Relationships – Page 6 – Unleashing Readers

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

January 14, 2016 by Ricki

Salt to the Sea
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Published: February 2nd, 2016 by Philomel Books

GoodReads Summary: The author of Between Shades of Gray returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war’s most devastating—yet unknown—tragedies.

In 1945, World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia, and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

My Review: This is a book about humanity. Each voice serves a unique purpose to foster a complete picture of this great tragedy in history. The characters feel real, and their stories and perspectives are so different that readers are able to fully understand a diversity of experiences toward the war. Wow, wow, wow. I don’t feel that summarizing or reviewing this book will even do it justice. I felt like I couldn’t eat or sleep until I finished it. Salt to the Sea takes readers on an epic adventure and throws them for an emotional tailspin. After I closed the cover, I was reeling. The language is powerful and the story is captivating.

Ruta Sepetys holds a special place in my heart. She is a powerful force in historical fiction, and this book is no exception. Several years ago, I was fortunate to be sharing a drink with Ruta at the ALAN cocktail party. When I asked her what she was working on, her eyes glinted as she talked about the concept of this book. She felt a connection to this tragedy, and while nothing had been written at the time, I knew it would be a remarkable novel. For the next several years, I thought about the way Ruta described the historical event, and I consistently checked her pages to see if I would see any further information about its progress. Several years later, I would (fortunately) receive this book in the mail. Boy was it worth the wait.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: The teaching opportunities for this book are endless. I would love to use this book to teach the theme: What does it mean to be human? or What does it mean to be a good person? Then, I might pair other texts (e.g. Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini) and create a text set to consider these themes. The perspective and voice of these characters are strong, and I imagine rich classroom discussions about the ways these four characters show us a slice of humanity. (One of the four main characters is debatably evil, and this would offer excellent, critical conversations). Beyond these four characters, readers might consider the minor characters of this text (or tangential war figures, such as Hitler or Stalin). Are humans innately selfish? Are the innately good? Are we all flawed? Are there any universal characteristics amongst these characters, or are they too different?

Discussion Questions: How does the author balance historical information and story? What tools does she use to do this?; Why do you think the author chose to feature four points-of-view rather than one? Does it add or detract from the story? What similarities do you see across these voices? What differences?

We Flagged: “Survival had its price: guilt.”

*Quote taken from an advanced reader copy. It may change after publication.*

Read This If You Loved: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys; The Watch that Ends the Night by Allan Wolf; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; A Night to Remember by Walter Lord; The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer; Schindler’s List by Thomas Keneally; Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

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I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

October 15, 2015 by Ricki

I’ll Give You the Sun
Author: Jandy Nelson
Published: September 16, 2014 by Dial

Summary: A brilliant, luminous story of first love, family, loss, and betrayal for fans of John Green, David Levithan, and Rainbow Rowell

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah’s story to tell. The later years are Jude’s. What the twins don’t realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

This radiant novel from the acclaimed, award-winning author of The Sky Is Everywhere will leave you breathless and teary and laughing—often all at once.

Review: I haven’t been able to stop talking about this book since I read it. I anxiously awaited its release after reading (and loving) The Sky is Everywhere, and it most certainly didn’t disappoint. Jandy Nelson writes characters that step off of the pages and into readers’ hearts. I cried along with Jude and Noah and felt their grief as if it was my own. The passion of the characters was refreshing, and I felt as if they were my friends by the end of the book. Jandy Nelson is a literary genius. This book is quirky, colorful, and different, which makes it unforgettable for me. I plan to use this in my future Methods courses, and I only reserve those reading spots for the best of the best in YAL. It crosses genres a bit (Jude talks to ghosts), and the alternating perspectives span several years in the siblings’ lives. Students and teachers will find many topics and literary qualities that are worthy of analysis and discussion.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Nelson touches on many life lessons in the text, and she presents them in an implicit way. (We all know that readers hate didactic texts!) I would ask my students to create a billboard: “Lessons I Learned from I’ll Give You the Sun.” Then, they could create a word map of different lessons they learned and cut out quotes or draw illustrations of scenes that taught these life lessons.

Discussion Questions: What does this story teach us about humanity?; How do the different characters cope with tragedy? What outlets (creative, emotional, etc.) do the characters use as coping mechanisms?; How does Jude and Noah’s relationship evolve throughout the text?; How does the nonlinear format impact the story?

We Flagged: “I gave up practically the whole world for you,” I tell him, walking through the front door of my own love story. “The sun, stars, ocean, trees, everything, I gave it all up for you.”

