Patron Saints of Nothing

By Randy Ribay 

     What an amazing and riveting book.  This book hits all of the high notes, it is sad and sweet and finally very uplifting.  Meet Jay (Jason) a young man that immigrated to the United States when he was an infant.  He is now a senior in Michigan and has been accepted to U of M, but he has no idea what he wants to do with his life.  As he marches down his last few days in high school, he is informed of the death of his cousin Jun.  Even though, Jun still lives in the Philippines, Jay still considers him to be his closest relative and best friend.   They have been exchanging letters for years, and Jay feels the guilt since he is a horrible pen pal.  He also finds out that Jun was killed due to the Philippines war on drugs and a secret instagram  message sends a picture confirming that Jun did nothing wrong.  As Jay questions the meaning of life and death and what he wants to do with his future, he comes up with a great idea.  

     Jay's plan is to spend his spring break in the Philippines visiting family and looking into the incidents surrounding Jun's untimely demise.  In order to do this he needs to make the trek on his own, without his parents.  His parents finally relent and he is allowed to go, but he has some rules. Namely, he is to stay with family and he must not mention Jun, especially to Tito Manning.  He quickly agrees hoping he can find a way to investigate, ask questions and find his secret informant.  What he discovers in the Philippines is that nothing is as it appears, even when he thinks he has discovered the truth he will be surprised.  Finally, the family is allowed to grieve and hopefully move forward.  

     In all of the investigation and sight seeing, Jun discovers a new respect for his forgotten culture and a romantic interest.  If nothing else, he learns that he is woefully ignorant of the history and tribulations of the Philippines.  He does not speak Tagalog or any of the languages of the country and he has no concept of the depth of poverty and crime that is prevalent in the country.  His cousin Grace introduces him to an acquaintance Mia, a journalism student, who agrees to help him find out about Jun.  This bond quickly deepens to a mutual respect and attachment.  After his brief trip to the Philippines, makes some major life decisions, about who he is and what he wants to do, but can he convince his parents to be on board?  

     I loved this book, it was heart warming, though provoking and wrenching.  It made me wonder if when I leave will I have made a positive impact.  I am giving this book all five stars!  I love books that give a view into different cultures and leaves a lasting understanding.  Anything that opens eyes to what is going on around us is awesome!  At the end of the book there is also a very informative section for further information. This book is appropriate for 7th grade on up and is an incredible read!  

Links 

Author - Randy Ribay

Philippines President

Philippines War on Drugs

Images of Philippine slums

Racing the Past

By Sis Deans 

     This is a fast moving and enjoyable book.  It does a good job of broaching a topic that is too often left ignored or pushed under the rug.  Meet Ricky Gordon he is constantly getting in trouble at school for fighting the school bully.  Ricky comes up with a plan to keep his mother out of knowing how bad school is for the troubled fifth grader.  He can not go down to Mr. Daniel's office for the rest of the year.  How is he going to avoid his nemesis?  Ricky decides to forgo recess and to walk home from school everyday, even in bad weather.  Bugsie is so mad and still tries to bait Ricky whenever he sees him.  Ricky is a math whiz and figures out that if he improves everyday he will be able to beat the bus.  He sets up a grueling training schedule and slowly improves his 3.5 mile run home.  

     Ricky has a hard road to travel he has to better his life and that of his family.  Ricky's father passed away New Years Eve, from drunk driving.  Ricky is actually glad that he is gone, since he spent most of his time drinking and abusing his family, both mentally and physically.  They are dirt poor and live in a small run down shack, but Ricky and Matt slowly begin to clean up their yard and move beyond their father's abuse.  Everyone is noticing the improvements in their small town.  Their lives slowly improve.  Finally, one day Ricky realizes that the running is making positive changes in his life.  It becomes apparent as the his classmates start cheering for him to beat the bus and as the high school coach comes to check out this fifth grader that could run.  Will Ricky's hard work pay off will he be able to run from his past? 
     This book is rather sad, but a necessary topic that needs to be talked about more often.  I am giving this book a 4 out of 5 stars, and feel that it will be enjoyed by readers in 6th grade and higher.  and even though the books main character is a young man, I feel that all students can learn something from this book. 

Links
Author - Sis Deans

Coping with an Alcoholic Parent

Child Abuse Help

Youth Runners

One for Sorrow

By Mary Downing Hahn

     This is a very thought provoking story.  I picked it up by happenstance one day subbing in a classroom.  I had just finished a book and this happened to be laying around, once I started reading I was hooked.  The new girl in town inadvertently becomes friends with a very unlikable person. Annie quickly regrets becoming acquainted with Elsie and wants to extract herself from the relationship, but Elsie will not let her go.  Annie gets her chance to remove herself from Elsie's grasp, when Elsie is absent for a week, and quickly shifts her friendship to Rosie's group.  Unfortunately, Rosie and her gang are "Mean Girls"  and belittle and bully Elsie. 

