"Red Kayak" by Priscilla Cummings

I chose to review this book because it is included on the 6th-8th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB).

Red Kayak
Author: Priscilla Cummings
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 12-15 years

SUMMARY
Brady, a 13-year-old, is grief-stricken when the young son of his new neighbors dies despite his best efforts to save him from the cold waters of a creek. His family tries to help him as he, in turn, seeks to comfort the grieving mother and deals with feeling abandoned by his best friends. Then, as discoveries are made and the details fall into place, Brady realizes that perhaps this horrible tragedy was not an accident after all. Brady faces an extremely difficult decision: Does he tell the truth even when he knows that it will forever change the lives of his family and friends?

CRITIQUE

At the beginning of this book, the author quotes Sophocles as saying, "Truth is always the strongest argument." The obvious message of this book is that one ought to do the right thing (tell the truth, in this case) even when it is difficult. As Brady's father tells him, "Doin' what's right is not always the easiest thing...it's just that sometimes, even when the right answer is smack in front of you, you got to reach deep inside yourself to act on it."

I appreciated the author's underlying worldview, particularly in an age when the moral fabric of our society appears to be unraveling. The writing style itself is average and the ending leaves a couple of story lines unresolved, but the characters are authentic and compelling.  This was a heart-wrenching story with many individuals dealing with some very difficult circumstances. Parents may want to interact with their children about some of the mature themes (see "Specific Content" below) that are addressed in this book.

Another story that discusses the themes of death and telling the truth (without the additional issues presented in this book) is On My Honor, a Newberry Honor book by Marion Dane Bauer.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: None
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: Moderate
Sex: None
Substance Use: Mild
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Frightening/Suspenseful:

-Brady finds Ben hanging from a piling, his eyes half shut and his lips blue. Brady has to perform CPR to try to revive Ben.

Profanity:
-Words used include ass, damn, stupid, shut up, hell, bastard, shit, idiot, and frickin'.

Substance Use:
-Digger smokes a cigarette and pressures his friends to join him. J.T. takes one puff, while Brady refuses.
-Several comments about Digger's father drinking too much.

Mature Themes:
-Death of toddler due to drowning and infant due to SIDS.
-Adults struggling to deal with their grief and the marital problems that ensue.
-Financial hardship and poverty.
-Young teenagers being accused of second-degree murder.

Violence:
-Several references to Digger's father getting drunk and beating up his wife. No specific details given.
-Boys punching and sparring with each other. Described as friendly fighting between friends.
-J.T. culls out dead birds from the chicken house on his farm.
-Couple of brief references to J.T. being hit by a bully at school.
-Digger wishes harm to Mr. DiAngelos. He and J.T. drill holes in the bottom of Mr. DiAngelos' kayak.

"All the Broken Pieces" by Ann E. Burg

I chose to review this book because it is included on the 6th-8th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books.

All The Broken Pieces
Author: Ann E. Burg
Genre: Historical Fiction (written in verse)
Age Level: 12-16 years

SUMMARY
It has been two years since 12-year-old Matt Pin was airlifted out of war-torn Vietnam to be adopted by a loving American family. Matt is haunted by his memories of a father who abandoned him, a brother maimed by a mine, and a mother who gave him away. Even as he seeks comfort in his music, he encounters hostility from his teammates on the baseball field. It is not until he learns to forgive others and accept forgiveness in return that the healing process can truly begin.

CRITIQUE

All the Broken Pieces is a haunting tale written in spare verse. It is a story of forgiveness and redemption. I appreciated that there were many positive adult role models who were present to help Matt as he grappled with difficult emotions from both the past and present. This novel touches on various aspects of the Vietnam war and its aftermath, without being too graphic. As such, I believe it would be an appropriate book to use to introduce youth to the various consequences of war. However, I suspect that this book will be more fully appreciated by adults, particularly those who lived through the Vietnam era.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: None
Sex: None
Substance Use: None
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Matt's baseball teammates call him "Frog-face" and "Matt-the-rat." They bully him when the coach isn't around.

Frightening/Suspenseful:

-Mildly disturbing scenes of Matt's Vietnamese mother pushing him into the helicopter to be taken away by the American soldiers.

Mature Themes:
-The novel speaks extensively about the ugliness of war and its aftermath.
-Matt deals with the negative feelings resulting from his biological father abandoning his family.
-Matt struggles with the fact that his biological mother gives him up for adoption even though she said she loved him. He fears that it will happen again.
-Coach Robeson gets cancer and Matt has to come to terms with the fact that his coach may die.

