Student Saturday: Captured: An American Prisoner of War in North Vietnam by Alvin Townley

 

Genre: Young Adult, Biography
Student Reviewer: Anna H.

“Captured” by Alvin Townley is a taste of reality that most people do not ever experience. The book is an account of an American prisoner of war, Jeremiah (Jerry) Denton, in North Vietnam during the Vietnamese war. Jerry Denton was a commander and a husband to a women named Jane as well as a father to seven children. Denton and his bombardier-navigator, Bill Tschudy, had boarded the aircraft called Independence in June,1965.Soon after takeoff, the ship had crashed in a river in North Vietnam where the Vietnamese Soldiers took them away to a prison which the American soldiers called Hanoi Hilton. Jerry and many other soldiers at the prison began finding ways to communicate using a secret code for letters. They would use a communication method of tapping through the walls and sending messages through the latrine. This went on for some time and then the Vietnamese soldiers wanted the POWs (prisoners of war) to give them as much information as possible. The Americans refused and were only allowed to give their name, rank, service number, and date of birth, as the code of conduct had permitted them to say. The Vietnamese soldiers did not respect their answers and went against the Geneva Convention, an agreement between Vietnam and America that does not allow for cruel, inhumane punishment. They tortured the American soldiers until they couldn't take anymore and forced them to write biographies or give information about America’s army to them. This went on for about six years. During that time the most uncooperative American men, including Jerry and 10 others, were sent to an isolation camp with extremely small cells yet they still found ways to communicate. Back home their wives founded a National league of POW-MIA families which got them out of solitary confinement and closer to returning home. They were no longer tortured and were given a proper amount of food. In February 1973 the war ended, and the American soldiers finally went home to their families after eight long years of misery. Most men made it out alive and with honor because of Jerry Denton's leadership and commanding order. He was a legend to America. 

“Captured” explains the eight hard years that Jeremiah Denton and other Americans experienced while being cut off from the world because of the love for their country and the fight in them. The Biography is a piece of what it is really like to fight for your country even when you must sacrifice time. Some American Soldiers missed the chance to watch their kids grow up and miss important events during the eight years they spent in prison. When I read “Captured” I made a connection with the many families there are in today's world who have loved ones in the army that they may not see often or at all. I am not one for biographies but this one was very good and made me see that we should never take our loved ones for granted. I recommend this book to anyone from ages 13-100. 

The Forest of Hands and Teeth By Carrie Ryan

Genre: Young Adult, Horror
Source: Purchased

This is actually a reread for me. I read this book the first time in 2009. However, it has remained one of my favorites all these years. Yesterday I reviewed three short stories that are all like prequels to this book. This book at its very basic is about hope. Hope that things will get better in a society filled with the “unconsecrated”, or what we know as Zombies. There is no real telling of how whatever happened began. What was it that started turning people into zombies? One thing is for sure. If bitten by one you have two choices. You can ask to be killed or wait and be turned into a zombie as well.

Mary is one of the main characters in the story. She is in love with a boy named Travis. Henry is Travis’ brother and is in love with Mary. He is helping her one day as she goes to the river to wash her family’s clothes. The alarms begin to go off. Since Henry’s dad is in charge of the alarms and there was not a drill scheduled, they know it is serious. Mary realizes her mother has gotten too close to the fence looking for her husband and she has been bitten. She is isolated until she dies and Mary is held in a cell for a week to make sure she isn’t infected. The next time they hear the alarm go off it is because the infected have managed to break through the fences. Mary, her brother and his wife and Travis and Henry all escape into the woods. However, things don’t go the way they want. All Mary wants is to see if what her mother told her is true, that there is really is an ocean out there somewhere.

This is a book about hope, love, survival and reaching for your dreams. It is one I am glad I reread. I still have these books on my shelves at school ready for me to recommend to all of my students this next year.

Three Short Stories by Carrie Ryan

Genre: Young Adult Horror
Source: Purchased

I first read The Forest of Hands and Teeth in 2009.  I loved it then and decided to reread it. As I was pulling it up I came across three short stories the author had written as part of the series. I decided to read these three short ones before I delve back into the series.

 

Hare Moon was published in 2011.

Tabitha feels there is so much more in the world than what is tucked away in her little village. She sees the unconsecrated outside the fence, she hears them at night. One day she can’t stand it anymore and she sneaks out into the forest. It is here she meets Patrick and learns there are other villages outside the fence. Why would the sisterhood lie to everyone.  When she is caught she realizes her life is changed forever. She knows that no one will ever marry her. She is doomed to a life in the sisterhood. But what about what lies outside the fences.  This was a quick short read that gives us an idea of why the sisterhood exists and the reason for many lies.  I definitely recommend this.

