Geeks, Girls, and Secret Identities is a twist on the classic superhero story. Think a variation on Captain Marvel. It's a case of superhero obsession paying off for Vincent, George, and Max, self-proclaimed experts in Captain Stupendous. While the plot mostly follows a predictable arc, complete with mad scientist, it's pretty entertaining and takes time to consider gender roles and our preconceived notions about heroes.
Even though I've read Eleanor & Park before, I knew I wanted this one to be my audio book selection for this weekend. I'm not a huge fan of audio books (more on that tomorrow) but really enjoyed this one. Both readers are dynamic and add another dimension to the story. I especially loved Park's mother. I loved her when I read the book the first time but on the audio - man, I was cracking up at times. So, even if you've already read this one listen to the audio. It's well worth the time.
Daisy's brother Steven is severely autistic. Most of her life she's had to help take care of him. Her family's entire routine is centered around Steven and what he enjoys/tolerates. Now that he is thirteen, though, they wonder if home is the best place for him. And there is a lot of guilt around the idea that sending him away might be the best thing for them.
My general opinion of verse novels is that there needs to be a very clear reason why they are, in fact, verse novels. You can't just toss in some short lines and call it poetic. This book has a real sense of careful word choice giving it a contemplative feel.
Chained is the story of Hastin, a ten-year-old boy who goes to work for an elephant show in the jungle to pay off his family's medical debts. Hastin forms a bond with the elephant in his care as well as Ne Min, the show's cook. If you've read Eliot Schrefer's Threatened, the tone of this book will be familiar to you. There's a real sense of connectivity to nature in general and to elephants in specific. This is a good one for discussion with young readers.
I've read James Patterson's books before (mostly the Maximum Ride series) and I've never been a big fan. I did enjoy this one though. It's very light-hearted, encourages us to laugh at ourselves. The final scene, were Jamie does a short routine at the rehab facility, was a little cheesy but a nice ending to the story. While I prefer a book with more character development this was a nice, light read. It might be a good beach read.
Paperboy is the story of an eleven year old boy with a severe stutter in the summer of 1959. When he takes over his friend's paper route for four weeks, the boy (whose name we don't learn until the final pages of the novel) meets several new people who alter his view of the world. He also tangles with a local trouble-maker. While Paperboy doesn't lead us to any major conclusions, apart from the value of each person, it does ask us to continue to learn and to think. To be discerning. And that's a very valuable lesson in and of itself.
Broken Memory is the story of a young survivor of the Rwandan genocide. Emma was only four when her mother was killed. Ever since, she's lived with an elderly Hutu woman. It is under this woman's guidance that Emma, now a teenager, seeks help to heal emotional from what she witnessed. This book ties us more closely emotionally to a tragedy that we've only ever read about.
