Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log: Eclipse

OMG! I just finished reading Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, and I loved it. It was better than New Moon, which makes me totally excited for this weekend. That's right, folks! This SATURDAY is THE BIG DAY--Breaking Dawn comes out and I can't wait :) After getting all excited and, after last summer, emotional over the Harry Potter series, I never thought there'd be another series that could get me as excited over a book release--and then I read Twilight.

Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2007.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--New Moon

I read this book at the beginning of the month and realized (because I'm in the middle of Eclipse) that I never posted about it. New Moon is the second book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series and it picks up right where Twilight left off. I do not want to go into the plot, especially if you've not read Twilight. I'll just say that this is the book where Jacob's character is really developed and it adds a new dimension to Bella's character as a result.

One last thing to note: These books are not just for girls. There is plenty of suspense and action in it that'll captivate any reader. That's all--read these books :) More from this series once I finish Eclipse and Breaking Dawn!



Meyer, Stephenie. New Moon. New York: Little, Brown, and Company, 2006.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I picked up this YA title last year for my husband because Sherman Alexie is his favorite author. This is Alexie's first YA novel about a boy named Junior (well, Arnold, but everyone on the rez calls him Junior). Junior lives on the reservation with his mom and dad and sister (until she moves away...). He is really candid about life on the rez--his parents are drunks (as are a lot of others), they're poor, he's really smart but people on the rez don't ever go to college, and he's a total nerd. He decides to leave the school on the rez and go to a "white" school to get a better education. There, he is an outsider at first because he's the only Indian there. Then, he makes friends and makes the varsity basketball team. Unfortunately, Junior's life is not without tragedy (I don't want to give anything away...). These events make him realize how important his family and best friend, Rowdy, are and how Indians and whites are not all that different from one another.

Part of Junior's character is that he's an artist, a cartoonist, specifically. Thus, the book is filled with HILARIOUS cartoons and commentary. One thing to note is that while Alexie is writing from the perspective of a 14 year-old boy, he definitely left in some of his adult humor found in his other works. I do think that the occasional swearing and dirty jokes actually make the story more realistic and believable. In the end, the book is less humorous and much more heartwarming.

Alexie, Sherman. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2007.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log: Persepolis

I just finished reading Persepolis (a memoir) and LOVED IT! Marjane begins with her childhood and what it was like growing up in Iran. She was born in 1970 and, in 1979, the Islamic Revolution began and everything changed. She was forced to wear a veil and go to an all girls' school. Her parents would participate in demonstrations, her uncle was imprisoned and killed, people could no longer play games or participate in anything "western." This meant that Marjane had to hide what she loved from anyone but her family. She once got in trouble for wearing tight jeans, Nike shoes, a denim jacket, and a Michael Jackson button.

When she was 14, she was kicked out of her second French school for talking back to the teacher (and once for hitting a principal who tried to take her bracelet) and her parents decided that it was safer for her in Vienna. So they put her on a plane and off she flew to live and get an education. Her parents said they would move there in six months, but that never happened. In the second part of the book, she writes of her struggles to fit in in Vienna, falling in love (and then being hurt) for the first time, and participating in protests and parties. Then, she comes home to Iran...and I'll leave it at that. I am forever thankful for the freedom to say, do, believe, and wear what I want.

The pictures are wonderful--I especially love the facial expressions. My favorite part, however, is the dialogue. Marjane is so sarcastic and her dry humor is great! This graphic novel has been made into a film and it is a fantastic adaptation. The film is so true to the book and the music really enhanced the story for me. Go read the book and then watch the film.

Satrapi, Marjane. The Complete Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2004.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--Crank

This is a NY Times Bestseller novel-in-verse and each page reads like a poem as it advances the plot. This is a fictional story (though based on truth) about 17 year-old Kristina who goes to visit her deadbeat father, meets a boy named Adam, adopts the pseudonym Bree, and tries and becomes addicted to the monster, or crank.