 

Scenic Route was published in 2013.

Margie and Sally are on their own. They have been that way since their parents were killed.  They have found a secluded cabin up in the mountains. Margie is always on alert. She know that there is no such thing as total safety. For some reason she has felt that there is someone out there watching them. She has perimeter alarms. They live life as normal as possible. She and Sally spend time with maps and tour books planning the next route they will take. Then the book they were looking at the night before goes missing. The next day Margie sees boot prints on the porch. Pretending nothing is wrong she checks the perimeters and then sits and waits. What she finds will change lives forever. I really enjoyed this short story. We have a story of two young survivors after the return. This one is told from the perspective of dealing with the other undesirables in the world. Those who are survivors like themselves with their own type of evil inside.

 

What Once We Feared was published in 2023

For me this was strange, yet beautiful. After the “infection” began, the government told people that they shouldn’t panic. They had everything under control including the infection. They were told to go about their normal lives. That is why a group of high school kids found themselves on a field trip when their world went haywire. They are standing outside of a building when bodies begin to fall. They see the chaos in the streets and decide to head across town to the most fortified apartment building. It is the building where Nicky’s father has an apartment. The story goes on to tell about their hopeless survival as the world turns upside down. It is told from one person’s point of view. It is his perspective on the events and their chances of survival and how the world will end.  This was quite an intriguing read.

Anchored by Bridget E. Baker

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: I purchased a copy

Alora and Jessie have been on the run for several years. They survived the car accident that took their parents’ lives. Sent to live with their aunt, and then to a group home, live went from bad to worse. Every night when Alora, who goes by the name Alice, goes to sleep she is transported to Terra. It is a world where men are healers and lifters. Unlike other girls, she can do what others cannot. No girl has ever been a lifter. Her mother in the world of Terra has hidden her with a performing troupe. Not that her mother is gone, they protect her. One slip of her ability is all it took to get the wrong people after her. She leaves the troupe to protect them. When events in her life on Earth and events in Terra begin to cross over, she needs to figure out who, and or what she truly is.

The two worlds the author has created are awesome. We have two girls hiding from a case worker who wants to do them harm, in the Earth realm. As they try to form relationships in this world things get tougher. At the same time the world the author has created, where there are two main groups of people; the Amun and the Isis is just as delicious. Add to it a prophecy and the young girl who seems to be fulfilling it and you have one ripping adventure after another. This is a wonderful book. It is the first in the Anchored series and I can’t wait to read the rest of them.

Student Saturday: What Waits in the Water by Kieran Scott

 

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror
Student Reviewer: Alyssa O.

The story What Waits in the Water written by Kieran Scott is a scary and breath-taking book. This book makes you want to keep reading. The setting of this book takes place at an older lake house. The main character Hannah is spending a weekend at the lake house. The lake next to the house starts to seem creepy. I relate to this story by being scared to go somewhere. Although the places I had to go are not actually scary this story is scary. I would read this story many more times again. I recommend this to middle schoolers or older. 

They Came For Utopia by Christopher Francis

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Source: I received a copy from StoryOrigin. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This series has come a long way. We start the series with aliens invading the earth. The main character, Sheldon Hickory is infected and must fight to remain human.  Jump ahead to this final book and we have another infected person called the Queen. She is taking people like Sheldon and those who are pure humans and trying to infect them to follow her rules alone.  We have gone from a setting of a normal earth at the beginning of the series, to a world ravaged by war and destruction. Area 32 is trying to rebuild life on earth, underground. They are hoping they will one day be able to live above ground. In this book Sheldon is married with a baby on the way.  His humanity is grounded in that relationship.

We take a journey with him and his colleagues as they look for carbon for the air filters in Area 32. From there the tension and danger just keeps going up.  You read a bit and wonder who will survive and how. Then you have that temporary relief only to find the danger more intense.  It pulls you along and a quick pace.  This is another book I read in one sitting, because I couldn't put it down.

Once again  we have themes of survival, family, forgiveness, cherishing life.  The story leaves the reader feeling that whether in that world or our own, we can count on the good in humanity to provide us with hope.  I have loved all of this author's books.  I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.  Who knows, maybe one day we will see this series in the movies. I would definitely buy tickets.

