*****
Julius Lester
Follow Emma, Maddie, Will and their friends on this heartbraking journey. Master Pierce has lost all of his money gambling and has to sell off his slaves to pay his debts. It's hard on the Butler family to lose the people they've grown up with, but it's much harder on the slaves sold to new owners around the country. As families are split apart, the tales intertwine to give a clear and crushing story of what it is like to live in slavery.
This is an excellent book. It's written as a play and makes you feel like you're really there alongside the families suffering in this book. Even though it's mostly sad, it's a wonderful book to read. It gives such a clear picture of the loss and suffering as well as some heartening stories of reunion.
If you like this book, look for:
Fever 1793
Out of the Dust
Run for Your Life
Showing posts with label realistic fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label realistic fiction. Show all posts
The Mailbox
****
Gabe has been adopted by his Uncle Vernon. Finally, he has the family he's been missing since his mother died years ago. But when Gabe returns home on his first day of 6th grade, he finds his uncle dead in the study. Gabe, afraid of going back into foster care or of being blamed for his uncle's death decides to tell no one what has happened.
The next day, he returns from school to find his uncle's body vanished and a strange note in the mailbox. With the help of his mysterious guardian and the memories of his loving, yet brusque uncle, Gabe manages to live by himself with only his new dog Guppy to keep him company. But when the police arrive at the end of a fieldtrip one afternoon, all of that may be at an end.
This book is excellent! Gabe is a lovable character that you can't help but want the best for. Mr. Bohem, the English teacher he bonds with is kind and nurturing and Gabe's memories of his uncle are great comic relief in a heart-breaking book.
If you liked this book, look for:
Catalyst
Harry Potter Series
Speak
Eggs
Fever 1793
Gabe has been adopted by his Uncle Vernon. Finally, he has the family he's been missing since his mother died years ago. But when Gabe returns home on his first day of 6th grade, he finds his uncle dead in the study. Gabe, afraid of going back into foster care or of being blamed for his uncle's death decides to tell no one what has happened.
The next day, he returns from school to find his uncle's body vanished and a strange note in the mailbox. With the help of his mysterious guardian and the memories of his loving, yet brusque uncle, Gabe manages to live by himself with only his new dog Guppy to keep him company. But when the police arrive at the end of a fieldtrip one afternoon, all of that may be at an end.
This book is excellent! Gabe is a lovable character that you can't help but want the best for. Mr. Bohem, the English teacher he bonds with is kind and nurturing and Gabe's memories of his uncle are great comic relief in a heart-breaking book.
If you liked this book, look for:
Catalyst
Harry Potter Series
Speak
Eggs
Fever 1793
What is the Teacher's Toupee Doing in the Fishtank?
***
Jerry Piasecki
Clever, but short-tempered Mindy, trouble-maker Jeff, big-eater and hard-punching Frankie and teacher-hating Samantha are among the hard-to-teach students in Mr. Finelli's class. Their goal this year is the same as every year - make life hard for their teacher. But this year, they may have met their match. Mr. Finelli is no ordinary teacher. He throws toupees, talks to sheletons, blows bubbles and eats more than any man his size should be able to. But will this wacky educator be enough to stand up to ARF Committee?
This is a funny book. It's not very serious, but will make you giggle. Just take it with a grain of salt. It's also a great read-aloud for classrooms, because it's easy to follow and downright wacky.
If you like this book, look for:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (and other Joey Pigza books)
Jerry Piasecki
Clever, but short-tempered Mindy, trouble-maker Jeff, big-eater and hard-punching Frankie and teacher-hating Samantha are among the hard-to-teach students in Mr. Finelli's class. Their goal this year is the same as every year - make life hard for their teacher. But this year, they may have met their match. Mr. Finelli is no ordinary teacher. He throws toupees, talks to sheletons, blows bubbles and eats more than any man his size should be able to. But will this wacky educator be enough to stand up to ARF Committee?
This is a funny book. It's not very serious, but will make you giggle. Just take it with a grain of salt. It's also a great read-aloud for classrooms, because it's easy to follow and downright wacky.
If you like this book, look for:
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key (and other Joey Pigza books)
Hatchet
****
Gary Paulsen
Brian is having a hard time. His parents have divorced and his dad has moved to the Canadian wilderness. As he boards the single-passenger plane and heads to his father's house for the summer, he thinks about the recent past. But what he doesn't know is that the future is going to be much, much harder. When the pilot suffers a fatal heart attack, it's all Brian can do to crash the plane into a lake. Though he survives the crash, he is now hundreds of miles from humanity, without any supplies or food and completely unprepared to fend for himself. What's worse, the plane veered so far off course that no one will be able to find him. Will he be able to use his clothing, pocket change and hatchet to keep himself alive? And will he ever be able to see his family again?
This is a great book. Though it's geared toward boys, I enjoyed this book as an adolescent. It has adventure, an easily traceable plot and likeable characters. If you enjoy it, there are plenty of books to follow up with!
If you like this book, look for:
The River
The Cay
Brian's Hunt
Brian's Winter
Brian's Return
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Sign of the Beaver
Lord of the Flies
Touching Spirit Bear
The Island
Winterdance
Gary Paulsen
Brian is having a hard time. His parents have divorced and his dad has moved to the Canadian wilderness. As he boards the single-passenger plane and heads to his father's house for the summer, he thinks about the recent past. But what he doesn't know is that the future is going to be much, much harder. When the pilot suffers a fatal heart attack, it's all Brian can do to crash the plane into a lake. Though he survives the crash, he is now hundreds of miles from humanity, without any supplies or food and completely unprepared to fend for himself. What's worse, the plane veered so far off course that no one will be able to find him. Will he be able to use his clothing, pocket change and hatchet to keep himself alive? And will he ever be able to see his family again?
This is a great book. Though it's geared toward boys, I enjoyed this book as an adolescent. It has adventure, an easily traceable plot and likeable characters. If you enjoy it, there are plenty of books to follow up with!
If you like this book, look for:
The River
The Cay
Brian's Hunt
Brian's Winter
Brian's Return
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Sign of the Beaver
Lord of the Flies
Touching Spirit Bear
The Island
Winterdance
Speak
*****
Laurie Anderson
Melinda starts 9th grade with no one in her corner. Because of something she did over the summer, most of her new school hates her. The problem is, what she did isn't the problem. Melinda (Mel) is keeping a secret...from everyone. But how will she survive high school with no true friends? And what will happen when the real problem rears its ugly head once again?
This is a great read! Though you might want to wait until high school, whether you're a boy or girl, you should read this book (but especially if you're a girl). Laurie Anderson is an incredibly talented writer. She gives Melinda such life and tells about high school in a realistic and interesting way. But beware! This book will break your heart!
If you like this book, look for:
Catalyst
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sloppy Firsts
TTYL
Laurie Anderson
Melinda starts 9th grade with no one in her corner. Because of something she did over the summer, most of her new school hates her. The problem is, what she did isn't the problem. Melinda (Mel) is keeping a secret...from everyone. But how will she survive high school with no true friends? And what will happen when the real problem rears its ugly head once again?
This is a great read! Though you might want to wait until high school, whether you're a boy or girl, you should read this book (but especially if you're a girl). Laurie Anderson is an incredibly talented writer. She gives Melinda such life and tells about high school in a realistic and interesting way. But beware! This book will break your heart!
If you like this book, look for:
Catalyst
What My Mother Doesn't Know
Sloppy Firsts
TTYL
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