Baseball Guy. The Book by Gordy Jones

Baseball Guy. The Book by Gordy Jones

Are you ready for some Baseball?

Baseball Guy is a book for kids and adults who love baseball.  This children's book incorporates rhyme and crayon like watercolor drawings to inspire love of the classic sport.  All the characters are smiling and joyful as a young boy dreams of making his goal of being a major league baseball player come true.

The story embodies hard work and persistence as well as the love of family.  There is all kinds of baseball goodness in the back of the book as the author, Gordy Jones has some serious baseball connections with players from the Minnesota Twins.  Many valued players have written a statement in the back of the book complete with pictures.

This lovely children's book would make a great gift for the baseball lover in your life.

If you read Baseball Guy, you just might catch a case of Baseball Fever.

Eden West by Pete Hautman

Eden West by Pete Hautman

Jacob is 17 and has lived in the land of Nodd since he was a young boy.  Nodd is a 12 mile secluded religious community in Montana which is surrounded by an 8 foott tall chain link fence. Jacob is not allowed to leave the protection and safety of Nodd because the world is a dangerous, terrible place.  Everyone who lives outside the fence is doomed for all eternity.  Only the people are the inside will be saved when Archangel Zarachiel arrives with an Arc to bring them to paradise.  Until then, there is much work to be done.

One of Jacob's duties is to patrol and fix the fence.  One day, a girl on an ATV, sees Jacob and drives to the fence to talk to him. Lynna is different from the girls he knows and he is tempted by her.  She is beautiful and pervading his thoughts, which is sinful.

A new troubled teen joins the religious group against his will and begins questioning the rules and restrictions Jacob lives by.  And a wolf breeches the fence.  Will Jacob's faith hold?

Pete Hautman has done it again. He has written a thought provoking, realistic novel for teens. Hautman's fiction always makes me think and look at the world in a new way.  Eden West really makes you think about faith and religion and the self imposed walls that we live behind.  Eden West contains a great cast of characters that you grow to care about.  I really loved Jacob's parents and I just adore Jacob.  He is such a good teen who is doing what he should. Questioning.  Questioning his role in the world and the world around him.

Hautman is a writer that transports his readers to another place and deeply sets the scene.  I felt I knew the land of Nodd, as if I grew up there.  It felt like a real place.  Eden West is a look at a fascinating life style choice.  Hautman keeps the reader turning the pages at a rapid rate.  Eden West is beautiful, tragic, hopeful and fascinating to say the least.

Pair Eden West with Godless for a riveting discussion with your teen or for your book club.

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Martian by Andy Weir

On a mission to Mars, six astronauts were assigned to Ares 3 for 30 days.  On the 6th day or sol, a storm interrupted their mission and they had to abort.  Running for the transport Mark Watney is hit by debris and left behind because his crew believed he was dead. He should be dead but he is not.  He is very much alive and all alone on the planet Mars.

The Martian is Mark Watney's survival log and NASA's attempt to get Mark home to earth.

Mark Watney is pretty much screwed.  There is not enough food to last so it is a very real possibility that Mark will starve.  Rescue opportunities are limited since his crew and the entire world think he is dead.  Water is scarce, oxygen is well, non-existent on Mars so he is hoping his equipment doesn't fail.  Luckily Mark is a botanist and an engineer so he has some skills to fall back on for survival.

Mark Watney is a cool character.  He taught me survival skills, ingenuity, botany, chemistry, engineering, technology, space speak and so much more.  This is a character to admire and he is like the Energizer Bunny, so full of energy and ingenuity that the reader is constantly kept on the edge waiting to see if Mark will survive the latest turn of events.  Quite simply, The Martian is a page turning thrill ride in outer space.  I have never read anything like it.  It was like Gravity meets Apollo 13.

Have you ever read a book you couldn't wait to share with your friends?  The Martian is this type of book.  I could not put The Martian down.  It was all I thought about for a week straight and I verbally praised it up and down.  My 16 year old son, (who hates to read by the way) read the first page and was hooked, so he plans to read it for FUN!  He never reads for fun.  Many of the teachers I work with want to read it and I know my retired mother will also love it because it has something for everyone in it.

