North Beat Christmas by Jenna Zark

Genre: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Source: I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

This is Jenna Zark's third book in the "Beat Street" Series, we find Ruby and her brother in California. This year they have convinced their mother to let them spend Christmas with their dad in San Francisco.  Things get off to a rocky start. Their father fails to pick them up from the train station, Ruby's satchel with her money, and most importantly her notebook is stolen. Once they get to their dad's house they find him face down on the floor of his apartment.  For money for food Ray plays the saxophone, his dad plays the bongos dnd Ruby dances in a park. They are part of a community known as the "beats". As Ruby and Ray get off the bus in front of a book store called Inner Pages, Ruby's one desire is to go inside and be immersed in the pages of the greats. She sets that as her goal for the next morning. When she gets there she finds herself with a job and a new friend. Ruth is an older lady who works there.  After lunch they return to the bookstore and find her brother Ray. He has come to get Ruby because he can't get into his dad's bedroom and his dad isn't answering.  This is when Ruby realizes her father has a problem with alcohol.  Ruby meets another young man in the bookstore. His name is Marty. Marty has some issues of his own, but Ruby is the kind of friend who sticks by them no matter what.

This is an awesome book.  Ruby learns a lot of lessons in this book. She grows up quite a bit. we see her mature in ways we hope our young people will eventually mature. We get a glimpse into a time period most of us know nothing about. We see Ruby and her brother deal with issues our young people today must deal with. Most importantly we see what love can accomplish.  What a wonderful book to start off my Christmas break from school.

Student Saturday: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Student Reviewer:  Lexie L.

-300 years in the future, what we call the U.S.A today is now Panem. This story follows a 16-year-old girl named Katness Everdeen in district 12 of 13. However, district 13 was destroyed. Katness faces the struggles of Panem’s oppressive government and extreme poverty that came with it. Her hair is a deep brown, almost always in her signature braids, she has a narrow figure, and piercing gray eyes. She has a sister named Prim and she would protect her with her life, and she has. Katness learned from a young age how to use a bow, though against the law, to hunt food for her family beyond the fence of where the district was divided. This would come in handy later in her life. In this time period the capital of Panem would take one girl and one boy from each district and put them in an arena where they would fight to the death leaving one soul winner. This would happen once a year, every year. When Prim, Katness’s little sister, was old enough to participate in this “game” she was unlucky picked to compete. As soon as this happened Katness raised her hand and shouted at the top of her lungs “I volunteer. I VOLUNTEER AS A TRIBUTE!” She was then taken to the capital with a boy who was picked named Peta Melark. They were interviewed and asked question their entire stay at the capital. When in came to be the day of the games they all were released into the dome with the cornucopia in the center of the arena. Read the book to find out what happens once the games begin.

-I really loved the way the author portrayed the thoughts and feeling of the character using body language as a key factor to understand what a player’s demeanor was. All the intense detail and world building had me on the edge on my seat while reading this incredible story. It truly holds a deeper meaning and comments on our society today. I cried a lot while reading this book. Overall, this is a remarkable story for anyone who likes futuristic timelines, fear, drama, overthrowing oppressive governments, justice, etc.

-I highly recommend this book,

Movie Review: Red One

 

I am not sure I have ever recommended a movie on my blog.  This is one that I most definitely want to recommend to everyone.

I am sure this is going to became a yearly classic, right up there with "The Polar Express".  Santa, called Red One and played by J.K. Simmons is and is not your classic Santa.  To me it took the classic Santa story and explained so many things. It tells us how the naughty list came about. It explains to us why Santa needs so many milk and cookies.  If you've heard stories of Krampus, he is explained.  

Dwayne Johnson plays Callum Drift, Santa's bodyguard who is set to resign because he can no longer see all of the good in the adults.  Things change when Santa is kidnapped and Callum must find and rescue Santa. Enter Jack O'Malley played by Chris Evans. We are first introduced to him as a child who doesn't believe Santa delivers presents.  Fast forward to him as an adult. He is leading not the most wholesome life. He has a kid h has little to do with.  He is partly responsible for Santa's kidnapping, as he provided information that led to Santa.

