435+Chapter+Book+Sharing+Page

__**Fall 2008 – Reading 435 New Chapter Book Sharing Page**__ Please provide an annotated description of your book. Make sure you have read the entire book before you present it!

//The Retired Kid// by Jon Agee Okay - so I didn't show an adolescent chapter book, but I did read you this book! This book shows what retirement might look like from the perspective of an 8 year old child. What this boy discovers is that being retired isn't so great and that being a kid is what he wants to do for his "job". The plot in this book is inviting to all ages, as it shows that the grass is not always greener on the other side.
 * Week 1 - Dr. Elizabeth Alderton**

//Side Effects// by Amy Goldman Koss This chapter book is about a 14 year old girl, Izzy, who one day finds swollen lymph glands. She goes to the doctor and finds out she has Hodgkin's lymphoma, and she gets put in a children's hospital. People who were her friends no longer talk to her and people she's never talked to are fake around her. On top of that, she has to go through painful procedures, including chemo and lots of needles. This is an honest story about survival, and being a kid with cancer.
 * Week 7 - Brooke Friederichs**

//The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian// by Sherman Alexie This book is about a high-school freshman who leaves his reservation to go to a better school. Thought of as a traitor by his people and an outsider at school, Junior/Arnold has to decide what is important to himself and how he will deal with his new identity in both worlds. This book would work well for students in high school who sometimes find themselves in two competing worlds.
 * Week 7 - James Johnson**

//I am a Taxi// by Deborah Ellis This amazing story is about a boy named Diego who lives with his baby sister and mother in San Sebastian Women's Prison in Bolivia. He struggles to live a normal life despite the fact that both of his parents are in prison for being caught with coca paste (a step in the process of making cocaine). He makes money by running errands for other prisoners and doing homework for some of the rich kids at his school. One day he loses track of his sister which lets loose a whole chain of events. In the end, he is in need of a lot of money to repay for damage done while searching for his sister. His best friend, Mando, invites him along on a "job" that promises to pay a lot of money in a short time, but he ends up working for people producing cocaine in the jungle. This, of course, is a corrupt business, and as they try to escape, a whole host of challenging events await them. This is the first book in a series.
 * Week 7 - Oriel Boomgarden**

//Looking for Alaska// by John Green This is a novel for the more mature reader, 14 years old or older. The story follows 16 year-old Miles as he enters a boarding school in hopes of making new friends and finding what he calls the Great Perhaps. Once at Culver Creek Prep School, Miles (who was quite unpopular back at home) quickly makes friends through his cool new roommate Chip. What follows is an adventure-filled semester involving rule-breaking activities such as pranks, drinking alcohol, and smoking cigarettes. Miles and his friends rebel against authority while managing to pull off really good grades, so studying is a priority as well. The plot takes a major turn as one of Miles friends is involved in a fatal car accident; the remainder of the book is an attempt for Miles and his friends to find the real meaning to existence. I found this book very hard to put down, and I strongly recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling book to read. http://www.amazon.com/Looking-Alaska-Printz-Award-Winner/dp/0525475060
 * Week 7 - Dan Curran**

//Fat Kid Rules the World// by K. L. Going This book is about an obese 17 year old boy (Troy) who at the beginning of the story is contemplating suicide by jumping in front of a subway train. A skinny homeless kid (Curt )who had been watching him steps in and talks to him and is convinced that he saved Troy. Curt then convinces Troy to start a band with him and wants Troy to be the drummer. The story talks about Troy's fears in life and how he always believes people are staring at him and laughing. Curt, in his own crazy way, teaches Troy many life lessons and gets him to be more self-confident as they work on their band. This book was said to be for ages 12 and above but some of the language and drug and alcohol content would make me think that it should be for high school age students and above.
 * Week 7 - Mike Riska**

//The Fire of Ares// by Michael Ford This is an easy chapter book for grades 7 to 9 and is of the action/adventure genre. It's about a teenage boy, Lysander, that lives as a slave in the Spartan city-state of ancient Greece. He's a strong-willed boy that will fight for what he believes in and soon learns that he's more than just a slave; he's got Spartan blood in him. The book embraces his struggle between his Spartan ancestry and his childhood as a Helot slave with the mystical power of an ancient amulet tied in. http://www.allenandunwin.com/default.aspx?book=9780747593669&page=94
 * Week 8 - Josh Pyne**

