Hmmmm...

Review:

Sometimes when you brace yourself for a storm, you get a gentle breeze. The storm only comes when you're braced for nothing whatsoever.
-- page 16

Knowing that, in a thousand years, nothing you're doing or not doing will matter frees you up to do what your heart tells you to do.
-- page 189

Julian Twerski (aka Twerp), was involved in some sort of bullying incident and his English teacher has him writing about what happened to help him understand it better. Because, from what we know, Julian is a good kid who made the wrong choice. It takes most of the book for Julian to finally write about the incident. In the mean time, we get insight into his decision making process and what goes through his mind.

I must say that I almost stopped reading in Chapter 1 when Julian starts to recount an incident with his friend Lonnie and a pigeon.

Let's just say I was cringing through the entire chapter. Though it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Anyway, Julian just seems like a dumb kid who is easily influenced by others. But as he writes down the things that happen in his everyday life, he seems to grow and learn.

I don't really have much to say about this book. It was ok. If you want to read a book about bullying or about kids learning to listen to that little voice in their heads instead of what their friends are telling them to do, there are better books out there. I didn't really connect with the characters or even like them very much. I get that Julian is a "good boy" but in the end, I don't get why he did the things he did in the first place. If that makes any sense.

Recommended to:
I would rather recommend Bystander by James Preller.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1219733/hmmmm

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1217396/post

Seeing red indeed...

Review:

Discover the past, 

understand the present, 

change the future.

The thing is, when you get over the flu, everything goes back to normal. When your daddy dies, nothing is ever going to be normal again.

-Chapter 14

The above is not a spoiler. The fist sentence in this book talks about Red's dad dying. Red was really close with his dad. They fixed cars together in their shop. Now that Red's dad is dead, Red's mom is trying to figure out how to survive without him. They are living in rural Virginia in the era of the Vietnam War. African Americans and women still don't have many rights and are still widely discriminated against.

Red's mom is planning to sell the house, shop & store and move them all to Ohio where her family lives. Red is very angry about her trying to sell and move. He wants to stay where he is. Being in the shop where he worked with his dad really keeps him connected. He still talks to his dad when he is in the shop.

So, this is a historical fiction book. Not my favorite genre, but this is one of the Sunshine State 2015-16 grade 6-8 nominees. And I am trying to read all of them. This is a well-written story about a 6th grade boy trying to deal with the loss of his father. He is also trying to find his way in a confusing world filled with hatred and bigotry. He learns a great deal and grows up a lot in this book. It's a good book, just not one of my favorites.

Recommended to:
Grade 6 and up. There is some violence and race issues that may be difficult and confusing for younger readers.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1216453/seeing-red-indeed

Reblogged from: E.

I'm hoping this is common sense by now, but just in case there are people out there that think it's cool to leave an animal in a car on even a semi-warm day, watch this.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1212190/post

Creepy....

Review:

At the far end of the lawn stood the Windsor mansion. The house had obviously been left vacant for some years, and in that time it seemed to have become one with the landscape. Ivy choked the walls and windows. The roof was sagging and covered in black moss.

But strangest of all was the tree.

The tree was enormous and looked very, very old. Most trees invite you to climb up into their canopy. This one did not. Most trees make you want to carve your initials into the trunk. This one did not. To stand in the shadow of this tree was to feel a chill run through your whole body.

Talk about setting the mood. Shivers anyone?

This story creeped me out. I mean, it's written for middle graders, so it wasn't that scary but, still. The Night Gardener is ghoulish and he has powers. He is in the house at night while everyone is sleeping and most of the family doesn't even notice. I mean how can that not be creepy? I was enthralled by the story and kept trying to figure out exactly what was going on.

Molly (14 years old) and Kip (11 years old) have just arrived at the Windsor mansion. Molly is there to start her job as housekeeper, but mostly because they need a place to stay. They didn't expect such a creepy house and such a strange family. But, at this point, they don't have much choice. Molly takes care of Kip and tells stories to make him feel better. She is an excellent storyteller.

Molly & Kip are from Ireland and they have a different way of talking. This book is set around the time of the potato famine in Ireland (around the 1840's). I didn't find their language distracting, but I have seen reviews that said it was an issue for some. They drop the g's (somethin' instead of something), their grammar is bad and they say dinna & canna which mean something like don't and can't.


Recommended to:
Anyone who likes creepy stories. Probably for grades 6 and up. But, if your 5th grader is a big fan of scary stories, this would be fine for them.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1211587/creepy