Did I mention they are making a movie?

This book is seriously super awesome!  It easily made my top ten favorite reads of 2014.
I give it 5 starts and all ten fingers pointed straight to Mars.  I can't wait to see what Andy Weir is writing next.

Disclosure:  I received The Martian from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Aliens have taken up residence in the sky right above us.  No one knows what they look like or what they want.  People are hopeful for peaceful coexistence but that is not the plan.  Possession of earth comes in waves.

The 1st wave is Lights Out.  Goodbye electricity and anything battery operated.

The 2nd wave is Surf's Up.  A giant wave takes out the coasts and all the people who live there.

The 3rd wave is a Pestilence and disease spreads like wildfire.  No family is untouched.

The 4th wave is a Silencer.  A silencer is a sharpshooter who shoots to kill.

The 5th Wave is what you least expect.
It is action packed, full of courageous characters in the midst of an alien attack.  You won't know what hit you and that is just what the aliens want.

Cassie just might be the last human walking around on earth.  She trusts no one and her mission in life is to rescue her little brother, Sammie, who has been taken to the nearest army base with other children.  Her parents are dead.  Cassie has never seen an alien and has no idea what they look like.  The world is over as she knows it and she shoots to kill.  Then she meets Evan Walker and Cassie doesn't know what to think or do and life is not so black and white anymore.

When I started The 5th Wave, I didn't realize what I was getting sucked into but I was reading as fast as possible because this plot is a rollar coaster ride and I couldn't let go.   In many ways I was reminded of The Walking Dead TV series but there are no vampires, just aliens and you don't know what they look like.  It is a very interesting story when you have no idea who the enemy is.

I normally don't worry about 2nd books or movies but in this case, I will be first in line for the 2nd book, come Sept. 2014 and I will definitely be seeing the movie. OMG, if you like science fiction this alien attack will blow your mind.The characters are awesome and strong and I really feel like this series is soon going to be all the rage.  Move over, Twilight and Hunger Games and make room for The 5th Wave.

War Brothers. The Graphic Novel

War Brothers. The Graphic Novel by Sharon E. McKay
Artwork by Daniel Lafrance

War Brothers is based on true events about Kony and the LRA (Lords Resistance Army) and the kidnapping of children to conscript into their army of child soldiers. Told from the perspective of a child named Jacob, who lives in Uganda and who was kidnapped from school with his classmates.

War Brothers takes you through Jacob's harrowing journey into the forest and into the indoctrination of a child soldier.  He watches his best friend succumb and kill innocent people for if he doesn't, he wouldn't be allowed to eat.  Jacob protects a boy younger than him and constantly thinks about escape and the love of his father.  He holds hope close to his heart to survive the nightmare that has become his life.

Jacob's story mirrors the story of so many children in the world today.  Kony is still out there, stealing children and making them into soldiers and needs to be stopped.  Young women kidnapped ultimately become slaves, or brides and are used for sex.  Punishments for running away or not following orders are severe and many times, death sentences.

The artwork in War Brothers is stunning.  The pages and panels vary from light pastel when things are going well for Jacob to pages that are dark and full of bold colors when Jacob is suffering.  While this is a hard book to read because of the subject matter, the artwork is compelling and well-done and contributes to the power of the story.

There are so many issues in the world that need our attention and the issue of Child Soldiers should be at the top of the list.  Child and soldier are two words that should not go together in our enlightened world.

Everyone needs to read this book!

The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

The Universe versus Alex Woods by Gavin Extence

Alex Woods is a unique teenage protagonist. He is struck in the head by a meteorite when he is 10 years old and that makes him exceptional. He suffers seizures as a result and has a scar on his forehead like Harry Potter. He really has no friends except for an old pot smoking, Vietnam vet named Isaac Peterson. The form a unique friendship and it is this relationship that changes Alex Woods.

Alex has a mother who is a fortune teller, a set of bullies who follow him around and taunt him, and a cat named Lucy.  Alex is obsessed with astronomy, science and books.  He is one extraordinary individual who is under appreciated by his peers.  The only one who appreciates Alex, besides his mother, is Isaac Peterson.

