Dumplin' by Julie Murphy

Coming home from Italy a few weeks ago, the flight was 8 hours long which gave me lots of time to watch movies.  One of the movies I watched was Dumplin' starring Jennifer Aniston.  I LOVED the movie, just one of a few times I cried on the flight home.  When I got home I decided I had better read the book and I'm so glad I did.  I thought the book was even better than the movie. 

Dumplin' is the story of Willowdean Dickson from Texas.  Willowdean is a 16 year old who is mostly comfortable in her plus size body.  However it is not easy being her, Willowdean's mother is a former winner of the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant and each year she runs, organizes and hosts this prestigious event.  Willowdean has never felt the need to compete in the beauty pageant, but this year, something has changed for her.  Willowdean now sees the pageant as a way to show the world that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes.  But it isn't easy for her because she isn't always as confident as she seems on the outside.  As Willowdean learns about love, friendship and death, she questions her ability to compete with the traditional beauty queens. 

Willowdean is an amazing character.  She is sassy and funny and a typical teenager.  I just loved her as a character.  There are a few mature parts to this story, I would be careful about the Intermediate students I gave this to, but Willowdean's attitude towards life is something that everyone needs to read. 

All Eyes on Us by Kit Frick

One look at Amanda and Carter and you know they are the golden couple.  They have all the right clothes, cars and friends. Their future is set- they will be the golden couple for years to come.   But if you look a little deeper, things aren't quite as they seem. 

Amanda is having doubts about Carter, but she knows her parents expect her to marry him so that her family will be financially stable.  Carter is dating Rosalie behind Amanda's back. 

Then there is Rosalie.  Her family are fundamental Christians who believe in conversion therapy and have used it to ensure that Rosalie follows the traditional path and finds a man to marry.  However, Rosalie is gay, and wants nothing more than to spend her life with her girlfriend Pauline, but Carter helps her convince her parents she is 'cured'.

When Amanda and Rosalie start receiving strange texts from someone, it seems that all of their secrets are about to be spilled.  It seems that there is someone who wants to see Carter go from the American boy to having his heart broken.  Amanda and Rosalie, unlikely allies, come together to solve this mystery and try to keep all of their secrets safe. 

I enjoyed reading this book. Rosalie is a great character who I felt a great deal of sympathy for.  On the surface, Amanda seems like a typical rich girl who gets everything she wants, however she is also struggling to live a life that she wants, not what her parents want. 

This book does have some mature content, but it would be fine to be in a grade 7 & 8 classroom /library. 

Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney Stevens

Back in May I read the book Faking Normal  and immediately looked online to see what else she had written, and that's when I ordered Dress Codes for  Small Towns. 

This is a really interesting book- lots to discover below the surface of the story.  The story is set in Kentucky, and the main character is Billie, a teenager whose father is the town preacher.  Having a father in this role is very difficult for Billie.  She is a tomboy who, with her group of friends "the Hexagons" stir up lots of trouble whenever they are together.  Billie is also discovering love, she's not sure if she loves her best friend Woods, or her other best friend, Janie Lee.  She is questioning her sexuality, her faith and what it means to love.  Throughout all of this, Billie is fiercely loyal to her friends,  and her community. 

This book is complex, the things Billie is grappling with are things I see in many students in my school.  It does deal with mature concepts, but I also think it is an important book for kids to read.  I'm looking forward to sharing it with some of the kids at school. 

Every Last Word by Tamara Ireland Stone

I have no idea where I found this book, I ordered it Thursday and it arrived Saturday morning.  When I opened up the box will all the books, this one stood out as what I need to read next.  I've not read anything by Tamara Ireland Stone before, but you can be sure my Amazon cart currently has more of her books in it. 

This story is about Samantha - a 16 year old who on the surface has it all.  She is popular, is friends with all the right girls, does well in school, has a great family and is on track for a college scholarship in swimming.  But Samantha is hiding a mental illness, Samantha has OCD and she struggles to turn off her brain when it starts to worry about something. 

Samantha is secure with her friends, but she also knows that one small slip up and she will be shunned by them all, and that scares her a lot.  But then Sam meets Caroline who introduces her to Poet's Corner, a secret group of kids from her school who aren't like her regular friends.  As Sam gets to know these other students, she is drawn to AJ more and more, and she starts to feel like she is a normal teenager.  However, what Sam needs to learn is that normal is different for everyone. 

I LOVED this book- I read it in about 3 hours straight.  As I was reading it I was thinking about a few kids in my school who struggle with anxiety and mental health.  Sam reminds me so much of one of my girls- a girl who like Sam thinks she is weak and different and broken and yet like Sam, she is stronger than anyone I know.  I'm really hoping this student will read this book, but I'm not sure I can convince her of that. 

There is one mature scene in this story, however it is gentle enough that this book still belongs in an Intermediate classroom.  I can't wait to read more books by Tamara Ireland Stone. 

Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven

I was looking for a book that would grab me right away yesterday to take to an appointment.  I grabbed this one off my shelf having no idea why I had it, but it was the perfect book.  I couldn't put it down until I finished it last night. 

Holding up the Universe is the story of two characters, Jack and Libby.  The story is told in alternative chapters from each characters perspective.  If you only looked at these characters from the outside, Jack is smart, confident and popular. Libby is overweight, uncertain and shy.  But appearances aren't everything.   Both of these young adults are struggling with personal demons, but how they deal with these issues are very different.  Neither one of these two seem like they belong together, but when they are together, they feel stronger, powerful and right with their place in the world. 

I LOVED this story, I could not stop reading it.  Libby was such an interesting character, filled with confidence and kindness that I wish all kids would have.  Jack is a typical teenage boy on the surface, but below that bravado lies a young man struggling with his own issues.  Together, Libby and Jack make this wonderful friendship, but they have to overcome what their friends think and feel. 

