VVMBookBlog

It’s 1849 in London, England, and this latest book by Avi made me feel like I was in the middle of a Charles Dickens book. In fact, the latest selection from a book by Dickens played a part in this book, as did living conditions in Victorian England such as poverty, bad air and water quality, and people just trying to survive.

John Huffman is 14 and when his father is suddenly sentenced to debtor’s prison for not paying his gambling debts, John has to take on the responsibility for the future of his mother and sister. But who is his father really? Is he the “gentleman” he claims to be and what about his job as a clerk in the Naval Ordinance Office where he works with secrets concerning weapons and their use? And who are all of these people following him? Is there anyone he can trust to help him? He thought maybe he could trust Sary the Sneak but will she let him down, too?

The Traitors’ Gate is the gate prisoners accused of treason against their country went through from a boat on the Thames River and up to the Tower of London where they would most likely be killed. Is John’s father really a traitor?

I really got caught up in the mystery running through this book, trying to figure out who the “good guys” were. I became pretty disgusted with John’s whiny family members–mother, sister and father. He seemed too good for ALL of them! But read it and see what you think. And decide how you would like to live in mid-19th century London!

Rucker Park Setup by Paul Volponi

J.R. and Mackey are friends on and off the basketball court. Both have dreamed of the championship game on Rucker Court. When the dream becomes a reality, J.R. dies in a stabbing. Part of playing in the Rucker Park area is knowing who to trust. Basketball is the game in this neighborhood. Gambling, bribes, and payouts corrupt the game. Mackey needs to decide how to play the game after his friend dies.

This is a realistic fiction novel about how the game of basketball is played on the inner city streets. It is a great book although it is filled with profanity. If one can get past the profanity in the book and read it for the story, it is well worth the read. I wish the author would have left out the profanity, but it is probably a realistic portrayal of the inner city game.

Rash by Pete Hautman

I found Rash when I was looking for football chapter books and decided to give it a try. At the beginning of the book I was confused at why it was mentioned as a football book. Bo Marsten is a sixteen year old going to school in the late 21st century and football is illegal. Actually most things are illegal or overly protected. For example, he must wear protective clothing and a helmet to run track. In the beginning of the book Bo is a typical teenager who likes a girl while the girl likes someone else. This causes Bo to get angry, hit the boy, and get sent to prison. Since almost any type of emotion, especially violence, is illegal this is part of the culture.

When he gets sent to prison, he makes pizza. If he attempts to escape, he could be eaten by polar bears in the tundra. It is while he is in prison that Bo gets involved with football. Football is illegal, but the prison warden loves football and lets an exclusive group play. Bo has to try out for football and really doesn’t know how to throw or catch. This football becomes quite brutal, and Bo must make a decision about his future.

This book is about much more than football. Bo makes an artificial intelligence on his computer which becomes a help as he continues his time in prison. It takes place in the future, so Bo’s grandpa would probably have been a teenager in 2007. If you like football and computers, this will be an interesting book.

Iron Thunder: The Battle Between the Monitor & the Merrimac by Avi

Avi is a prolific writer. I once listened to him speak at a convention. He is dyslexic and had difficulties with reading in school. Maybe this is what makes him an incredible author. He wants his books to be entertaining, something people will enjoy reading. His latest book, Iron Thunder, is historical fiction set during the Civil War.

Thomas is the main character. His father has recently died fighting for the Union in the Civil War. Although he is only 13, he must take care of his family (mother and sister). He is forced to find work. Because he is small for his age and smart, he is given a job building the Monitor, an iron ship. Most people are making fun of this concept because few, if any, think that an iron ship will float. This is a secretive job because the North doesn’t want the South to know that they are building this ship (or at least they don’t want any details given to the south).

Although Thomas is working, he is only making 75 cents a week. A man offers him a dollar a week if he will share information about the boat. This is a difficult decision because he would make more than twice what he is making now, but he would be “ratting” out the North to the South. Since his father died for the North, he takes the dollar the first time he sees this man, but he doesn’t supply the man with information. Later the man will come back to get the information for which he has paid. Danger will come to him and perhaps his family.

This book is a fast-paced account of the building of the ship and the battle that follows. It is also a story of a teenager who makes tough decisions in a difficult time. Although this book is fiction, Avi researched the events to bring history to life.

Twelve-year-old Becker Drane, 7th grader, has answered the call to be a Fixer for The Seems.  The Seems is the secret, alternate world that keeps everything–the weather, time, light, etc.–working according to The Plan in our world.  When one department has a problem, it threatens all other departments with the possible slide into Chaos!

This time the problem is with the Department of Sleep.  No one can!  Back in the World, lights burn bright late into the night as everyone suffers from insomnia.  So Becker takes on his first mission as a Fixer, using his vast array of cool Tools™, to figure out what is the cause of this “glitch in sleep.”   He confronts the Bed Bugs and the Worst Nightmares in his search for the glitch.  And in his quest he runs into a friend from his training classes who has gone over to The Tide, an organization that is out to destroy The Seems.

Really fun book to read.  It gives you lots to think about as Becker moves back and forth between The World and The Seems.  Harry Potter fans will like this as well as readers who like to take control of their World and go on adventures to solve the problems in it.

Live to Fix!  Fix to Live!