This is her journey with the monster and how it destroys her life. I don't want to say anymore about the plot (more boys, more drugs, more trouble..), but I will say that it was hard to read at times because of the plot. I don't know if it's appropriate for students, though I am sure, like the author states in the beginning, that this story is one that happens more often than we realize.

There is a sequel to this book, called Glass. The author also wrote other novels-in-verse with different plots that are supposed to be good, too. One is called Burned and the other is called Impulse.

Hopkins, Ellen. Crank. New York: Simon Pulse, 2004.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--Stealing Buddha's Dinner

I first heard about this book from one of my students--his cousin is the author! In this memoir, Bich talks about escaping Vietnam after the fall of Saigon and what life was like growing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She really struggled with the feeling that she didn't quite fit in anywhere--she didn't feel a connection to the Vietnamese population in GR and certainly didn't feel like the Dutch either.

She talked a lot about the food she loved and reminisced about 80's pop culture (I, too, am a child of the 80's and loved that part). What I liked the most is that she was very real and honest about her feelings towards her family (grandmother, father, step-mother, and later, biological mother), her heritage, and her Caucasian neighbors and school friends. I loved her special relationship with her grandma Noi!

Now, of course, Grand Rapids is a melting pot of ethnicities, but in the early 80's, she was certainly one of few Asians in her school. It must have been so isolating. At any rate, it's a great read, especially for GRap folks!

Nguyen, Bich Minh. Stealing Buddha's Dinner. New York: Viking, 2007.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--Goodbye, Chunky Rice

This is the first graphic novel that I've read and it was such a great read! In Craig Thompson's first graphic novel, we meet a turtle, Chunky Rice, who is moving away and dealing with missing his friend, Dandel (a mouse). He embarks on a journey and meets a lot of wacky characters (a racist boat captain, siamese twins, etc.), but is really grief-stricken over leaving Dandel. Meanwhile, Dandel writes him a letter in a bottle every day, as she does not want to say goodbye to him and misses him, too. I read on Craig Thompson's blog that he wrote this when he was moving and had to say goodbye to his friends. I can see how this would be therapeutic for him. In the end, the message seems to be one of "you don't know what you have until it's gone" and "home is where the heart is." Both sweet, and the friggin' cute turtle and mouse don't hurt, either.

The graphics in this novel are so whimsical and I love the sub-plots of Chunky's friend, Solomon, too. His language is fun (very, "country") and he, too, is dealing with loss. This was such a quick read, but I was smiling the whole way through. Reading this makes me want to read the other graphic novel we own of his called Blankets (my husband tells me that one isn't wholly appropriate for ninth graders, however).

Thompson, Craig. Goodbye, Chunky Rice. New York: Pantheon Books, 1999.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--The Only Road North

The Only Road North, by Erik Mirandette, is the true story of two brothers and their two friends who decide to take a bike trip from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. I chose to read this book because the author, Erik, and his brother, Alex, are graduates of East Kentwood and I'd read about their story on the news. Erik, the elder brother, decides to take time off from the Air Force Academy and do some missions work in Spain and Morocco. While there, he is saddened by all of the poverty, violence, and disease he sees and really wants to do more. During a month-long trip back home, he talks with his brother about doing more work in Africa. They get two friends to join them on this 9,000 mile journey through the most remote parts of the continent.

To be honest, the four boys are really naive about all the dangers that lie ahead of them. They have their motorbikes and some maintenance supplies; however, they did not make any plans as far as where they'd sleep, for example. Keep in mind that they're young--Alex is only 18! When they come upon a village and need rest, they simply ask a local if they can bunk with his family. They are not always welcome wherever they go and get themselves into some sticky situations, particularly while driving (that's all I'll say).

