This Sci-Fi book is an interesting must read. I am the first one to say that Sci Fi is not my favorite, yet this book held my attention and kept me coming back for more. This is an end of the world book, where technology has overcome the planet and humans are hunted and enslaved Meet Frost, a human child that is hiding and being raised by a robot that houses the essence of her father. When her pet, becomes sick, the three have no choice but to search for the fabled battery. The route is fraught with dangers, human, wild eaters and robots.
The city is in a state of change, although truthly nothing ever stays the same. She meets other free humans, rebels, evil robots and discovers many things about the past, her family and a true accounting of how the planet has come to this critical state. Will she ever be able to look at her father the same when she discovers he is the one that developed the technology that has the robots ruling. Will she be able to reach the battery.
What I enjoyed most about this tale is the interesting plot twists and the surprises are well earth shattering. I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars. A few of the plot twists are a little too obvious. This book is very appropriate for students above 5th grade and would be enjoyed by everybody. If you enjoy sci fi, zombie apocalypse or just a good story than this is the book for you.
This is a wonderful generational story. Three wonderful characters in different parts of their lives, all connected by familial ties. Lolly is the matriarch and lives in the small Michigan coastal town where she grew up. She resides in the same cabin that has been handed down through the family. Lolly honors the past with a charm bracelet that chronicles important events for herself and her for"mothers". Lolly is also a local icon, she portrays Dolly at Scoops the candy and ice cream parlor. She is recognized and adored by locals and visitors alike, but how can you hide crazy wigs and crafty aprons. The persona that gives Lolly joy and a purpose in life, chases her daughter out of Michigan into Chicago. As Lolly ages and begins to lose her memory she struggles to reconnect with her distant family in Illinois.
Arden ran from her home town, wanting more than her quaint cabin and a local boy, she craved affluence and wealth. She falls in love, marries and has a beautiful daughter, but when her marriage falls apart and she divorces, she is left floundering in a dead end job. Her ex husband refuses to help foot the bill for Lauren's college and has left Arden in a financial crisis. She can not handle too much more stress, the phone call from Michigan informing her of her Mother's dwindling memory, and missing shifts at work has her worried. After a quick lunch with her daughter Lauren, they decide to take an extended Memorial day weekend and check on the aging Lolly.
Lauren a senior in college is well aware of her mother's financial difficulties and has changed her plan of becoming an artist to be a business major. She feels caged and is wildly unhappy with her current direction. She idolizes her Grandmother, Lolly, and can not wait to visit her in Michigan. Lauren knows she has to change her major, if she is ever going to be truly happy, but dreads the discussion with her mother.
When Arden and Lauren reach Michigan, they are despaired of Lolly's obvious lapses in memory. After a doctor's visit and a consult with a home care professional, it is decided that Lolly should remain at home with some medication and a viable treatment is for her to relive the past. Arden is dismayed since this means a reciting of the meaning of the charms on her bracelet. The bracelet that Arden has abhorred for years. As the three women reconnect, wonderful heartwarming changes are made and they form loving lasting bonds.
This book is a very heartwarming read, I don't feel that most children will appreciate the intricacies of the relationships at play. The story resonated with me on a personal front, and I enjoyed it, it is not however, a story for kids. Highschool girls may find this a eye opening tale as they prepare for college. It does put life, school and love in a definitive perspective. Since the book is not for children, I am giving it a low rating, of 2 out of 5, but for any adult readers this is a great story.
This entertaining tale will leave you guessing. Meet a young Serafina, hidden in the basement of the Biltmore Estate. Her Pa is the chief mechanic and repairs all of the machines at the house. They live secretly in the basement, and Serafina makes a point of not being seen. At night she wanders the halls of the mansion, finding, capturing and ridding the house of rats. She is unnaturally fast and adept at seeing these horrible rodents. One night during her inspection she hears and sees something that frightens her, a figure in a black coat.
The next day it is discovered that the children from Biltmore and the surrounding area are disappearing, Serafina knows that the mysterious figure in the cloak is the culprit. The problem is that Serafina needs to remain a secret so how can she let the residents know that they are in danger. Finally, she approaches the young master, Braeden Vanderbilt. The two children form a bond and endeavor to figure out who the person is in the black cloak. As more children disappear and after a harrowing night in the dark forest, Serafina knows that she has no other solution but to become the bait in a trap and to lead towards a sure battle with a mountain lion.
