#48-49

#48 Human.4 by Mike A. Lancaster

I have been searching and searching for a pair of dystopian books to share with my kids next year in literature circles. With the surge of dystopian tales flooding the YA bookshelves, I've had my hands full picking titles and reading up. This one grabbed my eye, literally, by the cover and I'd seen it advertised on my fave sight goodreads.com. Doesn't it look creepy!?

Picture a normal town, normal citizens, normal annual festival. In this town, the annual talent show is the draw of the year. Kyle Straker and three other people volunteer to be hypnotized at the event. When they awaken from their hypnosis, everyone in the town seems to be in a hypnotic sleep themselves. No one is moving, no one is blinking, but everyone is exactly where they were before the hypnosis started. Kyle and his mobile friends walk through town and see the same thing everywhere: people they've always known stuck as if on pause in a movie. When everyone "awakens," they are zombies. They walk around and move, but they do not seem to notice Kyle and the three others. It's as if they have been reprogrammed. But what really happened? And what will happen to Kyle and his friends?

And yes, the cover of the book is explained. I sure don't want to spoil that for you friends!

Did I mention the story-telling method? Very cool. The story is told in first person from Kyle's point of view; however, his story is recorded on cassette tapes and the book is the transcript. This is all explained on the first page of the book. I thought it a very unique and fitting way to tell the story.

Will I use it in literature circles? No, probably not. Is this a great work of literature? No, it's really not. Was it cool story to read? Yeah. I did find the ending of the book a bit too fast. All the big events that occur in the book wrap up so quickly, I almost felt letdown in the end. Fear not friends, I have not lost hope. Though I will continue to enjoy my search. I'm still on the lookout for a dystopian book that also holds some literary worth, not simply a good story. Something that I can also use to show kids good writing techniques, plot depth, that sort of nerdy LA stuff. Do you know of one?? Please let me know!

#49 The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher

Cool book cover huh? Strange...I have mentioned the book cover on both of these books. I try not to "judge a book by it's cover," but it is hard with cool covers like this.

In my quest to find good literature circle titles, I have been looking for dystopian books, but I've also tried to find books with a strong environmental theme. After reading Ship Breaker, I was determined to find it a suitable companion. The Water Wars stood out to me when I found it. The story is set in the future, but it does not overwhelm with strange technologies or crazy inventions like food pellets or hyperdrive cars. Even though it is a futuristic story, it deals with a primitive need: water. Water has become scarce. If you are not wildly wealthy, you have to rely on the government for water, and it's hardly real water. Vera and Will are siblings. They have to rely on the government-controlled water for survival. Vera meets a boy named Kai who comes from a very wealthy family. Kai has clean water to share and Vera is completely enamored, as anyone would be. Kai and Vera become friends and he shares a special gift with Vera. TEENY TINY SPOILER ALERT!! He can "smell" water. He has found a clean, undiscovered water source the government does not know about.

As you can imagine, the government and big corporations don't let this go on for long and when Kai and his father are kidnapped, Vera and Will take off to look for their friend. Along the way, pirates, harpoon guns, cross-country travel, dog fighting in a jet, attempts at big corporation take-down, torture, typical fast-paced YA lit adventure I like.

Will I use this for my lit circle? I'm not sure yet, maybe. Again, I'm trying to find just the right one. This was a fun read, one I'll highly recommend to my kids, but I'll keep looking.

#46-47

#46 Trapped by Michael Northrop

Where is the absolute worst place you can imagine to be stuck during the worst snowstorm on record? Yep...you got it. A high school. Scotty and a couple of his friends arrive at school just like every other day, but soon the snow begins and doesn't stop. They don't have a way home like nearly every other student in the school, so they stay along with a teacher and a few other students. The snow continues for days, trapping them inside. The pipes begin to freeze, the heat goes out, the roof begins to creak and moan with the weight of the snow, and the kids have to do anything they can to survive.

I mostly enjoyed this one. The idea of being stuck in a school with no way out is pretty horrible and the events between the kids struggling to survive are really pretty interesting. The ending bothered me. It was so abrupt and a bit of a letdown after so much buildup and drama. I wouldn't say, "Don't read this one," but if there are other books on your nightstand, read those first.