//Flush// by Carl Hiaasen This is chapter book for children ages 12 and older. This book is about a boy named Noah, whose father is in jail for trying to sink a boat that is suspected of illegal waste dumping in the Florida Keys. Noah believes like his father but instead of committing a crime to stop the dumping he teams up with his sister and others to prove the casino boat is damaging the environment. This book is funny and action packed mystery but it also examines some very important environmental issues. http://www.amazon.com/Flush-Carl-Hiaasen/dp/0375821821 http://www.powells.com/biblio/0375821821
 * Week 8 - Steven Fritz**

Week-8 TJ Tersine Caletti, Deb. [|The Nature of Jade]. Simon and Schuster, 2007. This is a book which is written about a girl with panic disorders and how by observing elephants she learns to comp with her anxiety. This book easily relates to my students because in high school everyone experiences some form of anxiety about every situation. Also from a biological aspect it could fit into both behaviors of elephants and modern physiology. While this book may not have strong relation to biology, it can be used as a point of interest which I can manipulate into the classroom. This book would work well with a book I want my students to read already, //When an Elephant cries,// this book asks questions about animal emotions and how while animals emotions are not as complex they still exist. This book was recommended by the CCBC.

//Home, and other Big, Fat Lies// by Jill Wolfson This chapter book is about a young girl named Whitney, that has "kicked heart disease in the butt" and is making a big move to the "middle of nowhere" California. Whitney is moving to her 12th foster home and is really skeptical about the location, as she is from the big city. Whitney is a young girl that has only known stereotypical foster homes and believe that she will never fit in in a town that is made up of only trees. She learns a great deal about the deforestation for the redwood forests and finds a place in her quaint new town. Whitney learns to love the trees that surround her. She actually ends up fighting to preserve the largest redwood in her town and finds her place in her 12th home.
 * Week 8- Elizabeth Kutzke**

Week 9- Chelsie Netzer Marked by P.C. Cast This book is geared for older adolescent readers. It is aboout a girl how is marked to become a vampire, which means she must leave her home, family, and friends behind. There are alot of issues covered in this book besides fantasy. The main character is Zoey Redbird. She doesn't fit in with her family, mainly because her mother remarried, and her new stepdad forces his religion on thier family. The only one she identifies with is her grand-mother. Zoey is half Cherokee Indian, and has also had a hard time fitting in normal society. Now that she is a fledgling vampire her family and friends traet her as an outcast. Zoey has nowhere to go except the House of Night. A school for vampires. There she finds out that vampires are just like humans, and cliques govern the school. As she attends school she learns she isn't any ordinary Vampire, but that she is gifted with great powers. She uses her powers to thwart a school bully, and gain acceptance with her peers.

Week 10 Alisha Brandtmeier //Lucky// By Rachel Vail Lucky is the story of five middle school girls who are best friends. They are graduating from eighth grade and are planning a graduation party. These girls are the popular girls that everybody wants to hang out with and they want to make sure they throw the best party ever. Phoebe, the main character, comes from a very rich family, as do her four best friends. The story of Lucky is a story that many teens can easily relate to. Phoebe has boy problems, gets in a fight with her best friend, and her family faces a financial struggle. There are many funny parts in the story and I really enjoyed reading it. I think a lot of middle school or high school students would enjoy reading it as well, it’s not a hard book and it can easily relate to real life.

Week 10 Jake Larsh //Repossessed// by A.M. Jenkins This novel is about Kiriel, a demon, or fallen angel as he prefers to be called. He is sick of his menial job in hell and decides to take a vacation. His idea of vacation? Steal a human body and live as many days possible before the boss (lucifer) or the creator figure out what he's done. Kiriel steals a average slacker teen's body and engages the life of this teen. He even embarks on the proverbial teenage quest to get laid. A real funny part is when Kiriel disguised as Shaun, tells the highschool jock that he doesn't have to be mean to people just because of his small man-tackle...which results in getting punched in the face This story draws a lot of interesting parallels to life/school like hell in some instances, but ultimately is the best time in human life as this outside demon figures out his place in the world, like a teenage boy figures out this same thing. I liked this book but it just seemed to end. Jenkins could have added 100 more pages, made it more of a novel. Nothing seems to be resolved. I would also recommend this book to my older students due to all of it's sexual content.

