Fabulous Finds: The Maze Runner

The Maze Runner by James Dashner is a different kind of dystopian novel. When I read it, I had just finished Matched, and Reached. I was in this "futuristic love story" mindset. The Maze Runner is nothing like that.

This is the book description for The Maze Runner given by Amazon.com:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every thirty days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

This is my personal review of The Maze Runner:

Thomas is confused and upset. He wakes up in a metal box and can't remember anything. A group of boys find him and let him know that he has arrived at the Glade. The Glade is a type of society confined to an area surrounded by giant walls with a large gate in all 4 directions leading to a maze.

Every morning, the gates open to the maze and the Maze Runners (boys assigned to finding a path to escape) leave on a mission. They must return to the Glade before sundown when the gates close because if they don't, they are subjected to being hunted by unfamiliar, hideous creatures.

The day after Thomas arrives, a girl arrives in the box. The Gladers are suspicious and nervous about this because a girl has never arrived to the Glade before.

Thomas feels the need to join the Maze Runners and unlock the secret to the maze, the Glade, and his memories.

This book is amazing. It's fast-paced and entertaining. I haven't been able to read the sequels but you can believe they are on my wish list!!! This book would be appropriate for secondary grades.

Happy Reading!!
-CM (currently reading through "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by K. DiCamillo)

Fabulous Finds: Mockingbird

Do you ever come across a book that affects you more than you had anticipated? The book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erkine did that to me. I decided to read it because (1) it was on the list of books to possibly review and (2) it was given decent reviews by a few of my classmates. I did not realize how fabulous it would be.

 

This is the book description given to Mockingbird from Amazon.com:

 

Caitlin has Asperger's. The world according to her is black and white; anything in between is confusing. Before, when things got confusing, Caitlin went to her older brother, Devon, for help. But Devon has died, and Caitlin's dad is so distraught that he is just not helpful. Caitlin wants everything to go back to the way things were, but she doesn't know how to do that. Then she comes across the word closure- and she realizes this is what she needs. And in her search for it, Caitlin discovers that the world may not be black and white after all.

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Below is my personal book review of Mockingbird:

This book introduces a fifth grader named Caitlin, who has Asperger's Syndrome. After a devastating and tragic occurrence, Caitlin is forced to continue their lives without her older brother Devon. Devon used to help her through social situations but now he is dead and she is left to figure it out by herself. With the help of her school counselor and her new friend, first grader Michael, Caitlin is slowly learning how to understand other people's feelings and develop relationships.

My younger brother has Asperger's and after reading this book, I understand what my brother has been going through all of his life. This book also delves deeply into the uncomfortable topic of school violence. It was heartbreaking to read certain parts but I am very grateful to have been introduced to such a wonderful book. This book would open up a multitude of topics for classroom discussions and debates. I loved the book very much.

Happy Reading!
-CM (reading The Maze Runner by J. Dashner)

Fabulous Finds: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks

This Fabulous Find was on the list of books given to me by my professor in my YA Literature class. I have to be honest that I didn't even read the title when I saw the list. This particular title didn't scream "I'M AWESOME! READ ME!!!"  After reading a review on this book on a classmate's blog, I was intrigued and decided that I needed it on my Kindle at once.

 

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

 

 

Book Description of The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by Amazon.com:

 

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 14:Debate Club.
Her father's "bunny rabbit."
A mildly geeky girl attending a highly competitive boarding school.

Frankie Landau-Banks at age 15:A knockout figure.
A sharp tongue.
A chip on her shoulder.
And a gorgeous new senior boyfriend:  the supremely goofy, word-obsessed Matthew Livingston.

Frankie Landau-Banks. No longer the kind of girl to take "no" for an answer.
Especially when "no" means she's excluded from her boyfriend's all-male secret society.
Not when her ex-boyfriend shows up in the strangest of places.
Not when she knows she's smarter than any of them.
When she knows Matthew's lying to her.
And when there are so many, many pranks to be done.

Frankie Landau-Banks, at age 16:Possibly a criminal mastermind.

This is the story of how she got that way. 

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This is my book review for The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks:

 

Frankie is not your average teenage girl. She belongs to a good family and attends a prestigious boarding school. Somehow between the end of her freshman year and the start of her sophomore year, she blossomed into a real beauty with brains. The result of this is a senior classman being surprisingly interested in Frankie. She wins him over along with his buddies but is frequently irritated when he dismisses her as being adorable and not admiring her intellect. Frankie quickly discovers that her boyfriend and his friends are a part of a secret society equal to the likes of the mysterious brotherhoods of Harvard and Yale. (Of course they are.) She is vehemently upset that her boyfriend doesn't want to share any of that part of his life with her, and decides to go behind his back to integrate herself into his secret society.

