would enjoy this book. It isn't difficult to read, but Paulsen's writing is still intelligent. I was cheering for Brian the whole time, celebrating his victories and mourning his failures when trying to survive in the wilderness on his own after a plane crash. It's the mark of a good book when I hold my breath, which I did during this one.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Rating: 4
The screenplay format of this book is very different from other young adult novels. The fact that there is a lot of space on the page might draw in young readers. Steve is a good narrator/screenplay writer, and the nights when he is alone in jail are the heart of the story. I think this would be a good book to teach, especially because there are a lot of different themes that could provoke discussion. Also, the fact that the reader is left not knowing whether or not Steve committed the crime that he is on trial for would make a good classroom activity: I imagine some sort of mock trial, where students act as prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, etc. to come to a class consensus on whether or not Steve was innocent or guilty.
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Rating 3.5
I have read one other Francesca Lia Black book, Missing Angel Juan, which is actually a part of the Weetzie Bat series. Weetzie Bat is the first in the series, and I wish that I had read it first in order to become accustomed to Block's style of writing as well as the unique chracters. Block is infamous for fantastical imagery and creating settings that are set in reality but are on the verge of being mythical. At first this was hard to get used to, but after a few chapters I really appreciated the unique style of writing. I thought Weetzie Bat was more exciting than Missing Angel Juan, and I enjoyed the characters a lot more, as well. Even though I appreciated Block's style of writing, it just wasn't for me. I can see, however, why young adults would really enjoy it and would therefore recommend it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 4
I saw the movie version with Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe long before I ever read the book, but I was surprised to find that the movie was actually pretty faithful to the plot of the book, which is hard to find these days. I really enjoyed reading The Outsiders. I was drawn into the life of the Greasers and was cheering for them against the Socs, even though I would probably be placed in the Soc category if I was a character in the book. I think that this book would be a good one to teach for that very reason: teaching students how to empathize with characters and that just because a character is not similar to you does not mean that you don't have anything in common with him or her.
Read for: YA lit class ... duh
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
Rating: 4.4
I don't know why, but I really enjoy solo survival stories. I found Hatchet to be very suspenseful. I immediately liked Brian, the main character and narrator. I think that reluctant readers, particularly males, would enjoy this book. It isn't difficult to read, but Paulsen's writing is still intelligent. I was cheering for Brian the whole time, celebrating his victories and mourning his failures when trying to survive in the wilderness on his own after a plane crash. It's the mark of a good book when I hold my breath, which I did during this one.
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Rating: 4
The screenplay format of this book is very different from other young adult novels. The fact that there is a lot of space on the page might draw in young readers. Steve is a good narrator/screenplay writer, and the nights when he is alone in jail are the heart of the story. I think this would be a good book to teach, especially because there are a lot of different themes that could provoke discussion. Also, the fact that the reader is left not knowing whether or not Steve committed the crime that he is on trial for would make a good classroom activity: I imagine some sort of mock trial, where students act as prosecutor, defense attorney, witnesses, etc. to come to a class consensus on whether or not Steve was innocent or guilty.
Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block
Rating 3.5
I have read one other Francesca Lia Black book, Missing Angel Juan, which is actually a part of the Weetzie Bat series. Weetzie Bat is the first in the series, and I wish that I had read it first in order to become accustomed to Block's style of writing as well as the unique chracters. Block is infamous for fantastical imagery and creating settings that are set in reality but are on the verge of being mythical. At first this was hard to get used to, but after a few chapters I really appreciated the unique style of writing. I thought Weetzie Bat was more exciting than Missing Angel Juan, and I enjoyed the characters a lot more, as well. Even though I appreciated Block's style of writing, it just wasn't for me. I can see, however, why young adults would really enjoy it and would therefore recommend it.
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Rating: 4
I saw the movie version with Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe long before I ever read the book, but I was surprised to find that the movie was actually pretty faithful to the plot of the book, which is hard to find these days. I really enjoyed reading The Outsiders. I was drawn into the life of the Greasers and was cheering for them against the Socs, even though I would probably be placed in the Soc category if I was a character in the book. I think that this book would be a good one to teach for that very reason: teaching students how to empathize with characters and that just because a character is not similar to you does not mean that you don't have anything in common with him or her.
