An Outdoorsy Book

I have very little to do with the outdoors, unless it's finding a quiet, comfortable place to read. But I do know that I have many students who are passionate about the outdoors and struggle to find themselves in books that explore these issues. That's my one beef with realistic fiction--I haven't found many books within this genre that these adventurous students can connect with that isn't Hatchet.

That was until I found Ryan Gebhart's There Will Be Bears. Tyson, the main character, has his hopes set on elk hunting with his grandpa. Unfortunately, his grandfather's health is dwindling, and his parents' decision to move his grandfather to a nursing home makes it seem as if Tyson's dream will never come true.

Tyson is like so many students: He sees a disconnect in what he is expected to remember and regurgitate in school, is encountering changing friendships, and is trying to make his family happy while becoming an individual.

While the first half of the novel is leading up to a trip that Tyson begins to believe will never happen, the magic in Gebhart's storytelling really takes place in the second. When they are finally able to embark on their trip, Tyson learns that hunting and all that it entails is far more difficult--both emotionally and physically--and rewarding than he imagined.

What's Your Manifesto?

I just finished Francisco X. Stork's The Last Summer of the Death Warriors. I had previously read Marcelo in the Real World, and so I knew he was a trusted author.

This book is a story of an odd couple: Pancho is a strong, Mexican-American youth whose father and sister have recently died, and is bent on avenging his sister's untimely death. Daniel has a strong mind but weak body, as he is diagnosed with cancer and is not expected to live much longer.

They both meet at St. Anthony's, an orphanage for teenage boys. From the beginning, Daniel says that he was expecting Pancho's arrival so that he could also become a "Death Warrior." I know the idea of death warriors seems kind of childish, but I like where Daniel took the big idea. Death Warriors have a few priorities in life, and one of them is to live life to the fullest by cherishing every living moment that you have.

If you want a story that pairs two unlikely characters as friends or a story about two youth facing insurmountable odds, pick up this book. It reminded me a lot of George and Lennie from Of Mice and Men. You don't always get to control the cards you are dealt, but you can choose to make the best of the situation and to open your heart along the way.

Doing the Right Thing

As I sit at the Parsons Center in Lake Ann, Michigan, I just finished reading April Henry's The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die. It probably wasn't my best choice to read while I was in a cabin in the middle of the woods in the middle of the night. Needless to say, it was a spooky trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night, and I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder.

I bought this book during the school year for a student that was struggling to find something she wanted to read, and I'm proud that she was able to finish it on the very last day we had Sacred Reading Time. It's the second book that I've ready by April Henry, and if you want a good young-adult thriller, I encourage you to read this or The Night She Disappeared.

Cady, or Cadence, is the protagonist of this story. All you need to know is that the book begins and you find her captive in a cabin in the woods. There are two men about to kill her, and she manages to escape. The book moves quickly and, before you know it, she is searching for the rest of her family (her mom, dad, and little brother, Max), all while evading two men and an abundance of others trying to kill her for something that she can't remember.

This book is a good reminder that sometimes things are more sinister and complicated than they seem. It also offers a glimpse into contrasting motives of those around us. Will we do what is right, or will we do what best suits our interests?

Better than "A Child Called It"

The only reason I discovered Nancy Werlin's The Rules of Survival was because I bought it for a student that was struggling to find a book he enjoyed, and it appeared on WhatShouldIReadNext.com.

This book reminded me a lot of Dave Pelzer's A Child Called It. While fictional, the story is the retelling of three siblings' experiences with their mother. The main character, Matthew, is recounting the tragic events of their lives for his youngest sister, Emmy, who was too young to remember all of what happened. I'm still not quite sure what exactly was wrong with Nikki Walsh, but cruel and inhumane treatment toward Dave in A Child Called It appears in Werlin's book, too.

This book stands out to me because it highlights dark moments where people feel hopeless, and then it shows small moments of success. It's a trying story, where I found myself feeling angry for Matthew, Callie, and Emmy and wishing that I could intervene.

And at the same time, it's also a story of acting, as readers find out how Matthew and Callie learn to adopt roles of the children their mother wants them to be. Emmy, the youngest of the children, however, persists in defying her mother, and Matthew and Callie sometimes have to pay the price. This book leaves you thinking about relationships and what matters. Could you love someone so much that you are willing to endure physical and mental pain to ensure their survival? Would you be willing to risk your own life for the possibility of a better one?