Wild Things

This book is told by two narrators. Zoe, one of the narrators, has been adopted by her eccentric uncle after her “mental” mother dies. The other narrator is done in third person and tells the thoughts and feelings of a feral, or wild cat. The girl is fictional, but the cat is based on a cat that lived in the author’s neighborhood.

Zoe is taken in by her uncle Henry who is a sculptor and also a famous heart doctor who lives in the North Carolina woods.. Because of her life experiences Zoe doesn’t trust people. She has to learn about trust. So does the Mr. C’mere, the cat. The reader also meets a “wild boy” who lives in the woods and the albino deer, Sister, who he protects.

You will get to meet lots of characters who inhabit this small town. You may even recognize some of the personalities as people you might know. You will also grow with Zoe.

The Rock and the River

The topic of this novel is the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. I was a middle school and high school student during this era of unrest in America so I am certain that I read this novel with a different perspective than most of you. The setting is 1968 in Chicago, Illinois – a very turbulent time.

Sam and Sticks (Steven) are the sons of Roland Childs, a lawyer and civil rights activist who follows the lead of Martin Luther King, Jr. Sticks is a member of the Black Panther Party and Sam who is13 is torn whether to follow his father or his brother.

If you are not familiar with the American Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, this novel will give you a chance to think about that time in American history. You will learn that this was not a time that is easy to understand, but the author helps the reader work through some of the many problems of the time. The author, Kekla Magoon, lets the reader see the good and the bad of the different groups involved.

This book will not give you answers to the happenings of 1968, but it will let you understand the questions. Maybe you will have some questions of your own. I think she has presented a different view of the Black Panthers; possibly idealized, but still something that one needs to consider.

Heart of a Shepherd

Brother, Ignatius, is the youngest of 5 boys. Dad is a reservist who is going to Iraq along with many other parents from this rural Oregon community. Brother feels that it is his responsibility to help his elderly grandparents keep the cattle ranch running.

He struggles with beoming comfortable with himself and his feelings. He learns from his Grandpa, Ernesto (the shepherd), and Father Ziegler (the parish priest).

Masterpiece

This is one of the selections on the 2012 Rebecca Caudill list. I had actually purchased this book on one of my trips to Anderson’s Bookshop before it was on this list. I know some of you, students and adults will not give this book a chance because one of the main characters is Marvin, a beetle. It is not just a book for little kids – it is a book about friendship.

A great friendship was like a great work of art, he thought. It took time and attention, and a spark of something that was impossible to describe. It was a happy, lucky accident, . . .

Marvin and his family live under the sink in the fancy apartment of the Pompaday’s in New York City. We get to see the family life of both the bugs and the people – quite frankly the bugs’ life seems better many times!

Marvin finds an open bottle of ink and paper in James’s room and creates a miniature masterpiece of the scene outside the window using his front legs. Mrs. Pompaday wants to sell this creation and believes that her son James is the creator. This is just the beginning of a wonderful mystery and adventure for both Marvin and James.

This is a wonderful story that can be enjoyed by children of all ages and by the child in all adults. What a wonderful book to share with others as a read aloud. (It did win the E.B. White Read Aloud Award.)

The Great Wide Sea

I really don’t know why the students haven’t read this book! The cover is appealing and it is not quite 300 pages long, but that might be the reason they haven’t picked it. This was a Rebecca Caudill selection for 2010. I found the book to be very readable and it was one that made me want to read on to see what would happen next.

Three brothers who have lost their mom to a car accident reluctantly become part of their dad’s adventure that involves the 30 foot sailboat, Chrysalis, and an extended trip through the Bahamas. Ben, the oldest, is most against the trip; yet he is the most experienced sailor. Dylan, the middle brother, is the one with the greatest knowledge of stars and plants and many other topics. Gerry is the youngest – he is still hanging on to his blankie and he can’t swim.

Then one morning. . . “I stepped into the cockpit. The cockpit was empty. .. Dad has disappeared. Gone! Vamoose!” The GPS is broken and the EPIRB is gone! Three boys lost at sea. Can they survive the storms? Will anyone ever find them?

I was very surprised by the end of the story and what happened. I thought this was a great read!