Violence:
-Repeated brief images of war with blood, screaming, and the smell of burnt flesh.
-Description of Vietnam veterans who have been maimed and/or disfigured in some way.
-Several scenes describing Matt's Vietnamese brother losing his legs and fingers after stepping on a mine.

"11 Birthdays" by Wendy Mass

I chose to review this book because it was a nominee for the 2011 Oregon Readers' Choice Award. It is also on the 3rd-5th grade list for the 2011-12 Oregon Battle of the Books.

11 Birthdays
Author: Wendy Mass
Genre: Fantasy
Age Level: 9-12 years

SUMMARY
Amanda and Leo have known each other since the day they were born. They are best friends and have celebrated every birthday together. But at their 10th birthday party, Amanda overheard Leo say something hurtful and she hasn't spoken to him for an entire year. Now it is their 11th birthday and Amanda discovers that her important day isn't nearly as special without her best friend. She is relieved when the day finally comes to an end. However, when she wakes up the next morning, she discovers that it is her birthday all over again...and again...and again. Amanda worries that she might be going crazy, until she discovers that Leo is also trapped in the same time loop. As they repeatedly relive their birthday, together they learn some important lessons about family, friendship, and making good choices.

CRITIQUE

I didn't know anything about this book when I began reading it. At the beginning, I was skeptical that this was going to be another tale filled with pre-teen romance and angst. I was wrong. Although the main idea is certainly not original (think Groundhog Day) and the plot was a little thin in parts, I thought it was an enjoyable story. It was refreshing to read a book about tweens who love and respect their families and who try to be kind even to their enemies. This book touches on many of the difficulties facing children this age without being too precocious. The main characters are charming because they act their age. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this book to readers in the 9- to 12-year old range, although I expect that girls would be more likely to enjoy this story.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: None
Profanity: Mild
Sex: None
Substance Use: None
Mature Themes: None
Violence: None

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:

-On different occasions, Ruby rolls her eyes, glares, and laughs at Amanda.

-Brief mention of Ellerby and Fitzpatrick destroying each other's property during their infamous feud.

Profanity:
-Use of words such as lame, dumb, heck, and stupid.

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" by Jeff Kinney

I chose to review this book because this series has been so popular over the last several years.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Author & Illustrator: Jeff Kinney
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 10-13 years

SUMMARY
Greg Heffley keeps a journal of his experiences during one year of middle school. Through Greg's voice and cartoon drawings, we get a glimpse of the drama and traumas of middle school life. He has to learn how to deal with many things from having a best friend who isn't very cool to having parents who he thinks are a bit too strict. In his quest for a place to fit in, Greg tries running for Treasurer, he tries out for the school play, he tries being a safety patrol, and he tries for the cartoonist job in the school paper. Greg experiences the humiliations of a wrestling unit in gym class as well as being picked on by high school students.

CRITIQUE

Many of the reviews I read interpreted Greg as a basically good kid who is oblivious to his faults. Supposedly that's the basis of the humor.  I did not interpret Greg's character that way and, therefore, thought he was very offensive. Greg is selfish, unkind (to his younger brother), disloyal (to his friend Rowley), deceitful (to parents and teachers), and cowardly. He is a very unappealing character. As I read, I continued to hope that Greg would to do something to redeem himself, but he does not.

The bottom line is that I would NOT want my child to read this book. There is far better literature available. If you are looking specifically for a story about a boy who often gets into scrapes, I would recommend Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary. He is not "perfect" but at least he is a well-intentioned and honorable character.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Heavy
Frightening/Suspenseful: None
Profanity: Mild
Sex: Mild
Substance Use: Mild
Mature Themes: None
Violence: Moderate

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Greg's advice is to "set people's expectations real low so you end up surprising them by practically doing nothing at all."
-Pulls pranks on his best friend, Rowley.
-General, and constant, complaining about his parents and their style of parenting.
-Deceives his father by running through the sprinkler to make himself look sweaty when, in reality, he has been playing video games at his friend's house.
-Sneaks downstairs at night to listen to music that is forbidden.
-Greg kicks over his younger brother's toys while he is playing with them.
-Tricks Rowley's father into letting them play a video game by switching the case.
-Makes campaign posters disrespecting his opponent.
-Refuses to sing during school play. Throws apples at girl instead.
-Forces younger brother to eat a pretend spider.
-Writes a form letter for his thank-you notes.
-Greg makes fun of Rowley's father.
-Kicks over his younger brother's snowman.
-Hides some other kids' comics under a pile of papers on the teacher's desk so they won't be considered for the cartoonist job.
-Greg chases kindergartners (for whom he is responsible) with a worm. Lets Rowley take the blame. Tells his mom he did the right thing and lets her take him out for ice cream as a reward.
-Acts nicely toward Rowley just so that he will be invited to Six Flags.

