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Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson

Posted by BJ Neary on September 30, 2015 at 3:37am

Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book so much I purchased three- one for me to share, one for my daughter who is a K teacher and one for my daughter-in-law who is a K teacher (and of course Kylie, my granddaughter has read it many times, what a beautiful story of the Katrina Hurricane and its effect on a cat and a dog - and of course, on the readers who will just be so happy these two Bobbies stay together to survive. The illustrations are gorgeous and I appreciated the "real" photographs of the two pets too! Children and adults will learn so much about Hurricane Katrina, the lapse of time people and animals endured before help arrived. The Author's note at the end was very helpful and added even more important information about these two very special pets. Highly recommended!

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Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles

Posted by BJ Neary on September 30, 2015 at 3:24am

Read Between the Lines by Jo Knowles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can't remember who recommended this book to me, but this is a book all teens should read! Jo Knowles takes something that happened to her in real life as a child ad uses one incident in each chapter of the book to perfection. Teens at a school are just trying to make it one day at a time, surviving bullies and mean girls, parents, teachers and even next door neighbors. Each character spoke to me (my favorite was Claire) and I think teens will see themselves or others on these pages. Even better is Jo Knowles' plea to "tell it true, even if it means, read between the lines."

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Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Posted by BJ Neary on September 27, 2015 at 8:00am

Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Teens will see a bit of themselves in Dave, Julia, Gretchen and Brett. In this book, Adi Alsaid really gets teens (their highs and lows, their quirks, their isms) and for the teens that pine for others and do not do anything about it, Dave and Julia's friendship throughout high school with their Nevers list is reading they will love. Dave is such a nice guy, nice, genuine, caring. I wanted to love Julia but Adi Alsaid did such a great job showing how much Julia said and did was predicated on her very absent mom. It was so sad (Dave sees this) every time Julia's mom disappoints her and yet Julia yearns for a mom but gets a lukewarm long distance relationship from a selfish mom. So this broken connection made Julia self-centered, snarky, out there and unrealistic about many things. I couldn't put this book down; the romance, the wanting, the ache, the yearning make for a novel teens with be reading and sharing with each other. Make sure you read this book and join our twitter discussion with #yabookchat 10/4 at 9pm EST!

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Never Always Sometimes by Adi Alsaid

Posted by BJ Neary on September 27, 2015 at 7:59am

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Never Always Sometimes" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422630370m/24338298.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24338298-never-always-sometimes">Never Always Sometimes</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4505164.Adi_Alsaid">Adi Alsaid</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1400321666">4 of 5 stars</a> 
Teens will see a bit of themselves in Dave, Julia, Gretchen and Brett. In this book, Adi Alsaid really gets teens (their highs and lows, their quirks, their isms) and for the teens that pine for others and do not do anything about it, Dave and Julia's friendship throughout high school with their Nevers list is reading they will love. Dave is such a nice guy, nice, genuine, caring. I wanted to love Julia but Adi Alsaid did such a great job showing how much Julia said and did was predicated on her very absent mom. It was so sad (Dave sees this) every time Julia's mom disappoints her and yet Julia yearns for a mom but gets a lukewarm long distance relationship from a selfish mom. So this broken connection made Julia self-centered, snarky, out there and unrealistic about many things. I couldn't put this book down; the romance, the wanting, the ache, the yearning make for a novel teens with be reading and sharing with each other. Make sure you read this book and join our twitter discussion with #yabookchat 10/4 at 9pm EST!
 
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/62411-bjneary">View all my reviews</a>

A darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Posted by BJ Neary on September 24, 2015 at 12:45pm

A Darker Shade of Magic (A Darker Shade of Magic, #1)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The dark magic was so scary in the many Englands (Red, Gray, Black and White) and the characters of Kell and Lilah were so complex and likable while Holland and Astrid and Athos made me cringe with their cruelty. I loved the narrator Steven Crossley; he did a masterful job in his delivery and because of his voice---I kept finding many more ways to listen to this murderous world of magic and travelers.

