VVMBookBlog

This third book is the conclusion to the Sharon Draper trilogy beginning with The Battle of Jericho and November Blues.  While I didn’t read the first two books, I still liked this story about a group of students who have survived a lot together and now just need to get through their senior year and get on with the rest of their lives.

Much of the story is told from the perspective of Arielle who, along with her mother, must deal with an abusive stepfather, and Kofi, who must be the adult to his irresponsible parents while dealing with a growing addiction to prescription drugs given to him for an injury to his arm.  Added to seeing how they all deal with major issues in their lives is the mystery of who is committing thefts of money and electronic devices, and who keeps pulling the fire alarm in the middle of winter!  Lots of action leading up to a dramatic ending!

First Crossings: Stories about Teen Immigrants
edited by Donal R. Gallo

Short story books are wonderful because one can read the stories they choose. First Crossings has a wonderful introduction which explains the collection. Each story is unique in its perspective. One story is about getting in trouble at school and the problems with translation. A story talks about football and the prejudices of some people. A Minnesota author, Marie G. Lee, also has a story in this collection. These stories talk about the difficulties of being a teen in a new country.

RD is 15, Latino, and looking forward to an easy school year as he will be repeating 8th grade–not by choice!  His home life is not easy–his mother is in prison for dealing crack and he never knew his dad.  He lives with his grandmother and her boyfriend, Earl.  But then his grandmother hits the road with a new trucker friend, leaving RD with Earl who is suffering the effects of Agent Orange exposure from the Vietnam War.  One day soon after school starts, RD comes home and finds Earl dead in the bathroom.  Now RD is alone  and needs to figure out how to do many things, starting with what to do with Earl.  Next comes challenges to survive hunger and other basic needs, and mostly to do it all without anyone finding out he is there all by himself.  If the authorities find out, his next home will be a foster home!

I really liked reading about RD.  I liked the first person narrative that let us into his head to see how he thought about things and figured out solutions to his problems.  I think our students will like this book because of how RD and his friends talk to each other and relate as friends…or sometimes NOT as friends.

Looks by Madeleine George

Meghan and Aimee both have weight issues although no one would compare the two. Aimee is anorexic although no one seems to be helping her.   Meghan is overweight although no one seems to see her. These two are not friends, in fact in many ways they are opposites, but they are brought together by one girl who has done mean things to both girls.  Although the cover would lead the reader to believe that this is a book about weight, it is more.  A variety of issues such as popularity, family dysfunction, cliques, and school in general are covered in this book.

Boost by Kathy Mackel

Savvy and Callie are sisters and like many sisters are a bit competitive with each other. Although they’re somewhat competitive with each other, they are more competitive in their given sports. Callie is a cheerleader and Savvy is a basketball player. As the title would suggest, this is a book about steroids and sports. It is not, however, the typical book about steroids in sports. When drugs (steroids) are found in Savvy’s locker, many people are asking questions. The answers to these questions are probably not what the reader will expect. Boost takes a new look at steroids and the reasons young athletes use them while engaging the reader in a story about the competitive spirit, friendships, and family.