Mr. Peterson has a wonderful library and every book written by Kurt Vonnegut.   Alex decides he wants to read every one of these books with Isaac and so he starts a Kurt Vonnegut book club called The Secular Church of Kurt Vonnegut. They only read Kurt Vonnegut books and the club lasts 14 months.  Lovers of Kurt Vonnegut should definitely read this book.  I have only read 1 Vonnegut book, so even if you don't love his books you will still enjoy this story.

This is a wonderful story about a creative kid, who is sick and bullied for being different, but can do extraordinary things because the people around him, namely Isaac, believe in him and trust him.  Alex Woods feels like the universe is against him, especially since it knocked him on the head with a meteorite.  Be careful universe, Alex Woods just might break your heart and defy you.

Guy In Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

Guy In Real Life by Steve Brezenoff

Guy In Real Life is a book about a lot of things.  It's a book about Lesh, who listens to heavy metal music, wears black clothes and is your average kind of sensitive weird guy who starts playing an online video game after he gets grounded for getting drunk.  He admires a beautiful girl from his school named Svetlana and she just happened to drive her bike into him, late one Saturday night.  So he creates a online character in her name and plays online as a girl, even though he is a guy in real life.

Svetlana is a role playing gamer and is the head of the RPG gaming club at her school.  She is an artist and draws many of the monsters for the game.  She sews and embroiders her clothes and is tall, blonde and beautiful.  Your typical senior hippie weird girl.  She starts falling for Lesh after they share lunch together and he saves her from a family friendly stalker boy lurking in the lunchroom.

Two very different teens from two different socio economic backgrounds tell their story in alternating chapters.  The gaming world is also represented with chapters interspersed throughout the book.  Guy In Real Life is not your typical love story and it is going to be hard for readers to fit Guy In Real Life into a box or a set category or genre because it is unique and genre bending. There's a little bit of mystery, fantasy, GLBTQ, romance and more.  So if you identify with the word, nerd or geek, this might be the perfect book for the nerdish side of you.  Nerds Unite!  Gamers Unite!  Readers Unite!

One of the things I really loved about this book was the music the characters interact with.  Brezenoff introduces the reader to an interesting playlist of tunes that go from Bjork and Iron Maiden to Captain & Tennille and composer Hector Berlioz.  I looked up some of the music and played it.  In fact, Brezenoff should create a playlist so you can listen to all the songs listed in the novel.  That would be cool.  A Novel Playlist??  Steve?

One of the things I admire about Brezenoff's writing is that he is creative.  He is not afraid to write something that no one has tried before and he takes risks.  As readers, we should take risks too and read books outside your comfort zone. Don't you agree?

Nerd alert:  So let's sing - Love Will Keep Us Together by Captain and Tennille because this song is in the best chapter of the book.

Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian

Perfectly Good White Boy by Carrie Mesrobian
To Be Released in October 2014

Sean is a junior and has just fallen in love for the first time.  His first love is Hallie, a senior and she's leaving him behind for college at the end of the summer.  He is pretty sure he is not going to college and feels limited in his future possibilities.

Perfectly Good White Boy chronicles Sean's senior year and how he navigates family, work, his ex-girlfriend and his new friendship with a girl named Neecie.  Ultimately every senior must make a decision about their plans after high school.  Sean is thinking about joining the Marines.  He wants to leave and never come back.  His Dad is a drunkard, his parents are divorcing and they live is rental house that embarrasses him.  He can't wait to get out of town.

Carrie Mesrobian has written a book about the decisions that every teen must face.  The biggest decision being what to do after high school but their are many other decisions teens make, like to have sex or not, to drink underage or not and more.  She has created a cast of characters that are likable, flawed and struggling to find their place in the world.  One of my favorite parts of the story is that everyone keeps talking about the iconic film Full Metal Jacket.  I think I might have to go and watch it again now.

Perfectly Good White Boy is not as shocking as Sex & Violence but it is similar in that it is brutally honest, gritty and raw.  Carrie captures the teenage experience once again and does not shy away from difficult teen issues.  Mesrobian is a courageous writer that older teens will love.  I love that Carrie takes on mature teen themes and does not sugar coat it or disguise them.  She just writes what needs to be written and makes it look easy.  You go, girl!

