Wonder by R.J. Palacio with updates

After reading all summer about the Wonder of Wonder on Twitter, I finally got around to ordering it. I started it this morning and finished it this afternoon, it was that brilliant!

To any of my teacher friends reading this blog- you need to pick this book up RIGHT NOW! I would love to know what kids think of this book, I think it has potential as an amazing reading aloud- there are so many wonderful stopping points and places you could have really really deep discussions about many important topics and concepts throughout this novel. Wonder is the story of how August, a 10 year old boy with a severe facial deformity learns to deal with the harsh reality of middle school. But, it is also about how his peers, friends and family learn to deal with getting to know who someone really is outside of their appearances. This is Palacio's first novel and she has hit a homerun with it. Wonder is told mostly from August's perspective, but there are times when you hear from his sister, and a few of the other kids at school. It is really interesting to read how they all deal with his appearance and the pressure they feel by knowing him and even befriending him. This book teaches empathy, kindness and how to stand up for what you believe in. I just checked out Palacio's website and I really like the questions she has posted for discussion. This is an incredibly powerful story, I know August will live with me for a very long time. UPDATE- January Many classes have been reading and discussing Wonder. A friend of mine read it aloud to her class and then had her students create a blogpost about the book. She shared one amazing post with me, and I had to share it here. You can check out Mackenzie's thoughts about the book http://mackenziec206.edublogs.org/2014/01/21/wonder/ But you also need to see the Wonder video the class made- you can see that below.

Jump Cut by Ted Staunton

Jump Cut is another book in the Seven in the Series that I am working through. Jump Cut is the story of another one of David McLean's grandsons who has been sent on a mission after his death. Spencer's mission is to find an old movie star named Gloria Lorraine and get a kiss from her. Spencer is also charged with the task of filming this kiss.

Yet Spencer, who wants to be a filmmaker doesn't seem to understand the art of telling a story. He only plans to set the video up just before the kiss and leave it at that. Except Gloria Lorraine has other plans for him. Suddenly Spencer finds himself on a cross country journey into areas of Ontario that seem to have no real connection. Throughout his mission, Spencer learns more about film making, his grandfather and most importantly himself.

Between Heaven and Earth by Eric Walters Updated at bottom

Seven the Series is a new book series created by Eric Walters. The premise is that a Grandfather has recently passed away and on the day of the reading of his will, his seven grandson's are each given a task to complete. Each of the seven books in the series feature a different grandson. Each book is also written by a different author. Since the stories are about seven grandchildren, the characters pop up in different books which is a neat concept. You don't need to read these books in order, although Between Heaven and Earth does a great job setting up the story in the first few chapters. Between Heaven and Earth tells the story of the oldest grandson- DJ. He is a popular, athletic accomplished young man. Things usually come easy to him and he expects his task will be no different. DJ's challenge is to travel to Tanzania and climb to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro. DJ knows that climbing a mountain may prove to be challenging, but he has no idea of the obstacles that will be thrown in his path as he tries to fulfil his grandfathers last wish. As with all Eric Walters stories, the characters are believable and compelling. The relationship between DJ and his grandfather is obviously very deep. DJ strives to meet his grandfather's expectations in order to honour their bond. I really enjoyed many aspects of this story, but the relationship between DJ and his grandfather were my favourite parts. I am currently working my way through the rest of the books in this series. I think it is a brillant concept. You can find more information about it here