 

The Return by Laurie Stevens

 

Genre: Young Adult Science Fiction
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I loved this book for so many personal reasons and connections. The author has created a future world that is pretty much run by AI.  From the minute a child is born they are implanted with a device that links them to DAPHNE, the AI that runs the country. One day the impossible happens. DAPHNE is hacked. World War breaks out and to save everyone, DAPHNE and the other AIs around the world shut themselves completely off. Imagine a world where every decision is made for you by an AI. Things like whether you should get mental health for your child, or take someone to the doctor.  When this very scenario happens one person is able to find the help they need. Aiden, hates the way this technology has taken over everyone’s life.  He enjoys spending time outside with nature. He is constantly in trouble at school and at home because he questions everything.

He borrows physical books from Chris, a man who is called a grid-skipper.  Think of homeless people living in one area receiving a stipend from the government because they refuse to have a device implanted into their head.  Most of these people were in high paying tech positions who lost their job when they refused the implant. These are the very people who must teach the others how to survive when their world goes silent.  As I read I kept telling my husband that we would be in that group who could survive off the land. My husband is a beekeeper and we have recently gotten it using bees wax and other products from the bees to make other items.  I do a lot of work with fabric and yarns and recently started using plants to dye them.  The author of this book did so much research because there is so much info within the book.  As a teacher I give my students a scenario to write about every year. It is a survival scenario. I am so surprised how many of them just give up, not because they don’t want to write. They give up because they said they feel there is no hope.

This book has something for everyone. I am hoping there will be a sequel to this one. I want to know so much more.  I would love to spend a day discussing her research techniques and other writerly things with her. This is an author I definitely need to keep an eye on.

 

The Snow Games by Darren Greninger

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Source:  I won a copy from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I absolutely loved the premise of this story and the characters.  Francesca’s school has sent out a message they are going to vote on having year-round school to battle the learning slump. Francesca and her friends decide to find a way to keep this from happening. When her brother Liam tells her about the Snow Games, she sees a way she may be able to save the day.

Tyler Young is the billionaire creator of the games.  Using snowballs and their wits, the contestants must capture a flag and then cross the finish lines.  In exchange he will provided support for the teams school.  Unfortunately, no school has ever won. That doesn’t deter Francesca. She agrees to be on her brother’s team. The team consists of her brother Liam, who suffers from severe asthma. Then there is Priya, her best friend. The only way she can get Ethan, the school’s hockey player, and who she’s had a crush on forever to join the team is to convince the new girl Lindsay to join. Each member has their own reason for being on this team and working to win. Their chaperone on this televised event is none other than Claire, the school psychologist.  Throughout the book we get a deeper look at each of these characters, their motives, and what truly drives them.

This book is a book of hope, of going for the brass ring, and not listening to those who would put you down. Most importantly it is about believing in yourself and your strengths and learning that sometimes what you think you know about yourself and what you think you want is just a small part of what you actually want and who you are. 

The Fairy of the Enchanted Lake by Kris Nedy

 

Genre: Young Adult, Middle Grade Fantasy
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

 

This was an absolutely wonderful book. I read it in about four hours. We start off with a young girl who has no friends. Michaela is constantly taunted about her size and appearance.  One day while playing outside she runs into the woods and gets lost. She keeps walking until she finds a lake. She meets the fairy in the lake and she meets a talking beaver. He givers her a stick that will take her home. He also tells her that it can bring her back if she only says some magic words. She buries the stick until the day she can no longer take the taunting. She takes the stick, says the magic word and is brought back to the lake. She makes a wish to be beautiful like the fairy in the lake. The fairy tries to talk her out of it, but she insists.  Michaela becomes beautiful on the outside. Unfortunately, something else happens to her and her insides begin to turn dark. 

This is a wonderful story of consequences of our actions. It is a story of Good versus evil, light versus darkness.  The characters are all very well developed. The world building, although fantasy is so well written the reader is made to feel like they have entered the world as they are reading. This is a brand new author to me. However, I love reading stories that are allegorical and I am sure I will be reading more of this author’s work.  I highly recommend this book to young and old alike.

Eddie's War by carol Fisher Saller

 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing's Early Reviewers. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Lately it seems I am reading a lot of books about World War II.  Maybe it is because I teach literature that deals with it.  The first thing I like was that this book was written in verse. This story covers ten years. Eddie is a young boy who befriends Jozef Mirga, a Polish Gypsy. He reads the newspaper at the local library looking for information about the Nazis and Poland. This is where Jozef’s wife and son are. When Eddie’s brother goes off to war he is very proud of him. The story is full of life lessons Eddie learns as he grows up.  I highly recommend this book. It has quickly become one of my favorites of the year.