Will Serafina's plan work, will she be able to draw the evil away from Biltmore Manor and away from Braeden? By the end of the story Serafina discovers her dubious beginnings, makes a frightening trek through a dangerous forest, meets her mother and fights her own demons, but will she to retain her friendship with Braeden and will she be accepted by everyone at Biltmore?
This is a very interesting story. Interesting in that it combines two genres of literature. It has aspects of a historical fiction, while it dwells into the supernatural world. I feel that this book would be great in fourth grade and up to seventh or eighth grade. This book was a definite page turner and I am giving it a 4 out of 5 stars.
I broke one of my personal rules, I read a series book out of order. This is an extension of the book "Wonder", the story of Auggie Pullman. Auggie was born with facial deformation and has had a rough beginning to his life. He has had several surgeries, and is home schooled for the first several years, finally, he is able to go to school for fifth grade. In this book you meet some people that meet Auggie and read how they react to Auggie as a classmate or friend.
The first person we meet is Julian, an attractive young man that will be going into Beecher Prep with Auggie. Julian is very popular and is considered a leader among his classmates. He is asked by the school's principal to be Auggie's welcome buddy, so he meets him before the beginning of the school year. Julian, however, has issues with Auggie's appearance. In typical bully mode Julian makes it his personal mission to make Auggie's life miserable. Julian's parents, who donate a lot of time and money to the school, see nothing wrong with his actions. In fact justify and place blame on everyone but themselves and Julian. They end up pulling Julian from Beecher Prep, because they are unable to accept Auggie. Over summer vacation, Julian visits his grandmother and has a change of heart and finally apologizes to Auggie and accepts responsibility for his actions. Julian matures through his association with Auggie.
Next, you will meet Christopher, Auggies oldest and best friend. Christopher has moved away from Auggie and attends school elsewhere. Christopher, or Pluto, has the ability to see beyond the surface and sees the wonderful, intelligent and funny kid. He is not perfect, however, and acknowledges that being friends with Auggie can be hard. Especially, when his new friends make fun of Auggie's appearance. This short story encompanses one short day, but is rife with flashbacks into their long friendship. Christopher discovers that even through distance, friendships can endure and that true friends are there for you whenever and however they are needed.
Finally, you meet Charlotte a classmate at Beecher Prep. She is struggling with her own drama and tries to remain neutral in the boy battle. Charlotte loses her longest and best friend to the popular group of girls. As the boy battle wages on, she is selected to perform in a dance trio with one of the popular girls and Summer. Summer is incredibly nice young lady, who has befriended Auggie on her own. As the girls practice over a couple of months they form a unique bond that transcends school social strata. The lasting lesson is that as kids mature they may form new interests and friendships and although they may retain some of these bonds it's okay to change. It shows how difficult it can be for people to maintain neutrality when they have friends on both sides of drama.
Even though these are short stories there is so much content and teachable life lessons throughout each! All of these are wonderful stories and should be shared with grades fourth and up. I am giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars, totally enjoyed this quick read and will keep a personal copy with me for years to come.
This is an awesome selection of some of this generations best authors. The stories that were brought into this anthology all celebrate some unique aspect. They give a voice to many different cultures and minorities; I love that they included handicaps and Native Americans into the mix.
In today's world of tension among various cultural groups it is vital that we learn that we must work together and celebrate our differences in order to be successful. We can no longer be bias towards other cultures we have to learn to coexist with everyone. The growing global community and the ease of instant communication is requiring a new understanding. Those individuals that can and do work well with everyone will be the ones that thrive. This book and other books are needed for that reason alone. Ellen Oh, reached out to some of today's best authors and collected short stories for your pleasure, they are short in nature and can easily be read with in a class period. These tales are quick reads, but the depth of emotion and the details are flawless. Readers will enjoy a quick tale about a tall Mexican American youth that decides to improve his basketball over the summer, running with the big dogs at a different gym. He is going into high school and really wants to make the varsity team. The lessons he learns sharing sweat with the older men reach far beyond the basketball court.
You will meet one young lady who befriends the new girl, who happens to be African American, Of course the predominant white town, frowns upon the friendship and she looses all of her friends Celeste only stays in town for a year and they two girls vow to meet up again in New York when the turn 18, The reason this short sticks in my mind, is that the main character goes against her classmates and other adults to befriend the girl, she trusts her own judgement and finds a lasting friendship. She willingly decided to break out of the mold of racism and is better for this bravery. I feel that a lot of the angst towards many cultures has eased, but new minorities have taken their place. Keeping an open mind and befriending those around you benefits everyone.
