VVMBookBlog

Guys Write for Guys Read edited by Jon Scieszka

This is an awesome book for guys and girls who want to find out more about a favorite author. It also has wonderful (often funny) stories about when the authors were young. Although I started to read this book cover to cover, I realized I really wanted to read about the authors I recognized. When I had those authors read, I went back to read the others. I will also admit I loved the “random fact for each author.” One author actually makes money playing a kazoo. Another author ran away from home in his teens to live with the carnival.

If You are looking for short funny excerpts about boys this is the place. This is also a great resource if you are looking for a book. Read about each author. Then read his books. Each author has a bibliography (list of books) at the end of his excerpt. Guys Read is also a great book if you just want to read a little at a time. Each author’s excerpt is only a couple of pages. Once you read this book, you’ll know what book you want to read next!

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall

A family of four sisters and their father leave for a summer vacation with their dog hound. They are headed to a cottage which happens to be on a very large estate with a mansion. In the mansion lives a snotty lady and her son, Jeffrey. Although the four sisters are pleased with their accomodations, they can’t help but explore the mansion and its grounds. This causes more problems with the snotty lady and her fiance. Wild soccer games, a close call with a bull, run-ins with the neighbor lady, and romance fill the summer activities.

As I was reading this book, I kept thinking it was somewhat dull, yet I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen. The events and kids in this story kept the book interesting. Rosalind is the oldest sister who falls in love with the garden keeper. Batty, the youngest, is best friends with Hound. Skye is the pretty blond who loves soccer. Jane is the dreamer. She is also a writer. Although these four girls are quite different they all band together in times of difficulty especially when Jeffrey’s mother is mean and rude to them.

[Minneapolis weather forecast for today and tomorrow? 100 (or more) degrees! Reading suggestion for these temps? Blizzard's Wake!]

Another book from the 2006-07 Maud Hart Lovelace list, Blizzard’s Wake is a great combination of adventure, historical fiction, and characters dealing with personal tragedy. Four years ago Kate Sterling’s mother was killed in a car accident where Zeke Dexter, the driver in the other car, was driving while drunk. Zeke also lived in an old farmhouse near where Kate, her brother Jesse, and her father, Dr. Sterling, lived.

Kate has never really accepted her mother’s death, and her only emotion is absolute hatred of Zeke. Zeke has served his time in prison with good behavior and is now being released one year earlier than the original 5 year sentence. On a mild late winter day in March, Zeke’s homecoming combines with Jesse & Dr. Sterling coming home from a Saturday in town when suddenly the wind blows up what will later be known as the Great Blizzard of 1941. Zeke on foot becomes disoriented by the blinding snow, dirt and wind, and Dr. Sterling and Jesse in their old car without a heater or radio, become stranded in a snowbank, even though they are within sight of their house. And Kate’s alone at home!

So now you can write your own ending or read this exciting story to see how Ms. Naylor combined all these parts to create a great story! What’s going to happen during the blizzard and what will happen after the blizzard–in the Blizzard’s Wake???

As book 3 in his Dark Fusion series, Shusterman uses this distortion of the Ugly Duckling fairy tale to ask the question, “How do you judge beauty?” Cara DeFido was in high school, but so ugly in appearance that she literally caused mirrors and camera lenses to shatter. As you might expect, her appearance impacted her relationships with other kids at school, and even her own family, in a very negative way. But, with the help of Miss Leticia, the strange old “crazy owman of Vista View” cemetary, she realized that even she had a destiny to fulfill, and she began to follow the clues to find that destiny or purpose in life.

Leaving behind a Homecoming dance with unfortunate outcomes, Cara escaped by following her first clue: FIND THE ANSWERS! But to what magical place will this lead her and how will it help her find her destiny? Lots to think about in this book knowing our culture is often more interested in physical perfection than depth of character when judging another person.

Other books in the Dark Fusion series:

• Red Rider’s Hood – Little Red Riding Hood with werewolves!
• Dread Locks – Goldilocks? Medusa? Read it and find out!

Daniel Half Human and the Good Nazi by David Chotjewitz

This is a book about WWII and the horrors faced by the Jewish population. More importantly it is a story about friendship. Armin comes from a family living in poverty while Daniel comes from a wealthy family. The two of them are best friends. In the beginning the two get caught painting a swastika. Events in the story quickly change. Armin becomes part of Hitler Youth working hard to become part of the SS. Daniel realizes he is half Jewish. His father is Aryan, but his mother is Jewish.

This story is interesting from the beginning to the end. Even though I have read stories about the Holocaust, this story had me constantly wondering what would happen next. These two friends end up on opposite sides of the war and both have interesting stories and challenges.