 

That is the basic review. Now here is my opinions, when I read the synopsis I was eager to dive into this book. I was just as desperate to know what was going on with this secret society as Frankie was. (Just so you know, nothing much is going on.) However, I decided early on that Frankie is a bit more than I can handle. She's smart and apparently a knock-out overnight. She uses words that are bizarre and even other characters are asking her what she is talking about. She's dating Matthew for about a minute when she decides she doesn't like him having a life separate from her and decides she needs to be deeply involved in his secret society. Not to mention that every high school student at the boarding school has got to have super grades in vocabulary. Who talks like that with their friends, seriously? I don't care if you do belong to this awesomely expensive school. Teenagers don't typically use that type of vocabulary in the cafeteria.

 

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the 7th grade. I don't really even have any books to compare it to at this point. I did find the book fabulous because it's an original idea and I like the storyline. I just wish I fell in love with it.

 

Until next time....Happy Reading!!

-CM (reading "The Maze Runner" by J. Dashner...again)

 

 





Fabulous Finds: The Hunger Games

Okay so technically this is not a Fabulous Find. It's actually a Fabulous Reread but still it's incredible enough to get a post on my blog. The Hunger Games is written by Suzanne Collins who also wrote an awesome series for children known as Gregor the Overlander. It's a good one too! (Tidbit of information: I recently found out that Suzanne Collins also wrote for the television show "Little Bear". What!? Crazy.)

Amazon.com gives the following description for Suzanne's fabulous book:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

This is my book review for The Hunger Games:

The story details the life of a teenage girl named Katniss. She lives in a desolate community known simply as District 12. The day she fears every year has come, The Reaping which is a time when the people of each district come together to watch as one teenage girl and one teenage boy is chosen to fight to the death in an annual "festival" called The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games are a direct result of a war fought many years ago between the districts and the Capitol. When the districts lost the war, The Hunger Games was born as punishment for their rebellion. During this particular reaping, Katniss' worst fear is confirmed as her little sister is chosen as tribute. Bravely Katniss volunteers to take her place.
Katniss and Peeta (the boy tribute) are whisked away to the Captiol where they train before being placed in the arena where they will be expected to fight 22 other tributes from Districts 1-11. The storyline follows Katniss very closely and we get to see how suspicious she is of other people and how she comes to protect and love others.

The Hunger Games and another fabulous find of mine are very closely related, Divergent. Both of these books are very near and dear to my heart and I was thrilled to see The Hunger Games on the big screen. I'm equally excited to know that Divergent is also being made into a movie! As a classroom teacher, I can see Language Arts classes reading both books and comparing the two. Since they are both (soon-to-be) motion pictures, that could be another type of comparison as well. I highly recommend this series to almost everyone I come across. LOVE IT!!!!

Happy Reading!!
-CM (just purchased "The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks" by E. Lockhart)

Fabulous Finds: The Giver

This week's Fabulous Find is The Giver. I've read The Giver before but it was a really long time ago. I think at least 15 years as I was in high school at the time. However, I had this on my bookshelf and decided to give it another go when I saw it on the book list given by my professor. The Giver is the first of a trilogy (soon to be quartet as the author has finished a fourth book recently!) by Lois Lowry.

This is the book description of The Giver found on Amazon.com:

Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear of pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. When Jonas turns 12 he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Short, sweet, and mysterious. Love it! This is the review given by me:

Jonas is not your typical soon-to-be 12 year old. He tries very hard to excel at everything he does. He chooses his vocabulary wisely, doesn't get into trouble, and wants very much to fit into his perfect community harmoniously. When he turns 12, he goes through a ceremony held by the entire community to assign Jonas to a specific job. He receives a job that is held to the highest honor and Jonas seems to be perfect to work closely with a man known as The Giver.
During his training, The Giver puts Jonas through a lot and introduces him to many wonders of a world Jonas knew nothing about. However, in addition to wonderful experiences, The Giver also introduces Jonas to turmoil and tragedy.
Jonas knows now that his world will never be the same. The way he sees his community, his friends, and even his family has forever changed.

I loved reading The Giver. Currently you can throw a stone and find at least 3 dystopian/utopian type novels at your reach but The Giver stands alone. In a way, The Giver paved the way for books such as Divergent, The Hunger Games, and Unwind.

Now my only complaint is the ending. There isn't really one. It leaves you hanging suddenly with a thousand questions on your mind. Now a friend mentioned that during high school, their assignment after reading this novel was to write their own continuation. If I was a high school teacher, that assignment would be perfect. Also, this book reminds me very strongly of a book called, Matched. That book also has a utopian society where everything is chosen for you. It would be interesting to have junior high or high school classes read both and do a comparison.

