Middle Grade Review: Heroes

Frank and Stanley are best friends, growing up on Pearl Harbor. They love superheroes and work together to create comic books. Frank writes the stories and Stanley draws them. They were meeting with a family friend on the USS Utah for a tour. 

The tour has barely started when Japanese planes flew overhead dropping bombs. From that moment on, Frank and Stanley's lives were in danger. They fight to make their way back home. 

Frank is white and Stanley is Japanese American. While the boys get back home, Stanley's mother recognizes that things have changed. She's burying their Japanese ancestry items.  People start looking at them differently afterwards. 

Even when they get home, the boys are not safe. 

My Thoughts: The story takes place in three parts: Before, During, and After. I loved the different parts and the fact that the book took place mostly in one day. There's lot of action and danger that kept me turning the pages quickly. I felt terrible for both the boys for all the horrors they witnessed. However, I felt worse for Stanley has he dealt with racism from people who had known his family.  While this book doesn't go much beyond the day of the attack, it does talk about the horrific history of the Japanese internment camps. I really enjoyed the question that this book sets out to answer: What makes a hero? I love how it worked as a topic for the main characters but also for the country. The point that we joined the war after an attack and not before raises some questions.  This is a great book for an introduction to Pearl Habor and the reasons America joined to war. 

Cover Thoughts: Great

Source: Checked out from the library

Library Recommendation: Highly recommended for your school and public library's collection.

Review: Ground Zero

 

Suspended for fighting at school, Brandon must go with his father to work. But this day changes his life. It's September 11th and his father works at a restaurant at the top of the Twin Towers. Brandon sneaks off to purchase a toy for his friend when he gets trapped in the elevator. 

He's finally able to escape but he realizes there's something not right with the building. Brandon fights to get back to his father. But the way is blocked. Everyone is scared and no one understands what's happening. Brandon encounters a man he met on the elevator that morning. They stick together and hope to find a way out of the building.

My Thoughts: This date is one of those moments in time where you remember where you were. This book wasn't easy to read, but it was a great read. I love how Alan Gratz weaves stories together and twists the plots at the end. Of course this book made me tear up. It showcases the horror of the day but it also asks really important questions.

Cover Thoughts: Wow

Source: My library

Library Recommendation: Must have book for your school and public library

Review: Refugee

Three different kids.

One mission in common: ESCAPE.

Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world.

Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America.

Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe.

All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers–from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But for each of them, there is always the hope of tomorrow. (summary from the publisher)

My Thoughts: I really liked this book. I loved the short chapters; they kept me turning the pages quickly along with the cliff hanger endings. While the stories were dark and sometimes hard to read, the characters did remain hopeful. It's a fantastic book for discussion. Even though the stories ranged over a significant time period, they are relevant more than ever. I loved the ending and how the stories tied together. 

Cover Thoughts: Well done
Source: My library
Read for: Middle Grade Cybils Award

Library Recommendation: This one should be in all the school and public libraries.

Teen Review Thursday

Here's what teens are reading and talking about this summer in Norwich. I love seeing what teens think about the books they're reading. This week, they're talking about fun fiction...

Oh My Gods: 4 stars

This was a very fun book about the modern world mixed with ancient Greek Gods. A very nice teen read with a mix of mythology. I enjoyed it.

Prisoner B-3087: 4 stars

This book is great! It is based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor. It describes his experiences during the Holocaust.

Take a Bow: 5 stars

As a music-obsessed teenager I really enjoyed the novel. This book reminded me of the amazing book, "lemonade mouth" which is probably why I liked it so much.