The characters are well developed. The storyline is well paced.  This is an action film, not your typical feel good Christmas movie. However, it is a story of hope and redemption and belief. It is so good that my husband and I watched it twice.  I highly recommend this movie.

Student Saturday: Up From the Sea by Leza Lowitz

 

 

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Poetry
Student Reviewer: Soleil M

The book, "Up From the Sea" is about a tsunami hitting a town in Japan. Kai tryed to save his family from the massive devastation in his home. He was offered a trip to New York to meet kids that experineced 9/11. While Kai is in America, he decided to look for his American father that he hasn't talked to in years. While in America, Kai decideds to go back home and help rebuild his town.

I rate this book an seven out of ten. I found this book quite interesting and touching. I would recommend this book to ages ten and above. I have enjoyed reading this book and it also taught me about how tsunamis happen.

Sorry I Have Been Absent

Sorry I've been Away for So Long

This school year has definitely been different.  Shortly after school started for teachers, Tropical Storm Debbie came through Florida and we were flooded in for several days.  I was so glad to get back to school just to feel normal.  I soon learned that there is nothing normal about this year.  We were hit by back to back Hurricanes, Helene and then Milton. Between playing catch up at school and getting things cleared up at home it has been hectic.  I have talked books with students and my TBR list has grown by leaps and bounds.  My students set my school reading goal at 95 books. I am 42 books in so far.  I have had weekends where I have not been able to read a single book. My students on the other hand are talking to me about books they have read.  I seem to have a large number of students reading Stephen King.  I have one young lady who reads books her mom and sister have recommended to her.   She popped in last week to share a list of books she got to purchase for her birthday.

Here is a list of some of my favorites since school started in September:

A Christmas Wish by Engy Neville

Thirty Seconds at a Time by Tracy Bilen

The One and Only Ruby and The One and Only Family by Katherine Applegate

In a Deep Dark Magic Wood by Scott Peters

The Tears of the Empress by Alfred M. Struthers

Tethered by Shawn Inmon

Today I talked with a student about the book Terror at Bottle Creek by Watt Key.  She said it was so interesting that she wanted to crawl into the book.  I will be writing my review of that book this weekend.  I actually read it while we were going through hurricane Milton.  Very appropriate since the main character is doing the very same thing.

My goal is to do nothing much but read during our Christmas Break.  I will be able to return to School much more relaxed.

Student Saturday: If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin

 

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction

Student Reviewer:  Sofia L.

Two best friends that both had feelings for each other, and they never said anything about it. They have known each other since they were little. Finny is quiet and does not share his feelings. Autum is the same, but she is a little more outgoing. They were both in relationships with other people. Autum and Finny live in Ferguson, Missouri, they are next door neighbors, their moms are best friends and always together so that means that Autum and Finny are always together, "The Mothers" as Autum calls them go on a vacation. Will Finny and Autum find out how they feel about each other, or will it be too late? 

A Christmas Wish by Engy Neville

 

Genre: Adult, Romance

Source:  I received a copy to facilitate my review. The opinions expressed here are my own

Romance novels are not usually my go to genre. I have certain requirements. I don’t want a mushy, gushy romance.  There has to be other conflicts that must be solved for me to truly enjoy it. This is my first book by this author and will not be my last. As a teacher of teens,  I have been reading middle grade and young adult books for so long that I had put a lot of adult books on the back burner.

Amy is a young woman who moved from California to take another job, her dream job in New York. She left behind a cheating boyfriend and a job where her boss was out to get her. On a vacation to the Hamptons with  her best friend from California and her new best friend from New York, she meets Richie, a gorgeous looking man. He seems to have fallen head over heals in love with her. She meets his family at Thanksgiving and loves them.  Then things begin to fall apart. Her former boss is back in her life in New York. They have the same position. She is getting ready to spend Christmas with her boyfriend and his family. It seems that things are going downhill fast.

Things aren’t always what they seem to be.  There are many things we learn as we read the book that adds quite a bit of tension to this story. That is what made me really enjoy this book.  I will stop at this point because I don’t want to give anything away. I will say, if you love a feel good romance or you are like me, sitting on the fence when it comes to romance novels, then you most definitely need to read this one.

