Book List

#MustReadIn2017 is hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That:

“For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books (5? 10? 20? 30? more?) that you commit to reading in 2016. Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and be from any category (adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc.).  As your TBR list grows, you promise you will get to the books on this list.”

These are our hopeful lists. Some are books we’ve been wanting to read for a long time, while others are books we just really want to read as of right now (January 2016), and lastly, some are books we really need to read because we’ve promised someone. We included young adult and middle grade books because they are what we are always trying to push ourselves to read more of, but as Carrie said, we will absolutely be reading many books not on this list! And don’t worry, we will still be reading the latest and greatest picture books to our boys.

Now without further adieu:

Ricki’s #mustreadin2017

1. 33 Snowfish by Adam Rapp

2. Blankets by Craig Thompson

3. The Color of Water: A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride

4. Dime by E.R. Frank

5. For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood…And the Rest of Y’all, Too by Christopher Emdin

6. Gem and Dixie by Sara Zarr

7. Ghost by Jason Reynolds Completed 1/27/2017

8. The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle Completed 5/28/2017

9. Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley Completed 6/12/2017

10. Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

11. Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby

12. The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

13. March by John Lewis Completed 7/1/2017

14. The Memory of Light by Francisco X. Stork

15. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

16. Scythe by Neal Shusterman

17. Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman

18. Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan

19. The Smell of Other People’s Houses by Bonnie-Sue Hitchcock Completed 10/23/2017

20. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Completed: 5 out of 20

Kellee’s #mustreadin2017

1. Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer 5/8/2017

2. A Boy Called Bat by Elana K. Arnold 2/25/17

3. The Boy in the Black Suit by Jason Reynolds

4. Burn Baby Burn by Meg Medina 11/8/17

5. Dime by E.R. Frank

6. Everyone We’ve Been by Sarah Everett 9/15/17

7. Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley 8/18/17

8. History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera 10/9/17

9. The Hunted by Matt de la Peña 4/22/17

10. Little Monsters by Kara Thomas 10/6/17

11. March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin 6/20/17

12. Posted by John David Anderson 4/14/17

13. Scythe by Neal Shusterman 9/5/17

14. Short by Holly Goldberg Sloan 9/30/17

15. Simon vs. the Homo Sapians Agenda by Becky Albertalli 4/27/17

16. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

17. Stella by Starlight by Sharon Draper 10/18/17

18. The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon 5/7/17

19. Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin 5/26/17

20. The World’s Greatest Detective by Caroline Carlson

Completed: 16 out of 20

We’d love to hear about your #mustreadin2017 list!

and

#MustReadIn2016 is hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That:

“For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books (5? 10? 20? 30? more?) that you commit to reading in 2016. Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and be from any category (adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc.).  As your TBR list grows, you promise you will get to the books on this list.”

Kellee

My plan was to read 5 books between each update, and I was on track until this final update where I only read 3…
(One of my books I decided to skip because I’d put it on the list because I love the author but after reading the summary over and over, I just don’t think I’ll liked being scared. The other one I didn’t read because I LEFT IT AT SCHOOL during Winter Break–ugh!)
However, the three I read are all 3 are five stars!

Enchanted Air: Two Cultures, Two Wings: A Memoir
Author: Margarita Engle
Published August 4th, 2015 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Summary: In this poetic memoir, Margarita Engle, the first Latina woman to receive a Newbery Honor, tells of growing up as a child of two cultures during the Cold War.

Margarita is a girl from two worlds. Her heart lies in Cuba, her mother’s tropical island country, a place so lush with vibrant life that it seems like a fairy tale kingdom. But most of the time she lives in Los Angeles, lonely in the noisy city and dreaming of the summers when she can take a plane through the enchanted air to her beloved island. Words and images are her constant companions, friendly and comforting when the children at school are not.

Then a revolution breaks out in Cuba. Margarita fears for her far-away family. When the hostility between Cuba and the United States erupts at the Bay of Pigs Invasion, Margarita’s worlds collide in the worst way possible. How can the two countries she loves hate each other so much? And will she ever get to visit her beautiful island again?

