Talent by B. Lynn Goodwin

Genre: Young Adult, Realistic fiction

Source: I purchased a copy

 

This book is by far one of the best  I have read this summer. I can't wait to talk this up to my students and recommend it to our media specialist and the other teachers in my department. Let me tell you about this beautiful book.

Sandee Mason is a young girl whose brother is missing in Afghanistan. Diego, her neighbor and former seventh-grade boyfriend, is the only one who hasn't treated her differently since they received the news.  Encouraged by her brother's voice, she auditions for the school play, "Oklahoma." Is she running away from or to something?

As I read, I journeyed with Sandee as she tried to find her place in her new world.  I won't tell any more of the plot than that because I don't want to spoil anything.

This is an emotional read because of the situation Sandee and her family are in. It is emotional because of the behind-the-scenes drama Sandee finds herself in with the play's cast members.

This is so much more than a coming-of-age story. This story rings so true. You have a variety of relatable characters. All of them have their own hopes, dreams, quirks, and issues. Sometimes we focus so much on our own issues that we don't see others around us hurting the way we are. This story deals with teen drinking and alcoholism, grief, friendship, and family relationships. 

This author has written a book that will draw you in and hold you until the last sentence. Like I said before, this is one of the best books I have read all summer. I want to shout that from top of the world.

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.

The Color Keepers by Catriona Crehan

Genre:  Middle Grade, Fantasy

Source: I received a copy to review

 

Emily, her brother James and her crush Sam are on a mission. When Emily’s mom brings home an antique mirror with 4 colors of stained glass, a gift for Emily she is shocked. She awakens to hear a humming and sees the colors on the mirror brighten. A note floats out from the mirror with Emily’s name on it. She touches the colors in the order described in the note and walks into another world. She sets free a girl who has been imprisoned, only to learn the prisoner was the Crow Queen.  Emily is told she will need to bring two people back the following night to stop the Crow Queen before she destroys the Flatlands and Emily’s world. The adventures were not bad. The world building was great. I felt the characters were not as developed as much as I would have liked them to be. However, I did enjoy

the book and would recommend it.