When they reach Cairo, they are victims of a suicide bomb, are severely injured, and, sadly, Alex does not make it. I'm not giving away anything by stating this (it's on the back cover and was all over the news). I found that part of the book the most challenging to read because it was just so tragic. I am extremely close to my sister and cannot imagine losing her, especially like that. I feel for Erik and his parents and all those who loved Alex. Because of what happened, Erik's faith was tested and, as a person of faith, I cannot imagine why this would happen to such good people. They were on this journey for unselfish reasons--they wanted to help others and did not deserve such pain.

If it's not obvious by now, I loved the book and think that it's a great read for anyone. Their story is one that is important for people to read, not just those of us who have a connection with the Mirandette family.

Mirandette, Erik. The Only Road North: 9,000 Miles of Dirt and Dreams. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--The Thief

Thursday AM: So I'm reading The Thief right now and am about halfway through it. To be honest, I'm having a hard time getting into it at all; reading it feels like work, which is no fun. My friend, Katie, recommended the series to me and she said the first book was slow-going. She wasn't kidding. Will update with plot when I finish, hopefully today.

Thursday PM: Just finished the book. It got much better by about chapter 8. In a nutshell, this book takes place somewhere in ancient Greece, as the characters are always talking about their gods and saying things like "gods bless." The book is about Gen, who is hailed as a great thief. In the beginning, he is in prison for walking into a public place and bragging about what he planned to steal next. That's s-m-r-t. This magus guy (some advisor to the king) comes and wants him to steal Hamiathes's Gift (an ancient stone of some kind). Chapters 1-7 are all about their journey to get to the place where the stone is supposedly located. In other words, it took 144 pages for there to be ANY sort of action. Too much exposition for me. The second half of the book is much better and the plot moves at a much faster pace. I'm not going to say whether or not Gen gets the stone and what happens at the end (the magus, Gen, and the three others are on enemy territory and the Attolians are after them...that's all I'll say). If you can survive getting through the first half, the second half is worth reading. There are two other books in this series, which I'm told, are much better than this one.

Book 1: The Thief
Book 2: The Queen of Attolia
Book 3: The King of Attolia

Turner, Megan Whalen. The Thief. New York: Greenwillow Books, 1996.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--Twilight

I am speechless. It's been quite a while since I've found a book that has been as captivating and enjoyable as this one. Now that I think about it, I haven't been this excited about a series since Harry Potter. And let me tell you, I love me some Harry Potter. The protagonist in this book, by Stephenie Meyer, is a 17-year-old girl named Isabella (Bella) Swan and she's just moved to live with her father in Forks, Washington. Her first day of school there is where she meets Edward, a strikingly beautiful boy who acts odd and rage-filled around her. We soon find out that it is because he is a vampire. Naturally (ha), the two fall in love and the rest of the book is about their struggle to make their relationship work. It's a great love story (the high-school girl in me had lots of "awwwww" moments) and, when the antagonist is introduced, a fast-paced action novel. I'm reading the second book in the series, New Moon, and it's just as enjoyable as the first. Don't let the length fool you--I read all 500 pages in one day. I'm not kidding! It was that good. Run, don't walk, to your nearest bookstore or library and read this.

Here are the books in the series:

Book 1: Twilight
Book 2: New Moon
Book 3: Eclipse
Book 4: Breaking Dawn (out in August08)

Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2005.

Mrs. D's Summer Reading Log--Uglies

Oh my goodness do I have lots to write! First of all, I finally read the book my students were all raving about--Uglies. I've had this book on my classroom bookshelf this whole year and never found the time to read it until now. It was thought-provoking and suspenseful and I cannot wait to read the next in the series (Pretties). I had to read the book for a class I'm taking, but it certainly didn't feel like work as the text was so captivating that I read it in only a few sittings. The characters and themes in the book are perfect for ninth grade and I can't wait to put this back on my cart for students to enjoy.

Other books in the series:
Book 2: Pretties
Book 3: Specials
Book 4: Extras

Westerfeld, Scott. Uglies. New York: Simon Pulse, 2005.