Read This If You Loved: All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven, Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira, The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, The Secret Hum of a Daisy by Tracey Holczer, Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

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Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil (Ricki’s Review)

March 26, 2015 by Ricki

Life in Outer Space
Author: Melissa Keil
Published August 1st, 2013 by Peachtree Publishers

Goodreads Summary: Sam is a geek movie-buff with a ragtag group of loser friends who have been taking abuse from the popular kids for years. But when the super-cool Camilla moves to town, she surprises everyone by choosing to spend time with Sam’s group. Suddenly they go from geek to chic, and find that not everything boils down to us and them. With their social lives in flux, Sam and Camilla spend more and more time together. They become the best of friends, and Sam finds that he’s happier and more comfortable in his own skin than ever before. But eventually Sam must admit to himself that he’s fallen in love. If he confesses his true feelings to Camilla, will everything change again?

My Review: Kellee wrote her review almost a year ago, and after reading her review, I laughed because my notes about this book are so similar to her thoughts.

While reading this book, I thought about its connections to Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and Paper Towns by John Green, and the narrator reminded me of Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. But while this book is similar to others, it is very different.

Sam makes being geeky feel cool. I am geeky, so I appreciated this. He experiences tough life issues that many teenagers face, and he doesn’t lie about his lack of knowledge about dealing with these issues or understanding girls. The book contains scenes with World of Warcraft and there is a lot of information about horror movies (both of which aren’t interesting to me), yet I remained very engaged in the story and the characters. Keil writes the male narrator very well, and I think all types of adolescents will identify with the themes of this book. This is one of Kellee’s favorite books, and I see why. Thank you for nagging me to read it, Kel. It is one that will stick with me forever.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Why hasn’t this book received more press? It belongs in classrooms. As a teacher, I would use it as a mentor text for characterization. The scenes with Camilla are written breathtakingly well. If students read these scenes, they would want to read the entire book.

Discussion Questions: Did you find Camilla to be realistic? Could a student walk in and change the entire dynamic at the school in such a powerful way?; Why does Camilla like Sam? Is this realistic?; In what ways are media used by Keil to engage readers?; What does this book teach us about friendship?; How does Sam’s family life add to the complexity of this book?

We Flagged: “I guess some people enter your orbit and get stuck, and there’s nothing either of you can do about it” (p. 70).

And I loved the quote Kellee picked out. It is the scene I remember the most in the book:

“She is wearing a yellow dress that looks like it belongs to a 1950s housewife, and a pair of flat red boots. Her hair is longer than I’d imagine would be practical; it’s parted in the middle and hangs in brown waves almost to her waist. She peers around the room impassively. She doesn’t look terrified. She doesn’t look insanely overconfident, like Adrian that time in year seven when he performed a song as his book report for The Outsiders. Mike and I mark that event as ground zero for the downward social spiral of our group.” (p. 11)

Read This If You Loved: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, Paper Towns by John Green, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

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All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven

October 11, 2018January 1, 2015 by Ricki

All the Bright Places
Author: Jennifer Niven
Published: January 6, 2015 by Knopf

Goodreads Summary: The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister’s recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink.

This is an intense, gripping novel perfect for fans of Jay Asher, Rainbow Rowell, John Green, Gayle Forman, and Jenny Downham from a talented new voice in YA, Jennifer Niven.

Ricki’s Review: A publishing representative who I deem to be a friend pressed this book into my hand. “Read it,” she insisted. She told me I would want to curl up into a ball in my bed and fall into this book. I fell hard. The writing is incredible. I hate to compare books with others because it creates a sense of expectation that often goes unfulfilled for future readers, but I couldn’t help but consider comparisons with my all-time favorite YA texts. The quirky nature of the characters reminded me of Pudge, Alaska, Charlie, Eleanor, and Park. The direction of the plot reminded me of other titles (which will remain unnamed to prevent spoilers). But I cannot compare this book to others because while it allowed to me reminisce about my favorite titles, it was quite different. The deep, honest, hard-hitting depiction of mental illness was enough to take my breath away. I felt rage that made me want to punch my mattress; I felt sadness that made me feel a hopeless sense of emptiness; but above all, I felt the power of love, loyalty, and friendship that made my heart both ache and swell. This is an unforgettable book. I suspect it will be the book that everyone will be talking about this year and for years to come.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Mental illness and bullying are pervasive in our schools. We can’t teach enough books about these themes because they are incredibly relevant for young people. As a former teacher, I was jealous of the teacher who created the assignment for Violet and Finch, and I wanted to do it with my former students. It would be so neat to duplicate this project while students read the book. Additionally, I think students would benefit from creating their own version of the post-it collages that Violet and Finch make. As an alternative, I would consider having students research the warning signs of suicide and finding these instances in the text. There are so many themes for the students to consider, the teaching categories at the top and tags at the bottom of this post show a variety of different directions a teacher might take with the instruction of this text.