"Playing With Matches"and "A Piece of Blue String" by Lee Strauss

 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

This is one of those World World II books that looks at what it was like for young boys trained to believe everything they were doing was for the Fatherland.  They were trained in school to believe that they were superior to the Jews and that the Jews were the cause of the loss of World War I and anything else they wanted to blame them for.   When young Emil is made aware of an illegal radio, he and his friend question what they are being taught. They decided to let people know. How far are they willing to go? What happens when they are sent to fight in a war they no longer believe in?  Who will survive? What will they lose?  This is one of those books I had to read non-stop. I can't wait to recommend it to my students and the history teachers at my school. I will also check out what else this author has written.

Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Short Story
I purchased a copy

This is a follow up companion short story to "Playing With Matches". In the first story Emil the main character falls in love with Johann's sister. Before being shipped off to war he asks her to marry him and she accepts. He has nothing to give her as a promise so she tears a loose thread from her coat and he ties it around her finger as an engagement ring. This book is the diary she keeps during the time they were together. There is nothing new in this book about her feelings toward Emil. However, we do get clarification on questions that may be brought up in the first book. 

Student Saturday: One of Us is Next by Karen M. McManus

 

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller 

Student Reviewer:  Campbell P.

The book "One of us is next" is a part of a suspenseful mystery series. The story is based on a group of kids called the Bayview four, who recently solved a mystery on their friends' death. It takes place in the town of Bayview in present times and contains much high school drama as well as a dangerous game of truth or dare. The three main characters, Maeve, Knox, and Phoebe are all very determined to solve this mystery of who runs the truth or dare game. This book reminds me of the book A Good Girl's Guide toMurder,   as they both feature friend groups being the target of someone's plan. This is a very suspenseful, yet a must-read book that I would recommend to readers who love thrilling, mystery, and good plot twists.

Shadow of the West by Sarah Brotherhood Chapman

 

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Books about the Cold War have been my favorite for years. Very little is written about it for teens. They know almost nothing. I jumped at the chance to read this book so I could get it into the hands of my students. We have Kate who is. and American. As the daughter of a diplomat she moves a lot. This time they are in West Berlin. She meets Amy, whose father is a diplomat stationed on the east side of Berlin. Amy spends a lot of time at Kate’s house.  Kate goes to visit Amy and meets Michael. Michael and his sister are barely surviving on the east side. Of course Kate and Michael meet. This is dangerous for Michael and his sister as the Stasi watch everything.

I enjoyed this book because the author is the daughter of a diplomat who had similar experiences to that of Kate.  I enjoyed this also because I worked with two teachers and taught their daughter. They would tell me stories of living in embassies around the world, especially Russia.  Their daughter at times was clueless as to how things actually worked in those countries because they were sheltered from a lot of the things people in those country went through, all because they were a diplomat’s child.  I highly recommend this book. I believe it should be on every high school shelf.   I won a copy from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer Giveaway.

Always by Morris Gleitzman

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Historical Fiction
Source: I own a copy

I enjoyed this entire series. This is a fitting end to it.  We find Felix's past and present reconnecting through a young boy named Wassim.  Felix, in helping Wassim, realizes that even though he has always held out hope for mankind to be better than they were when he was a child, witnessing the atrocities of the Holocaust, there is still so much hatred and prejudice in the world. But maybe he can help change Wassim's life a bit.  This is a series I have not only recommended to my students, daughter and granddaughter, but one I will read from beginning to end this coming school year. Why?  Since I have all of them I want to read straight through. This is one roller coaster of a ride series. I definitely recommend it to everyone.

Student Saturday: Bitter Melon by Cara Chow

 

Student Reviewer: Nadya Perez

Genre: Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Salt by Helen Frost

 

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: I own a copy

I have loved all of Helen Frost's books. This one was a little more special to me. I grew up in Indiana.  I lived on a farm until we moved to Florida when I was fourteen. One of my favorite past-times along with my sisters was looking for arrowheads on our property. Helen's book about a friendship between a Native American Family and a white family was hopeful and hard at the same time. What do you do when you hear rumblings of war? For James and his family who have a trading post outside the fort, they continue on the way they have always gone. They trade with the Indians, who are their friend. James best friend is Anikwa, a young boy of the Kekionga, a part of the Miami tribe.  He too has heard rumblings of war.  Many of his people have decided they will side with the British if it comes to war. 