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Hold Tight Don't Let Go by Laura Rose Wagner

Posted by BJ Neary on September 24, 2015 at 12:33pm

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20702041-hold-tight-don-t-let-go" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img alt="Hold Tight, Don't Let Go: A Novel of Haiti" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397635116m/20702041.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20702041-hold-tight-don-t-let-go">Hold Tight, Don't Let Go: A Novel of Haiti</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7812989.Laura_Rose_Wagner">Laura Rose Wagner</a> 
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1393823813">5 of 5 stars</a> 
This novel of Haiti was oh so good- from a simple life, to total destruction with the 1/12/2010 earthquake. Laura Rose Wagner does a masterful job with characters, plot, and words (sweet, harsh, the whole gamut of expression) describing the close relationship between Magdalie and Nadine before and as their world ends. I learned so much about Haitian customs, beliefs and language as I was immersed in Magdalie's life (with and after Nadine goes to Miami)in the Port au Prince camp. Life becomes very hard for Magdalie but through hope, honesty, new friends, she shows the resilience of the Haitian people to rise above destruction and survive. Highly recommended! Please feel free to join the twitter chat Thursday 10/1 at 8pm EST with #2jennsbookclub.
 
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/62411-bjneary">View all my reviews</a>

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Posted by BJ Neary on September 24, 2015 at 12:22pm

Enclave by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I know it took me long enough to get to this awesome read!!! Deuce has always lived underneath and been raised by the enclaves rules. As a Huntress she was very successful and it is when she is paired with Fade and banished to Above that she sees a whole new world and life. I loved the characters, the world of the enclave, and hated the freaks (zombies), Silk, and Stalker. I can't wait for the 2nd book, Outpost! A great dystopian read, I still love these dystopian series.

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Endangered by Lamar Giles

Posted by BJ Neary on September 16, 2015 at 1:30pm

Endangered by Lamar Giles
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Endangered was a real cat and mouse game between the main character, Lauren Daniels, who is also known as Panda (in a not nice way) and an unknown admirer who is going all out to show Panda how much she likes her style of exposing the secrets of her classmates in a blog, Gray Scales. As the stakes rise, the mystery and scariness reach torturous levels. Once Lauren thought she was a Robin Hood helping others, now she is not so sure. I bit off all my nails as I plunged headlong into this drama filled, exciting read. If you like thrillers, Endangered will not disappoint!

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The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Posted by BJ Neary on September 14, 2015 at 12:14pm

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved listening to narrators Brandon Espinoza and Phoebe Strole as they alternated Cassie and Zombie's struggles to stay alive in a world that has gone through many waves and they are barely standing but still surviving the 5th Wave. I loved Cassie's strength and devotion to getting her brother Sammy back and I ached for Zombie's trials as he survives Vosh and Resnick's harsh tactics and battles back to save Nugget. If you want a story that is hair raising, desperate, but has strong characters; you will love this audiobook and I have just ordered his 2nd book in the series, The Infinite Wave, can't wait to begin listening!!!

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Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Posted by BJ Neary on September 14, 2015 at 12:09pm

Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Hunt's first book, One for the Murphys, and this book was just as awesome. Ally Nickerson can't read and has many excuses and jokes to get out of assignments for reading and writing. My heart broke for her as her teacher and principal judge her. There are some really nasty bullies in her class and Ally feels lonely and alone as she tries really hard to do her best. It is when she gets Mr. Daniels that Ally finds a teacher who invests time and effort into getting to know her and why she can't read. Keisha and Albert(misfits) help Ally find confidence and friends (which she has never had) who have lunch with her and hang out with her. I especially found it poignant that Ally's brother, Travis begins with dreams and high hopes but begins to slide into hopelessness as he struggles with the same problems in school as his sister. Strong writing, believable characters, and a realistic plot make this a book everyone should read- middle school, YA, and adults (guidance counselors, teachers)because there are so many students who lose hope in school as they struggle with disabilities and bullying. I loved the hope and resolution of this book and can't wait for another L M Hunt book!!!

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Fish in Trees by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Posted by BJ Neary on September 14, 2015 at 12:08pm

Fish In A Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved Hunt's first book, One for the Murphys, and this book was just as awesome. Ally Nickerson can't read and has many excuses and jokes to get out of assignments for reading and writing. My heart broke for her as her teacher and principal judge her. There are some really nasty bullies in her class and Ally feels lonely and alone as she tries really hard to do her best. It is when she gets Mr. Daniels that Ally finds a teacher who invests time and effort into getting to know her and why she can't read. Keisha and Albert(misfits) help Ally find confidence and friends (which she has never had) who have lunch with her and hang out with her. I especially found it poignant that Ally's brother, Travis begins with dreams and high hopes but begins to slide into hopelessness as he struggles with the same problems in school as his sister. Strong writing, believable characters, and a realistic plot make this a book everyone should read- middle school, YA, and adults (guidance counselors, teachers)because there are so many students who lose hope in school as they struggle with disabilities and bullying. I loved the hope and resolution of this book and can't wait for another L M Hunt book!!!