Week 11 Nick Katsandonis Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez The novel is about a girl, her family, friends and society under the rule of dictator Trujillo in the Dominican Republic around 1961. The story is completely centered around a little girl and he progression of maturing and her rapid development into an adult from the situation she is thrown into. Her family is part of a conspiricy to over throw the current dictator and slowly finds out details about the plan as well as gains insight to the current situation of her country. It is a great story because althought it is a fiction it really alows a person to imagine the situation and understand what people went through to try and make a change in governernment as well as feel how difficult the absolute and terrifying reign of Trujillo was like. A great book for a forein language or social studies class.

Week 12 //Dear John// by Nicholas Sparks John Tyree, a troubled boy joins the Army because life was taking him nowhere. One summer, on leave he jumps in to the ocean to retrieve a young college girl's back that had fallen in. This girl, Savannah Curtis instantly caught John's eye. From that moment on they hand fallen in love with each other. Then next few weeks they spent time together but their new romance had to take a new turn when John's leave was over. John was never really close to his father and never had understood him. His father was a man of routine. Savannah and brought John and his father closer. Savannah and John wrote to each other. The year passed and they got to see each other once again. This time they seemed different. They had grown over that year. Savannah had promised John that when he got out of the service they would get married. As that third and final year approached, John had been in Iraq fighting and he got a disturbing letter from Savannah. She had found someone else. This left John heartbroken. He ended up reenlisting in the Army. John gets an emergency leave when his father passes away. He settles things at home and goes to see Savannah. She was married to her long time friend Tim that John had meet that first summer. Tim was sick with cancer. John was still madly in love with Savannah, but knew she was not his anymore. John tells her that he cannot see her anymore and ends up leaving. On his way out of town, he sells his dad's coin collection. He made a donation to Tim to help him receive proper treatment. In the end he is sitting a top a hill and watches Tim and Savannah walking holding hands. Tim's cancer went into remission and was doing better. John is happy that he did not interfere, but is saddened because he will forever love Savannah Curtis.

Week 12 Brittany Rumphol //Twilight// by Stephanie Meyer This is the first of the a four part series. The main character, Bella, is an average/simple high school student that moves in with her father in the small town of Forks, Washington. Her relationship with her father was anything but close when she moved because her parents were divorced when she was only a few months old and her mother moved to Arizona. When she moves to Forks she meets a few friends but meets a strange and interesting boy that sits next to her in Biology. After he saves her life from getting hit from a van in the school parking lot, she becomes more aquanted with Edward. They become very close and she realizes that there is something unique about it and later finds out that he is a vampire. The remainder of the book describes the love between the two and struggle for them to maintain a normal relationship. It is difficult for them to be normal because Edward has a thrust for Bella but loves her more than his thrust. The book was made into a movie is coming out in theaters this Friday. It was an amazing series, best books I have ever read, and I recommend them to anyone that I talk to. They are very adicting and hard to put down so I recommend reading them when you have lots of free time! I would recommend them to my high school level students because it deals with the struggles of falling in love at such a young age and the ups and downs that goes along with it.

Week 12 Jackie Huebner __Estrella's Quinceanera__ By: Malin Alegria Estrella finally feels as if she can make it out of her poor California neighborhood because she won a scholarship to a private high school. Determined to leave her old life behind, she dumps her old friends and becomes best friends with two white girls from her new school who happen to be very wealthy. Estrella constantly tries impress them and pretends to be someone she's not in order to be friends with the "popular crowd." At the same time, back at home her mother is planning a huge 15th birthday party the traditional Mexican way (which is as big as a wedding) Estrella's mother and aunt will not listen to her when she says she doesn't want a Quinceanera because she is "American". The mother and aunt go ahead and make all of her birthday plans themselves, without thinking about what Estrella wants on //her// big day. Estrella's father is against the party, because their family cannot afford it. Her new white friends are always talking about guys and when Estrella brings up a guy shes interested in from her neighborhood, her friends dismiss him just because he doesn't own his own car. Estrella's father will also not let her date until she is 16 and is very strict with his daughter. He is furious when he catches Estrella with him one time, especially because he looks like a thug on the outside. Estrella keeps "Speedy" a secret from her family and new white friends, but continues to date him. Soon enough, Estella cannot keep her two lives separate and everyone becomes mad at her half-truths and fakeness. Her white friends do not like that she is always busy with her family, her mom is mad that she does not want a Quinceanera, her dad is mad that their family is going broke, her old Mexican friends are mad that she is ashamed of the Mexican race, and the guy she is seeing is mad that she is too embarrassed of him to let him come to a "white" party. In the end, with the help of her grandmother, she is able to take a stand for herself for once and gain some independence. She is able to find her identity, make amends with everyone who was mad at her, and finally be true to herself and her Mexican culture.