Sex & Violence by Carrie Mesrobian

Sex &Violence by Carrie Mesrobian

Evan Carter is a teen who has learned to move, he has moved more times than should be counted as normal, since his mother died.  He has also learned how to make the moves on girls, not caring about the ramifications of his actions.   As the perpetual "new guy" he has learned to identify the girls who will probably say "yes" to sex.

He meets Collette at his newest school and he knows she used to date his roommate but he doesn't care.  He is hot for her, and has big plans involving a condom.  Evan's risky behavior eventually catches up to him and he is physically assaulted and beaten to a bloody pulp.
His father decides to bring Evan to the family cabin, located on a Minnesota lake in a small town, to heal.   Evan begins to see his past and his present converge and he wonders if life will ever be normal again.

Carrie Mesrobian has written a novel about teen hook-up culture and the consequences of it.  Ultimately Sex & Violence is about teen violence and its connection to sex but it is about so much more than that.  It covers a range of teen issues from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to the virginity pact.  Since I teach at the high school level, I see a lot of teen fights over boyfriend/girlfriend issues and the drama goes on and on.  Mesrobian has captured this part of teen drama and culture expertly.

Sex & Violence is an excellent novel for the mature teen.  It is gripping, honest, raw and a bit shocking.  Evan is a swearing, beer drinking, weed smoking, girl using, character you hate to love, he is multi-faceted and trying to become a better person.  Mesrobian has captured the male teenage voice perfectly.  Sex & Violence is a great first novel and Mesrobian is a writer I want to read more of.  Love it or hate it, Sex & Violence is a part of the culture teens grow up in the U.S. and Mesrobian doesn't shy away from the tough nature of the subject matter.

Sex & Violence won the 2014 Minnesota Book Award.

Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach

Stupid Fast.  The Summer I Went from a Joke to a Jock by Geoff Herbach

Meet Felton Reinstein.  He's just met puberty.  Felton is growing so fast that he is outgrowing his clothes at an alarming rate. He has sprouted massive amounts of body hair, started to smell bad, and he just figured out that he can run, stupid fast.  Stupid fast is faster than fast.  Felton can run so fast that people are starting to notice him.  Coaches are recruiting him for the track team, baseball and football teams.  Girls are starting to pay attention too.  His rapid growth has started to freak out his mom a bit and that has him worried.

School is out for the summer.  Felton's best friend, Gus, moved to Venezuela and now Felton has to do his paper route.  His mom, Jerri, has started acting real weird, she was already weird but now its worse.  His Dad committed suicide when he was five and Felton found him.  His younger brother, Andrew, has been pushed to the edge and now only wears pirate clothes, because he burned all his other clothes.  So all Felton wants to do is run, run as fast as he can.  Oh and hang out with his new girlfriend, Aleah.

Stupid Fast is a rare look at the awkward phase of adolescence, of going from a regular, shy kind of guy to a super jock.  Felton is a lovable character that has to figure out how to navigate his new body and speed and all the attention he is getting with no support from his family.  Stupid Fast is a mix of funny action with a little bit of crazy thrown in .  If you want to get inside the mind of a teenage boy, Stupid Fast is your gateway ticket.  Herbach does an excellent job of capturing the teen experience in Stupid Fast.

The Stupid Fast Trilogy should be a part of every Reading classroom library.  It is a great book for reluctant readers and guys who "don't read".  Stupid Fast is not just about sports, it tackles tough issues head on.  The plot is entertaining, the voice of the main character is original and I loved it.  It made me think a lot about my teenage son and the teens in my classroom and what they are going through that I am not privy too.  Teens need good books like Stupid Fast.

I'm off to give my teenage son a giant hug.  I wonder if he will hug me back.

Far Arden by Kevin Cannon

Far Arden by Kevin Cannon

Far Arden is an island off the grid and missing from the world map and people are in a race to find it.  Its mythical, its tropical and it is somewhere in the Arctic circle.