I felt so terrible for James and his family. James had to witness his friend Isaac's hatred for the Native Americans. He really has no basis to his hatred, which makes it all the more tragic.  As I read and saw what each side did I wondered if Anikwa and James could remain friends.  You will need to read the book to find out what happened.

The Glimmer: Are you Listening by A.R. Bibeau

  

Genre: Young Adult, Traditional
Source: I won a copy from LibraryThing

Falk lost his mother and now his father is dead. His step-mother takes him outside of the village and abandons him. It was at this point I really despised her. The snow storm is vicious and Falk is lost. He hears the voices of children and follows them into a forest. Unfortunately the voices he hears are the voices of children who are already dead. He falls asleep with a glimmer of light in his hand. The children are determined to protect him. He becomes a part of their life and they become a part of him as does the glimmer. From this point forward change happens. I found this a strange book. It was difficult knowing that all of these children who had died had been abandoned or abused. I did enjoy the book even though it took me a while to read it because I had lost it.

Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Source:  I purchased

 

This is a book I am excited to put on my school shelves.   Hanneke is a young girl in Amsterdam in the middle of Nazi occupation. She smuggles goods to help out. One request will set her on a dangerous journey. Hanneke has been asked to locate a young Jewish girl named Mirjam. For this assignment she will need to get help from a resistance group. The book is true to WWII and the horrors of the Nazis. One reason I find this such an important book for my school shelves is that we have a holocaust unit. I try to provide great books that accurately tell of the holocaust events. So many people sided with the Nazis, not because they hated the Jews but because they wanted to improve their own position in life. Some were just bystanders who didn’t agree but didn’t want to get involved. This book shows so many sides to this war. As a word of caution it is full of the violence that so many experienced. This type of history should never be watered down. I applaud this author for telling a story that is authentic and exactly what kids and adults should learn. We need more books like this that show the importance of resistance groups and people like Hanneke.

Ground Zero by Alan Gratz

 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, 9/11

Source: I purchased a copy

I loved this book. It was raw and emotional. Brandon finds himself going to work with his dad in the Twin Towers because he has been suspended from school. Trying to fix the damage done due to standing up to a bully, Brandon sneaks away from his father, who is a chef at Windows on the World. It is during this time the first plane is flown into the twin towers. Reading the raw account of events from that day brought back so many memories and emotions. The story is told in alternation chapters. The other person in this story is Reshmina, a young Afghan girl whose family is caught between the fighting between the Americans and Afghan soldiers and the Taliban. Reshmina saves the life of an American Soldier and puts her whole village in danger.  The only issue I had with this book was the set up. I didn't learn until the book was almost finished what the connection was between the two main characters. It went beyond 9/11. For this book alone I did something I've never done before. I used small sticky notes to separate the two stories. I read all of Brandon's story, then went back and read all of Reshmina's story. That was how I learned that Brandon's story takes place the year 9/11 happened and Reshmina's story takes place on 9/11 only 20 years later.

I loved the message in this story about bullies. It gave me a lot to think about and hopefully the students who read this story from my bookshelves will understand the underlying message as well.  I have read several of this author's books and loved each and every one. It is hard to read them when in school as I choose to let my students read them first.  This is a must read especially as we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Maybe by Morris Gleitzman

Maybe by Morris Gleitzman

Genre: Middle Grade, Young Adult, Historical Fiction

Source: Purchased

            In the previous book in this series, Felix once again helps a young girl. Anya was a girl he met after saving a baby. He meets Anya, who promises him a way to get powdered milk. Felix learned that the reason Anya was always sick was that she was pregnant. They went back to Gabriek’s farm to learn someone else had taken possession. In town, a mob attacks them, an Aussie is injured when he saves him, then needs Felix’s help to save his life with his medical knowledge. It is decided that Felix will become the face of all that Australia fought for in World War II. He is loaded on a plane leaving Gabriek behind. Unbeknownst to the pilot, Anya has hidden away on board as well. Up to this point, the tension has been a rollercoaster ride. Then the plane is going down. Felix and Anya must jump for their lives. This is their welcome to Australia. I still love this series because I can see how we are coming full circle in Felix’s life. There were so many unanswered questions for me that made me want to dive into the next and last book in this series. Unfortunately, it won't be available until July of this year. If by chance I can get my hands on it before then, just know that I will.