Access the book’s website to share your bright place or read Germ Magazine. The educator guide also has CCSS tie-ins.

Discussion Questions: What is the end message of this book? What is the author’s purpose?; What foreshadowing does Niven provide?; How do Violet’s family members show their grief in different ways?; Do you agree with the ending? Would you change it? Why do you think Niven ended the book in the way she did?

We Flagged: “It’s my experience that people are a lot more sympathetic if they can see you hurting, and for the millionth time in my life I wish for measles or smallpox or some other easily understood disease just to make it easier on me and also on them.”

**Please note: The above quotation is from an advanced reader copy. The quotation may change in the final published form of the text.**

Read This If You Loved: Looking for Alaska by John Green, Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell, Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, It’s Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson, Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, Burn by Suzanne Phillips

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My Yellow Balloon by Tiffany Papageorge

November 28, 2014 by Kellee

My Yellow Balloon
Author: Tiffany Papageorge
Illustrator: Erwin Madrid
Published October 1st, 2014 by Minoan Moon Publishing

Publisher’s Summary: It all started at the carnival…That’s where Joey makes a new friend: a bright yellow balloon. Joey and his beloved balloon do everything together, until the balloon accidentally slips off Joey’s wrist and flies far, far away. What will Joey do without his special friend?

Tiffany Papageorge has crafted a poignant tale of love, loss, and letting go that will serve as a comforting guide to children who are navigating the complicated emotions of grief. Learn more about Tiffany at her Facebook page or Linkedin.

Kellee’s Review: This book’s illustrations blew my mind. They are beautiful! Before I can talk about anything else, I definitely have to address how impressed I was by them. Luckily, the story is just as good as the illustrations. My Yellow Balloon is about Joey and his yellow balloon and the loss of the balloon he became attached to. This is the second book I’ve read recently about loss and grief. I think it is so important that there are picture books out there for kids dealing with tough situations. I like the way that this book symbolizes the loss by showing that Joey’s world lost color and using a fold out to show perspective as the balloon is lost. It was very well done.

Ricki’s Review: I agree with Kellee that the text features of this book are remarkable. When the color of the illustrations shift, my stomach felt like they were tied in knots, and I felt Joey’s sorrow. The language used to depict the ways Joey comes to terms with his grief are realistic and will be very helpful for children. This book should be a staple in classrooms. Even if students are not experiencing grief at the time of the story, it will help them cope with, unfortunately, the inevitability of this topic.

Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: This book could be used to talk about the concept of theme. The theme is quite evident and would inspire great discussions. Loss and grief are something that all children can connect to, and My Yellow Balloon would be a great jumping off point for this discussion.

Discussion Questions: Have you lost anything special to you? How did you feel?; Why did the author take away the colors after Joey lost his balloon?; How is the sun symbolic for Joey? Can the balloon be considered a symbol?

We Flagged:

“The balloon man wrapped the string around Joey’s wrist and said, ‘Here, let me tie you two together.’ From that moment on, they were never apart.”

Read This If You Loved: Knock, Knock by Daniel Beaty, I’ll Always Love You by Hans Wilhem, Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

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**Thank you to Christine at New Shelves Distribution for providing copies for review!**

Just Call My Name by Holly Goldberg Sloan

August 28, 2014 by Ricki

Just Call My Name
Author: Holly Goldberg Sloan
Published: August 5, 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary: The happily-ever-after of Holly Goldberg Sloan’s acclaimed debut, I’ll Be There, is turned on its head in this riveting, emotional sequel about friends, enemies, and how those roles can shift in a matter of moments.

Emily Bell has it all. She’s in love with a boy named Sam Border, and his little brother has become part of her family. This summer is destined to be the best time of their lives–until a charismatic new girl in town sets her sights on Sam. Now Emily finds herself questioning the loyalty of the person she thought she could trust most.

But the biggest threat to her happiness is someone she never saw coming. Sam’s criminally insane father, whom everyone thought they’d finally left behind, is planning a jailbreak. And he knows exactly where to find Emily and his sons when he escapes…and takes his revenge.