Army Shanks, ex Royal Canadian Arctic Navy man, has the gumption and the will to find Far Arden but many obstacles stand in his way.  First he has to find his ship, help a orphan, fight a polar bear, (OK he doesn't fight the polar bear, someone else does), then he does battle with RCAN, meets a couple of weird college kids and so much more.

Far Arden is an adventure story, a graphic novel and 100 percent fun.  I loved all the clever plot twists and turns and how all the characters connect with each other in the end.  Far Arden is a page turning, karate kicking, stomach punching, thought provoking, kick ass graphic novel that will keep you guessing.  There are plenty of surprises thrown in that will make you laugh and pull your heart strings.

Far Arden is skillfully drawn in black and white with intricate detail.  Kevin is a well known cartoonist and cartographer and is artwork is drawn with heart and humor and will keep the reader coming back for more.


Oh, I just had an important thought here:  Army Shanks kinda of reminds me of an older and wiser Scott Pilgrim.  So Scott Pilgrim fans, this should be your next read.

Now I'm off to read the next installment of Army Shanks adventures and to see how he recovers from the ending of Far Arden.  Crater XV here I come!

The Fallout by S.A. Bodeen

The Fallout by S.A. Bodeen

Eli and his family have just gotten out of The Compound where they lived for six years, thinking the world had suffered a nuclear attack.  Eli's father, one of the richest men on earth, tricked the family into a experiment they didn't know they were a part of.  The father didn't make it out alive.  Now they just want to forget and live normal lives.

Eli feels like a freak and is having trouble trusting people.  He feels like he is paranoid yet he has caught people following them.  His twin brother, Eddy, just wants to have fun and his sister, Lexie is crying all the time.  The family is slowly falling apart and their multi-million dollar company is being run by their insane father's trusted man, Phil.  Yikes.

The Fallout is a riveting conclusion to The Compound.  The story line begins right where The Compound left off.  The Fallout is the story of a very rich family whose patriarch thinks he can do anything because he has money and is privileged.  The plot is fast moving and full of twists and turns and plenty of What?! and No!?* and OMG!  It is story that takes you on a wild rollar coaster ride.  Buckle up, cross your fingers and wear your helmet.  Oh and seriously Don't Trust Anyone!  You never know what characters you can trust and I love that!

This is a great book series for Middle and High schoolers.  A quick paced, plot driven story that will  shock them a bit and get them thinking.  Great for boys!!

Final Four by Paul Volponi

Final Four by Paul Volponi

"Live Radio Broadcast of the Game.
There are three broadcasters, a play by play man, a color commentator, and sideline reporter", Laura also known as Book Snob.

Note:  The book review of Final Four will be written in a similar format to parts of the book.

Color Commentator:  Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it, the final four, the big game between Michigan State Spartans and underdog, Troy University Trojans.  Who will win remains to be seen, but both sides are anxious to move up to the championship game.  "The last time the Spartans and the Trojans met for stakes this high was in the Trojan War of Greek Mythology, when the Spartans left a huge horse outside the gates of Troy." pg. 6.  I wonder, will the Trojans rewrite history here tonight?

Side line reporter:  There are 4 main players being represented in tonight's game, I mean book.

Malcolm is the leading scorer for the Spartans as a freshman and is ready to make his move into the NBA.  He is a little cocky and self-serving but maybe he has earned it.  He recently lost his sister in a drive-by shooting and you can see her image tattooed on his arm.

Michael Jordan also plays for the Spartans and you guessed it, was named after the famed NBA star Michael Jordan.  Michael is a junior benchwarmer thrown into the game.  He is roommates with Malcolm and lives under the shadow of his name.

Roko Bacic AKA Red Bull is a junior playing for Troy.  He is a native Croatian who has lived in the states since his senior year of high school.  His uncle taught him to play basketball on the streets of Croatia and now he is living his dream, playing college basketball.  His parents are very proud of him.  His uncle was killed by the Croatian mob.

Crispin Rice:  A senior who plays for the Trojans is in love with a girl named Hope and she becomes known as his good luck charm and is nicknamed, Hope of Troy.  He proposed to her in front of live television about 6 weeks earlier.  I wonder how things are going with this young couple.  Crispin needs to remain focused here today as the two teams head into battle.

