The Giver, Newbery Winner 1994

So this is one of those books that I'd never read simply because I was always reading something else. I'm so grateful to have finally gotten the chance to read it, although it was pretty depressing at times. This book is set in a completely ordered, seemingly idyllic future. A future vividly imagined by Lowry and endowed with just enough familiarity to be easily identified with. However, all is not right.
I loved how this book forces its readers to think, asks them to examine themselves and society and make judgements. I'm not the world's biggest fan of dystopian literature, only a handful of titles have ever held my attention. (Exempting short stories.)
The characters were heart-breakingly realistic. I pained for Jonas throughout the book as I tried to imagine what he was going through. Could any one person really be expected to take on so much for the community?
Though I was able to detect many of the plot-twists before their arrival I can only imagine a young person reading this the first time. I highly recommend this book to the mature child with an adult willing to guide them! But, even with my knowledge of the basic plots, I felt that the ending was pleasantly ambiguous. I can't decide how the novel ended, but I'm sure that I'll change my mind anyway in the future!

Third Round-Up

Wow. It has taken so long to get to this point. Ah well, I'm still enjoying this little challenge (though I'll be straight up honest there are three book so far that I've started and been unable to finish).

Anyway, the newcomers!

Island of the Blue Dolphins - This is such a wonderful and beautiful book. Sadly I look at reviews and it seems that there are a great many people who don't like it. It is, apparently, too boring. I am always amazed at how the times have changed, some, in fact most, modern books I love, but I also love classic literature. It doesn't seem that many of my peers or those younger than myself find classic literature to be worth the time of day, which is sad because they miss books like this.

Maniac Magee - Ahhhhh!!!! I enjoyed reading this again, it was just as fun as I remembered. I fell in love with these characters for the first time more than ten years ago. It was also the book that introduced me to that magical reading time that occurs far after a sane person would have fallen asleep.

The Tale of Despereaux - This was such a fun book! I read it very quickly and discussed it with some friends over lunch. One mentioned that she had heard the book ended differently than the film. Being a fair-minded individual I pulled it up on Netflix.

See what being fair has gotten me?

She was right the ending was different, but to be fair, so was the beginning and middle, and character traits (both physical and personality). If you have only ever seen this movie, please don't assume the book is a similar by any means. I would also go so far as to guess that it would be the most popular book with today's audience that I have on this list.

The Westing Game - I don't often get a chance to indulge in a full length mystery novel. I also think that children need to be engaged in a good mystery every once and a while, it can only sharpen their brains further.

The View from Saturday - I'm still not a fan of Mrs. Olinski but I got to relive so many memories just reading this book that it's hard for me to hold a grudge against it. It was a great read set in contemporary times which was enjoyable, while a lot of these works are 'contemporary' it is obvious that they are on the tottering edge of becoming historical.

The Cat Who Went to Heaven - I often find myself reflecting on the beautiful story in this book. Then again I'm a cat lover... not that I exclude dogs mind you, I just really love cats and feel they are more prone to take flack from society.

Dear Mr. Henshaw - Just days past reading this one I can say that it mimicked life quite nicely. However it isn't necessarily a book I would rush back to again and again. I might use it for a unit on journal writing, at any rate it will certainly be an available read in my future classroom.

A Gathering of Days - Another book that I enjoyed but have no strong desire to read again. It mirrored life excellently, but for the most part life is boring unless it is happening strictly to you. I felt that some of the more interesting things that happened were glossed over so quickly and too much time was spent on the 'everyday' things.

Rabbit Hill - A simple, enjoyable read. One that I might break out as a bedtime story for any future children I might have, but I doubt I'd ever use in the classroom.

The Matchlock Gun - Well, someone had to occupy the bottom slot on this list. I liked this book, I really did. But only a few months out and I don't find myself thinking about it very often, nor have I recommended it to anyone. Like The Whipping Boy, I simply can't justify comparing this to some of the other works on this list.

All right then, "From the top!"

1. Number the Stars
2. Crispin: Cross of Lead
3. Island of the Blue Dolphins
4. Julie of the Wolves
5. Maniac Magee
6. Bud, Not Buddy
7. King of the Wind
8. Out of the Dust
9. The Tale of Despereaux
10. Caddie Woodlawn
11. Kira-Kira
12. Sounder
13. Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a Medieval Village
14. The Westing Game
15. Bridge to Terabithia
16. The View from Saturday
17. Sarah, Plain and Tall
18. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices
19. Call It Courage
20. The Cat Who Went to Heaven
21. Onion John
22. Dear Mr. Henshaw
23. Missing May
24. A Gathering of Days
25. The Whipping Boy
26. Rabbit Hill
27. The Matchlock Gun
28. A Visit to William Blake's Inn
29. Johnny Tremain
30. Dobry
31. Daniel Boone

The Westing Game, Newbery Winner 1979

Oooooh boy. I hadn't expected a mystery, that seems to be the genre least likely to be a winner. In fact, though there had been  mystery elements in some of the other books this is the only one to have been written strictly as a puzzle to be solved. I love a good puzzle and come from a long line of literary sleuths.
I found that the clues were easy enough to decipher and think they're appropriate for school aged children. I also like the relationships that develop between characters, Chris makes a great point in the story. Speaking of characters, there are a ton of them! Their are sixteen heirs to the Westing estate, plus a few secondary characters. Some reviewers seem to think that there are too many characters... HA! I'm sorry but now-a-days you rarely find a series or stand-alone work without a large cast of characters, that's simply the way it is.
If you enjoy mysteries another series I recommend is The Mysterious Benedict Society. I think I've recommended them before but here goes again...

Read them all!

Overall if you are a fan of the mystery genre I think you'll enjoy The Westing Game, and before you write it of as just another kids' book I'll tell you that there are some good plot twists. Most I never saw coming (and one I'm ashamed to say I never saw coming).

Dear Mr. Henshaw, Newbery Winner 1984

Another quick read. I spent an hour or so reading this one... And now it is super late at night but I'm on spring break sooooo... who cares!
This work is by the prolific Beverly Cleary, famous for her books about 'real kids'. If I'm being honest with myself I can't say that I'm a big fan of her work. I don't think I've ever re-read anything she wrote. That's a huge deal for me, re-reads make up more than half of my pleasure reading.
That being said, it's a good book. However, I found myself wishing that something amusing would happen. The book is a little gloomy, much like poor Leigh. But not every book can be written for the humor, still most books make me smile at least once. Ah well.

Another thing I noticed was that Leigh was in sixth grade. Jiminy Crickets, why is it always sixth grade when things go down? I actually feel that this is probably supported by life - my least favorite year ever was the year I was in sixth grade.

This book is a combination of letters and diary entries that track how Leigh begins to feel better simply by writing through all his problems. It is books like this that make me wish I had kept a journal. The para in the classroom I'm student-teaching has boxes of journals that she started keeping when she was around nine years old. I'm actually quite jealous of her. Anyway, this book works a little different than most, in that we actually have no ending to speak of, the little boy just keeps on doing what he has been doing.

As long as I'm here I might as well share with you the book I've been reading to the third graders:

This book is hilarious. I've been taking it from the classroom at lunchtime just so I can keep reading! I do wish there was time to read everyday though... That might re motivate the students. They were going to reproduce the contest in the book - a boys vs. girls no talking challenge. It might be interesting to see because we have quite the chatty batch.

Since it is spring break I hope I'll be able to post once more this week... we shall see.