The Face on the Milk Carton

By Caroline B. Cooney 

     This is one of those what if books.  Could this really happen?  How would you react?  This is a very believable tale in which one young girl, Jane Johnson, happens to recognize herself on the side of a milk carton that illustrates abducted children.  Jane lives in a small town on the east coast of the United States, and by all accounts is a happy and beloved daughter of doting parents.  She has a great group of friends and an older neighbor boy for company.  But the image on the milk carton begins to haunt her.  

     Haunt her to the point that she begins to have daymares aka memories.  Jane could never imagine her loving parents kidnapping a child, so is torn on how to proceed.  She finally, fesses up to her neighbor, Reeve, her worries.  But Reeve has other things on his mind, as he is emotionally attracted to Jane and wants to begin a relationship.  Jane goes to extreme lengths to discover the truth, even skipping school and traveling to New Jersey in search of the Spring family.  She immediately recognizes her siblings but has Reeve drive away, not sure how to proceed.  

     Jane confronts her parents about missing pictures of a young Jane, birth certificate etc. and they explain how Jane came to be with them.  Their daughter Hannah had brought Jane to them, with a story about Jane being their Grandaughter.  She believes them until the evidence continues to pile up against their story.  Reeve calls his older sister, who is studying to be a lawyer and they eventually confront Jane's parents, and decide that their daughter Hannah had abducted a young Jenny Spring.  The story ends on a cliffhanger as to what becomes of Jane.  

     This is a very entertaining tale, gives a great deal of insight told from the perspective of a young, confused girl.  I would rate this story a 4 out of 5 and encourage anybody fifth grade up to pick up a copy.  

Links

About the Movie

Author - Caroline B. Cooney

Child abduction

Facts

The Pretenders

                                                                                    by Lisi Harrison


     This was a very enjoyable quick read.  The author gives incredible insight into 5 young adults lives and innermost thoughts as they enter into Noble Nigh School.  Their teacher has given all of the students in ninth grade the task of journaling at least one page a day for the entire school year.  You are to write your feelings or innermost thoughts.  The journals will never be read and will be locked in a cabinet.  The assignment initially terrifies the students, but they eventually warm up to the concept and quickly pour their feelings and secrets into their journals.  How are we reading these journals?  One of the students has broken into the cabinet and has published the journals, in order to show everyone the truth about the Phoenix 5.  Not everyone is who they appear to be, everyone puts on some sort of front or show, everybody has secrets, including these 3 girls and 2 boys.
     The Phoenix 5 is the most notable of the freshman each year at Noble High School.  These students have been selected and voted by their classmates as having something special.  Meet Sheridan, she is a prima donna drama queen.  She lives for the theater and enjoys a very rich imagination.  She has been the lead character in all of the plays.  She has a best friend Aubrie, they are sole mates.  Aubrie is always the understudy to Sheridan's lead, that is until Aubrie meets Octavia at summer camp.  Sheridan's family is very wealthy, her father owns the local BMW dealership and Sheridan does not lack material things.
     Next meet Jasper, he has had a hard life.  His parents are sitting on death row, for helping stop a bully.  He has been emancipated and cares for himself.  He lives in the back room of a local pet shop, he pays the rent by feeding the animals at night.  He is a loner with no friends.  He catches the eye of Aubrie and they become close.  He has his own secrets, not to be disclosed.  Then there is Vanessa.  She is a straight A student and very academically oriented. She has a troubled home life and views this assignment as non-productive, that is to say, she puts other school work before her journal.  Her parents constantly fight, her brother is constantly in trouble or losing a job and the only peace is at a local restaurant.  Beni's is a place that the family goes to celebrate, good grades, new jobs etc. - no fighting is ever allowed at Beni's.
     Our next two characters are Lilly and Duffy, they are neighbors.  Lilly has had a crush on Duffy for a while and convinces her parents to allow her to attend public school so that she may see more of him.  Duffy and his buddies play basketball all of the time.  He lives for basketball and dreams of making the varsity team.  Lilly and her best friend Blake have been homeschooled forever and try to fit into life at Noble.  Blake, who is naturally very attractive, immediately catches Vanessa's eye.  Only Lilly knows that he is gay and the relationship and her friendship with Vanessa is doomed for failure.
     Where these relationships will end up and the choices that these students make are very believable and entertaining.  I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars.  It is a very quick read and enjoyable.  The ending leaves one wanting more.  Which is why I will be reading "License to Spill" very soon.

Link 

Author: Lisi Harrison

Dealing with teen peer pressure - wanting to fit in.

