VVMBookBlog

Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

Whale Talk is my favorite read of the summer. As you can see it fits in multiple categories and requires a MATURE reader. Although this books takes place in a high school, many of these issues confront middle school students. The main character is adopted, black, Japanese, and white. He is a gifted athlete although he’s not a big fan of organized sports. His decision NOT to join the football team causes problems with students, teachers, and coaches. When he finally does decide to join a sports team, life gets interesting. Actually he is the one who gets a team together formed by fellow students that others (even he) would consider “misfits.”

Writing a paragraph about this book will not give a true summary of this book. If any of the categories interest you, read Whale Talk! Chris Crutcher understands the difficulties of being a teen.

So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld

Have you ever wanted a pair of shoes because they were “cool?” What makes cool? Teens spend billions of dollars each year. How do you decide what to buy? So Yesterday is a story which revolves around the finding what is “cool” according to teens. Hunter and Jen get involved with “not so nice people” as they get themselves caught up in mystery started with some “really cool” shoes… boxes and boxes. This is an intriguing look at how advertisers and companies get us to buy their products. Suspense and romance make it a riveting story.

Heat by Mike Lupica

First I would like to introduce the author for those who are not familiar with the name. Mike Lupica is a well known sports columnist (ESPN the Magazine). For me this brings credibility to an author who writes about baseball, and this is a novel about baseball. Do you remember when there was controversy in the Little League World Series because one of the players was too old? This is the basis of this novel, but it is more complex.

Michael is a great pitcher, and other team are tired of losing to him. They say he’s too old to play little league. His brother, Carlos, basically takes care of him. This novel has suspense as we wonder: Will Carlos be able to take care of his brother? Will Michael be able to play in the Little League World Series? Will Michael “get the girl?” Will Michael meet his hero? This is a must read for anyone interested in sports (especially baseball). It is a should read for anyone who wonders if their hopes and dreams will come true.