The Giver

Lowry, Lois, The Giver, Dell Laurel-Leaf, 2002, 179 pgs.

Summary: Jonas is nearing year 12, the year in which he will be awarded his assignment. The world that Jonas lives in is a world of sameness. Nothing is different and there is no questioning because there is no knowledge of anything different. No memories of what could be, only what is. Jonas is very nervous because it is not very clear to him what his job or assignment will be. As the day arrives when he will receive his assignment, he hopes that it will be something he likes, something that he will enjoy. He is number 19. His father is a nurturer who just brought home a baby boy because the boy is not doing well at the nurturing center. This is very uncommon, but Jonas’ father is very good at what he does. His mother is a lawyer. She always seems to be working. Number 18 is called and then number 20. His number was skipped. Jonas fears that he did something terribly wrong. At the end he is selected, not assigned, to be The Receiver, the keeper of the memories. Jonas begins his training with the current Receiver and begins to call him The Giver. Through The Giver transferring memories to Jonas, he learns about colors and choices and pain and loss and love. All things that do not exist in his current world. He begins to learn of the terrible things that happen in the current world that nobody talks about because they are not allowed to ask questions or question the way of their world. With The Giver, Jonas decides that he must be leave so that the memories he holds will be released upon the people. But the plan does not go as they thought. What will happen to Jonas? Will he be destined for a lifetime of holding the differences in the world?

Evaluation: The book was nothing that I expected. From the cover I assumed it would not be science fiction. This is a very well written novel that teaches everybody to question what is around you. I couldn’t help but see similar themes in this novel that I saw in The Hunger Games. The ending has left me wanting more and I do believe I will read more. A very well written masterpiece.

Annotation: What if you lived in a world where there was no color, music, and you had no choices. What would you do?

Significance of Book: This book is hugely significant because of the democratic uprising undertones. The suggestion that you should question all that is around you and not just accept is a topic that can be hard for some to imagine, but it is so necessary.

Genre/subject: science fiction, coming of age

Awards:

National:

• ALA Popular Paperbacks: 2010
• Newbery Medal: 1994

Why I selected the book: I have always seen this book as a classic, but the cover has always turned me off. After the class presentation on Lois Lowry, I knew I had to just give it a try.

Price: $17.51

The Westing Game

Raskin, Ellen, The Westing Game, Puffin Books,1997( Originally published in 1978) 217 pgs.

Summary: Let the game begin! Old man Sam Westing was not known as a very loving man, in fact he was more of a trickster and game player, so it should come as no surprise that when he is found dead, his will is one big game. When the tenets of Sunset Tower apartments are called to his mansion, most have no idea why. They are paired up in unlikely sets and given clues to solve who murdered Sam Westing. As an added incentive money is of course involved, lots of money, millions of dollars in money. The pair that is able to figure out the clues will get the inheritance. The fun is just beginning. When a snow storm hits and the players are snowbound they have no other choice, but to try and figure out who the murder is. Add in a couple bombings, the stock market, a track star, a non-English speaking Chinese, and an over bearing mother and you are sure to get some exciting situations. Don’t forget about the judge who really did know Sam Westing and has a debt to repay! Who is the murder? Is Sam Westing really dead? Who will win the Westing game?

Evaluation: Although an older book, this puzzle novel is truly a hard book to put down. The twists and turns will keep the pages flying and the only reason a reader may turn back and re-read something is to catch a clue they missed. I can see readers of all levels and ages loving this book and trying right along with the characters to figure out who the murder is. The only time I got confused is with the names. Some of the names are long and a bit hard to grasp. Overall, a true classic and one that really defines a puzzle novel!

Annotation: Anybody could be the murderer! The answer isn’t the clues you have, it is the clues you don’t have!

Significance of Book: This is a very well written puzzle novel. The character development and the twists are well captured and make for a delightful read.

Genre/subject: mystery, fiction, detective stories

Awards:

National:

• ALA Popular Paperbacks: 2004,
• Child Study Children's Book Committee: 1995,
• Newbery Medal: 1979

Why I selected the book: I remember my sister reading this book when I was younger and her and my brother talking about it, but I was too young to read and understand it. Now that I had the chance I wanted to find out what they were so excited about!

Price: $6.99

Hoot

Hiaasen, Carl, Hoot, Yearling, 2005, 292 pgs.

Summary: Roy finds it pretty strange living in Florida. He misses Montana terribly and doubts that Florida will be a place he will enjoy living. One day as he is riding the bus to school, and getting bullied by the school bully, he notices a kid run by the bus who is not wearing any shoes. He finds this very strange and one day decides to hop of the bus and run after him to find out where he is going. Roy is in for a real adventure when he discovers the boy is called Mullet Fingers, after the Mullet fish, and is living on his own. As the novel picks up the reader learns that yet another pancake establishment is going to be build right on the top of burrow owl holes and Mullet Fingers is doing his civil duty by delaying and sabotaging the construction site as best an eco-terrorist knows how. As Roy learns more about these tiny owls and what is going on, he volunteers himself to fight the construction that sadly will likely happen. Will Roy and Mullet Fingers save the owls?

Evaluation: Another environmentally focused novel crafted as humorously as Hiaasen knows how! The twisting together of Roy’s side of the story and the cops side of the story and the construction bosses is so well done, I never missed a beat as I jumped from one tale to the next. Hiaasen is doing his part to educate the young readers of the world to stand up for the environment and all the creatures in it that can’t stand up for themselves. This book is a gem for both boys and girls and will have them coming back and asking for more by Hiaasen and other environmental focused authors.

