Teen Tuesday and Audiobook Review: Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott

Image: Simon & Schuster

Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott. Unabridged downloadable e-audiobook. ~7 hours. Narrated by Joy Osmanski and Corey Brill. Simon & Schuster Audio, November, 2018. 9781534437357. (Review of e-audiobook borrowed from public library. Own hc.)

Stella is a high school senior who has CF, cystic fibrosis. She has managed her disease like a champ, even going so far as to develop an app to schedule her many meds and has achieved some online fame as a YouTube vlogger. She's also on the transplant list. 

Enter new patient and CF bad boy, Will, whose b-cepacia infection has knocked him off the transplant list. Now he's counting the days till his eighteenth birthday when he will cease all treatment and walk out of the hospital to live a little before dying. 

We all know where that's heading, don't we? I purchased this book as requested by a student. I had no idea this was a screenplay turned into a book. Teens who love sick lit like, The Fault in Our Stars (which I did not), and are not overly concerned with medical inaccuracies* (which drive me bonkers) or the use of tired romantic tropes will love this book. To be fair, my teenaged self would've loved this. I'm sure the movie had its fans who failed to notice the medical goofs and plot holes thanks to photogenic actors, swelling music, a cool soundtrack and lots of close-ups.

*OMG! The medical inaccuracies! These three were the most egregious among many. 

Girl with 27% lung function flying up four flights of stairs w/o O2? In what universe?

Girl with 27% lung function has infected g-tube and manages to keep it hidden from her doctor and nurses? Not a chance. 


Girl with 27% lung function undergoes surgery with general anesthesia and survives? Okay probable, but is transferred totally loopy from recovery to her room in a WHEELCHAIR? Patients are never released from the recovery room in a wheel chair or as out of it as this character was. 

Middle Grade Monday: Not if I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler

Image: Scholastic

Not if I Can Help It by Carolyn Mackler. 240 p. Scholastic Inc., July, 2019. 9780545709484. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Willa does not like change. Few people do, but Willa has a sensory processing disorder that makes change particularly challenging and this one is a doozy. Willa's father has been dating her bfff's mother. And, they plan on getting married! Willa adores her best friend, but does she want her as a sister? How will she hide her special needs? How will she decompress? On top of this, Willa is worried about her New York City middle school placement. This earnest, authentic first-person narrative is appealing and relatable. How much love do I have for that cover? 

November is Picture Book Month! Picture Book Review: Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers

Image: Simon & Schuster

Ocean Meets Sky by the Fan Brothers. 48 p. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2018. 9781481470377. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

I am so sorry to have taken so long to get to this utterly gorgeous meditation on the power of storytelling, a grandfather's love and grief. 

A young boy misses his beloved grandfather. On what would've been his 90th birthday, he builds a boat with the intention of finding where the ocean meets the sky. The boat he builds is absolutely adorable and totally un-seaworthy! It is somewhat reminiscent of the clubhouse my brother put together from wood scavenged at garbage days. But he has built it and he is proud.

But shipbuilding is hard work! The boy falls asleep but awakens to discover a huge white-bearded, golden fish who is willing to travel with him to where the ocean meets the sky. Is this his grandfather? Or is his grandfather in the moon?

The illustrations are perfectly captivating. Each spread invites pause. Do not rush through this book. The writing is spare and lovely, inviting contemplation and discussion. Was it all a dream or did he really travel there? 

Ocean Meets Sky is a perfect lap book. 

It's Picture Book Month and I've stumbled right out of the gate! Yesterday was a gorgeous day. I went to my yin yoga class, did the food shopping and headed out with my audiobook plugged in to take care of some leaves. Once dinner was cooked, eaten and cleaned, I realized that I hadn't blogged but time and energy had run out. No picture book entry for November 2.

It nearly happened again today. Leaves part-two and this time, with an aching back! 

Taking Stock - October

And another month bites the dust. I can't believe two months of the school year have actually passed! So busy! So-o tired! Things are still quite hectic with Boo, our new puppy. He's so smart. He's so cute! He's so busy!

Total Books: 28/ 295
Total Posts: 27
Total Reviews: 15

Challenges
Debut: 2/15
Audio: 8/83
Picture Books: 15/ 105

The Good: Upped my reading despite having to grade many assignments. 

