Hernando: Hernando schools won’t ban book
The book Deenie by Judy Blume is not banned from the school, but students at Spring Hill Elementary School will need a note from home to read it. Both the school superintendent and the review committee recommended that the book be removed from the library, but the school board disagreed.
One wonders what these people on the review committee were reading in their youth. After all, Deenie is remarkable 31 years old!
Via LISNews.
Month: February 2004
Target
Target by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson (0-7613-1932-8)
Grady was attacked by two men and raped a year ago. Now he is starting a new school, many pounds thinner, unable to eat, unable to speak, unable to stop thinking about what happened to him. He builds a shell around himself, not interacting with anyone, but then Jess enters his life. Jess is a chatty kid who deals with Grady’s silence by talking even more. This novel is a testament to friends who will accept you as you are.
I really enjoyed this book. Grady’s pain is shown so clearly that the reader’s own bones begin to ache with it. Jess is the perfect character to have next to Grady’s pain with his wisecracks, bad language, and kindness. The unlikely pair are what make the entire book work. It would have been far too painful a book without Jess.
This book is one that I would want kids to find on their own. It has a graphic depiction of the rape through a series of flashbacks. It also has a large amount of profanity. It is a powerful book that will stay with the reader long after they finish.
Celia Rees
:: c e l i a : r e e s ::
What a gorgeous moody website for author Celia Rees! Also remember that some of her older books for teens are being released now in the U.S.
The Wolving Time
The Wolving Time by Patrick Jennings (0-439-39555-0)
Laszlo is a shepherd who lives in a loving home with his mother and father. He spends his days looking after the sheep with his dog Gizi. He also protects his parents’ secret. They are werewolves. The danger in this story doesn’t come from the werewolves, but from the Inquisition where people were accused of being witches and werewolves and were tortured and burned at the stake.
It is the setting of 16th-century France and the Inquisition that makes this story work so well. It provides the horror and the werewolves provide the humanity. A great juxtaposition that gets the reader thinking about who are the monsters and what it means to judge before understanding.
Recommended for both boys and girls. The werewolves will sell the book, but kids will come out thinking. It would also be a great book talk choice, especially because the cover may not sell it to kids, but the story will.
Paulsen Tops Best Seller List
Salon.com Bestsellers
“Dan Brown is dethroned! Gary Paulsen finally topples Brown from the No. 1 slot with the latest installment of his hit children’s series.”
Escape from Memory
Escape from Memory by Margaret Peterson Haddix (0-689-85421-8)
This one is a real page turner. Kira lets her friends hypnotize her at a sleep over and while hypnotized she begins to speak in a foreign language and tell of escaping from a war. When she goes home and tells her mother, her mother is very evasive and won’t answer any questions about their past.
I won’t say more. What makes this book work is the tension and surprises around every corner. It is impossible to anticipate all the twists and turns in the plot, yet the ending is still sound and satisfying.
I would booktalk this to kids and I think with the right booktalk, you could even have some boys interested in the book. But be very careful not to give anything away!
Orbis Pictus Awards
NCTE – NCTE Orbis Pictus Nonfiction Award
An American Plague by Jim Murphy has won the 2004 Orbis Pictus Award for best nonfiction. The award is given by the National Council of Teachers of English. There are also 5 honor books and 8 recommended titles.
E. R. Frank
Nie: An Interview with E.R. Frank
A good look in Frank’s writing style and the themes in her books, America and Friction.
Locus Top Picks
Locus Online: 2003 Recommended Reading
The Locus list of the best of 2003 features science fiction novels, fantasy novels, and young adult books. Teens will be interested in books in all three categories.
Waking Brain Cells 