Teen Journaling

Teen Help line
   

Unbroken

                                                                                 By Laura Hillenbrand


     Wow! Unbroken is an extremely well-crafted story of the unbreakable spirit of Louis Zamperini.  One is introduced to Louis as a young man growing up and getting into trouble.  That is until he finds a passion and love of running.  He quickly becomes one of the fastest runners in the United States, attends USC and earns a berth on the United States Olympic Team.  Louis attends the 1936 Berlin Olympics for the United States and his future looks bright, but sparks are flying in Europe and World War II begins.
     Louis enters into the armed services as an airman. Being an airman in the Pacific is full of danger.  Crashes are commonplace and surviving is rare.  Louis has several harrowing experiences that he and his crew pull through.  Through the luck of God, and indomitable spirit he perseveres.  That is until the fateful day that they are forced to fly an unfamiliar and ill-equipped "Green Hornet" on a search mission.  When the airplane lands in the Pacific only 3 of its passengers survive.  Louis is one of them.  Their survival gear has been picked clean and they do not have half of their supplies.  Their survival candy is stolen by one of the survivors and the men are left to their own devices.  Louis uses cunning and is able to collect water from rain and catch the occasional bird to help sustain their lives.  The candy thief succumbs along the way, and Louis and Allen eventually are captured by the Japanese.
     Of course being "saved" by the Japanese is kind of like going from the pot into the fire.  Each camp that Louis enters brings about new challenges and new dangers.  There are varying degrees of brutality among the guards.  Few are kind, most are brutal and some are deadly.  Louis runs into his personal demon in one "Bird".  The Bird is extremely lethal and very unpredictable.  He  makes it his personal goal in life to break Louis.  Each day brings beatings and degradation.  Louis gets a reprieve when the Bird is transferred to a new camp.  As the Americans come closer to Japan, tensions heighten between the jubilant prisoners and their guardsmen.  The massive B-29 has the Japanese quaking in their boots.  As the American begin bombing Japan, Louis is transferred to another camp and into the waiting arms of the Bird.  As the bird becomes more erratic and dangerous a plot is hatched to end his existence, but before the men could overpower the tyrant, he disappears into the mountains and Japan surrenders.
     Louis eagerly awaits going home, but this is a process.  His family knows that he is safe and on his way home, yet eagerly await his return.  Louis engorges his life with food and alcohol.  He is sought after by the press, because of his fame and his harrowing experience.  He eventually, returns home to his families relief but is not the same Louis.  The time in the Japanese Camps has left internal scars that are not readily visible.  Louis is at a lost as to what to do with his life, he does meet his future wife in Florida but begins to drink heavily to escape his waking and sleeping nightmares.  His life is spiralling out of control when his wife forces him to a tent revival with Billy Graham.  After leaving abruptly the first time, Louis returns and has an epiphany.  He had promised God one night on the raft that he would do  the Lord's work if he was saved.  Louis has a remarkable change and cleans up his life.  He opens his heart to doing good and becomes a motivational speaker and runs a camp for troubled young men.
     This story was very difficult to read at times.  The brutality and degradation along with the density of the information made this a slow read, although I enjoyed immensely.  I could only take the content in brief reads.  I am giving "Unbroken" a 4.5 out of 5.  This story needs to be told and read.  I would keep this book for at least 8th grade as the content is brutal.

Links 

Author: Laura Hillenbrand

Japanese Prisoners of War

Biography of Louis Zamperini

WWII Pacific Theater

     

The Watsons go to Birmingham - 1963

                                                 by Christopher Paul Curtis

     This is a beautifully crafted historical fiction story told with a great deal of humor and insight.  One is introduced to "the Weird Watsons" as they sit bundled together on the couch, in the freezing cold Flint winter.  Kenny, the narrator, is a very intelligent child who is bullied by everyone at school, even his older brother Byron.  Byron is a bully that is constantly getting in trouble at home. Their little sister Joetta, is loved by everyone and is very religious.  Their parents Wilona (Mom) and Daniel (Dad),  met in Alabama and moved to Flint MI, where Daniel worked in the automotive industry.
     Kenny is very cautious around his brother Byron, because he is constanly getting in trouble or bullying Kenny.  Byron's cohort and buddy is Buphead a neighboring boy who encourages and helps By's bad behavior.  In one chapter Byron charges a bunch of food at the local market and engorges himself on cookies.  He tries to embroil Kenny in the fiasco, by sharing his misgotten goods.  In another chapter, Byron, who likes to catch things on fire, is caught, lighting things on fire in the bathroom.  Finally, however when he gets a conk, Mom and Dad decide it is time for some drastic measures.  It is decided that they will deliver Byron to Grandma Sands in Alabama.  Mom and Dad devise and plan their way through a long car trip.  Daniel getting the family car ready for the trip, and mom making lists and borrowing coolers etc. from neighbors.  It is decided that they are ready when Daniel purchases a car record player, that will allow the Watsons to listen to their own music through the south.
     The trip that Mom thought they should be able to finish in 3 days, Daniel decides he will drive straight through without stops.  The family shows up to Alabama, very excited to meet Grandma Sands.  All of the Watsons are amazed by the heat in Alabama, the children even try to go swimming, but Kenny almost drowns when he swims where he does not belong, near a whirl pool.  Surprisingly enough, his savior is non other than Byron.  Joetta, continues to go to church and attends Grandma Sands church with neighbors.  On one fateful Sunday, the church is bombed and many children are killed or injured.  Joetta is saved, however, because she follows someoone that she claims is Kenny.  Kenny is permanently damaged by the atrocity of seeing the results of the bombing and this horrendous example of racisim.  To protect their children and to avoid, having to discuss the hatred around Birmingham, the Watsons return to Flint.  Kenny is once again saved by Bryon's interference, when By tells him to get on with life and move on, instead of wallowing in the magical Pet Hospital.
     Initially I read this book becuase I live close to Flint, MI, but I really enjoyed this book, the story telling and the humor that was used made the tale very entertaining.  I would give this book a 4 out of 5 stars and encourage it for fourth grade on up.

Links 

Alabama Church Bombing -

American Civil Rights Movement

History of Flint MI

Christopher Paul Curtis