The Testing

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

The Testing is the first book in a planned trilogy, and it is another book in my favorite genre: science fiction/dystopian society.  The country has been torn about by seven stages of war, including battles against the Earth itself.  They have begun to rebuild, but the world is no longer full of bountiful resources.  To ensure the future of society, The Testing was created.  The top students across the nation are brought to the capital to go through a strenuous test to determine the people best suited to lead the country.  Cia Vale is one of the lucky few chosen, but she quickly discovers that failing the tests may result in her death.

This book is definitely going to draw comparisons to The Hunger Games.  In fact, one section of testing is purely surviving the conditions and your fellow candidates, making it feel like it could be the 76th annual Hunger Games.  The author walks a fine line of writing in a very popular genre with originality and coming across as another The Hunger Games wannabe.  I was able to enjoy the story, not because it was the most original thing I've read recently, but because it was good storytelling.  The more I think about it, the more similarities I see between Cia and Katniss, but the story itself was engaging and I know I'll finish out the series.  I'll recommend this one to my students, though I'd be interested to see if the boys enjoy this female protagonist the same way they have others in the genre.

Ender's Game

I decided it would be fitting to end my summer by reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.  I have always heard mixed reviews; some people swear it is the quintessential young adult science fiction novel, and others deem it boring.  After reading it, I can see both sides.

Ender is a young boy who is brought to battle school due to his extreme genius and potential to be a war commander.  His entire life is manipulated by the government to turn him into the person they want him to be, so he can fight in the war against the "buggers."  The first half of the story was very engaging and kept me up reading.  The second half started to drag, and I can see why some of my students in the past have lost interest.  The ending is worth continuing to read, but be warned most of the real "action" is in the first part of the story.

The book was definitely published ahead of its time; I understand why there is a new push now to bring it back to forefront.  Like all good futuristic science fiction novels, the author provides a picture of what our futures could look like and gives a subtle warning about our lifestyle.  The movie version is scheduled to be released November 1st, and I am interested enough in the story to see it.

From Print to the Big Screen

There are so many movies that have come out recently (or are due to come out soon) based on young adult novels.  The Hunger Games was one of the best adaptations I've ever experienced; it stayed true to the heart of the story while making the changes necessary to create an interesting film.  I was such a Harry Potter nerd when the first few movies came out I couldn't help but pick apart every little difference, but by the end of the series I was able to just enjoy the story.  With age and experience I've learned that you have to view them as two separate entities and enjoy them for what they are.  Unless, of course, the movie is so different it makes you want to throw things.  (I'm looking at you, My Sister's Keeper, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and The Count of Monte Cristo.)

There are several movies that I'm really looking forward to, though some haven't started filming yet: The Maze Runner, The Giver, The Book Thief, Divergent, Catching Fire.

As an avid reader and teacher, I do have a piece of advice: read the book first.  I had numerous students this year try to pass off having watched The Hunger Games as having read The Hunger Games.  It's not the same and I can always tell.  The interesting thing is that students who did read the books were surprised by how much they enjoyed them and how much the movie left out.  The problem isn't that you won't enjoy the book if you see the movie first, it is that many people don't want to read the book after they've seen the movie.  Reluctant readers especially aren't highly motivated to invest their time in a story they think they already know.  Of course, there are those who are motivated by the movie to read, but in my experience the other option is more common.  It drove me crazy when students wanted to jump from The Hunger Games movie to the Catching Fire book.  I wanted to shout, "You missed so much!"

I hope that my students who see these movies are motivated to read the book, but I would rather they read the book and then enjoy the movie.

2012-2013 Reading List Part 3

This Dark Endeavor & Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel

Most people have to read Frankenstein in high school, and if they didn't they have probably seen at least one film adaptation of the story.  Kenneth Oppel takes the character of Victor Frankenstein and creates a history that looks to give the reader understanding of how his journey leads to the eventual creation of his monster.  This Dark Endeavor introduces the series and the Frankenstein family.  Throughout the story Victor is searching for a cure for his twin brother’s potentially fatal illness.  It has a little bit of everything in the story, and the dynamic between Victor, his brother, and his friends adds depth to the adventure.

The series is written with young adults in mind, and mixes genres in a way that I love.  There is a definite blend of the historical fiction genre with fantasy and science fiction elements.  I used this book in my classroom and my students enjoyed it as much as I did.  I liked that Victor is a flawed character, but that he has noble intentions.  It matches my memories of the original character.  I assume the series will continue, though I can’t find anything in writing that confirms the release of book three.