#47 Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

The name "Jodi Picoult" in my book is synonymous with "Must Read." Her latest title is no exception. Critics would argue that her books are not works of art and will not turn into classical literature, but if you want a compelling and gut-wrentching read, there is no one better. I do have to put forth a warning. If you have had experience with losing a child, especially due to miscarriage or stillbirth, this book may be too much to handle. (No, I'm not giving anything away, believe me). Having no children of my own, I think I can handle her books a little easier. I think it's why I always cry when reading a dog book, but can hold myself together with a Picoult book.

Zoe and Max have been desperately trying for nearly a decade to have a baby. After learning of their own fertility issues, they try alternative methods of conceiving, spending thousands and thousands of dollars on IVF and all different types of medical treatments. When Zoe delivers a stillborn baby at 28 weeks, their marriage crumbles and they divorce. Zoe meets a guidance counselor named Vanessa and they become instant best friends. Vanessa helps Zoe cope with the loss of yet another child and a marriage. Zoe and Vanessa fall in love and decide to marry, having to leave their home state to do so legally. The two decide they want to have a child together, but quickly face opposition from Max due to religious and financial reasons.

I love love love that Picoult doesn't shy away from hot button issues. I love that she tells stories from different perspectives, as she does again in this book, and I love that when I read one of her books, I want to talk about it with someone. This would make a fabulous book club read. This book had a unique feature, a CD. Picoult co-wrote the lyrics with the singer and the music adds another layer to the already complex story.

Highly recommended reading from me to you. But as stated, her books require a total investment from the reader. You have to begin knowing you'll be giving your time and emotion to the plot. If you're up for it, have at it! And please let me know what you think.

#43-45

#43 Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

2011 Newbery Award winner!

Abilene Tucker's father has sent her to live with the "preacher" in his hometown of Manifest, Kansas, while he finds work elsewhere. Abilene arrives in the town (after jumping from the train) to find...well, not a whole lot. The year is 1936 and Abilene is 12 years old. Most everyone in the town is suffering from the Depression and is doing their best to get by. Abilene discovers a cigar box of mementos in her new home and spends her summer trying to learn what each means. Along the way, she meets a fortune teller named Miss Sadie and the local newspaper columnist Hattie Mae Harper and discovers there is more to Manifest, and her father, then she could ever imagine.

I was initially drawn to the story because it is the latest Newbery winner but also because it's set in Kansas. Being from the sunflower state myself, I was curious about the story. It toggles back and forth from present day 1936 to 1917 with such ease, I enjoyed the change in setting quite a bit. I can see how this may be difficult for young readers to deal with and was a little surprised it was chosen for the prestigious award this year. I'm sure a lot has to do with the fact that this is such a clever story. All the little details that Abilene uncovers fit so nicely together. It is almost like a story you should read twice just to go back and really understand how the writer pieced it all together.

This would be a fun historical fiction novel to read with a class. Many of the important details from the story come through old newspaper columns. It may be fun to use with a class and then work to create some kind of newspaper or time capsule. And the story itself has great historical references including the Depression, KKK and Prohibition. And above all, it follows a young girl growing up and learning about who she is and how she fits into a new town. Highly recommended from this reader!

#44 The Bar Code Tattoo by Suzanne Weyn

I'm on the lookout for new novels for my sixth graders next year. With the surge of dystopian tales, I wanted to find a couple to offer to my young students, hopefully through a literature circle format. I had high hopes for this novel...and was a bit disappointed. The premise of the story is incredible. I was very excited to read it. But I found myself feeling bored and bit underwhelmed with the random events. However, it may be just me. I like to read reviews others have written and on barnesandnoble.com, this book received high marks. This almost makes me feel like I need to give the book another chance, but no, I'm moving on. But don't take my word for it. 58 online reviewers would disagree with me.

In this story, Kayla is a high schooler living in a futuristic society where people are being barcoded. The barcode on their arm is to make life easier. Everything you need can be contained in your barcode. It is how you pay for things, it's how you are identified. Kayla is finally old enough to get her own tattoo, but decides she doesn't want one. She refuses to get the mark nearly everyone else in her community wears, and she suffers for it. Kayla begins to question her society when her best friend's family loses their home, certain people can't pay for necessities with their tattoo, and she discovers the real reason her father suddenly died. Much of the book was interesting, but I found the ending to be a bit of a letdown. Kayla suddenly discovers she has a sort of sixth sense and can communicate with others in a unique way.