Until next week...Happy Reading!!
-CM (reading "The Hunger Games" by S. Collins....for the millionth time)

Fabulous Finds: Al Capone Does My Shirts

About three years ago, my university professor mentioned this book during class. She said it was a great book and that she enjoyed it very much. I remember jotting the title down and not thinking much more about it. Later, I remember coming across the cover page on Amazon.com and thinking, "Really? That doesn't really seem like something I would like." So I dismissed the book entirely based solely on the title and the cover page. See below:

At the time, I didn't like stories about gangsters. I wasn't into the historical fiction genre. I didn't care what was going on in Alcatraz. Last year, I came across this very same book at a garage sale for $.50 and figured it was at least worth that.
With all that being said, I have the priviledge of having that same professor this summer in my Masters course. In the list of YA books for us to choose from to read and review was the above title. I picked through my personal library and found it. You know what I found? It's captivating and really interesting.

This is the book description from Amazon.com:

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Today I moved to a twelve-acre rock covered with cement, topped with bird turd and surrounded by water. I'm not the only kid who lives here. There's my sister, Natalie, except she doesn't count. And there are twenty-three other kids who live on the island because their dads work as guards or cook's or doctors or electricians for the prison, like my dad does. Plus, there are a ton of murderers, rapists, hit men, con men, stickup men, embezzlers, connivers, burglars, kidnappers and maybe even an innocent man or two, though I doubt it. The convicts we have are the kind other prisons don't want. I never knew prisons could be picky, but I guess they can. You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.

 

The following is my review:

 

This book was truly fabulous! It's not at all what I was expecting. It is a historical fiction tale set in the 1930s about a 7th grade boy named Moose who lives on Alcatraz Island with his family. He's not thrilled about the move but knows deep down that it is the best chance his older sister, Natalie (who has undiagnosed autism) has at attending a school designed to help her. Over time, Moose meets other kids on the island, gets into a little bit of trouble without intending to, and develops a closer relationship with his sister. Now while this book covers an adolescent coming of age, historical events, and details about a disability unknown at that time, the relationship between Moose and Natalie is what really carries the story in my opinion.

 

I highly recommend this book to anyone around 5th grade and older. My third graders may find it a little hard to get into. In addition, a possible lesson could include a Alcatraz project to go with the book.

Happy Reading!
-CM (reading "The Giver" by L. Lowry)

Fabulous Finds: Unwind

I have just finished an amazing book thanks to my professor for my Adolescent Literature class. She gave us a list of books to read and discuss and this book, Unwind is one of them. I ordered it on my Kindle because let's face it, technology rules our lives lately. Unwind is the first of a dystopian trilogy written by Neal Shusterman (click on his name to go directly to his website). I honestly hadn't heard of this book and being such a huge dystopian fan, I was surprised. Anyways, forward onto the book review for Unwind.

Here is the description given by Amazon.com

In a society where unwanted teens are salvaged for their body parts, three runaways fight the system that would "unwind" them
Connor's parents want to be rid of him because he's a troublemaker. Risa has no parents and is being unwound to cut orphanage costs. Lev's unwinding has been planned since his birth, as part of his family's strict religion. Brought together by chance, and kept together by desperation, these three unlikely companions make a harrowing cross-country journey, knowing their lives hang in the balance. If they can survive until their eighteenth birthday, they can't be harmed -- but when every piece of them, from their hands to their hearts, are wanted by a world gone mad, eighteen seems far, far away.

This gives a pretty decent description of the book. Below is a review given by yours truly:

Unwind is a fantastic thrill ride that is guaranteed to get you thinking about your own beliefs. It's a story of three totally different teens thrown together by one common goal, to live when the law is telling them otherwise. This setting takes place after a war between those believing in Pro-Life and those believing in Pro-Choice. The ending of this war results in what is called Unwinding, where teens between the ages of 13 and 18 can be written off by their parents or guardians and "unwound". It is a common idea that these teens don't die, but are living in a divided state as 100% of their bodies are harvested and used as transplants. It's truly a horrifying thought.

This book really made me think about how I viewed this current debate. While I do have my own beliefs and lean strongly toward one side rather than the other, the idea of unwinding another human being is revolting. This subject helps connect us to a very real debate in our world. It's nearly impossible not to question your ideas or the ideas of those that oppose you after reading such an interesting novel.

This dystopian reminds me greatly of another series that I was thoroughly hooked on called "The Uglies". (I'll need to place a review for that book on here soon. It was fabulous!!) That series dove deeply into current issues as well but rather than address the Pro-Life/Choice issue, it involved the issue of cosmetic surgery and self-confidence issues. The writing style and how the author addresses these hot topics are very similar. I do think I need to mention that the story's POV jumps through several characters and that can be a little confusing if you aren't paying attention.