    It seems like overnight that Annie has a new friend group and begins to bully Elsie, and Elsie is left once again friendless.  Things quickly change, however, when a deadly Spanish Influenza hits Mount Pleasant and people begin to die at an alarming rate.  As schools are cancelled and the kids are left to their own devices, Rosie comes up with a plan to get free sweets, why not visit some of the wakes, and pretend to know the individual in the coffin?  They even learn to peruse the obituaries the night before and garner information about the deceased.  On one of these ventures, they happen to run upon Elsie alone in the park.  Elsie is wearing a flue mask, in an attempt to protect her from contracting the flue bug.  Rosie decides it would be fun to harass Elsie and chase her down.  After surrounding her and singing about her getting influenza, stealing her mask, Elsie is left crying in the park;  Annie and the rest of her friends feel bad,yet vow to never speak of this again.  The secret is kept until, they visit one wake with out forewarning and it happens to be Elsie...       Annie believes she is truly done with the worries of Elsie, but is she?  

     An accident that results in a concussion while sledding in the cemetery, another secret and somehow Elsie returns to haunt Annie from the grave.  Elsie is out for revenge!  She wants Annie back as her one true friend and she wants Rosie and the gang to pay for her death.  suffice it to say Elsie is a very angry ghost.  She coerces Annie to do her evil work, and puts words in her mouth that Annie would never say.  Annie's behavior and outbursts reach such a point that she is sent to a convalescent care home, so she can get the rest that she needs to recuperate.  Elsie follows her and continues to make her mind miserable.  Fortunately, there is help in the guise of another patient.  One who claims to be able to see and communicate with ghosts, one who says she can help Elsie transition to her afterlife.  Step one is to get Elsie's friendship, Elsie must believe that her and Annie are best friends.  Will Annie be able to help Elsie move on and reconnect with her mother?  Will Annie be able to return home and be able to get her friends back.  

     This book is very entertaining to read, a fairly quick read.  I think that it would be appropriate for fifth grade and up and even though the main character is female, the content is available to both genders.  I am giving this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars and think that if you like books about the supernatural you would love this book.  

Links 

Author - Mary Downing Hahn

Spanish Influenza 1918 

Dangers of school bullying

Crow nursery rhyme from title

     

Can;t Look Away

By Donna Cooner 

     This is a extremely interesting read.  It was very eye opening, shedding light on the invasive beast that we have created with social media.  Today's youth no longer have the worries of popularity with in their immediate friends or schools, they are attempting popularity on a much wider scale.  When fashion icon, Torrey, looses her younger sister in a tragic accident, her avid followers can't ger enough of this real life drama.  Torrey and her parents even move out of the state to attempt to adjust to a life without Miranda.  

     Torrey is transplanted into the Texas community.  She feels that all eyes are upon her, used to being in the spotlight and popular, she thinks she knows how to be welcomed by the Queen bee and her underlings.  Blair, rules the schools social scene and one has to be welcomed into her social circle in order to become teen royalty.  Torrey knows how to walk the walk, she knows what she has to do to be accepted, but she is struggling with her sisters death and being pulled by the very attractive Luis and her cousin Raylene.  If she follows her mind she will be accepted, but if she follows her heart... HAPPINESS!  Luis becomes an incredible friend and sounding board, through his heritage and dealings with his family business.  His father is the owner of the local funeral home.  Luis hopes to follow in his foot steps and is very supportive of Torrey.  She finds some solace in collecting and keeping some of Miranda's belongings close to her, but she knows she has to let them go in order to deal with her sadness.  

     The book builds nicely to the climax, with Torrey having to make a definitive choice between Blair (and popularity) and Luis.  I am going to be honest, a lot of this book Torrey is very unlikeable.  She is very superficial and concerned about appearances, going as far as ignoring Luis when Blair or her underlings are around.  She is very cold and methodical in her quest for popularity.  Only when she realizes what is important do you learn to like our fashionista.  

     This book is a good read and entertaining, but I am only giving it a 3 out of 5 stars, for two reasons first of all it is very gender specific.  Second of all, it did drag a bit with the back story.  With that being said I feel that this book is a very emotionally mature story.  I think that young girls in 7th grade and higher would enjoy the content and how Torrey strives to be popular.  It is a good story but very sad.  

Links 

Author - Donna Cooner

Coping with the death of a loved one

Social Media Addiction