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book reviews

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Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

12/6/2017

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  • Vivian Carter lives in a small Texas town where football is the only thing that matters -- so much so that the high school football players can get away with just about anything, including wearing offensive t-shirts to school, making rude comments in class, and groping girls in the halls.
  • Vivian's mom was a punk rock rebel in the 90's and after looking through some of her old things, Vivian gets inspired to speak up against what's going on at her school by creating and distributing an anonymous newsletter.
  • Will her female classmates stand up with her?  Will she be able to confess to her friends that she made the newsletter?  Will she get expelled?  And what about that cute new boy, Seth Acosta?
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This book really speaks to what's going on in our society today about how men treat woman (and boys treat girls) and what is and isn't acceptable.  It's an uplifting read that will have you cheering on the girls of East Rockport High School. 
Grades 8-12
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Spontaneous by Aaron Starmer

3/20/2017

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  • Mara Carlyle's senior year is blowing up -- literally.  All around Mara her classmates begin to spontaneously combust, leaving their classmates covered in blood and worrying if they could be the next one to explode.
  • This is probably not the best time to start a relationship (knowing that either one of them could pop at any time), but that doesn't stop Mara and her new boyfriend Dylan from taking advantage of the time they have together.
  • As more and more of her classmates explode and the FBI and military get involved, Mara wonders if she and any of her classmates will make it to graduation.
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It's a little gory, but if you can get past the exploding people, this darkly humorous and satirical book will not only make you laugh, but it will also make you think about how our society and media respond to disasters. The main character, Mara, is a snarky and sometimes annoying girl who makes a lot of bad decisions including some inappropriate coping strategies, but she describes the end of the world as she knows it in hilarious detail.
Grades 9-12
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All the Rage by Courtney Summers

3/15/2017

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  • Months ago Romy Grey was raped by the town sheriff's son -- but no one believed her.  Since then, she's been branded a liar, ostracized, and bullied by her former friends.
  • She takes refuge in working in a diner in a nearby town where no one knows about her past, and she strikes up a tentative relationship with one of her co-workers.
  • When after the senior party she wakes up by the side of the road with no memory of the night before and discovers a popular classmate has gone  missing from the same party, Romy has to decide if she wants to fight back or live with the knowledge that other girls could continue to be hurt if she doesn't speak up.
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This book is a hard and emotional read but well worth it since it shines light on a society that often blames the victim.  It also examines how corruption and power in a small town can keep justice from being served.  Compared to other excellent books dealing  with sexual assault such as Exit, Pursued by a Bear and Speak, All the Rage holds up well and has it's own point of view.  
Grades 9-12
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When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds

3/10/2017

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  • Ali lives in a tough neighborhood in New York but stays out of trouble by spending his time boxing, helping out at home, and hanging with his best friend Noodles, who unlike Ali, is a guy who seems to look for trouble.
  • Then there's Noodles' brother Needles who has Tourette's Syndrome which causes him to twitch and blurt out crazy things -- but everyone in the neighborhood knows Needles is cool and looks out for him.
  • Everything is cool until one night Ali, Noodles, and Needles end up somewhere they shouldn't be, where people don't know Needles -- then things stop being cool.
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"A lot of stuff that gives my neighborhood a bad name, I don't really mess with.  The guns and drugs and all that, not really my thing."  Ali's voice is so real that you'll think you're sitting with him and Noodles on the stoop in their Bed Stuy neighborhood as his tale unfolds.  A great look into the life of an urban teen on the cusp of manhood as he deals with everything life throws his way.
Grades 7-12
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Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston

9/30/2016

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  • Hermione Winters is co-captain of her cheerleading team  and is planning to lead her team to victory at regional and national competitions during her senior year.
  • At a summer cheer camp, Hermione's drink is spiked, and she is raped.
  • When she returns home, her senior year is marred by rumors, the awkward reactions of her classmates and boyfriend, and her consuming need to remember exactly what happened to her.

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Another of my top ten favorite books so far this year.  In an unflinching and honest book, Hermione shows us the meaning of the word "survivor."
Grades 9-12
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Gabi: A Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

9/27/2016

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  • Gabi Hernandez just wants to make it through her senior year of high school in one piece and maybe have a little fun, but that's not so easy with a drug addict for a father and a mom who expects Gabi to be certain way.
  • Things get more complicated when one of Gabi's best friends gets pregnant and her other best friend gets kicked out of his house for being gay.
  • Surprisingly, a poetry class helps Gabi deal with some of her issues (and it also turns out to be a place to meet cute guys).
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Gabi's story is told through diary entries, and she is such a real, fierce, and  deep character who questions her culture's expectations and gender rules and roles for girls.  One of my top ten favorite reads of 2016 so far.
Grades 8-12
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The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

5/17/2016

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  • The Paloma and Corbeau families are traveling performers who have been rivals and enemies for years. 
  • They believe that a Corbeau touching a Paloma, or vice versa, could lead to death – but that doesn’t stop Luc “Cluck” Corbeau from saving Lace Paloma’s life during an environmental disaster.
  • Lace’s growing attraction to Cluck has her questioning their families complicated history as well as her future.
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The magical realism and the Romeo and Juliet romance are a winning combination.  I also enjoyed how the book takes place in an imaginary central valley town but names other nearby real places (hello Hanford!).
Grades 8-12
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The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

5/16/2016

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  • Blue Sargent lives in a house full of psychics and has been told all her life that if she kisses her true love he will die.
  • When Blue meets Gansey, a wealthy boy and a student at the local prep school, Aglionby Academy, she joins him and his friends in their quest to find a long dead Welsh king.
  • Blue wonders if this will be the year she finds her ill-fated true love.  Will it be Gansey, Adam, Ronan, Noah, or someone else she hasn't met yet?
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A mesmerizing blend of fantasy, magic, and mystery.  Each character is so real and unique - I just want to live inside this book.
Book 1 of the Raven Cycle Quartet
Grades 8-12
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Cinder by Marissa Meyer

5/16/2016

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  • Futuristic take on the Cinderella fairy tale.
  • Cinder is a cyborg who spends her days fixing broken machines and fantasizing about escaping from her difficult life.
  • Her life changes when Prince Kai brings her an android to fix, her step-sister gets the plague, and an evil queen threatens to take over the world.
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This is a fun spin on the Cinderella story, and I was rooting for Cinder and riveted by the fast-paced plot.
Book 1 of the Lunar Chronicles
Grades 7-12

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    Ms. Wheaton

    Teacher Librarian

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