Play by Play man:  I can't believe it folks, we are heading in to overtime tonight.  These teams are tightly matched and the players all deserve to come out on top.  You will have to read the book to find out what team wins the game.

Volponi, has written a book that takes place entirely during one basketball game.  Reading the Final Four is like having front row seats during a competitive game, where you know the key players first hand, their backgrounds, hopes, dreams and even failures.  The Final Four is full of court action, interviews, journal entries and play by play commentary.

Side Line Reporter:
I am not a big basketball fan so I am not sure I am qualified to report on the game, but the book was awesome for someone who doesn't know much about basketball.  For people who play the game, I can only imagine that they would love a book like this.  Final Four is fast paced, full of street courts and college ball, living a tough life and then living a dream.  Volponi doesn't shy away from some of the issues related to college ball like the fact that lots and lots of people are making money off the games, yet the players play for free and the aren't allowed to take any gifts or sell any of their tickets for games.  It is interesting to look at these issues and more, through the eyes of the players in The Final Four.

Color Commentator:  Like basketball?  Got Game?  Get yourself to The Final Four.

Fall to Grace by Kerry Casey

Fall to Grace by Kerry Casey

Two boys, the same age, on the same day suffer a horrible tragedy, the loss of their fathers.  Joseph is living on a farm in a small town near the Canadian border.  He is an only child,  he loves hockey and he is a great kid.  Cory is the oldest of three, all around sportsman and lives in an apartment in St. Paul.  They are brought together by unspeakable tragedy and become fast friends.

Cory and Joseph have dreams to play against each other in the Minnesota high school hockey tournament's championship game and they want to play college hockey together on the same team.  Every year, they get together at Thanksgiving with Joseph's mom and their priest, Pat, to play pond hockey, go hunting, and of course eat.  They are best friends and share everything, but deep down, Cory is troubled and is trying hard to cover up his imperfections.

Fall to Grace is full of entertaining characters that will make you thank God for the wonderful life you have.  There is an alcoholic priest, a beautiful widowed mother, a chain smoking overweight cop and a blind monsignor as well as two teenage boys that are almost too good to be true.  All combine to create a wonderful, heartfelt story that is sure to keep you turning the pages.

The theme of religion and spirituality runs deeply through Fall to Grace but it is not preachy.  Fall to Grace is graceful, reflective and beautiful.  The writing style is poetic with creative images and metaphors galore.  Casey has a penned a lovely novel that will appeal to women and men alike.

Casey reminded me that life carries no guarantees and that we must accept God's gifts, cherish all we are given but most of all we should be thankful.

Go hug your children and call your mom and dad.  Life is short, so make the time to read Fall to Grace.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Audio book review
Read by Christopher Evan Welch

"Your car goes where your eyes go." pg. 94  Advice from Enzo, a dog who narrates The Art of Racing in the Rain.   Enzo loves his human family and is especially loyal to his owner Denny who is a race car driver.  Occasionally Enzo, while narrating the history and stories of his life and his people family,  shares witticisms or advice on the importance things in life.  He uses race car driving as a metaphor for speeding or racing through the days and years of your life cycle.  Put your seat belt on and bark once to slow down or bark twice to go faster.

"How quickly a year passes, like a mouthful of food snatched from the maw of eternity." pg. 240  The Art of Racing in the Rain is a heartfelt story that will capture your heart and make you laugh out loud because of the thoughts of a dog.  If you are a dog owner you will recognize particular traits that Enzo exhibits that relate to your beloved pet and best friend.  Enzo's family goes through some very rough times, a death, a custody battle and the story may bring tears to your eyes but through it all they had a dog who loved and supported them unconditionally.  A dog is a friend when you need one, a shoulder to cry on, a pal to play ball with and is so happy when you come home.

"That which you manifest is before you." pg. 41  Enzo saw a TV show (he likes to watch TV when his people are gone) and believes that when a dog dies he will return in the next life as a human.  Enzo can't wait to be human. 