Review: Holly Goldberg Sloan is an incredible writer. I enjoyed the first book in the series, but I liked this one even more. I appreciate the great depth of her characters. Often, coincidences are categorized as poor writing, but Sloan uses them intentionally and in a clever way—defying literary assumptions about quality writing. The book is quite suspenseful, and readers will have the urge to race through it to learn how the plot unravels. The way Sloan builds the plot details is very thoughtful and meticulous, and I found myself constantly reflecting about how intelligent she is. This sequel is well worth the read. It is a difficult one to put down! It reads like a very literary mystery and would be a great text for teachers to have in their classrooms. One aspect that I love about this series is it turns our concept of family on its head; it will teach readers about the power of a strong family unit—traditional or not.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a fantastic resource for teachers teaching plot, suspense, and foreshadowing. The way Sloan builds the events and details is admirable, and students would learn a lot from her design. While it is a sequel, I think this book could certainly stand alone. The ominous mood made my heart race! Check out more curricular connections here: Curricular Connections.

Discussion Questions: How does Sloan thoughtfully use coincidence to build her story?; What is Destiny’s role in the novel? How does Sam perceive her? Is he right? What does this tell us about Sam? Why does the author name her, “Destiny”?; How do the shifts in point-of-view add to your reading of the text?

We Flagged: “That happens to really happy people. They don’t notice the little things” (p.81).

Read This If You Loved: I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan, We Were Liars by e. lockhart, YA Suspense/Mystery

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Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina

August 27, 2014August 14, 2014 by Ricki

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Author: Meg Medina
Published: March 26, 2013 by Candlewick Press

Summary: In Meg Medina’s compelling new novel, a Latina teen is targeted by a bully at her new school — and must discover resources she never knew she had.

One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. Word is that Yaqui thinks Piddy is stuck-up, shakes her stuff when she walks, and isn’t Latin enough with her white skin, good grades, and no accent. And Yaqui isn’t kidding around, so Piddy better watch her back. At first Piddy is more concerned with trying to find out more about the father she’s never met and how to balance honors courses with her weekend job at the neighborhood hair salon. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. Is there any way for Piddy to survive without closing herself off or running away? In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine who is forced to decide who she really is.

Ricki’s Review: There are many books about bullying, but it is rare to read a text that makes you truly feel frighted for the character being bullied. This text felt very real to me, and it will surely resonate with teenagers. There are many lessons about bullying, but there are also some phenomenal examples of family and friendship. Piddy’s mother isn’t perfect and like all parents, she makes mistakes, but she is a single mother who tries her best. The ups and downs of this mother-daughter relationship offer much to ponder and discuss. As adolescents go through high school, they form new bonds and often, they also grow apart from childhood friends. Piddy’s circumstances of a new school with new friendships will absolutely connect with teens.

Kellee’s Review: Like Ricki stated above, this book makes you feel. As Yaqui fills Piddy’s world with fear, Piddy begins to lose herself and get caught up in the terror. As a reader, you find yourself afraid with Piddy whenever she leaves her house, goes to school, or even thinks about doing either. A book that can do this is brilliant. Meg Medina has a way of sucking you into the world, and I think it is her use of imagery throughout. You can see the characters, hear the music Piddy listens to, feel the fear, etc. And Piddy’s voice is so crystal clear, that is something she never loses. When you finish reading, you can still hear Piddy’s voice in your head. I also feel that this is a wonderful diverse book in a time when the YA community is calling for diverse books. This one should be in high school classrooms, and should be discussed as it has such important themes and beautiful writing (no matter what anyone thinks about it!).

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great read aloud at the beginning of the school year. Bullying is a problem that is all too real in our school systems, and it must be addressed immediately, in my opinion. This book would provide rich discussions for classrooms, and it is a must-read for teens. It would be great to do several book groups (or lit circles) that are centered on bullying texts in order to compare the characters’ experiences.

Discussion Questions: Does Piddy make the right decisions? Would you make different choices than her? Why or why not?; Why does the author incorporate Spanish into the text? What does it add, stylistically?; How does Piddy’s absent father affect her?; Which individuals have a positive impact on Piddy? How do these relationships build her character?; Is Joey a good influence on Piddy? What does she learn from him?; Do you agree with the choice that Piddy makes in the end? Would you have made the same choice? Does it show weakness or strength?

We Flagged: “’Son unas cualquieras,’ [my mother] mutters. Nobodies. No culture, no family life, illiterates, she means. The kind of people who make her cross to the other side of the street if she meets them in the dark on payday. They’re her worst nightmare of what a Latin girl can become in the United States. Their big hoop earrings and plucked eyebrows, their dark lips painted like those stars in the old black-and-white movies, their tight T-shirts that show too much curve and invite boys’ touches” (p. 55).

Read This If You Loved: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Mexican WhiteBoy by Matt de la Peña, The Secret Life of Sonia Rodriguez by Alan Sitomer, Burn by Suzanne Phillips, Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick, Out of Nowhere by Maria Padian, Shine by Lauren Myracle, The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

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