My Thoughts: Margarita Engle’s novels-in-verse are some of my favorite narrative poetry out there. She has a way of making the words on the page sing! This title is no different, and I think it is the best I’ve read by her because it is obvious her heart and soul were in each and every word. It was also quite interesting to learn about the historic period of time that Margarita was living in.

Mexican Whiteboy
Author: Matt de la Peña
Published August 12th, 2008 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Smmary: Danny’s tall and skinny. Even though he’s not built, his arms are long enough to give his pitch a power so fierce any college scout would sign him on the spot. Ninety-five mile an hour fastball, but the boy’s not even on a team. Every time he gets up on the mound he loses it.

But at his private school, they don’t expect much else from him. Danny’ s brown. Half-Mexican brown. And growing up in San Diego that close to the border means everyone else knows exactly who he is before he even opens his mouth. Before they find out he can’t speak Spanish, and before they realize his mom has blond hair and blue eyes, they’ve got him pegged. But it works the other way too. And Danny’s convinced it’s his whiteness that sent his father back to Mexico.

That’s why he’s spending the summer with his dad’s family. Only, to find himself, he may just have to face the demons he refuses to see–the demons that are right in front of his face. And open up to a friendship he never saw coming.

Set in the alleys and on the ball fields of San Diego County, Mexican Whiteboy is a story of friendship, acceptance, and the struggle to find your identity in a world of definitions.

My Thoughts: Matt de la Peña knows how to give voice to the young men who often feel like they do not have one. Danny is such a complex protagonist who is so talented and yet so unsure about himself. The growth he shows throughout the book with the help of the most unlikely best friend is so inspiring, and I loved living the summer with him.

More Happy Than Not
Author: Adam Silvera
Published June 2nd, 2015 by Soho Teen

Summary: In his twisty, gritty, profoundly moving debut—called “mandatory reading” by the New York Times—Adam Silvera brings to life a charged, dangerous near-future summer in the Bronx.

In the months after his father’s suicide, it’s been tough for 16-year-old Aaron Soto to find happiness again–but he’s still gunning for it. With the support of his girlfriend Genevieve and his overworked mom, he’s slowly remembering what that might feel like. But grief and the smile-shaped scar on his wrist prevent him from forgetting completely.

When Genevieve leaves for a couple of weeks, Aaron spends all his time hanging out with this new guy, Thomas. Aaron’s crew notices, and they’re not exactly thrilled. But Aaron can’t deny the happiness Thomas brings or how Thomas makes him feel safe from himself, despite the tensions their friendship is stirring with his girlfriend and friends. Since Aaron can’t stay away from Thomas or turn off his newfound feelings for him, he considers turning to the Leteo Institute’s revolutionary memory-alteration procedure to straighten himself out, even if it means forgetting who he truly is.

Why does happiness have to be so hard?

My Thoughts: Adam Silvera’s book should be mandatory reading. It has inspired me, and so many others, in ways that no book in a while has. The idea of identity that it puts forth is so thought-provoking and deep. If you have not read this one yet, move it to the top of your TBR!

Ricki

Black Like Me by John Howard Griffin 

Summary: In the Deep South of the 1950s, journalist John Howard Griffin decided to cross the color line. Using medication that darkened his skin to deep brown, he exchanged his privileged life as a Southern white man for the disenfranchised world of an unemployed black man. His audacious, still chillingly relevant eyewitness history is a work about race and humanity-that in this new millennium still has something important to say to every American.

My thoughts: Whew. What a piece of history. The relevance of this book to today was disturbing and saddening. My parents and in-laws said this was required reading for them in high school. I found it interesting that this book is not taught often anymore. It is an excellent text to read, and I am still thinking about it, months later.

See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles

Summary: Starting middle school brings all the usual challenges — until the unthinkable happens, and Fern and her family must find a way to heal.