2012-2013 Reading List Part 2

Fear and Light by Michael Grant

This year I had the pleasure of finishing a series that I had been reading for several years.  Gone by Michael Grant was a book I picked up when I was looking for new science fiction books to use in my classroom.  Essentially, a giant dome appears over a section of California and everyone over the age of fourteen disappears.  Instead of just being a story of kids trying to survive, some of the kids trapped start to develop powers, giving the series a bit more of the science fiction edge.  I've been up and down with the series (the second book is my least favorite and almost caused me to give up the series), but the heart of the story was always kids working together to survive, and was what kept me coming back.

Fear followed by Light are the last two books in the series.  I won’t say too much if you haven’t picked up Gone yet, but I was very satisfied by the end.  Sometimes when you invest your time in six books you’re disappointed in the end, but that wasn't the case here.  I didn't love all of the plot points in the last few books (a baby being born, for example), but I was emotionally pleased with the characters’ endings, which was important to me after six books.  

Eagerly Anticipating

Champion by Marie Lu, expected release November 5, 2013

Though I left it off my list of obsessions, one of the upcoming releases I am most excited for is Champion by Marie Lu.  Champion is the third and final book in the Legend trilogy, following teens Day and June.  The series takes place in a futuristic North America that has the United States as we know it divided into two separate counties that are at war.  Day is a criminal mastermind, and June is the military prodigy assigned to capture him. 

My students love this series as much as I do, and when the second book in the series, Prodigy, came out, I eagerly passed it around to my students to find someone to commiserate with me over the ending.  The series includes a bit of romance, political intrigue, and plenty of action.  I definitely have my calendar marked to find out how this series is going to end.

My Latest Obsession

My Latest Obsession: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I have a bad habit of becoming obsessed with different book series.  I find a book and then devour the rest of the series in days.  The first time it happened was during the summer between my freshman and sophomore years of college; I finally read Harry Potter (averaging about a book a day) and was devastated that the series was not yet complete.  I followed Harry Potter a few years later with Twilight and Uglies during my student teaching.  Once I started teaching I discovered and became promptly obsessed with The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, and Divergent.  There are other series I enjoy, but it takes something unique get me to the point where I anxiously watch the calendar for the next release in the series.

I had avoided reading Cinder for a long time.  Even though I like science fiction, something about a cyborg Cinderella didn't appeal to me.  When my school librarian recommended it to me, I finally broke down and gave it a chance.  I wasn't disappointed.  I quickly fell into the world of cyborgs, princes, and aliens and I could not put the book down.  Marissa Meyer has done an excellent job of weaving her narrative with the classic story of Cinderella.  It is another story with a futuristic setting you could imagine being real, if not in our lifetime.  The most fantastical element is the existence of the Lunars, an advanced telepathic race that lives on the moon and whose leader has designs on controlling the earth.  The few students I had time to share this series with before school let out for the summer quickly became just as addicted as well.

The Lunar Chronicles is a planned series of four novels, each introducing a new fairy tale story.  Cinder and Scarlet (Red Riding Hood) are currently released, Cress (Rapunzel) is scheduled to be released in 2014 and the finale Winter (Snow White) is scheduled for winter 2015. 

2012-2013 Reading List Part 1

This is the start of my 2012-2013 reading list. 

Revived by Cat Patrick

Daisy is a fifteen and has died five times.  Each time she is brought back to life by a top secret experimental drug called Revive.  Every death brings a new identity, a new town, and a new life.  Her secret life usually prevents her from developing any real relationships, but when she does make friends she begins to question the experiment that controls her life.

I enjoyed this book and it was frequently borrowed by my students during the school year.  I enjoy the realistic science fiction genre; things that I could picture happening in our near future.  The story was fast paced and had a few twists to keep me interested.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly

Andi’s life has been in a downward spiral since the death of her younger brother.  When her father receives notice that she is going to be kicked out of school if she doesn't finish an outline for her thesis, he arranges for her to travel with him to France to do her research.  While there, she becomes wrapped up in the tragic story of a young French prince, resulting in a mysterious journey through time.

Donnelly’s work is something that I enjoy but not something I would recommend to all of my students.  Her work is probably targeted at a demographic a little older than middle school, but mature students who need a more challenging read enjoy her work.   I like that she mixes historical information into an interesting fictional narrative.  I always feel like I learn something with her novels, and that isn’t always the case with the young adult genre

New Blog Approach

If you're following this blog, you probably noticed a couple of things.  The first is that the name has changed, and the second is that I was an utter failure at keeping this blog up the first time around.  I had a hard time finding the motivation/time to keep up a blog that gave valuable reviews, but I'd still like to share my reading lists with anyone who may be interested.

What does that mean?  I'll talk briefly about the books I'm reading, whether or not I like them, and whether or not I'd recommend them.  I'm going to start with the list of books I read during the 2012-2013 school year, so hopefully I can share something with you that will spark your interest!