A third tale relays a grandmother and her grandson as they have a marvelous adventure in Europe. The grandson is an incredible student but is being caged and stifled. His grandmother takes him on this journey to bring life and freedom into his life. Although he is an awesome student, he needs to learn how to fly. We all need to learn that not all of the lessons that are worth living are not always taught in the classroom.
My final story that i am sharing has a Native American flavor. Even though the story that is shared with the children, is entertaining, what is learned beyond the story is the most important. Uncle Kenneth brings his culture into an important lesson. This out of all of the tales really celebrates the unique culture of a Native American tribe.
This is a very versatile story, and I want to thank a wonderful teacher for encouraging me to read this book, thanks Kate! I found these stories information, diverse and enjoyable. I am giving this book a 5 out of 5 stars and encourage everyone to check this out. This book is absolutely appropriate for anybody over 3rd grade.
A nice story about democracy in action. I really enjoyed this fast read which relays how young people can have a huge impact on the world around them. This is a personal narrative on how one teenage student reached and marched against oppression in the early 1960's. This is a primary source of information from a view point that is seldom heard.
A young Lynda was brought up by a loving father and her grandmother, her mother had passed away when Lynda was young. They lived in Selma Alabama, under the governance of Wallace and their world is highly segregated. The white folks held all of the power and wealth and the ability to vote. It was believed that the power to vote could change their world. Dr. Martin Luther King was a solid proponent of "Steady, loving confrontation", that is to say non violent protest. Why then is Lynda marching when she is still in school. In Selma, if someone tried to vote, march or oppose those in power they could loose their job or housing. Therefor, the adults could not stand up, but their children could and did.
Lynda and her friends were very industrious in circumventing those in power. They even had a system for homework and taking tests. That did not stop them from being jailed, in fact many of these enterprising youngsters were jailed multiple times. Most of these adventures were peaceful and Lynda and friends were quickly released from jail, on one occasion they spent 6 days in a camp, but on most of these occasions family and friends would come rescue the youngsters. In large part this rebellion was peaceful until Jimmy Lee Jackson was shot, which was then followed by Bloody Sunday. Bloody Sunday was broadcast around the nation, and brought support for the black community. Then when Dr. Martin Luther King called for a large march to Mobile, the community was mobilized.
Lynda marched towards Alabama the youngest of the crowd. She felt the need to march to show Governor Wallace, that she would not back down even with the stitches in her head from Bloody Sunday. The march ended up being very peaceful, with national guardsmen protecting the group, as they neared Mobile the crowd increased and numbered into the thousands.
What I enjoyed the most about this text was the first person narrative and the direct connection to a troubling time in the United States. I am going to give this book a 4.5 out of 5 stars. The only thing I am marking it down for is I wish that there was a little more detail. I find this book very pertinent and important to read especially if you are studying the civil rights movement in the United States. Today's hyper sensitivity to race and religion makes this book important and think any student fourth grade and up would enjoy this story.
This book is not for the faint of heart. This is a heart wrenching story, please be forewarned, this is not for children, The nature of the book requires a certain level of maturity therefore I strongly discourage anyone reading this book before they reach high school. I do feel, however, that this story needs to be told and could be thought provoking and earth shattering.
First let me explain why I read the book and watched the series on Netflix. I was encouraged by some young people that I needed to read this, since I am always looking for something to read plus I had heard some rumblings about this book, I knew I had to find out what the hoopla was about. Needless to say I was surprised by both the book and the series.
This is a story about a beautiful young woman, with loving parents that decides to commit suicide, which is horrible enough, but instead of a letter she makes 13 audio tapes explaining her reasons for terminating her life. What we read is the first person narrative of Clay as he listens to the tapes and comes to terms with Hannah's suicide. Clay had very strong feelings for Hannah but was afraid to step froward and proclaim his love. What he discovers is that Hannah was mistreated, rumored about and hated for no real reason. Every time something happens, it further weighs on her until she is stifled under its weight and finally wants to end the pain. She calls for help from the school counselor and he basically tells her to move on, there were other warning signs but no one was paying any attention to stop the unthinkable.
Normally, I would give a brief summary of a book, but I think that part of the unknown nature of when and what happens is what makes this book a page turner. I had a hard time putting it down. One of the hardest parts for me was the changing voice of the book, it flowed quickly from Clay's perception to Hannah's perception. That ebb and flow made it difficult to read at times. I am giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars, I am marking it down for the mature nature of the book and the rapid change of point of view. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and believe it will transcend generations, excellent for opening discussion among teens on depression, suicide and bullying. Really opens ones eyes as to how the smallest act can change somebody's world. Remember to be wonderful to others.