There is a bit of mature conversation in this book, but it is appropriate and nothing that would worry me about giving it to one of my grade 7 & 8 students.  I can't wait to give a few students at school this book, I've already got a few in mind for September. 

Jennifer Niven has also written a book called All the Bright Places, which I'm sure I've read, but didn't blog about, so I've just ordered it to read next. 

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Last week I was talking with a few junior teachers about books to read with our students for the upcoming school year.  A Long Walk to Water came up as a great read, so I ordered it right away.

A Long Walk to Water is based on the true story of one of the Lost Boys of Sudan in 1985 coupled with a young girl's story in 2008.  Salva is an 11 year old boy at the start of the story, who is separated from his family when war comes to Sudan.  He is forced to walk across Africa in order to escape the war and look for safety.  Nya is a young girl who has to walk 8 hours each day in order to get water for her family.  Both stories share what it is like living in Sudan and trying to survive each day.

This book was a quick, but very informative read.  I can see teachers and students in grade 6 reading this story to learn about life in other parts of the world and what some children deal with.  I will be putting this in my 'Children Around the World' box for sure.

The Nowhere Girls by Amy Reed

The Nowhere Girls is a book I read about on Twitter (I'd love to know how often I actually find my books on twitter!), it sounded a lot like the book Moxie, which I loved. 

The Nowhere Girls is a book about three misfits in a high school where misogyny runs deep.  The three main characters are Grace, who has just moved to this school, Rosina, an angry young women who has a lot on her plate, and Erin who is autistic and knows she doesn't fit in.  These girls find themselves together discussing another student Lucy who was run out of town the year before after accusing some football players of rape.  Grace, Rosina and Lucy decide they need to do something about these boys and the attitude of the community around how men treat women.  They call this group The Nowhere Girls, and through it, they discover the power they have together to not only support each other, but also to stand up against many of the males they are at school with. 

I enjoyed reading this book - I loved how strong these three girls are together.  However, the book was also very mature for grade 7 & 8 students.  I would not give it to anyone in that grade, the topic is an important one, but there are parts that are just too mature for Intermediate students.  This one will be sent off to one of my friends who teaches secondary. 

The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman

Last week I was talking with a few Junior teachers and we were talking about the Global Read Aloud project and the book selections. I did some searching and saw that The Bridge Home was the book for grade 6-8 students, so of course I ordered it right away. 

The Bridge Home is the story of two sisters, Viji and Rukku who have runaway from their home because their father beats them.  As they learn about what it means to live life on the street, they have to worry about food, shelter and staying safe from adults who want to hurt them.  Along the way, they meet Muthi and Arul, two boys who are also homeless.  The four kids form a family and work together to survive. 

This story was a simple story of life for homeless or poor children in India.  It will be interesting to see how students feel about this book.  The one part of this book that made me a little hesitant to share it with students was the references to Christianity and the Bible, I'm not sure how that will go over in a public school classroom.  I'd love to hear what others think about that. 

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman

My friend Becky tweeted about this book over the weekend sharing a quote from it and tagged me in the tweet.  Apparently she knows me very well since I placed an order for it (and a few others) the same day.  It arrived yesterday and I started it immediately ( I do love summer!)

Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined is about Ingrid, a grade 11 student who has led an interesting life to date.  Her early years were spent with her mother who toured the world singing opera.  Ingrid loved this transient life with just her and her mother traveling where the jobs took them.  But life with her mother was not easy, there were times when Ingrid was left on her own when her mother 'took to her bed' and stayed there for many days.  But Ingrid was tough.  Once they settled down, Ingrid learned how to be herself, but not too much of herself, only what her mother approved of.   Ingrid is sent on a wilderness/ survival trip where she is exposed to the elements of nature, leadership and dealing with all sorts of people.  Along the way, Ingrid and her mother's story is told leading to Ingrid learning that she can't not follow her own path, even if it doesn't meet with her mother's approval. 

I LOVED this story, I could not put it down. I've not read anything by Younge-Ullman before, but you can bet I've just ordered her other two books.  You can check out her blog here.    I loved the way this story was told in both flashbacks and in present tense.  Ingrid is an amazingly strong, but complicated character. 

There are a few parts that discuss mature bits, but it is not anything that would stop me from giving it to students in grade 7 & 8, however I would caution teachers to read it before sending it home with students. 

I already know a few students who are getting this book in September!

The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen

I love anything that Sarah Dessen writes.  They are such great books to dive into.  This weekend I was struggling to get into a book, and then I noticed The Rest of the Story on my 'to-be-read' shelf.  I knew it was destined to be the first book of summer!

True to form, this book was easy to jump right into with characters who are believable and interesting.  The story is about Emma Saylor, for her whole life, her father and friends have always called her Emma- she has a nice life at home living with her grandma and dad.  Her dad has recently been married and when they set off on their honeymoon, Emma has to have a place to stay for a few weeks.  She ends up at the lake where her parents met and where her deceased mom's family still lives.  Emma knows nothing about the lake, or any of her family.  At the lake, everyone knows her as Saylor, the name her mom always called her.   As Saylor gets to know her family, she starts discovering things about her past and her mother's past that finally answer some questions she didn't even know she had.   

This setting of this story was perfect for me, there were so many connections between living on the lake, working for a living while others vacationed, boating, partying etc. I could picture everything that was happening.   Saylor, her new friends and family were wonderfully rich, flawed characters.  Unlike many Dessen books, these teens weren't 'Disney versions'.  They were more typical teenagers who drank, partied, stayed out late, broke curfew, got their hearts broken, etc. But in a very respectful, realistic way.

I'd highly recommend this book.  It would be great for any classroom after grade 7.