VVMBookBlog

Written in poetry form using few words, Kek tells a compelling story about escaping from Sudan in Africa after his father and brother were killed, leaving his mother behind, and coming to live in Minneapolis.  He comes to live with his aunt and cousin, arriving in winter to experience cold and snow for the first time.  Riding to his new home with Dave from the resettlement center, he asks to stop when he sees a cow inside a fence along the road.  That  cow is his one connection to his old life.

The story goes on to tell how he adjusts to live in America, going to school in his ESL classes, meeting new friends, and finding a way to care for Gol, the cow.  But all the while he worries about his mother back in Sudan.  Everyone says he probably won’t see her again.  He just can’t accept that.  What do you think will happen?

Read this Maud Hart Lovelace reading list entry for a new way to think about students who come to our country–and our school–directly from another country.

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

This is two stories which seem to alternate, but come together magically at the end. A calico cat meets a hound dog and an unusual friendship begins. When Sabine and Puck are born to the calico cat, the four become an odd family. Gar Face is the owner of Ranger, the dog, is mean and causes tragedy to the new family. In the other story, a shape-shifting water serpent has been asleep in the Piney Woods mystical forest and is coming to life again. Although it seems like a typical animal story or a good versus evil story, it is more.

The cover is not fitting of the book. Keep in mind the old saying, “Don’t judge the book by it’s cover.”

First there was Hoot, then Flush and now we have Scat!  Maybe because it’s been a couple years since Flush, but I think Scat is my favorite Carl Hiaasen book so far.  Again there’s an environmental scare–this time it’s a sighting of a very rare Florida panther in the Everglades.  And again there is the greedy business–this time an oil company wanting to drill an illegal oil pipeline on protected state property NEXT to their own oil-less property.

There are many heroes in this story, most very surprising so I can’t tell you who they are here.  I can say that very-scary Biology teacher, Mrs. Bunny Starch, takes her class, including good guys Nick and Marta, to the Black Vine Swamp and ends up disappearing very mysteriously.  While on the field trip, Nick is on the lookout for a panther, but then the trip is cut short by a wildfire of mysterious origin that scares them all back to the buses. And where is Duane Scrod, Jr., aka “Smoke,” whose last class interaction with Mrs. Starch ended badly!

So many great characters in this story, and lots of good side stories to keep you reading and wondering how it’s all going to turn out.  Hoot, Flush, Scat…what will come next?

Maya is 11 and has been raised by her very overprotective grandmother in California since her parents were killed in a car accident.  When her grandmother dies of a stroke, Maya goes to live with her mother’s family in Wyoming and discovers her love for horses and rediscovers her memories of her mother who was disliked by her grandmother.  As she overcomes her fears and becomes acquainted with her grandfather, uncle and Aunt Vi, she learns about her mother’s love for horses and a particular horse by the name of Artemisia.  A violent earthquake brings Maya and Artemisia together one day, forcing them to help each other to safety.

Chapters alternate between hearing the story from the point of view of both Maya and Artemisia. The reader gets to know Maya and struggles with her as she patiently survives her life with her domineering grandmother and then adjusts to her new life with her mother’s relatives.  Animal lovers, especially those who like horses, will really enjoy this book, but so will anyone who just wants a good story.

How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O’Connor

What would you do if you needed money, needed money fast? Georgina is faced with this question as her life drastically changes. Without notice she is living with her mother and brother in a car. Even though her mom is working two jobs, they don’t have enough money for the down payment and the first months rent. Since there only money is quarters and dollars in a jar, Georgina figures out a plan to help.

Although this book has some humorous situations, the topic of the book is serious. Georgina and her family are struggling. The events in this book give “a small dose” of the reality of being homeless. Her best friend begins to distance herself while her family struggles with every day aspects of eating and keeping clean. As the family struggles, they have little help from anyone.