Annotation: Roy had to be the voice of the owls. After all they could only HOOT.

Significance of Book: A real environmentally focused books for young readers. Combining humor with serious issues is a real talent of Hiaasen.

Genre/subject: fiction, humor, environment

Awards:

National:

• ALA Notable Children's Books: 2003
• Best Fiction for Young Adults: 2003
• Newbery Honor Books: 2003

State:

• Arizona: Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominees: 2005
• Colorado: Blue Spruce Award Nominees: 2006
• Connecticut: Nutmeg Award Nominees: 2006
• Florida: Sunshine State Young Reader Award Winners: 2004
• Hawaii: Nene Award Nominees: 2005
• Illinois: Rebecca Caudill Award Nominees: 2005
• Indiana: Young Hoosier Award Nominees: 2006
• Iowa: Teen Award Nominees: 2006
• Kansas: William Allen White Award Nominees: 2005
• Kentucky: Bluegrass Award Nominees: 2004
• Maine: Student Book Award Nominees: 2004
• Maryland: Black-eyed Susan Award Nominees: 2005
• Michigan: Great Lakes Great Books Award Nominees: 2005
• Minnesota: Maud Hart Lovelace Award Nominees: 2006
• Missouri: Mark Twain Award Nominees: 2005
• New Hampshire: Great Stone Face Award Nominees: 2004
• New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age: 2004
• North Dakota: Flicker Tales Nominees: 2005
• Oklahoma: Sequoyah Award Nominees: 2005
• Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award Nominees: 2005
• Pennsylvania: Young Reader's Choice Award Nominees: 2004
• Pennsylvania: Young Reader's Choice Award Winners: 2004
• Texas: Lone Star Reading List: 2004
• Vermont: Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominees: 2004
• Wyoming: Indian Paintbrush Award Nominees: 2004

Why I selected the book: I love Carl Hiaasen and find his books super funny and easy to relate to.

Price: $6.99

Out of the Dust

Hesse, Karen, Out of the Dust, Scholastic, 1999, 227 pgs.

Summary: The depression is a very historical time period in the United States, but not an easy time to write about regardless of what the age group. Hesse crafts a novel from the eyes of a young girl living during the Depression in the heart of the plains. The whole novel is written in verse and highlights each event of two seasons. The joy of playing the piano and earning a dime plays in stark contrast to the tragic event the ultimately ends her mother’s life. The struggles of growing up as a girl without a mother with a father broken by the dust are powerful as Billie Jo decides to run away. The events throughout the novel are secondary to the real story of the power of sticking together and having a family.

Evaluation: This could be any story living in the plains during the depression and the story is unique enough to be believable, but could still be seen as a universal experience. As a huge fan of verse, I found this novel to be a unique way of using verse set in a time period. It is a simple and quick read. I would recommend this to all teachers to add to their curriculum to highlight the time period as well as the writing style. I would also put this in the hands of any young reader who believes that period books are boring.

Annotation: My hands looked deformed and all I had to eat was dust.

Significance of Book: This book is very unique as a time period piece written in verse. Stories of the Depression for young readers are not always well written and this one takes a unique writing style and speaks well to the time period.

Genre/subject: historical fiction, verse, The Depression, farming, family

Awards:

National:

• ALA Notable Children's Books: 1998
• Newbery Medal: 1998
• Scott O'Dell Historical Fiction Award: 1998

State:

• New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age: 1999
• Virginia: Readers' Choice Award Nominees: 2001

Why I selected the book: I love verse books and was interested to find out what a time period piece would look like in verse.

Price: $6.99

Walk Two Moons

Creech, Sharon, Walk Two Moons, HarperCollins, 1994, 280 pgs

Summary: Never judge a man until you’ve walked two moons in his moccasins. Sal’s grandparents are taking her on a journey to see her mother. They are visiting every place across the country that Sal received a postcard from her mother when her mother traveled to Idaho. Sadly Sal’s mother will never come back because of a tragic bus accident. Along the way, to keep her mind off the road and the fear of dying in a car accident, Sal tells her grandparents the story of Phoebe. Phoebe is Sal’s paranoid friend who is convinced that her neighbor is a serial killer, that her mother is running away, and that this mysteries boy is leaving messages at her house and plans to kill her and her family. Throughout the whole book and the road trip, we learn about Sal’s relationship with her father and her mother as well as the story of Phoebe. As they get closer to the grave of her mother, Sal’s grandmother suffers a stroke and is hospitalized so Sal must make the final trip to the resting place of her mother. She does indeed walked two moons in her mother’s moccasins.

Evaluation: In my opinion this is a well written story of adapting to new places, and learning how to carry on after tragedy. This story is full of understandable situations from your first kiss to school and family. The book is well written and full of humorous moments to help the reader digest the serious issues. I would recommend this book to just about any reader. It might be tough to sell this book to boys, but girls will grab onto this book quick.

Annotation: What do a potential murderer, a serial killer, a road trip, blackberry kisses, a snake bite, and a grave site have in common?

Significance of Book: This book was significant because of the tragedy of the death of the main characters mother. Dealing with a loss such as this is tough to write about and Creech does it very well.

Genre/subject: fiction, families, relationships, losing a loved one

Awards:

National:

• ALA Notable Children's Books: 1995
• Newbery Medal: 1995

Why I selected the book: I love Sharon Creech and wanted to read and review what I believe to be a classic in young literature.

Price: $17.51