the first part last

the first part last

Angela Johnson

Simon Pulse 2003

Summary

Bobby turns sixteen. His birthday present? He find out he's going to be a father. He doesn't run though, and the doesn't hide. His life stops when he learns that he alone must take care of his daughter, Feather. Bobby's life fades into memories as he takes on the responsibility of being a teenage father. As aablc.com puts it: "With powerful language and keen insight, Johnson tells the story of a young man's struggle to figure out what "the right thing" is and then to do it. The result is a gripping portrayal of a single teenage parenthood from the point of view of a young on the threshold of becoming a man."

Personal Review

I thought that this book was very well written, and it held my interest. If finished this book within about three hours, and I had to force myself to put it down. I love how Johnson shows a young man trying to make the right decisions for him and his little girl, even though he's messed up in the past, and even though he still sometimes slips. I will admit that at some parts I felt a little uncomfortable with some of the language, and the content, but was happy it didn't go too far.

Cautionary Notes

This book is largely about teen pregnancy, and the responsibility that must be dealt with being a teen parent. It does have kissing scenes in it, and it suggests that they do more. It also has a lot of swearing.

Up a Road Slowly

Up a Road Slowly

Irene Hunt

Follett Publishing 1966

Summary

Julie Trelling is seven when her mom dies and she is sent to live with her strict Aunt Cordelia. At first Julie finds it hard to live under her aunts care. Julie describes her as "inflexible" one time, and in an ever changing world, sometimes "inflexible" isn't the way to go, according to Julie. She learns however, that her aunt isn't a bad person, and within the course of ten years of living under her watchful eye, Julie might learn a few things from Aunt Cordelia. Things like cleaning, promptness, and even love.

Personal Review

It took me a little while to get into this book, but once I did I absolutely loved it. I love how Hunt can take a simple character with a simple life, and make it a grand story. Hunt leads us carefully through Julie's life. We experience Julie's sorrow's and happiness, her wrong doings, and her triumphs. That is probably one thing I love most about this book, is that her character's are real. Each one of them have faults, faults that they must learn to overcome and learn from.

Cautionary Notes

There might have been a couple swear words.

The Lottery Rose

The Lottery Rose

Irene Hunt

Summary

Georgie lives in the slums of Tampa, Florida. His mother's lover beats him regularly, which turns Georgie into a bully. At school his teacher is mean to him, and he isn't permitted to show what he can really do. Then one day he wins a rose bush at a raffle, and everything changes. He is shipped off to Catholic school where he meets new friends, and blossoms like a rose bush. The only problem is Molly Harper, the mean lady across the street who at first won't let him plant his beautiful rose bush in her garden. Georgie's new problem isn't escaping an abusive man, but instead learning to love and forgive.

Personal Review

The Lottery Rose really touched me. I fell in love with the characters, and I could feel what Georgie was feeling--the hatred, being scared, and the feeling of love that comes to him from the Sisters, his friend Timothy, and his 'little brother' Robin. This book showed me that love really can change a life--it can show people that they can succeed, if they're just loved and allowed to shine.

Cautionary Notes

This book deals with child abuse at the beginning, and it has a few swear words. There is also alcohol in it.

La Linea

La Linea

Ann Jaramillo

Square Fish 2006

Summary

Fifteen-year-old Miguel is finally going north--north to California. There is nothing for him in Mexico, and he wants to reunite with his Papa, Mama and twin sisters whom he's never met before. So he starts his journey north, with the money that Papa sent him. He's not even a day into his journey when he meets complications. First his younger sister, Elena shows up and wants to come with him, then they're almost deported to Guatemala, then robbed, and nearly suffer death multiple times. Miguel realizes that it's his strength that must pull them through--that will get them to California safely.

Personal Review

I believe that this book was printed to make us sympathetic to illegal aliens. I personally do not believe that they should be permitted to stay in America, and this could be one discussion the book arouses. This in itself is a tricky subject, because we are all God's children, so should be helping each other, so should we allow aliens to stay in America because of this? Or is there other ways to help them? By letting them stay here are we giving them a fish, or teaching them how to fish?

However, despite this argument this was a well written book, and opened my eyes to some of the things that people have to go through in order to come to America. I did feel at the end that it kind of lost me in the message it was trying to get across.

Cautionary Notes

There is some violence, and Miguel and Elena do fight some--brother and sister fights.

Locomotion

Locomotion

Jacqueline Woodson

Scholastic 2003

Summary

Eleven-year-old Lonnie Motion writes his thoughts and feelings in poem form. His teacher, Ms.Marcus has her students write poems in class, and Lonnie is a naturalists. It's how he deals with the tragedies in his past, and what's going in his life in the present. It's not easy being on orphan in New York. Locomotion is a book of poems, Lonnie's poems.