. I've decided to start off my read alouds this year with Between Heaven and Earth and so I reread this book today. I am so glad I did, I think I like it even more than I did the first time. I found myself very emotional when I read the parts about DJ and his grandfather. I was lucky to have a great relationship with my grandpa as well, and I could make many connections to how DJ was feeling. One of the tasks I'm going to ask my kids to do is to share a connection they have with someone. It will be a great way to get to know them and who is important to them. I can't wait to share this book with my class in September. Even better, it means that there are six other books my kids can pick up when we finish it- and- although I can't find much information about it- Seven the Series has sequels being published on October 1st- I cannot wait to read more about these characters.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 is written by a new author, this is her debut novel and she has hit a homerun with this book. The story starts out with two brothers on their way to school. It is a typical morning with both boys getting onto the school bus. What starts out normal quickly turns to a crisis when enormous hail starts to hit the bus causing major damage. Luckily the bus driver brings them to safety by driving into a superstore. Suddenly, these kids- some high school, some in elementary school and some just primary children are stuck inside this huge superstore. They must learn to survive on their own. The news they hear from outside the store isn't good. Environmental conditions are worsening and the kids stuck inside are not sure what to do. The story is told from the perspective of Dean, a 15 year old who doesn't really fit in with the 'cool' group of school. Of course some of those cool kids are stuck inside with him and this causes a lot of tension. Watching the way the kids take on the various roles is familiar from books like The Maze Runner, and Trapped. It is always interesting to see what personality traits comes out in situations like this. Monument 14 was a really exciting read and I couldn't wait to see

how it was all going to end. Most of this book would be appropriate for grades 6 and up. There is a bit of mature content, so I would read it first to make sure it is appropriate for your class. It is a good read.

The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

The Forsaken is a book that was getting lots of buzz on twitter a while ago so I picked it up based on many recommendations. It is a great dystopian novel. It reminds me a bit of The Maze Runner. Alenna is living in a world called UNA- a nation that was created by joining Canada, United States and Mexido. Her parents were taken away from her when she was 10 and she was then raised by the State. At 16, all children from the UNA are 'tested' to uncover subversive tendencies. Much to Alenna's surprise, she is set to the wheel- a place where kids are sent who fail the test. There life is all about survival. Alenna meets some very interesting people there, some she trusts, some she doesn't. The one she is drawn to the most is Liam- someone who is a hunter and a fighter. As Aleena learns the way of life in the wheel, she discovers that she has strengths she didn't know she had. I really enjoyed this story. Alenna is a great character and the society that Stasse created was quite interesting. Anyone who enjoys alternative reality novels will enjoy this one!

Fear by Michael Grant

Fear is the 5th book in the Gone Series. I find I am just wanting this series to be over, yet as soon as a new book is published, I have to pick it up. In this case, one of my students picked it up and let me borrow it (thanks Em!) In this book, it has been a year since all the adults disappeared. Kids have mutated and have had to deal with a world without law and order and rules. Yet they are surviving. Everyone seems to have their place in this new world. People have jobs and responsibilities. Of course because these are kids, sometimes things don't go as planned. As this book starts, several of the kids living in the FAYZ start to notice that the dome is changing. It is getting darker from the bottom up. They soon realize that the dome will be in complete darkness and so will the kids living inside. The smarter kids realize that this will mean chaos, no light means no food, no safety, and nothing to do. This strikes fear into everyone. I actually liked this book better than I thought I would. It was much more exciting than some of the last ones. I have a hard time keeping track of all the different characters and who is good and who is evil and why. However, the line in this book is pretty clearly drawn between good and evil. I am looking forward to the next one coming out.

All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

I picked this book up a few weeks ago in Chapters and now that it is summer holidays I finally got around to reading it. This book is written by the author of Elsewhere (a book I know I've read, but apparently I didn't blog about it- which is strange!) This book is set about 90 years in the future, although life is pretty similar to today. There are a few strange things, like having to pay for each litre of water used and chocolate and coffee are illegal, but other than that the story could be set today. Anya Balanchine is the middle daughter of a mob family. Her parents are both dead and she is responsible for her older brother who has a brain injury and her younger sister. Her grandmother is on her death bed and all Anya wants to do is graduate high school and keep her family together. Yet life keeps throwing curves at her. I don't want to give away any of the plot here, but there are lots of things that Anya needs to overcome. Through all of it, there is Win, a boy who Anya really likes and who seems to be there for her. Anya is a really interesting character. She is strong, determined, and very very smart. She misses her parents very badly, and works very hard to make sure they would be proud of her. Anya knows what she wants, and even though she is only 17, she makes some very difficult decisions. I enjoyed reading this book, there are some mature themes in it, but it is a great read.