Week 12 Kyle Mannel //Hoot// by Carl Hiaason This book is a great fit for a supporting element in an ecology unit. It starts off explaining that Roy has moved around a lot and is trying to fit into a new school. It goes into the struggles he is facing with friends, bullies, and just the culture shock of a new environment. While on a bus ride to school he sees a kid running next to the bus without his shoes on, and is very curious. He finds the stranger and realizes that a vacant lot is the home to a species of burrowing owls. His friend who is only known as 'mullet fingers' likes these owls and is vandalizing the lot so a mother paula's pancake house doesn't bury these eagles. Roy looks into this further and realizes that the pancake management is trying to do something illegal, and tells his class about it one day. He then persists to skip school to go to the ground breaking ceremony, armed with a photo of the owls that mullet fingers took. Powered with the photo and his classmates, young adolescents make a stand and stop the construction crew from killing these owls. It is a great story to show no matter what age a child is he can make a difference if he truly cares and is compassionate about something. It is around a sixth grade reading level and would be a great fit to excersise that students can be heard with the right amount of research into a subject.

Week 13 Jim Krause //The Meaning of Consuelo// by Judith Ortiz Cofer This book is a great book for students wondering what it is like living in two different cultures. Consuelo, the main character, lives with her family in Puerto Rico in the 1950s. Her father is a businessman who is accepting of the new technology brought in by America to Puerto Rico. Her mother and her side of the family on the other hand are for traditional views and the preservation of nature on the island. Consuelo's best friend, her cousin Patricio, is extremely creative and artistic but in the traditional views on the island this sort of creativity among men is discouraged. He is later taken by his father to America where he eventually runs away. While this is happening this are starting to fall apart within Consuelo's own family, her sister is said to be schizphrenic and insane, her father is cheating on her mother, and Consuelo loses her virginity to a fellow classmate who afterwards completely ignores her. In the end her sister Mili dies from unknown reasons (she dissapears), her mother goes back to living with her mother and father and Consuelo's father turns insane after the death of Mili. Consuelo goes to America by herself in hopes of a new dream. Throughout the book Consuelo is searching for normalcy within herself and her family but it is not until she realizes she is not normal that she finally excels and feels peace in life.

Joshua Korotka //A Long Way Gone// By: Ishmael Beah This is a great book. It is a memoirs told threw the eyes of a young boy from Sierra Leone. Ismael was in the middle of a civil war. He would go from village to village trying to escape from the rebel who were known as the RUF. The RUF was aganinst the way the government was so they rebeled by killing innocent people and reccruiitng young children to become part of the RUF. These children were then used in the diamond feilds and used a soldiers. Ishmael was lucky enough to avoid death and being captured by the rebels, but he was forced to join the government army where he was taught to kill and do drugs. He did this until the UNICEF disarmed the him and others and took him to the US. He Rehabed and is now alive in the US. It is an awesome book because it is told in great detail, but that could also be a downfall for younger readers. It might be too graphic. Other than that, it is one of the few books I enjoyed reading.

Arthur Long “Stout, G. (1996). //On the Court with... Michael Jordan//. New York, : Matt Christopher Royalties. The examines the life and basketball career of the high-scoring player with the Chicago Bulls, who made a brief attempt to play minor league baseball 1994. I really enjoyed the book because I was and still a big fan of Michael Jordan. I founded the book, I just had to read it and the best part it was a younger reads. I would definitly recommend it to anyone that loved watching Michael Jordan liked I did as child.