We listened to this audio book on our 500 mile long drive from Minot, ND to St. Paul, MN.  The Art of Racing in the Rain is one of the reasons we kept driving and made it home ahead of schedule because we just couldn't stop listening to Enzo and his story. There are some swear words and a little inappropriateness for younger kids but my 11 and 14 year old kids absolutely adored this book.  When it was finished and we were only 20 miles from home my daughter said, "This book is a 5 star read for me."  We were all crying and laughing and it was a wonderful moment that I will cherish forever and it's all because we love dogs and books.

Have you ever wondered what your dog is thinking?  Woof!

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan

The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
Format:  Audio Book
Note:  This is the first audio book review I ever have written.

Going on a road trip and plan to drive over 2000 miles in 10 days with my kids so I decided to get a few audio books on CD for the trip.  Except that all the titles I wanted from the library were unfortunately already checked out and so I joined www.audible.com Being new to the audio book world I didn't know what to expect.  We chose Battle of the Labyrinth because the kids and I have read aloud together the first three books in The Lightning Thief series and I knew this would be a good fit for our family.

Listening started off well as we drove west toward South Dakota.  Jesse Bernstein narrates The Battle of the Labyrinth with a myriad of unique voices that match the characters personalities.   Percy Jackson captured both my kid's hearts long ago and he is the same adventurous teen with ADHD and Dyslexia who manages to get in trouble the first day he enters high school to register for 9th grade.  Two suspiciously beautiful cheerleaders (demons in disguise) try to kill him in the auditorium.  So begins the summer at Camp Half Blood when Annaliese, Tyson and Grover join Percy on a quest into the Labyrinth to find Pan and stop Luke and Kronos's army from invading.

My kids loved the entire audio book and kept asking to listen throughout the trip.  My mind kept wandering and so I missed huge sections of the story and then I would tell myself that I would read the chapter in our print copy but I never did.  I felt lost at times.  Not sure why I couldn't focus on the story.  Maybe it was because it was the first time listening to an audio book in a long time and my brain wasn't quite trained for the experience.  There was definitely an abundance of interesting characters and lots of crazy and hilarious action.  Maybe there were too many characters to focus on while making a long drive.  Who knows?  When the audio book ended, my kids immediately wanted to start the next book but I didn't.

Have you listened to any good audio books lately?

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

Paper Covers Rock by Jenny Hubbard

"If you are reading this, you have happened upon it by accident.  Call me Is Male." pg. 1  Alex is a sixteen year old student at an all male boarding school, who is writing his memoir of an event that changed his life forever.  He is also trying to read the great American novel, Moby Dick while at the same time he hides his journal behind it in the school library. 

Alex feels guilty because his best friend Thomas died jumping off a rock outcropping into the river and when it came to telling the officials what happened, he lied about it.   He was right there when it happened and the lines between truth and guilt become blurred.  "Such is the nature of guilt; such is the nature of truth.  But it is also the nature of guilt to sideline the truth.  Welcome to the sidelines, Dear Reader." pg.1

"By the way, Is Male has a big crush on his teacher." pg. 8.  Miss Dovecott teaches English and she sees potential in Alex and gives him special attention.  She also has suspicions he is not telling the whole story in regards to Thomas's death.  Alex communicates with Miss Dovecott through her varied and creative homework assignments.   He tells his story through poetry, essays, newspaper accounts and letters.  He is a rock who writes excellent papers.

Throughout the novel, are quotes from Moby Dick and the narrator Alex uses them to explain his own battle and struggles.  Hubbard is a former English teacher and her natural writing ability shows as she using her creativity to craft a wonderful, smart and witty novel.  The writing is beautiful and I was enthralled with Paper Covers Rock from the very first page. 

"Read to your heart's content.  Though if you are a reader, the heart is never content." pg. 2

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick

Matt Duffy is an 18 year old soldier in the Iraq war who has been hit by an RPG and is in the hospital with a head injury.  He has TBI, traumatic brain injury, and his memory is not reliable.  He thinks he killed a young Muslim boy in the alley before he got injured.  Matt receives a Purple Heart for being wounded, that he feels he doesn't deserve.