Twelve-year-old Fern feels invisible. It seems as though everyone in her family has better things to do than pay attention to her: Mom (when she’s not meditating) helps Dad run the family restaurant; Sarah is taking a gap year after high school; and Holden pretends that Mom and Dad and everyone else doesn’t know he’s gay, even as he fends off bullies at school. Then there’s Charlie: three years old, a “surprise” baby, the center of everyone’s world. He’s devoted to Fern, but he’s annoying, too, always getting his way, always dirty, always commanding attention. If it wasn’t for Ran, Fern’s calm and positive best friend, there’d be nowhere to turn. Ran’s mantra, “All will be well,” is soothing in a way that nothing else seems to be. And when Ran says it, Fern can almost believe it’s true. But then tragedy strikes- and Fern feels not only more alone than ever, but also responsible for the accident that has wrenched her family apart. All will not be well. Or at least all will never be the same.

My thoughts: I sobbed through much of this book. It made me feel very raw emotions, and I will carry it in my heart always. As others have stated, this is a must-read. I am so glad it was on my must read list this year.

A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

Summary: In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after.

My Thoughts: Ah, so this is why everyone raves about this book! It is gory and great fun. I loved this fairy tale retelling, and I enjoyed the ways in which Adam Gidwitz breaks the fourth wall and talks to the reader often. I’ve recommended this book to a few folks since I’ve read it.

Stop by There Is A Book For That to see the updates of everyone’s #mustreadin2016 lists!

And next week, check out our #mustreadin2017 list!

 and

#MustReadIn2016 is hosted by Carrie Gelson at There Is A Book For That:

“For anyone out there with a To Be Read list that seems like it will never end, this challenge is for you! This is all about making your own personal list of books (5? 10? 20? 30? more?) that you commit to reading in 2016. Books can be published in any year, be from any genre, and be from any category (adult, YA, MG, Graphics, NF, etc.).  As your TBR list grows, you promise you will get to the books on this list.”

Kellee

My plan was to read 5 books between each update, and I am right on track!

The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson
Finished 6-23-16

Summary: Saving the school — one con at a time.

Jackson Greene has reformed. No, really he has. He became famous for the Shakedown at Shimmering Hills, and everyone still talks about the Blitz at the Fitz…. But after the disaster of the Mid-Day PDA, he swore off scheming and conning for good.

Then Keith Sinclair — loser of the Blitz — announces he’s running for school president, against Jackson’s former best friend Gaby de la Cruz. Gaby hasn’t talked to Jackson since the PDA, and he knows she won’t welcome his involvement. But he also knows Keith has “connections” to the principal, which could win him the election whatever the vote count.

So Jackson assembles a crack team to ensure the election is done right: Hashemi Larijani, tech genius. Victor Cho, bankroll. Megan Feldman, science goddess and cheerleader. Charlie de la Cruz, point man. Together they devise a plan that will bring Keith down once and for all. Yet as Jackson draws closer to Gaby again, he realizes the election isn’t the only thing he wants to win.

My Thoughts: I love heist books and movies because the characters are always so smart, and I can never figure out how they did what they did (i.e., Heist Society, Oceans 11, Unusual Suspects, etc.). The Great Greene Heist fits right into this category. Jackson Greene is a bit cocky but so easy to love! This book will keep you guessing and reading. To show you how much I liked it: As soon as I was done, I grabbed the sequel and devoured it too!

The Marvels by Brian Selznick
Finished 8-5-16

Summary: Caldecott Award winner and bookmaking trailblazer Brian Selznick once again plays with the form he invented and takes readers on a voyage!

Two seemingly unrelated stories–one in words, the other in pictures–come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle’s puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.

My Thoughts: Brian Selznick is so brilliant! Each of his books are set up so cleverly (and differently), and The Marvels is no different. This one is set up with the first half in pictures telling a story of The Marvels, a family of actors, then it switches to Joseph’s story. The two stories then intertwine later in the book in a way you won’t see coming. This book definitely pulled on some heart strings!

Masterminds by Gordon Korman
Finished 5-11-16

Summary: From bestselling author Gordon Korman comes a thrilling new middle grade trilogy about a group of kids living in a Pleasantville-type town who discover a dark secret that connects them to some of the greatest criminal masterminds of their time.