As a teacher of third grade, this is not a book I would have in my classroom library. However, I will be recommending it to fellow educators teaching late junior high or high school. It would be great as a class set to read aloud and discuss this sensitive issue. Perhaps even bring about a class debate.

Anyways, I need to thank my professor, Dr. White for introducing this wonderful book to my personal library!

Happy Reading!!!
-CM (browsing the cover of "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by G. Choldenko)

Fabulous Find: Fallen

Okay it's been a long while since I've posted a Fabulous Find. Well I have one but I'm so torn about it's level of fabulousness (like the word? It's new!) that I almost didn't want to post it but after I read the book and felt compelled to read its sequels, I thought "Why not?" So here it is:

Fallen by Lauren Kate

 

 

This is the book description taken from Amazon.com:

 

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

 

This is my description of Fallen:

 

Luce is a teenage girl who has some serious problems that just can't seem to let her go. She finally seems to have escaped feeling like an outcast at her new school, Sword & Cross. That is until she runs into Daniel Grigori.

 

Daniel is a boy that Luce is unexplainably drawn to. She can't place it, and she can't resist it but that's because their pasts are so twisted up in one another that she can't avoid it.

 

Once Luce starts looking into Daniel's past and realizes their divine connection, she seems like nothing has been solved. The truth is SPOILER: Daniel's a fallen angel and they are the epitome of true love. She is constantly looking for more answers and Daniel evades her questions in an irritating way.

 

The storyline is indeed fabulous. I had never heard of such an interesting plot and was curious on how it played out. However, in the end of the book when the great battle begins, it ends just as suddenly, with no real winner. I went on to read the sequels, Torment and Passion because I often feel attached to a series and need to see it to the end even if I didn't LOVE it. This is my dilemma with Fallen.

 

However, this is just my opinion. Feel free to read the book yourself and see if you disagree. To each their own!

 

Happy Reading!!!

-CM (just starting to read "Cinder" by M. Meyer)



Summer is finally here!!!!!

So here is an interesting blog twist, I'm currently working on my Master's in Reading and in a course I'm taking (Adolescent Literature), one of the assignments is to create a literary blog. When I read this, I was like, "Well I've got that completed!" I guess I can check that one off my assignment list. However, according to my assignment, I am required to read and talk about 8 different books on a prescribed list. I looked over this list and was pleased to see that I have read and own a couple of the books. I wish I could say that I am familiar with all of them but I suppose adding them to my collection at this time isn't terrible. Better late than never!!

In other news: remember back a few months ago when I was terrified of a certain query letter? Well I've been cyberstalking reading a blog by Janet Reid, a well-known literary agent. She has 2 literary blogs but the one I'm stuck on is aptly called "QueryShark". This is a blog that authors submit their query letters for Ms. Reid to critique and analyze. Sometimes she'll post their letter with her opinions and editing on the blog for the world to see. This is so that others reading will attempt to avoid those same cliche mistakes. I briefly thought about submitting my recently revised query letter for her opinion but seeing all that color on my screen makes me think I'd better polish my query as much as I can beforehand. I'd love to have her suggestions and may submit in the future when I feel more confident in my work.

BTW- I've recently finished not one but two fabulous finds! Sadly, I'll have to post about them later, possibly tomorrow if time allows. I've already had my warm milk for the night and my eyes won't stay open much longer!

Happy Reading!!
-CM (currently rereading "Catching Fire" by S. Collins)

The Dreaded Query

When I finished writing my novel,  I knew the process of getting it published would prove challenging. After all, if it were easy everyone would be doing it. I just never realized it would be this terrifying!!!

 

So the novel is done. Check.

 

Now I find that I need to write a query letter. This is a letter that should hook the attention of a literary agent so that they may request chapters, pages, or the entire manuscript of my precious novel. Think of the query as being the back cover of a book or DVD case.

 

This query letter is proving to be a daunting task. Afterall, my novel, the object of my obsession for more than a year, should be condensed down to a few paragraphs. This is difficult to me because I think that everything in the novel is equally important. However, I am determined to make a decent effort in putting my beloved book on shelves so I have gotten some books to help me on my way.

 

So far I've only gotten through 75% of the first book but I've gotten some really good advice and I've been working on polishing my query. It's my deepest hope that a literary agent will receive my query letter, hit the reply button, and say "Send immediately!! I can't wait to read it!!!!"

Oh to dream! :)

 

Happy Reading!!

-CM (currently browsing "Guide to Query Letters")