Profanity:
-Jerk, sissy, stupid, morons, nerd, dumb, runt, dork, poop, idiot, and fart are some of the words used.
-Boys in independent study make a list of all the swear words they know, but you don't see them.
-Greg listens to his older brother's music that is labeled with a parent advisory for language. Again, you don't hear any of it.

Sex:
-Roderick has a magazine that shows a girl in a bikini draped over the hood of a car. Roderick gets in trouble when his younger brother, Manny, takes it to day care for show and tell.

Substance Use:
-The school has an anti-smoking poster contest. The boy who wins, according to Greg, smokes at least one pack of cigarettes every day.

Violence:
-Kids are shown being bullied (e.g. punched, tripped, shoved, kicked) at school.
-Greg hits Rowley in the face as a joke.
-Boys practice professional wrestling moves on each other at school.
-Boys throw apples at a girl and knock her glasses off during a school play.
-Greg breaks Rowley's hand playing a dangerous game.
-Comic shows skater boy having head sliced off by telephone wire.
-Kids throw snowballs at each other.
-High school boys force Rowley to eat something disgusting off the playground.

"The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly

I chose to review this book because it is a Newberry Honor book as well as a nominee for the 2011 Oregon Readers' Choice Award.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
Author: Jacqueline Kelly
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 10-14 years

SUMMARY
Calpurnia Virginia Tate, affectionately called Callie Vee, is eleven years old and the only girl in a family of seven children. With so many brothers, it is not surprising that she is a tomboy. With the help and encouragement of her grandfather, who is an amateur naturalist, she discovers that she has an interest in and aptitude for science. While her mother wants her to dedicate her time to learning how to knit and cook, Callie prefers to be romping through the woods, Notebook in hand, searching for new specimens to collect.

Over the course of the novel, we learn how science and technology are changing rapidly, yet social mores remain relatively stagnant. Callie struggles to find her role as a young woman living at the turn of the twentieth century. By the end of the story, Callie has an increased understanding of the conflict between her true interests and society's expectations for her.

CRITIQUE
I had varied opinions about this book. I enjoyed the writing style. The beginning of the novel, in particular, had some great descriptions of the hot Texan summer. It was also intriguing to read a novel set in this time period. There were many changes happening and the author captured the excitement and sometimes bewilderment that accompanied these rapid technological advances. Having said this, while there were some genuinely interesting and entertaining parts, I also found myself on a couple of occasions feeling indifferent about finishing the book. I had to force myself to keep reading and then the ending was disappointing. There was very little resolution to the various plot lines. We are given hints about the future of the Tate family, but overall it was a bit unsatisfying.

The character development was also inconsistent. For the most part, Callie was a compelling character and I hoped that she would find the strength to break free from her social bonds and pursue her scientific interests. Most of the other characters, however, were not well developed enough to generate much interest. Others may disagree with me, but I thought that the character of Callie's grandfather was unappealing. He was detached, selfish, and uncaring toward his family. The only individual he showed interest in was Callie, and he set her up for a big disappointment by encouraging her to pursue science without the approval, or even full knowledge, of her parents.

The bottom line is that there is nothing objectionable about this story. It is a good book, but probably not the best story I have read. If you are looking for a tale about a young, strong-willed female character, who is resisting the social pressures of approximately the same time period in history, I would recommend Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: None
Profanity: Mild
Sex: Mild
Substance Use: Moderate
Mature Themes: Mild
Violence: Mild

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-On numerous occasions Callie complains and/or argues with her parents. No serious disrespect, but it is pretty constant.

Profanity:
-Grandfather says "damn" and "hell" a handful of times.

Sex:
-Fairly innocent descriptions of Callie's older brother courting two different girls.
-Three of Callie's brothers "fall in love" with her best friend. There is an entire chapter dedicated to describing their attempts to get Lula's attention. She is completely ignorant of their feelings.

Substance Use:
-Grandfather is trying to find a way to distill liquor from pecans, so there is quite a bit of sampling of alcohol. At one point, he has Callie try it, and it makes her sick.
-There is smoking of cigars on various occasions. At the fair, there is so much smoke in the tent that Callie gets sick and faints.
-Callie's mother regularly drinks Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable Compound for Women, ostensibly for her headaches. The reader discovers later that it is 20% alcohol.

Violence:
-Grandfather briefly describes the aftermath of a battle scene and an amputation of a boy's leg.
-Callie narrates that a man, after discovering that his wife was an octoroon, “pitch-forked her to death.”