See, sounds pretty cool right? I can see how young readers would enjoy this book and it does lend itself to some great discussion of government control and individual freedoms. I certainly encourage you to try it out, just didn't work for me.

#45 Truesight by David Stahler, Jr. (Book One Truesight Trilogy)

As I mentioned in the book review above, I'm trying to find quality dystopian books for my kiddos. This was another attempt and sadly, another fail. As in the last book, the premise is pretty cool, but the outcome isn't so great. What is wrong with me this week? I'm usually very happy with all the books I read. Maybe I'm getting pickier in my old age?

Jacob lives on a planet far from Earth in a community called Harmony. Due to genetic engineering, everyone in Harmony is blind. It is believed that "vision corrupts the mind with distractions." Jacob has spent his whole life in Harmony and believes all he's learned. Until, he begins experiencing headaches and begins to see. Jacob regains his sight and begins to see another side of Harmony he never expected. What he sees and learns about his community and the people who live in it causes him to question all he's ever known about his life.

Another very interesting storyline. I liked this story more than The Bar Code Tattoo, but I'm still not sure it's good enough to share with my students in an academic way. I will encourage them to read it on their own and many of them will love it, but I'm still on the lookout for better dystopian-style titles. If you have any suggestions, please leave me a post!

#42

#42 Empty by Suzanne Weyn

"'When are we going to get it through our heads that oil is a nonrenewable resource? ...we must throw ourselves wholeheartedly into developing every source of renewable energy - nothing less than our survival as a global community depends on it.'"

We all know it's true. One day the oil will run out. What will the world be like? That's Suzanne's Weyn's task in this YA novel. At the start of the book Empty, gas prices are so high, most people can't afford to fill up their car or heat their home. Whole town are losing power and the food is running out. And this is all before the hurricanes come. You can just imagine the craziness that ensues. Niki, Gwen and Tom are teens growing up in the middle of it all and trying to find a way to survive in a new world.

This book is an honest look at what could happen to our world if we don't make big changes in the near future. There is so much talk about global warming, environmental changes and recycling and this book would be wonderful to use with students. I think it would pair well with a book I read and reviewed just a couple weeks ago: Ship Breaker. If we can get our young readers involved in making positive changes to help our communities, amazing things can begin to happen.

Sidenote: I just have to share a story about some of my students who are truly making a difference. A few of my kiddos did a service learning project about the need to eliminate styrofoam. They researched and read and got fired up about their project. They decided to try and convince our school district to get rid of the styrofoam lunch trays used in the cafeterias. They found companies that sell biodegradable trays, researched the cost, found the best prices, everything. They presented their findings to the principal who agreed they did an amazing job. They kept on bugging her, finding her in the halls, talking to other students, until she had no choice but to bring in the head of food service for the district. The kids presented their project to these administrators, convincing them to look into biodegradable trays. Admin was so impressed that our campus will be piloting a program to rid our district of styrofoam trays all because a small group of students got excited, passionate and wouldn't back down from what they knew was right. Love it!

#41

#41 Room by Emma Donoghue

Five year old Jack and his mother are being held captive in a small storage room in the backyard of an older man. Jack's mother was kidnapped when she was 19 years old and has been held prisoner in this room for 7 years. Jack and his mother are provided limited food and clothing, but are never allowed to leave. Jack believes Room is the whole world and has no desire to ever leave thanks to his mother who has created a happy and entertaining life within the four walls of Room. When his mother begins talking about escaping, Jack can't understand why she would ever want to leave their home.

The story is narrated in the voice of Jack, and it was interesting to listen to a young boy's perspective of the horrible situation, but I quickly became annoyed with him. I feel like a bad person for saying so, but I just couldn't appreciate his voice. I kept imagining him as one of those annoying squeaky-voiced children you can't stand to listen to and I found myself often thinking, "Seriously? Seriously..." Perhaps this all goes back to my childless life, but I just couldn't get into this story.

