Sasquatch in the Paint

by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Theo's six inch growth spurt the summer before his 8th grade year makes him the tallest kid in school, and a shoo-in for the basketball team. Unfortunately, he's terrible at basketball. He considers himself a nerd, and his main extra-curricular is the "Aca-ympics," a high-pressure academic team event, affectionately dubbed the "Brain Train." After his first basketball game, a heckler, (who turns out to be a cute but weird new girl named Rain) call him Sasquatch, and it sticks. His basketball experiences just get worse and worse, even when he tries to get some practice at park pick-up games. He gets in fight, a mysterious motorcycle guy is picking on Rain and stalking Theo, and Theo's dad is dating again, but trying to hide it. He feels like his life is falling apart, and then, he's accused of stealing. He might get kicked off the basketball team and the Brain Train if he can't set things right.

This is a funny, heartwarming story about basketball, loss, grief, dealing with bullies, and so much more.

Summer of the Mariposas

by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

Five sisters, cinco hermanitas, are swimming where they shouldn't. They love this little spot in the river, though, where the water bubbles up into a little alcove. They've snuck to this spot many times before, but today, there is a body floating in their playground. They are afraid to call the police, for fear of getting in trouble for being there in the first place. They drag him out, find his wallet, and see that he lives across the border in Mexico, very near their abuelita, their father's mother. Their papa, a once popular Tejano singer, has left them with no explanation. This body has given them an excuse to make a journey to Mexico to find their abuelita, and maybe their papa.

Odilia, the oldest, has the first of many mystical encounters with La Llorona, just before they leave. She gives Odilia some cryptic advice and a magical earring, and the girls, dead body in tow, are on their way to Mexico. (La Llorona, by the way, is a famous Mexican folktale. Many others are sprinkled throughout the story, like Chupacabra, etc.)

This is a retelling of The Odyssey, which, to be fair, is not one of my favorite stories in the first place. I found it hard to believe that five little girls would ride to Mexico with a dead body propped up in the car next to them, and while I realize I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief a little bit here, I just couldn't get past it. The story of the sisters and their falling-apart family was the best part of the book, but unfortunately, so much more time was spent on the mystical elements, which just weren't as interesting to me.

Night

by Elie Wiesel

This book has been on my "to read" list for a long time. Outside of Anne's diary, it's the quintessential holocaust story. Weisel jumps right in, spending very little time on occupation, taking us quickly into the story of his transport. He was able to stay with his father during his time in the camps. While this provides him some comfort, it also creates many stressful situations. I found this to be sort of the crux of his story. His never-ending, undying love for his father shapes his entire camp experience. That love influences all of his decisions, whether or not it endangers his own life. At one point during my reading, he almost seemed judgmental of others who did not make the same sacrifices for family, but brings this up himself at the end, and smooths out those rough edges for me as a reader. (Not that I would judge any holocaust survivor for anything, including judging another person, but it was an interesting aspect of the story for me.)

As far as holocaust stories that create a visceral response for me go, I found Diary of a Young Girl, Boy on the Wooden Box, and even The Boy Who Dared much more compelling. Those stories just interested me more. However, Weisel's writing is absolutely beautiful,and his wife's work on the translation is amazing.

Graduation Day

by Joelle Charbonneau

So now Cia is set to carry out the plan that was put in place in Independent Study. Can she/will she kill to end all the killing? And who can she trust to help her?

There's a lot of Cia thinking about her moral dilemma in this one, and even more back and forth on who she can and can't trust. It's a little exhausting.

BUT... I almost never read book two in a series, much less book three. Overall, I really enjoyed this fun series.

Out of My Mind

by Sharon Draper

Melody Brooks lives in a world that is unimaginable for most of us. She was born with cerebral palsy. Her movement is limited, and she cannot speak at all, save for a few grunts and shrieks. Fortunately, she has wonderful parents, who see that her mental capabilities are on par (if not above) her peers. She simply can't express what's in her mind. Up until 5th grade, she has spent her school days in the room with children who have profoundly special needs. But now, her school is mainstreaming Melody and her classmates into the regular classroom, where she is introduced to new opportunities, but also to new challenges.

There are some great things about this book. We get to walk in Melody's shoes for awhile. It's eye-opening to feel the frustration she feels, and live with her as she experiences her triumphs and setbacks. It's an emotionally compelling story. There are parts that will turn your stomach, and parts that will make you cheer.

Here's what drove me absolutely CRAZY about this book. Melody's parents are awesome. Her aides at school are awesome. Her home caretaker is awesome. But her teachers are terrible. All of them. In very, very dramatic ways. Perhaps I'm sensitive about this, being a teacher and all, but her teachers are so shockingly terrible, it took away the book's credibility for me. I have never heard a teacher say or do anything even remotely as awful as these teachers. In fact, most of the adults, except for the ones who are paid to care for her, are as insensitive and cruel as the horrible kids in this book.

So many students love this book, so I think it's definitely worth a read if you are looking for a realistic drama, but for me, it wasn't the greatest.

The Vengekeep Prophecies

by Brian Farrey

Jasper Grimjinx comes from a long line of great thieves. No one in Vengekeep respects or trusts them, and they're constantly trying to figure out ways to stay out of trouble. Jasper's mom thinks she has crafted a way to get them out of the worst types of messes, but ends up setting off a chain of terrible prophecies. Jasper thinks he knows how to save the town, but he has to go on a quest for some rare and dangerous ingredients before he can even try. Joined by some unlikely sidekicks, Jasper embarks on a crazy adventure full of magic and mayhem.

Vengekeep is a really cute book. It's a fun story, with good characters, and a fast-moving plot. I felt like it fell down a little bit in the world-building area. (I'm kind of already sick of that word, but I'm not sure how else to describe it.) The expressions, creatures, foods, etc., just seemed a little forced. As a reader, I didn't QUITE buy it. But still, an easy, quick, entertaining read.

Independent Study

by Joelle Charbonneau

Cia is at the University now. She has completed her Testing, and her memories, as feared, are gone. But when she finds the messages she recorded for herself, she has just enough information to distrust the establishment, and once again, put herself and Tomas in danger. While not quite as good as the first, Charbonneau keeps up the action and suspense in this book, and leaves us with an ending that makes it pretty much impossible to not be excited for Graduation Day.