"Heart of a Shepherd" by Rosanne Parry

I chose to review this book because it appeared this year on the 6th-8th grade list for Oregon Battle of the Books.

Heart of a Shepherd
Author: Rosanne Parry
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age Level: 9-12 years

SUMMARY
Ignatius, affectionately known as Brother, is going on 12 years old. With four older brothers either in school or military training camp and a father who has been deployed to Iraq, it becomes Brother's responsibility to take care of the family ranch in Eastern Oregon. He has the help of his grandparents and a hired hand, but it is still a tough job. Brother is not sure he even likes ranching - there is too much death and suffering - but he is anxious to prove that he can handle it. In the end, he experiences an unexpected trial that points him in the direction of his calling in life.

CRITIQUE

This coming-of-age story is refreshing in the sense that most of the characters are committed to doing the right thing, even when it is difficult. Brother, in particular, is a boy of true integrity - honest, hard-working, dependable, and loyal. The author also paints a wonderful picture of true community, both physical and spiritual.

Ms. Parry is a first-time novelist, and at times the writing betrays her inexperience. The narrative tone and pacing of the book are awkward in parts. I also felt that the character development was a bit inconsistent.

The bottom line is that, despite some difficulties with the writing style, I would recommend this book because it is a healthy picture of a boy with good male role models guiding him on the path toward becoming a man of character.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: None
Frightening/Suspenseful: Mild
Profanity: Mild
Sex: None
Substance Use: Mild
Mature Themes: Mild
Violence: Mild

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Frightening/Suspenseful:
-Brother, Ernesto, and Grandpa are threatened to be engulfed by a wildfire. 

Profanity:
-One use of the word "s--t." 

Substance Use:
-Older brothers drink some whiskey.
-Paco's mother smokes a cigarette. 

Mature Themes:
-War

Violence:
-Father is sent off to Iraq war where reports come back of people dying.
-Paco's father returns from Iraq having lost a leg.
-Brothers get into a fight which ends with one of them needing stitches.
-Brother and other children play "war" in schoolyard and kids "die."

"Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

I chose to review this book because it has won several awards and appeared this year on the 6th-8th grade list for Oregon Battle of the Books.

Fever 1793
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age Level: 12+ years

SUMMARY
This historical novel is a gripping account of the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia. It is told from the perspective of fourteen-year-old, Mattie Cook, whose widowed mother and grandfather own a coffeehouse in the capital city. As the novel opens, Mattie wants to be treated like an adult, but isn't yet mature enough to act like one. However, she is quickly forced to handle cares beyond her age when the yellow fever strikes close to home. On her way to the countryside, where she hopes to escape the deadly disease, Mattie herself becomes ill. She is fortunate enough to survive the fever. However, when she returns to the city, which has become almost a ghost town, she faces many other hardships which test her ability to survive.

CRITIQUE

This was a very exhilarating tale based upon true events in our nation's early history. The main characters were compelling and I was emotionally invested in their well-being. I couldn't put the book down, wanting to discover what their future would hold. The only thread in the story that I found uninteresting and unnecessary was the relationship between Mattie and Nathaniel.

I predict that most young readers today would have very little conception of what an epidemic is. Before assigning this book, I would recommend teaching children about epidemics, in general, and yellow fever, in particular, in order that they might fully understand and appreciate the horrors Mattie must have experienced. In the novel, Ms. Anderson alludes to many effects of the epidemic, but with no prior knowledge, I suspect that much of this may be lost on the uninformed reader.

The bottom line is that I would highly recommend this book to readers aged 12 or older.

RATINGS
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude: Mild
Frightening/Suspenseful: Moderate
Profanity: None
Sex: None
Substance Use: None
Mature Themes: Moderate
Violence: Mild

SPECIFIC CONTENT
Disrespectful/Bad Attitude:
-Some mild disrespect and bad attitude exhibited by Mattie toward her mother at the beginning of the story. For example, she makes faces behind her back and calls her "horrid."

Frightening/Suspenseful:
-Many images of death.
-Robbers enter an unlocked window when Mattie is sleeping downstairs in the coffeehouse.

Mature Themes:
-People leave their sick family members outside to die.
-Individuals who are suspected of being infected with the fever are not allowed to enter any villages and are left at the side of the road to fend for themselves.

Violence:
-In a scene with robbers, Mattie and her grandfather are both hit and kicked. Grandfather fires a rifle at them, although no one is shot. Mattie cuts one of the robbers in the shoulder with a sword.
-Nell bites the hand of a drunken sailor who has grabbed her.