Eli Frieden lives in the most boring town in the world: Serenity, New Mexico. Only thirty kids live in the idyllic town, where every lawn is perfectly manicured and everyone has a pool and a basketball hoop. Honesty and kindness are the backbone of the community. There is no crime in this utopia.

Eli has never left town…. Why would he ever want to? But everything changes the day he and his friend Randy bike to the edge of the city limits. Eli is suddenly struck with a paralyzing headache and collapses. Almost instantly, a crew of security—or “Purple People Eaters,” as the kids call them—descend via helicopter. Eli awakens in the hospital, and the next day, Randy and his family are gone.

As Eli convinces his friends Tori and Malik to help him investigate Randy’s disappearance, it becomes clear that nothing is as it seems in Serenity. As the clues mount to reveal a shocking discovery, the kids realize they can trust no one—least of all their own parents. So they hatch a plan for what could be the greatest breakout in history—but will they survive? And if they do, where do they go from there?

This first book in a thrilling new series from the middle grade “mastermind” Gordon Korman is sure to be a hit with his myriad fans.

My Thoughts: I’m so glad Michele recommended this book to me! As soon as I finished, I had to go tell people about it because the concept is so crazy, I immediately had to share it with everyone I could find! And the end is such a cliffhanger (though satisfying also) that you will want to pick up the sequel right away because you are going to want to know what happens to Eli and his friends. And now I am just waiting for book #3 to come out!!

The Terrible Two by Jory John & Mac Barnett; Illustrated by Kevin Cornell
Finished 4-14-16

Summary: Miles Murphy is not happy to be moving to Yawnee Valley, a sleepy town that’s famous for one thing and one thing only: cows. In his old school, everyone knew him as the town’s best prankster, but Miles quickly discovers that Yawnee Valley already has a prankster, and a great one. If Miles is going to take the title from this mystery kid, he is going to have to raise his game.

It’s prankster against prankster in an epic war of trickery, until the two finally decide to join forces and pull off the biggest prank ever seen: a prank so huge that it would make the members of the International Order of Disorder proud.

In The Terrible Two, bestselling authors and friends Mac Barnett and Jory John have created a series that has its roots in classic middle-grade literature yet feels fresh and new at the same time.

My Thoughts: I am obviously not the audience for this book; however, while I was listening to the book, I could think of so many students that will love this book! Since I have read it, it has been borrowed permanently twice and read so many times. It is a perfect book for Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Big Nate fans as well as fans of books like The Great Greene Heist too!

Gracefully Grayson by Ami Polonsky
Finished 6-22-16

Summary: Alone at home, twelve-year-old Grayson Sender glows, immersed in beautiful thoughts and dreams. But at school, Grayson grasps at shadows, determined to fly under the radar. Because Grayson has been holding onto a secret for what seems like forever: “he” is a girl on the inside, stuck in the wrong gender’s body.

The weight of this secret is crushing, but leaving it behind would mean facing ridicule, scorn, and rejection. Despite these dangers, Grayson’s true self itches to break free. Strengthened by an unexpected friendship and a caring teacher who gives her a chance to step into the spotlight, Grayson might finally have the tools to let her inner light shine.

Debut author Ami Polonsky’s moving, beautifully-written novel shines with the strength of a young person’s spirit and the enduring power of acceptance.

My Thoughts: I love that there are books like Gracefully Grayon and George out there for my students to learn to emphasize or identify, depending on what they need, with transgendered students. I found it interesting how similar yet how different the two books are also. Both very much worth reading.

Ricki

I am following the motto that any progress on this list is good progress! I have read 6/15 books, and while I know I am a bit behind, many of the books I have left are shorter. (Cough. And there are a few denser ones in there. Cough.) I started a project to read Muslim literature, and it took up much of my time!  However, I loved all three books that I read on my #mustreadin2016 list!

All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
Finished 4-25-16

Goodreads Summary: Rashad is absent again today.