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Orbiting Jupiter

Posted by BJ Neary on September 13, 2015 at 6:44am

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group and Clarion Books for the ARC, Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt. Gary D. Schmidt’s books never disappoint and this book will stay with the reader, tugging at heartstrings, probing the depths of love and loss, teaching that life matters above all. Even though this book is geared toward junior high (middle school); teen readers and adults (teachers, school nurses, guidance counselors) need to read this book too. Jack is a sixth grade student and Joseph is in eighth grade but the life lessons will speak to a very wide audience. As I read this book, I was reminded of Bobby and Feather’s story, First Part Last by Angela Johnson. Students love urban fiction because it is diverse and speaks to them about what really goes on in their world. Orbiting Jupiter is similar (even though the characters are white farmers) with ripped from today’s headlines gritty social problems kids will identify with and discuss. When Jack and his parents agree to foster Joseph, they have no idea how much he will need them, nor do they have any idea how critically their lives will be affected by Joseph’s life before and after he comes to live with them. This slim book (179 pages) has spare, taut, but effective vocabulary (and short powerful sentences) that will keep readers turning the pages as this gripping novel deals with thirteen year old, Joseph, who becomes a father and desperately wants to care for his adored baby daughter, Jupiter, against a system that conspires to thwart him at every turn. What will happen when Jack and his parents support Joseph’s love for Jupiter? A compelling, aching book EVERYONE MUST READ!!! Highly recommended.

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Rook by Sharon Cameron

Posted by BJ Neary on September 10, 2015 at 12:08pm

Rook by Sharon Cameron
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished this dazzling drama just hours before the #2jennsbookclub twitter chat! Sharon Cameron's characters (The Bellamy family and The Hasard family) were oh so good. Sophia Bellamy and Rene Hasard are engaged to be married and oh do they have secrets aplenty!!! Sophie is trying to save her family's heritage, home, and business. It is Rene Hasard, very good looking, loud, and very annoying (to Sophie) who is going to pay the money that will save the Bellamy name. But an even juicier plot is the do-gooder (known as the Red Rook, who frees the masses and leaves a red rook feather)who is helping save the unjustly accused and stay one step ahead of the government and their favorite tool, the guillotine. As Sharon Cameron wove this mesmerizing story of revolution, the insidious Allemande and LeBlanc, killing all in their path; I could not stop turning the pages as daring Sophia, close brother, Tom, childhood friend, Spear, staunch maid, Orla all stealthily worked as ONE to right the wrongs of the ruthless government injustices. All the while, Rene and his family have mysteries aplenty in their past and present. Will the Red Rook triumph or will the hands of Fate keep their date with death? I highly recommend Rook if you love a spell binding epic with spies, heroes, and daring drama!

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A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord

Posted by BJ Neary on September 8, 2015 at 11:45am

A Handful of Stars by Cynthia Lord
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a wonderful book!!! I loved everything and everyone in this book, especially Lucky! Cynthia Lord's characters, setting, and oh those blueberries make for such a great read. Lily and her blind dog, Lucky live in Maine and meet Salma, a migrant worker. Salma becomes a very special friend to Lily and helps her as she tries new things. I loved growing close to Lily, Lucky, and her family and her intense wish to help Lucky regain his sight. I also enjoyed learning about the hardship of being a migrant worker, but Salma's love of art, family, and wishing for a better life were just a few things I wanted for Salma. I highly recommend this book to dog lovers, too; it will be a great read aloud to a class and also a great book to curl up with too!

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I Crawl Through It by A.S. King

Posted by BJ Neary on September 6, 2015 at 2:48pm

I Crawl Through It by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for the ARC, I Crawl Through It by A.S. King. I love A.S. King as a YA author; I have read all of her books and wow, I Crawl Through It is very different, very intense, but what teens will relate to and be talking about!!! In a very different surrealistic bent, teens cope with issues like standardized testing (and so much more) in very bizarre and unique ways, but it is all good. The reader will grow with the characters Stanzi, Gustav, Lansdale and China as they crawl through trying to make sense of their lives. Just settle in, soak it all in and you will be treated to a really different, weird story but one that only the genius that is A.S. King can write!!!

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Note: this page contains paid content.