VVMBookBlog

My Dad’s a Punk edited by Tony Bradman

This is a book of short stories about fathers and sons. My Dad’s a Punk includes different types of fathers and their relationships with their sons. Some dads are embarrassing while others are infuriating. Some dads are always around while others are disengaged. The stories in this book are serious, funny, and imaginative. No two stories in this book are the same as no two dads are the same. All sorts of different families (fathers and sons) are depicted in this book which shows sometimes the father son relationship is difficult. Again short stories are great for reluctant readers because they can pick and choose without reading the entire book.

Summer Ball by Mike Lupica

This is the second book I’ve read by sports columnist, Mike Lupica. As I mentioned after reading Heat, it is refreshing to have someone who knows sports write books for young adults. Summer Ball is a sequel to Travel Team, which I have not read. Although it was a sequel, it was easy to follow the story. Now I will need to read Travel Team.

Even though Danny Walker is short, he plays basketball. His dad was a player in college and in the lottery for the pros. Danny’s dad practices with him and sends him to a summer camp. When Danny gets to summer camp, he gets put with a coach who does not like his dad and seems to have it against Danny. Lucky for Danny his friends help him get through summer camp. One of these friends is his girlfriend who happens to be across the river from the camp. Camp is not easy on Danny in fact the coach suggests he play soccer instead of basketball. Since the coach is such a jerk, as are other players at camp, one can’t help want the best for Danny. At one point he thinks about leaving camp and going home.

This is definately a book about basketball and boys who participate in sports will like it. It is also a book about friendship and being part of a team. In Summer Ball there are definately characters you like and characters you dislike because of their actions.

Whisper in the Dark by Joseph Bruchac

Maddie is a thirteen year old girl who is receiving strange phone calls. Her friend Roger and she often share scary stories. One of these stories is one she heard from her grandmother, a Narragansett Indian. It is a tale of a whisperer in the dark which involves a creature that paralyzes a person with fear then uses its very sharp claws to kill. Ironically, Maddie finds her dog with wounds that seem to be from very sharp claws. This story is a combination of her grandmother’s story and what is happening to Maddie in the future. Could her grandmother’s tale come to life?

Bruchac is also the author of The Skeleton Man. Both books are somewhat frightening and suspenseful, but I found Whisper in the Dark to be more realistic.