That’s the sidewalk graffiti that started it all…

Well, no, actually, a lady tripping over Rashad at the store, making him drop a bag of chips, was what started it all. Because it didn’t matter what Rashad said next—that it was an accident, that he wasn’t stealing—the cop just kept pounding him. Over and over, pummeling him into the pavement. So then Rashad, an ROTC kid with mad art skills, was absent again…and again…stuck in a hospital room. Why? Because it looked like he was stealing. And he was a black kid in baggy clothes. So he must have been stealing.

And that’s how it started.

And that’s what Quinn, a white kid, saw. He saw his best friend’s older brother beating the daylights out of a classmate. At first Quinn doesn’t tell a soul…He’s not even sure he understands it. And does it matter? The whole thing was caught on camera, anyway. But when the school—and nation—start to divide on what happens, blame spreads like wildfire fed by ugly words like “racism” and “police brutality.” Quinn realizes he’sgot to understand it, because, bystander or not, he’s a part of history. He just has to figure out what side of history that will be.

Rashad and Quinn—one black, one white, both American—face the unspeakable truth that racism and prejudice didn’t die after the civil rights movement. There’s a future at stake, a future where no one else will have to be absent because of police brutality. They just have to risk everything to change the world.

Cuz that’s how it can end.

My Thoughts: I read this book a few months ago, and frankly, I can’t stop thinking about how important this story is. We read so many books in our lifetimes, and some just take our breath away. This is one of those books. I can’t recommend this book highly enough. I believe it belongs in every classroom. The strength of the two voices in this book is remarkable, and it makes for an excellent teaching tool—about heroism; about doing what is right and true; and about being a good, decent human being. The acts within this book are all-to-common, and I believe this book promotes genuine change. The book is literary at the same time that it is engaging. It will pull (and has pulled) readers of all ages and backgrounds. I typically don’t review books long after they have been published, but this book feels too important to leave out. If you haven’t read it already, I recommend it move to the top of your TBR list. It’s and incredible story.

The Honest Truth by Dan Gemeinhart
Finished 6-5-16

Goodreads Summary: In all the ways that matter, Mark is a normal kid. He’s got a dog named Beau and a best friend, Jessie. He likes to take photos and write haiku poems in his notebook. He dreams of climbing a mountain one day.

But in one important way, Mark is not like other kids at all. Mark is sick. The kind of sick that means hospitals. And treatments. The kind of sick some people never get better from.

So Mark runs away. He leaves home with his camera, his notebook, his dog, and a plan to reach the top of Mount Rainier–even if it’s the last thing he ever does.

The Honest Truth is a rare and extraordinary novel about big questions, small moments, and the incredible journey of the human spirit.

My Thoughts: In the introduction of the ARC, Dan Gemeinhart writes that this story was inspired by his friend Mark, who passed away from cancer. While the book is not about Mark, there are “smooth rocks of truth” within it. He wrote the story in hopes that Mark would enjoy reading it. With this in mind, I began the book already emotionally invested. Mark is a 12-year-old boy who has recently relapsed with cancer. He is tired of being sick, and he has set out with his dog and plans to go to Mt. Rainier to die. Much of the book is Mark’s journey to Rainier, and we slowly learn about his experiences with cancer throughout the story. Every other chapter is written by his best friend Jesse, and I found their friendship to be inspiring, particularly given the author’s introduction. This is a beautiful story that will leave a mark on readers’ hearts. I will be recommending it often.

This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel
Finished 6-17-16

Goodreads Summary: Victor and Konrad are the twin brothers Frankenstein and inseparable until Konrad falls gravely ill. In the forbidden Dark Library, Victor finds an ancient formula, and seeks an alchemist to recreate the Elixir of Life. With friends Elizabeth and Henry, he scales highest trees in the Strumwald, dives deepest lake caves, and each sacrifices a body part.

My Thoughts: What a neat, neat book! The second half really captured my attention, and I had difficulty leaving my car! I found myself listening to it while I played with my son on the floor. I only do this with audio books that I really enjoy! I loved the way this book mixed adventure with the gothic setting. I felt like I was wrapped up in Oppel’s words.

Stop by There Is A Book For That to see the updates of everyone’s #mustreadin2016 lists!

 and