Personal Review

This was such a cute book. I loved getting to know Lonnie, and his little sister Lili, and their past; how they cooped with it and how they're getting on with life now. I think that it portrays 5th grade very well, and also how it deals with African Americans, and kids from other nationalities; how kids get along with other kids, and also elementary school crushes. It's just a fun book.

Also a side note: Locomotion proves that one of the best ways to deal with your thoughts and feelings is by writing them down. Either in poem form, like Lonnie did, story form, like I do, or even in a journal. When it's on a page you can see them, and can better understand how to deal with things. It just makes more sense.

Cautionary Notes

There's a poem in the book that deals with bullying.

After the First Death

After the First Death

Robert Cormier

Laurel-Leaf Books 1979

Summary
Told from six different points of view, this book will keep you turning the pages. It starts off with the hijacking of a bus full of five and six year olds, and their driver, Kate, a teenager in the local town. The hijackers, aiming to regain their homeland, want something, and if they don't get it then things will happen that America doesn't want to happen. They will start killing--killing more than they already have been.

Personal Review

This book was a little disturbing. Although I thought it was well done. It was disturbing because one of the points of view was from the youngest hijacker, Miro. As Miro talks, as he thinks, we as the readers start to feel sympathy for him. We start to connect with him. Then it switches to Kate's point of view, and we start to see Miro as a monster. Then there are chapters that are taking place a year and a half after the hijacking, which really makes you start thinking. The content of some the book was a little inappropriate, in my opinion. I thought that some of the swearing could have been eliminated. But Cormier did a wonderful job of keeping the full truth from the readers. You never really knew what was going to happen, if the hijackers were really going to carry out what they say they're going to do, if Kate's plan will work, if Ben will really do what he says he will do.

Cautionary Notes

There is a lot of swearing, and some violence. There is also sensual suggestions and a sensual scene. This book is about terrorists, so it has terrorists activity scenes in it. I would suggest it for older high school kids, not middle school kids!

The Warrior Heir

The Warrior Heir

Cinda Williams Chima

Hyperion Paperback 2006

Summary

Jackson (Jack) Swift is a regular boy growing up in Trinity, Ohio, until the day he forgets to take his medicine, and nearly blows a boy off the soccer field. That's when he finds out he's a Warrior, and warriors, in this magical society that Jack is now a part of, are supposed to fight other warriors to the death. Jack begins his training, and soon finds out that there is a lot more to this magical world than just swinging a sword around and casting a charm here and there. There's murders, secret plots, running, hiding, enemies, and friends turned enemies, and potential enemies turned friends.

Personal Review

This story was very creative, and Chima made you turn page after page to find out what was going to happen next. There was suspense, action, and a little bit of romance as well. The plot had little twists and turns in it as well, which kept me thinking, and on my toes. Somethings that bugged me however, was that Chima didn't explain things to their fullest sometimes, and I was left confused at parts. Also it seemed that I didn't feel what the characters were feeling. Something big would happen, and there would be no response from the characters, especially Jack, which was odd, since this book was told from his point of view in the third person. I was therefore left to fill in some of the gaps. However, despite this, it was an extremely good book.

Cautionary Warning

There are swear words in this book, as well as slight violence, and sometimes the characters describe graphic images.

Does My Head Look Big In This?

Does My Head Look Big In This?

Randa Abdel-Fattah

Orchard Books 2005

Summary

Amal isn't a regular, blend-in-with-the-crowed teenager--although sometimes she wishes she could be. Her religion and beliefs are what "control" her life, or so that's what some people think. For Amal, her Muslim background is a part of her, it's her choice to where the hijab--a symbol of her religion and devotion to God. In her school it's hard to stand strong, with snobby kids taunting and teasing her every corner she turns. Amal must learn to be strong and to dig deep in order to realize why she's really wearing the hijab.

Personal Review

I personally didn't like this book. It didn't seem to have a strong story line or theme in it. It seemed to jump around from one theme to another, and because there were quite a few different little stories going on, it seemed like we lost the main point and message of the book, and instead got a lot of little messages. The characters didn't seem very well developed, although they were all hilarious, and had me laughing sometimes. I also wouldn't recommend this to young teenagers. One thing that I did like however, was how Amal stood up for what she believed in even when the temptation to do otherwise was so strong.

Cautionary Notes:

There were a lot of swear words in here, as well as references to 'girl things' and 'doing the dirty.' There is also drinking and smoking scenes as well. I was personally surprised how much 'bad' stuff there were in this book.