VVMBookBlog

Another Maud Hart Lovelace 2006-07 book

I was reading this book recently in the time when the war was going on in the Middle East with Israel and Lebanon, and I couldn’t help making comparisons with actions in this book.

This is a fantasy about shapeshifters who are able to move between their human and animal forms. Danica Shardae is an avian who shifts into a golden hawk, and Zane Cobriana is a serpiente who shifts into a cobra–and their two groups have been at war for so long that no one can remember the reason why. Both Danica and Zane are fed up with wars and having to bury the bodies of their friends and families. Then they come up with an outrageous idea for a way to end the fighting. Would it work? Will the others in their families go along with it and what will happen if they don’t?

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes is 22 years old and has already written some great books, including this one. Many readers enjoy her books that have a vampire theme. Now check out her website!

Another 2006-07 Maud Hart Lovelace book–look for it in the MHL section.

This book is a series of personal reflections of students in Mr. Ward’s high school English class, alternating with poetry written by those students. After a time studying the Harlem Renaissance and poetry from that time, Mr. Ward initiates Open Mike Fridays when students in his class share their poetry with the class. It catches on fast and students are able to see the experiences and feelings they share with others, and what might be behind the person their classmates show to the world.

There really should be more Mr. Wards in the world–a teacher who takes a chance to try something new and allow students a place to use their writing skills to learn more about themselves and their world. It takes lots of trust and courage to be willing to express the depth of feeling that one’s own poetry can evoke, but it can also be a great gift to other people. Some of our VVMS have shared their poetry in the past, either for publication, at the talent shows, or on TV.

Nikki Grimes has a great book here. Wouldn’t it be great if we could get her to come and visit our school?

This is another book on this year’s Maud Hart Lovelace reading list, however when you see this title on the list, you will see an asterisk or star by it noting that it is for more mature readers. The topic of the book is war.

In March 1944, Erik was 16, lived in Germany, and was drafted into the German Army at a time when things were starting to go very badly for the Germans. He was sent to the Russian front, where the Germans were attacking the Russians, with other young boys his age to replace dead and wounded German soldiers. As an infantryman, he and his fellow soldiers were moving from town to town, seeing the horror and death of war, and soon were engaged in direct combat from the trencheson their side of the battle. The Russians overtook them and killed most of his comrades.

Erik’s grandparents were from Russia so Erik grew up also speaking Russian. So in order to survive after the last horrible battle, Erik traded uniforms with a dead Russian soldier and, since he was wounded, he ended up in a Russian field hospital.

Read Soldier X to find out what happened to Erik. The descriptions of battles and combat are quite realistic, and readers get a disturbing view of war and the aftermath of war. And still it’s young adult fiction; actual warfare must be beyond horrible!

As one of the Maud Hart Lovelace books for this coming year, Gregor the Overlander really got my attention. It’s a fantasy and if you’ve heard me do booktalks, you know fantasy is not my favorite book genre. But…I really liked Gregor…and Boots! Gregor is 11 and, because his dad just disappeared over 2 1/2 years ago, his mom works fulltime so he is given the responsibility of watching his 2-year-old sister, Boots, for the summer. That means no camp and not much summer fun for Gregor, but he really likes Boots so he’s okay. Then one day in the laundry room in their New York City apartment…

Gregor’s doing laundry and notices Boots has crawled into–and fallen down–an air vent! Naturally he goes after her and they both end up sailing down, down, down and ending up in the Underland with giant talking cockroaches, bats and spiders, humans with violet eyes, and vicious rats. Are they prisoners? How can Gregor get Boots and himself back home again to their mom? What do they have to do before the Underlanders will help them get home? And are there more surprises in the story?

The ending just about screams “Sequel” and sure enough, we now have the Underground Chronicles and here they are:

• Gregor and the Prophecy of Bane
• Gregor and the Curse of the Warmbloods
• Gregor and the Marks of Secret

What will little Boots do next??

Hawksong by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Danica’s people and Zane’s people are at war. Both have lost family and loved ones in this never ending war. Danica is a hawk/human while Zane is a serpent/human. This didn’t bother me because both spend most of their time in human form. For obvious reasons the two do not get along. Both, however, are concerned about how to bring peace to their warring families. Since both are at the stage in their life when they will rule their individual communities and look for a “mate,” the answer seems to be for the two to get married. What? Hawk and Snake? Although the Danica and Zane agree, they do not love each other. Danica and Zane agree to join only to keep the peace between these two warring families and communities. How do two people who hate each other stay together with the pretense of love and peace? Is it possible? Another problem arises because the people in this community need to believe in this relationship in order to stop the warfare. Everyone must agree in order to make it work. Is it possible for everyone to agree on anything?

Ms. Moeller