Reading progress update: I've read 55 out of 365 pages.

They stayed long in that good house, fourteen days at least, and they found it hard to leave. Bilbo would gladly have stopped there for ever and ever -- even supposing a wish would have taken him right back to his hobbit-hole without trouble.

Rivendell and the Last Homely House, the perfect place for Bilbo.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1253633/reading-progress-update-i-ve-read-55-out-of-365-pages

The Testing Series - Review

The larger a population, the less our leaders feel personally accountable to each citizen under their care. It makes it easier to sacrifice a few for the good of others.
- Independent Study, Chapter 9

I might not be able to stop what is to come, but I cannot leave without trying.
- Graduation Day, Chapter 4

Where my beliefs were once black and white, I now see shades of gray.
- Graduation Day, Chapter 5

Okay, so I don't want to give anything away. I loved the first book in this series, The Testing. (see review here The Testing - Review ). It was fast paced and exciting with twists and turns and surprises. The rest of the series basically flows in the same vein.

I found the second two books just as enjoyable as the first. They were fast paced and exciting and even when I thought I knew what was happening, the story still managed to surprise me. I didn't know who to trust any more than Cia did.

The ending was enjoyable and I was on the edge of my seat for the last few chapters. It didn't resolve all the issues completely. As Cia says, there was no real black and white, the lines between good and bad were left blurry.

Recommended to:
Fans of YA and dystopian stories.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1253620/the-testing-series-review

Reblogged from: It's a Mad Mad World

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1253471/post

Historical Fiction emphasizes hope

Review:

I never thought I'd write to the teacher at the white school. I don't know as I've ever thought about the white school, really, before all this integration business got started. But here I am, fixing to go there come September.
--Chapter 1

This historical fiction novel tells the story of integration in a small town and how a young girl sees things. Kizzy Ann Stamps is a young girl of color who doesn't really want to go to the "white school". The book is set up as letters Kizzy writes to her new teacher and once school starts, a journal. Each chapter is a letter and later a journal entry. Kizzy loves to write and enjoys telling Miss Anderson all about her and her dog Shag in her letters.

Kizzy is very honest in her letters and expresses what she is feeling about whatever is going on in her life. As the story progresses, we see that Kizzy has a strong personality and sometimes speaks when she shouldn't and it gets her in trouble. But, Kizzy is also very smart, very determined and very resilient.

The author writes beautifully and really captures the voice of a young black girl during the time of segregation. At least as far as I can tell, being pretty far removed from that myself. I guess what I'm saying is, Kizzy is a compelling character and she seems real. Kizzy goes through some highs and lows. She is kept from doing some things because of the color of her skin, but she does break some barriers.

To me, this novel speaks of hope. How even though things seem set in concrete, there are always people with open minds who are willing to see the benefits of change. Of course there  are those who are dead set against change, but that doesn't mean we stop trying to make life better.

Enough preaching. Here are some quotes that I especially liked.

I cannot believe the upside-downness of the world. One day your biggest problem is whether you feel like you can work with a man whose eyebrows are alive, and the next minute your problem is that your country's president is dead.
How can one man dying make the whole world hush?

He's my daddy, you know. But sometimes, I just don't know what's right. He'll do something and it feels, um, ugly or mean or something. I get mixed up then. I just don't always know what's right. You know what I mean?

The makeup didn't bring back the old me. It wasn't the old Kizzy Ann. It was just some other girl, someone I didn't know. It was a disguise, just a disguise.

I was not amazed at the hug from you -- I know by now that you really do love me even if you are white and I am not -- but when the crowd gasped, I thought we were in trouble.

I looked to my friends, my friends who were there for me, there with me, this finest moment in my life. I knew that it didn't matter whether we won any place at all. For that experience, on that course, I was an equal.

I enjoyed this book very much. Historical fiction seems to be growing on me. I used to think I didn't like this genre much. But, recently I've read several historical fiction books that touched me. It's always fun to discover something new that you enjoy.

Recommended to:
Readers in grades 3-5 that enjoy historical stories or stories about young girls overcoming odds.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1248913/historical-fiction-emphasizes-hope

And you thought the SATs were bad.

Review:

The best leaders make mistakes and then learn from them. The best leaders never make the same mistakes again. The only way you can learn is if you understand the mistakes that were made.
--Chapter 17

Imagine a dystopian future where only certain people are selected to take the test to go to college. Then, that selection, once made, is not an option. If you are selected, you must participate in the testing. The testing itself is not as simple as filling in some blanks. And not everyone will complete the process. But, what happens to those who don't finish and will those who do finish ever be the same again?

I loved this book. Malencia (Cia) is a 16-year old girl with dreams of changing the world and making a difference. I enjoyed her character. She has doubts along the way but she tends to follow her instincts. She is fiercely loyal and, despite a warning not to trust anyone, she cannot help but trust people who have given her no reason to mistrust them.

While reading, I felt immersed in Cia's world. I could picture what the landscapes looked like after their world was destroyed by

the Seven Stages of War - The Four Stages of Destruction that humans wrought on one another and then the following Three Stages in which the earth fought back.

And I was afraid for her when she was out in the wilderness alone. There is plenty of danger and drama during the testing, including edge of your seat moments when you don't know who will survive and some surprises that I didn't see coming. And a love interest, but no real triangle (hooray!).

The minute I finished this book, I downloaded Independent Study and started reading. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. It can be so satisfying to read a series after it has been completed, never having to wait for the next book to come out. But, sometimes I do like going crazy waiting for eagerly anticipating the next book.

Recommended to:
Grades 6 and up (or high readers in 5th grade). There is some violence but it is not widespread. And, of course fans of YA Dystopian books. The writing, the characters, the story itself - all very well done.

Original post: readingismyescape.booklikes.com/post/1248837/and-you-thought-the-sats-were-bad