Pre-Blog Reads: Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer
Read in: March 2008
Read for: Leisure/procrastinating academic reading
Average Rating: 4.2
Twilight
Rating: 4.3
I was really surprised that a vampire love saga could be so compelling. The relationship between Bella and Edward is the most believable in this first book (as believable as a vampire-human romantic relationship can be) even though I find myself questioning why exactly Edward is so attracted to Bella in the first place--what exactly does she have to offer? Despite that, the characters are the most likeable in this book, in my opinion. One thing I noticed about Meyer's writing: She has a repertoire of about ten adverbs that she uses when describing how her characters speak. Her favorite is "grimaced." So, Bella might say something and then it is followed by "["insert what Bella says here"], I grimaced." Small writing habits like that were only semi-annoying, and probably only to me. The plot in this book has been the best so far, although I disliked how soon Bella wanted to become a vampire in order to be with Edward. I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
New Moon
Rating: 4
The second book in the series focuses on the relationship that Bella forms with Jacob when Edward leaves her. I am going to be completely biased here and state that I LOVE Jacob. Ever since the evolution of his and Bella's relationship, I have been rooting for him instead of Edward. Jacob was only a minor character in the first book, which is why I didn't develop this loyalty earlier. And of course, this goes against the grain of most Twilight fans: they all love Edward. I don't think there is anything wrong with Edward per se, I just like Jacob better. My main complaint about Edward is that you can tell it is a woman writing his character. He is too much the macho-yet-sensitive-always-says-the-right-thing type that all women dream of. This book, although he isn't in it as much, is when I started to doubt the believability of his character. Jacob, on the other hand, has more flaws but I believe in him more as a man.
My main qualm about this book is Edward's reason for leaving. It sucks. And I hate that Bella takes him back. Again, I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
Eclipse
Rating: 3
Still compelling, but definitely my least favorite of the three. Edward is back and he and Jacob are fighting over Bella the whole time. And unfortunately, the character of Bella becomes super annoying. All of her reasoning for the decisions that she makes are very stretched--you can understand why she would feel that way, but you can't understand why the heck she acts on her stupidity. I feel that the reason for this is Meyer's plot. As I mentioned, I feel that Meyer gets in the habit of writing herself into a corner. Unfortunately, the only way that she can get herself out of a plot corner, then, is to have one of the characters make a stupid decision to change the course of events. This task usually falls to Bella, which is frustrating.
What I dislike about this book is how quickly the relationship between Edward and Bella moves towards marriage. I feel that Meyer should explore other options before this one. A marriage is a cheap way to tie off a sitcom that is being cancelled, and it feels that the Twilight series is reaching this point.
Prediction for Book 4: Since Bella is the only one is actually choosing the vegetarian vampire life, and she dislikes the smell/sight of blood in her human life, will this carry over to her vampire state? Will she be the first naturally vegetarian vampire?
Read for: Leisure/procrastinating academic reading
Average Rating: 4.2
Twilight
Rating: 4.3
I was really surprised that a vampire love saga could be so compelling. The relationship between Bella and Edward is the most believable in this first book (as believable as a vampire-human romantic relationship can be) even though I find myself questioning why exactly Edward is so attracted to Bella in the first place--what exactly does she have to offer? Despite that, the characters are the most likeable in this book, in my opinion. One thing I noticed about Meyer's writing: She has a repertoire of about ten adverbs that she uses when describing how her characters speak. Her favorite is "grimaced." So, Bella might say something and then it is followed by "["insert what Bella says here"], I grimaced." Small writing habits like that were only semi-annoying, and probably only to me. The plot in this book has been the best so far, although I disliked how soon Bella wanted to become a vampire in order to be with Edward. I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
New Moon
Rating: 4
The second book in the series focuses on the relationship that Bella forms with Jacob when Edward leaves her. I am going to be completely biased here and state that I LOVE Jacob. Ever since the evolution of his and Bella's relationship, I have been rooting for him instead of Edward. Jacob was only a minor character in the first book, which is why I didn't develop this loyalty earlier. And of course, this goes against the grain of most Twilight fans: they all love Edward. I don't think there is anything wrong with Edward per se, I just like Jacob better. My main complaint about Edward is that you can tell it is a woman writing his character. He is too much the macho-yet-sensitive-always-says-the-right-thing type that all women dream of. This book, although he isn't in it as much, is when I started to doubt the believability of his character. Jacob, on the other hand, has more flaws but I believe in him more as a man.
My main qualm about this book is Edward's reason for leaving. It sucks. And I hate that Bella takes him back. Again, I feel that Meyer is writing herself into a corner.
Eclipse
Rating: 3
Still compelling, but definitely my least favorite of the three. Edward is back and he and Jacob are fighting over Bella the whole time. And unfortunately, the character of Bella becomes super annoying. All of her reasoning for the decisions that she makes are very stretched--you can understand why she would feel that way, but you can't understand why the heck she acts on her stupidity. I feel that the reason for this is Meyer's plot. As I mentioned, I feel that Meyer gets in the habit of writing herself into a corner. Unfortunately, the only way that she can get herself out of a plot corner, then, is to have one of the characters make a stupid decision to change the course of events. This task usually falls to Bella, which is frustrating.
What I dislike about this book is how quickly the relationship between Edward and Bella moves towards marriage. I feel that Meyer should explore other options before this one. A marriage is a cheap way to tie off a sitcom that is being cancelled, and it feels that the Twilight series is reaching this point.
Prediction for Book 4: Since Bella is the only one is actually choosing the vegetarian vampire life, and she dislikes the smell/sight of blood in her human life, will this carry over to her vampire state? Will she be the first naturally vegetarian vampire?
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