Student Saturday: The Do Over by Lynn Painter

 

 

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic Fiction
Student Reviewer: Livi G.

The Do-Over was an overall enthralling rom-com that had many comical elements involved in the plotline yet serious topics that were artistically and beautifully executed throughout the book. This novel follows the talented, smart, goal-oriented, people-pleasing Emilie and her everyday life as the girlfriend of Josh (who is also very smart and talented), and what happens when she is stuck in a time loop of the day when he cheats on her on Valentine’s Day. With the repeating tragedy, Emilie tries with all her might to prevent this conflict from occurring throughout the days. While doing so, she always runs into her chemistry lab partner, Nick, in the mornings when they keep getting into car accidents with each other or just randomly seeing each other. Nick and Emilie don’t really hit it off and Nick always seems to have a hatred towards Valentine’s Day, which Emilie doesn’t really know why. She later finds the answer to her question when she decides to rebel for a day. She thinks she has unlimited days to waste with being whoever she wants to be for 24 hours at a time. She calls this the DONC (Day of No Consequences). On the DONC, Emilie drags Nick out of class, and they travel the many miles of Downtown, doing whatever they please. An unbreakable bond between the two of them forms and they both end up catching feelings for each other, not wanting the day to end. Sadly, when the day does end and February 15th rolls into play, Emilie must pay the consequences of all the trouble she created the day before, while realizing that everything she did mattered, and the time-loop will never exist again.

This book really shows readers that conforming to everyone else’s standards, expectations and “bending over backwards” for everyone will not make you happy or be the person you truly want to be. If I were Emilie, I would tell myself that it’s okay if someone disagrees with what I do or what I say- I'm my own person with my own opinions, and that’s how it will always be. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves YA romance books and who just needs a quick read. In conclusion, Lynn Painter continues to impress me with her writing abilities and how she so beautifully puts stories together that will have the reader hooked on the book, not being able to put it down. This book reminded me a lot of another one of Lynn’s books, Better Than the Movies, with how the two characters grow as people and in loving each other, and I look forward to reading more of her novels.  

Make a Little Wave by Kerry O'Malley Cerra

 

Genre:  Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

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

Middle school is a tough time for any kid to move.  When Savannah, also known as Sav, and her family move from the central part of Florida to a beach town she is not overly thrilled.  You can love marine life, but not like the water so very much.  Sav has a hearing problem and has had cochlear implants.  She fears the water and I was able to relate that to my grandmother. We came to Florida on vacation. We could only get her in water almost to her knees. She had a fear of falling in, the darkness of the water, ruining her hearing aid. She was always afraid of water. She was fine watching it from a distance.  This kind of remined me of Sav. Another thing that is difficult for most kids moving during middle school is having to leave old friends and meet new ones.  Sav is lucky that she meets Tanner. This is also where her problems begin. She’s invited to their new restaurant and learns the soup she is eating is Shark Fin soup.  She conducts research and learns how horrible it is for the sharks to have their fins removed then thrown back into the ocean to die.

She along with two other new friends decide to do something. Unfortunately Sav has chosen several methods that are illegal to get her message across.  The upside to this book is that it shows teens that no matter what their age they can make a difference. It teaches them that they do have a voice and should use it to make a difference in the world.  I think many of my middle school students could relate to this book. I have found that they are different from my generation when we were teens. We were not really made to feel we had a voice until we were much older.  Kids today can and do make a difference simply by using their voice.  Awesome book with an awesome message.

Skimmer and Finn: Lurkers and the Little Boop Creature by Christopher Francis

Genre: Children's Graphic

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

I loved this second book in the Skimmer and Finn series.  In book one Finn wakes from hyper sleep on another planet. The earth has been destroyed and they must survive. He has a robot named Skimmer who is supposed to help him survive. Finn and two friends he meets along with a monster he saved have a new issue.  They have run into a group of monsters who are not happy with them. Boop is another robot who now helps Finn.  What is making the group of monsters so angry and how can Finn help them and their planet?  As they search for materials to build a door over a cave they hear a signal.  This book is all about Finn learning to survive, helping a planet heal and of course friendship  It is cute, it is funny, and I am looking forward to reading the next one.  I don't read many graphic novels, but this is one I definitely recommend.