Far be it from me to dissuade anyone from reading, but this just wasn't the right one for me.

Moving on!

#38 - 39

#38 Peace, Locomotion by Jacqueline Woodson

12-year-old Lonnie Collins Motion, a.k.a. Locomotion, is living with a foster family after losing his parents in a tragic event. His sister Lili is living with a different family. He writes letters to her to keep in touch and help them both remember their past memories. Lonnie is happy with his foster mom, but still aches for his sister and parents. The letters help him deal with the gap he feels in his life.

I shared this immediately with my students, reading to them the opening poem "Imagine Peace" where Lonnie compares peace to soft flannel sheets and the good full feeling you have after eating a great dinner. Give me a beautiful poem and I'm done for. All through the book, Locomotion tries to understand peace and how, even in the midst of the Vietnam war and hurt and anger, peace can be found.

Jacqueline Woodson has once again written a touching novel about growing up and learning to deal with whatever life throws at you. But even more than that, her writing (done all in the form of letters and poems) is so lyrically beautiful, you can't help but read slowly just to enjoy the words.

#39 Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Book one Ship Breaker series)

Recent winner of the Michael L. Printz Award

Hunger Games fans...never fear! Peeta and Katniss may be done, but Nailer and Nita are just beginning! Collins fans will be thrilled reading this new dystopian series. Picture a future North America where oil production has ruined the landscape, cities including New Orleans are completely underwater, the Arctic has lost most of its wildlife, and old tanker ships are being broken down for their metal parts. Nailer is a teenage boy on light crew whose job it is to fit into the old ductwork of the ships and strip out the copper wiring to make his daily quota and hopefully live another day.

A huge storm, a city killer, sweeps through the area, leaving Nailer and his friend Pima homeless. As they try to make their way back to their jobs, they find a clipper ship. Onboard the ship, they find more wealth than they could ever imagine. They also find a rich girl, a swank, who somehow lived through the storm. Nailer has to decide whether to kill the girl and take the riches he's found to buy his freedom from light crew or save her and help her find her way home and hopefully a better life for himself.

This was a great, fast-paced, adventurous novel I can't wait to get into the hands of my kids. They will devour this book and its futuristic implications. This would be a great book to read in a literature circle and do some deep talking about oil consumption and the environmental issues associated with it. Certainly a strong message about taking care of our Earth and each other. I will be eagerly awaiting the next in the series.

According to Bacigalupi's website, his other books really delve into important social issues. I'll be looking him up at my local library. It's great when students read, but even more exciting when they're reading high quality books with strong implications for the future. Love it!

#36-37

#36 Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness (Book three Chaos Walking trilogy)

"'War makes monsters of men, you once said to me, Todd. Well, so does too much knowledge. Too much knowledge of your fellow man, too much knowledge of his weakness, his pathetic greed and vanity, and how laughably easy it is to control him.'"

Well, I finally made it to the end. I feel like I've run a marathon and I'm not sure how to put my experience into words. Admittedly, this book was more difficult for me to get through than the other two, but not because I had lost interest in the storyline or characters. In fact, the book became more complex, dealing with more obscure characters and "sci-fi" (NOT syfy) situations. I had to slow down and read with caution.

The New World war continues, but this time the Spackle organize against the humans to avenge their murdered comrades. A group of new settlers arrives and the Mayor of the town struggles even more with the ceaseless Noise while both Todd and Viola are forced to make decisions that will change the course of the human race. I feel like I can't say much without giving things away!

If you're in for a rollercoaster ride, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

#37 If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Mia is a 17 year-old cellist from a close, musical family. She and her family are in a horrible car accident leaving her in a coma and her family gone. As her mangled body lays in a hospital room, Mia is fully aware of her surroundings and is walking around the hospital watching herself and her family. (Think Ghost but without the ability to move cans and smash cigarette cases). As she learns of the seriousness of her condition, she also has to make the decision to fight for her life or succumb to the peacefulness of death.

A strong story with gorgeous writing. Very poetic and beautiful and I can see how this book could help young people dealing with loss. Mia remembers the memories of her family and wants to dwell in the past, but she also knows that she has a family still alive and waiting for her to wake up. A powerful read.