Hurt Go Happy

Hurt Go Happy by Ginny Rorby is a story about friendship and love--the love of a parent and child, sister and brother, and a young deaf girl, her elderly neighbor and his sign language using chimpanzee. It's funny, horrifying, compassionate, and full of twists and turns. The first time I read it, I enjoyed it. The second time (in one sitting) I cried in sadness and joy (even tho I knew what was going to happen) and wanted to learn more about chimpanzees.

Hurt Go Happy is one of the Battle of the Books selections for the coming school year. One of the the reasons it was chosen is because it has won the teen Schneider Family Book Award, an award given to an author or illustrator who artisically expresses the disability experience for children and young adults.

Do NOT checkout this link or this link until you have read the book !!! Did you know that Wisconsin has a primate research laboratory?

Ender's Game

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card is a science fiction book that was written in 1977 but remains timeless. The main plot of the book is that the government on Earth needs a savior to keep the planet from being overtaken by "buggers"-- alien-like invaders from a far-away planet. Ender is carefully groomed to be that savior beginning at the age of 6. He is put through many trials and games, often grueling and cruel, to prepare him for the final battle with the buggers. There is a great twist at the end of this book that even suspicious me didn't expect.

There is loads of symbolism in this book and it has been used to study literary elements in some schools.

I read this book because it is one of the Battle of the Books books for the 2008-2009 school year. I also wanted to read this book because the author was recently under fire for being honored for his lifetime contribution to young adult readers with the Edwards Award. The controversy stems from Card's extremist personal views. To learn more about this, read this School Library Journal article.

The Other Boleyn Girl was fantastic!

I finished The Women in Red and I thought it was okay. However, I thought The Other Boleyn Girl was fantastic. Everyone should read it, my mom thought it was a little slow in some parts but I disagree. Has anyone read The Book of Ruth? I am almost done with it and I thought it was really boring.

Three Books Read

I want to share three books that I just finished reading:
Extras by Scott Westerfeld, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie and American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang.


Extras is the fourth book in Westerfeld's Uglies series:
Uglies, Pretties, Specials, Extras
This book is about Aya, who wants to become more recognized (popular), so she can have the status and all that goes along with it in her society. Aya's avenue to popularity is to go undercover with a daring group (Sly Girls) who shun recognition. Aya's plan is to report the story of the Sly Girls and make it public on the feed (sort of like our TV) thus gaining recognition.

I thought this was a fast read. If you like futuristic books (and even if you don't) you might want to pick up Extras. I don't think you need to read the whole series; you can enjoy the books individually.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian is a semiautobiographical novel about Arnold Spirit, a 14-year-old Spokane Indian living on the rez in WA. Arnold, born with "water on the brain," is the frequent recipient of bullies. Arnold transfers to the rich, all-white high school in Reardan where he expects disaster. But he does manage to make friends with geeky and popular kids alike. Arnold grapples with what it means to be an Indian and what it means to be a tribe and have a sense of community.

I really liked this book. Sherman Alexie took a serious topic and was able to tell the story with humor and sensitivity at the same time. (I also liked his movie Smoke Signals...I haven't read the book yet but I saw the video twice!)


American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a graphic novel that weaves three different storylines in one book. One is the Chinese folk hero, Monkey King who aspires to be a god; another is Jin Wang, a lonely middle school boy who wants to fit in with his white classmates; and the third is a sitcom of Danny, an all-American teen and his Chinese cousin Chin-Kee (an ethnic stereotype).

This book is about breaking down stereotypes and self-acceptance. I thought this was a powerful read in a very different format...not only graphic novel but also weaving three different storylines together.

Rachel

I am glad you liked Nineteen Minutes, Mrs. Bade. And I agree with you that she dragged some stuff out a lot and the book could have been shorter. I just bought The Other Boyln Girl and The Women in Red and I am really excited to start reading both. I think they are going to be good. I also added The Catcher and the Rye to my list of books in need to read.

Nineteen minutes

I finally finished Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. It was my pick for the last Cafe Library discussion meeting of the 07-08 school year. The book was about a school shooting where a high school boy who had been a victim of bullying his entire school career finally snaps and shoots and kills ten students and wounding many more. Of course, in Picoult's almost formula manner, there are major twists in the book. I do like those twists and I usually can't guess what they are going to be.

I do think that this 450 page novel could have been just as nicely done in 350 pages.

I would recommend this book. It is a very current issue in our world and Picoult handles it full steam ahead. (Can't think of a better way of putting it!)

Bad Monkeys

Bad Monkeys by Matt Ruff was a very strange, weird book. It's about Jane, a girl, who gets recruited by a secret organization that fights evil. The organization is called Bad Monkeys...they hunt and kill evil people whom they call Bad Monkeys (I know, confusing...) The whole book is set in a jail's psychiatric ward where Jane is being questioned by a doctor to determine if she is telling the truth, crazy or lying about her involvement in Bad Monkeys. There are major twists in this book and you will need to pay attention to characters. I would classify this book as a psychological thriller.

It is quite different from anything I've read in a long time and therefore I'd recommend it.