Auden - I love your name!

Although I have never been a huge Sarah Dessen fan, I really loved this book.  Maybe I needed a good weekend getaway or maybe it was the names of the characters - either way, this book was addictive.  I even woke up at 3 am to finish reading it!  I couldn't stop. :)

Auden is ready to go to college; before she goes, she decides to spend the summer by the beach with her father, step mother, and new baby sister.  Auden doesn't expect to learn so much about love, life, opportunity, and childhood while she is there.  Sometimes, the past is resolved and the future is created in just one summer.

RC points = 23

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Modern narrative non-fiction: Yes, please.  The realities and tragedies of Mumbai are recorded in this book by a well known journalist, Katherine Boo.  The characters are real and create a sense of reality with the reader.  Although there are unanswered questions, the reader is left with hope for all humanity.  

RC points = check list

Code Talker - READ IT!

For summer school, I read this book aloud to my students, and I loved it!  I guess it would be considered historical fiction although it is written as a narrative.  It tells the story of Kii (Ned Begay), a Navajo, who becomes a code talker during World War II.  The story is abundant with historical facts from the perspective of a person in the war.  There is no fictionalized love story, rather just narratives of relationships with other soldiers and perspectives of the Navajos.  The story travels from California to Hawaii to the Soloman Islands, Guam, Saipan, Palau, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.  This would be a perfect addition to the history classroom as it is rich in content, not length.  A must read!

RC = 13 points

Art Boy or Not?

After reading, Where I Belong, I fell in love with this author.  It's just a feel good story that isn't too over the top.  I loved every moment of this book just as I loved every moment of the first one.  This book follows Kitsy, Corrinne's best friend from the Spoke, as she ventures to NYC to pursue her dream of being an artist.  Kitsy goes through many adventures in hopes of finding out who she is without the constant reminder of a part time mom and overbearing small town.  Without her boyfriend, cheer, and the expectations of a small town life, Kitsy goes for the gold in the Big Apple.  You must read Where I Belong first, but I guarantee you will love this book.

RC = 15

The final Katie Parker...I thought.

 

I really did love the second book in this series, so I was much more eager to read the third book.  Katie's past has come back to haunt her just when her life is back on track.  She realizes that she will graduate from high school, can go to college, and can make friends.  Then, her mom walks back into her life.  Will it be the happy ever after reunion, or will it be chaos?  By the way, Tate, a new character, is just what the doctor ordered. :)

In the end, I find out that there is a fourth book. What will I do?

RC points = 18 points

Katie Parker is back...

I finally started reading the second book in the series.  I wasn't too eager to get start reading it as I liked the first book, but I didn't love it.  This book was much better than the first, however.  Katie has settled in to her new foster home, and Maxine is back and crazier than ever.  How many times can Katie get grounded for her grandmother's mishaps?

RC points = 18