In the hospital Matt meets a variety of soldiers who are suffering from various physical or mental ailments.  A very colorful cast of characters.  Matt undergoes counseling, calls his mother and writes his girlfriend all while being interrogated for his involvement in the death of a Muslim boy.
Eventually Matt is released from the hospital and sent back to the war and his unit to face his fears and an unknown future.

Purple Heart puts you in the war zone where you have to witness death and destruction, sleepless nights and endless wishes.  McCormick is a great writer and this is the second book I have read of hers.  Purple Heart is timely as the U.S. pulls out of Iraq and remains in Afghanistan.  War is not black and white but full of gray areas where fear and doubt reside.  War is not pretty, fun or romantic and McCormick makes sure her readers know it.

I read this book aloud to my third hour class.  It is a good read aloud minus the swear words which I mostly skipped over.  I think Purple Heart is a realistic portrait of war and of a soldier's life.  Recruiters are at every high school signing kids up for a future they have not yet started.  Books like Purple Heart educate young adults about the real facts and dangers of war and arm them with the knowledge they need to make the important decisions of their life.

Share this book with a teenager in your life.

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
Percy Jackson and The Olympians.  Book Three.

Another riveting story from Rick Riordan.  The Titan's Curse is the third book in the Percy Jackson series and it will not disappoint avid fans.  Percy and his friends, Grover, Thalia and Annabeth meet up with Artemis and her virgin hunters to save the world.  Annabeth disappears early in the story and it becomes Percy's mission to save his best friend from peril at the hands of his nemesis Luke.  Several new characters and Greek gods enter the story and continue the drama as the Titan Lord sets his trap.  Will Percy be the demigod that will fulfill the prophecy of Kronos's curse?

The ending is full of interesting surprises to keep young and mature readers up late into the night turning the pages.  I read The Titan's Curse aloud to my children and enjoyed every minute of this action packed adventure.  What I love about Percy is that he is an unlikely hero.  He has ADHD and dyslexia, like both of my kids, and doesn't perform well at school but he has a gift to protect those that he loves and fights to keep them safe.  Percy may not be the best student in school but he is a wonderful teenager with many gifts including a kind heart.  Percy is the kind of character every mom loves.

Percy Jackson and The Olympians is one of my favorite series to read aloud to my kids.  My kids are 13 and 10 now and we have read the series for the last three years.  Next year we will start Book Four The Battle of the Labyrinth.  It has been empowering for my children to read about a character that has ADHD and dyslexia and who faces the same challenges they do on a daily basis.  My kids couldn't read a book this large quickly due to dyslexia and reading aloud is a positive alternative and makes for excellent listeners.  My son and daughter have recently started taking on more challenging books and even thought it takes them a long time to finish, they persevere and they have built confidence much like the characters who have overcome challenges in the Olympian books.  Thanks Rick Riordan for writing great books that kids love.

What books have you read aloud to your kids and would recommend?

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I just finished reading the fourth installment of Harry Potter's battles with Voldemort and his adventures at Hogwarts aloud to my children.  We started this book in late October and finished 9 months later in June.  I have to say this is the longest book I have ever read aloud.

Out out all the Potter books, the Goblet of Fire is my favorite so far.  I was unable to figure out the plot as I had done in previous books and so this book was a welcome surprise. 

Reading aloud Potter books and other fun young adult novels to your kids is a great way to spend quality time together.  I give my characters different voices and my kids love it!!  I read Hagrid's character with a southern accent.  I don't have a English accent that is very good so I totally improvise and it is entertaining and my confidence as a reader has soared. 

Our family tradition is to read the book first and then see the movie.  My kids both have dyslexia and if I didn't read aloud some long books, like Harry Potter, they would never read them, ever!  So I read, they listen and we all watch the films as a family and have done so for the past four years.  I am so glad we are sharing this Harry Potter adventure together as they grow up and I hope they will remember it always.

Next up, Harry Potter #5.  We will start in October again and since it is one of longest books in the series we will probably finish in July. 

Until then, I will see you at Hogwarts by the whomping willow.  Don't forget your scarf and a warm glass of butterbeer.