The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games #1) by Suzanne Collins
One of the advantages of being in a book club, I find, is that it sometimes makes me read books I might not select on my own. The Hunger Games is a perfect example. Judging by the short content on the back cover, I would never ever have picked this book to read. Gruesome, terrible, not at all ‘my kind’ of book. I am not at all a fan of science fiction (if that’s what this is).

However, my book club decided that we should read this first book in the series, mostly to find out what all the hype was about. My book club consists of about 6 – 8 women ranging in age from 19 to 80.

And so I took The Hunger Games home from the library and, hesitantly, starting reading.

I don’t remember now how long it was before I was completely, totally hooked: in the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

I could not put the book down. The writing was superb, the story riveting. And with today’s popularity of reality TV shows, scary as it is, even has a ring of truth to it.

When my book club next met we discovered that the story had gripped each of us in a similar way. Each of us read all three books in a row:
Part 2: Catching Fire
Part 3: Mockingjay

Powerful writing! Highly recommended for YA and adults of all ages. Good discussion material in highschool.
I had no need at all to see the movie: as with all good books, I had already seen the movie in my head while reading.

http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/ (for games, downloads)

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

In this first book of the series, Clementine tries to help out her friend Margaret, but ends up in a lot of trouble for it. Things get worse each day of the week, until finally she’s worried that Margaret is right: Clementine’s parents might consider her to be “the hard one” in the family. They’re up to something mysterious…are they thinking they’d be better off if they only had her little vegetable-named brother…”the easy one”?
I love Clementine because of her spunky, individual voice. Her character rings true and I can recognize real several little girls in her. A great example of ‘voice’, this is a wonderful book to read aloud at bedtime to 5 – 8 year olds.

Hyperion Books
Paperback, 160 pages
http://sarapennypacker.com/pennypacker-clementine.htm

The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen

I have enjoyed Susin Nielsen’s previous books (Word Nerd and Dear George Clooney Please Marry My Mom). But this Governor General’s award winning title blows you right of the water.
If you have ever watched news reports of bullying on TV, this book will hit home. Nielsen skillfully, tactfully, insightfully tackles a scary but important topic. All kids who have been subjected to bullying at school, all kids who have ever bullied someone else – for whatever reason – ought to read this book. And so should all teachers, parents and kids. Counselors, too.
The story features Henry whose brother has just committed an act of utter despair. The story is poignant, touching, funny and sad – all at once.
Read this aloud with your students to discuss the aftermath and deep reaching effects of bullying. Make this book mandatory for your students, for fellow teachers – it could possibly prevent similar heartbreak in real life.
A well crafted, fascinating read worthy of winning the highest praise in Canadian children’s literature.
Oh, and if you read Word Nerd you will be pleasantly surprised to encounter Ambrose on the sidelines of this story.

Tundra Books
256 pages
ISBN: 978-1-77049-372-8 (1-77049-372-7)

A Day No Pigs Would Die, Robert Newton Peck

A beautiful, tender, rough and haunting tale – this American classic is the story of a 13 year old Shaker boy growing up on a Vermont farm.
The seasons pass, life and death are part of the cycle.
Even though he’s Shaker and, according to his father “it’s not the Shaker Way to take frills for being neighborly. All that Robert done was what any farmer would do for another” – Rob accepts a small pig from a neighbor as a thank you for saving his cow’s life.

He keeps the pig, names her, and gives her his devotion. He wrestles with grammar in the schoolhouse. He hears rumors of sin. He is taken — at last — to the Rutland Fair. He broadens his heart to make room, even for Baptists. And when his father, who can neither read nor write but whose wisdom and skill of country things is part of his bones, entrusts Rob with his final secret, the boy makes the sacrifice that completes his passage into manhood.

“All is told with quiet humor and simplicity. Here are lives lived by earthy reason — in a novel that, like a hoedown country fiddler’s tune, rings at the same time with both poignancy and cheer.”

Study guide: http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Day_No_Pigs_Would_Die/Day_No_Pigs_Would_Die01.html

Teachers guide:
http://www.randomhouse.com/teachers/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780679853060&view=tg

I’ll Be There by Holly Goldberg Sloan
ISBN 978-0-316-13038-7

I was given a review copy of this book at a literacy conference. Finally had a chance to read the 393 page novel.
Sloan writes movie scripts, including Made in America and The Big Green. It shows. Her debut novel, I’ll Be There, reads like a movie. I couldn’t put the book down because it is so well written. From several different view points – boy, girl, young adults, adults. It’s a wild ride of action, intrigue, emotions. A story of families and belonging.
A good story. Even though.. I kept thinking, in the back of my mind, this is TOO far fetched, this would never happen!
There are too many unbelievable, implausible, things that happen in this book. Two boys, abducted by their father, living on the road for ten years. They move at his whim, eat out of dumpsters. Then the oldest boy meets a girl from a warm, loving home and things change for him. But he still stays with his younger brother as the father takes them to Utah, tries to shoot them. They survive in the wilderness, loose each other, find each other and their surrogate family again. They live, love and learn.
It’s an intriguing story. It pulls you in.
Toward the end, the author goes overboard by describing what happens to the rest of the lives of several, fleeting characters. Should have stuck to the main story.
But if you can buy into all the improbable events, it’s great. Even if you don’t buy it, it’s still a good read.

Jeremiah Learns To Read by Jo Ellen Bogart, Laura Fernandez (Illustrator), Rick Jacobson (Illustrator)

Hardcover, 32 pages, Scholastic Inc.
ISBN 0531301907 (ISBN13: 9780531301906)

Lesson Plan: sed.ycdsb.ca/library/Jeremiah_Prim.pdf

Recently I interviewed Canadian YA author Iain Lawrence.

His books include Winter Pony, The Wreckers and many others. The interview appears in the current issue of Canadian Teacher Magazine, follow the link and click on the interview: http://www.canadianteachermagazine.com/currentissue.shtml

Happy Reading!

Sticks, Joan Bauer

While I have enjoyed most of Joan Bauer’s books (Hope Was Here, Looking for Alaska, Almost Famous and more) I wasn’t sure when someone recently gave me a copy of Sticks.
Cover? Not that great…
Short content? Said it was about pool and math.
I am not into pool.
And I don’t like math.
But Newbery Award winning author Joan Bauer spins a great tale. Her words, her language drew me right in. I came to care for Mickey. And his motley crew of friends.
They became real. I wanted to know more. What would happen.
I couldn’t put the book down.
One of those wonderful books where you “see the movie in your head” as you read. Where you do want to know how it ends, but you don’t want the ending to come. Which it always does.
OK, maybe it was just a tiny bit predictable. I kept wondering if all would really end well. But the ride was wonderful.
This is a book that especially boys will like. A story about tough kids in a small town. 5th Graders. But there’s just enough girl to make it a story for them, too. A good book for anyone, really. If she’d made it a 7th grader it would have worked too, and more kids would possibly read it.
What intrigued me most is how Joan Bauer weaves playing pool and math together effortlessly. Who knew that pool can be based on math? It sure sounds plausible. Throw in a science project, a bully, a truck, and you have great ingredients.  Let Joan Bauer tell the story and you have… a plain good book you should read.

Then follow up, if you are a teacher, with her teaching guide:
http://joanbauer.com/ToolkitTeachers.html

• ISBN 13: 9780142404287ISBN 10: 0142404284