Eleven by Tom Rogers

Genre: Realistic Fiction,  Middle Grade

Source: I purchased a copy.

Eleven is one of those books that is a quick read because it holds your attention from the very beginning.

Alex Douglas is almost eleven and he knows what he wants for his birthday. After all he has two things he loves. Planes and dogs. He isn’t old enough to fly a plane yet, but his parents have talked to him about being more responsible before they will get him a dog. That is the only thing he wants. The night before his birthday he really blows things. He has argued with his mom and then he tells his dad he hates him.  Could things get any worse?  When he wakes up the next morning on September 11^th he has no idea how bad things can get. He is sure he won’t be getting a dog for his present. On the bus he becomes the target of the school bully.  Shortly after school starts he is sent to pick up his sister from school and told to go to his mother’s work. No one will tell him anything. He is told to go home and not to watch the TV.

Alex had seen a stray dog on his way to school and then he sees him on his way home with his sister Nunu. He is sure this is meant to be his dog.  Then he learns the terrible truth about event of the day. His father drives a PATH train that stops under the Twin Towers.  His last words to his dad was “I hate you.” He starts making deals. If he takes the dog back to his rightful owner, then his dad will come home safe. The strange thing is, he meets a man who lives next door to where the dog used to live. He too has been making deals in hopes his son will come home.

I made it all the way to the end before I started crying. Mac, the old man and Alex for a bond that was not expected. They have a connection through the love of planes.  This is a book that keeps you reading to see who will and who won’t survive.  I couldn’t put the book down. The events were well researched and not too heavy for middle school students. I am proud to put this book on my shelves for my students.

Be Light Like a Bird by Monika Schroder

Genre: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction

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

Wren is a twelve-year-old girl whose father dies in a plane crash. This is a realistic look at the grief process and how it affects everyone. This is a very heavy topic for middle school children. However, a recent discussion in my sixth grade classroom brought forward that often times middle school is when grandparents and sometimes parents die. This is their biggest fear, the loss of family and friends. This is the perfect book for my school shelves. The relationship between Wren and Theo reminded me of two kindergarten students I had. Curtis lost him mom to cancer. He grew up watching her in constant pain, even though she tried hard to protect him from it. He took her death hard. Then Sarah’s dad suddenly died of pneumonia. It was Curtis who helped her through the grieving process.  He had no idea he had helped me as well. Theo and Wren reminded me so much of them.  I love when books can help me make a personal connection. This is an emotional read so get out your box of tissues. This is one you won’t want to put down.

Fire in the Ashes – Jonathan Kozo

Genre: Adult, Nonfiction

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

Jonathan Kozol has written another book that looks at those who are less fortunate than many. He has followed the lives of many inner city children. He has shown us that society has in many ways hindered them, yet many of them have survived to go to college and find their way out of this hell that was created for them. As he exposed some of the areas and conditions that these children have had to live through, society moved them to areas that really were not much better and often put them in harm’s way even more. Kozol’s stories are heart-wrenching and often hopeful as we follow these lives and wonder how they managed to survive. A man like this does this from the goodness of his heart. He truly cares. You can feel this as you read the book. He doesn’t judge people. He just tells their stories.