The Bad: Still 8 books behind my GR goal for 2019. I should be able to catch up next week as we have a long weekend for Teacher's Convention.

The List:

268. Catwoman: soul stealer by Sarah J. Maas (10/2)

269. The One and Only Ivan (Full-color Collector's Edition) by Katherine Applegate (10/3)*

270. Hedy and Her Amazing Invention by Jan Wahl (10/3)

271. The Roots of Rap: 16 bars on the 4 pillars of Hip-Hop by Carole Boston Weatherford (10/4)*

272. The Magic Misfits by Neil Patrick Harris (10/5)

273. Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott (10/8)

274. I Am a Tiger by Karl Newson (10/9)

275. I Love All of Me by Lori Ann Grover (10/9)

276. Go Away, Unicorn! by Emily Mullock (10/9)

277. The Girl Who Named Pluto the story of Venetia Burney by Alice B. McGinty (10/10)

278. Enough! 20 Protesters Who Changed America by Emily Easton (10/11)

279. Stonewall: a building. An uprising. A revolution. by Rob Sanders (10/11)

280. Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (10/11)

281. More Than a Game: race, gender, and politics in sports by Matt Doeden (10/13)

282. Batman: nightwalker (DC Icons) by Marie Lu (10/16)

283. Playlist: the rebels and revolutionaries of sound by James Rhodes (10/17)*

284. I Have a Right To by Chessy Prout (10/21)

285. Dog and Rabbit by Barney Saltzberg (10/22)

286. How Many? A different kind of counting book by Christopher Danielson (10/22)

287. Hey, Dog by Tony Johnston (10/23)*

288. Back to School by Maya Ajmera (10/23)

289. Stand Up, Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim (10/24)(SLJ)

290. Fence: volume three by C.S. Pacat (10/25)

291. Pet by Akwaeke Emezi (10/25)*

292. Dog Breath: the horrible trouble with Hally Tosis by Dav Pilkey (10/29)

293. Not My Idea: a book about whiteness by Anastasia Higginbotham (10/30)

294. How High the Moon by Karyn Parsons (10/30)

295. Mario and the Hole in the Sky by Elizabeth Rusch (10/31)

What's New? Stacking the Shlelves

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Hop on over there to ogle what other bloggers got this week.

For review:

Image: Candlewick Press

Nevertell by Katharine Orton. 336 p. Walker Books/ Candlewick Press, April 14, 2020. 9781536207125.

Publisher synopsis: All that twelve-year-old Lina knows of the world is the Stalinist labor camp where she was born, a place of hunger, cruelty, and deprivation. After a daring escape into the frigid Siberian wilds with her best friend, Bogdan, Lina vows to reach Moscow and find her long-lost grandmother, whom she hopes will help her return to the camp to rescue her mother. But out in the dark forests and haunted tundras, Lina and Bogdan catch the eye of a vengeful witch, a refugee of oppressive new laws about magic, who commands an army of shadow wolves. She seems drawn to some mysterious power within Lina herself. Pursued by the witch and in fear of recapture, Lina will need every ounce of courage she has — and a whisper of her own magic — if she and Bogdan are to survive the journey and bring hope to a dark place. An enthralling debut that weaves Russian fairy tales through fast-paced adventure.

After escaping a Soviet prison camp, Lina is pursued by a powerful witch and her shadow wolves in a riveting debut that imbues frozen wilderness with fairy-tale magic.

When I read that this debut was a blend of Russian folklore and fantasy, I was hooked. 

Image: Walker Books/ Candlewick Press

this boy by Lauren Myracle. 288 p. Walker Books/ Candlewick Press, April 14, 2020. 9781536206050.

Publisher synopsis: Paul Walden is not an alpha lobster, the hypermasculine crustacean king who intimidates the other male lobsters, beds all the lady lobsters, and “wins” at life. At least not according to the ego-bursting feedback he’s given in his freshman seminar. But Paul finds a funny, faithful friend in Roby Smalls, and maybe — oh god, please — he’s beginning to catch the interest of smart, beautiful Natalia Gutierrez. Cruising through high school as a sauced-out, rap-loving beta lobster suits Paul fine, and if life ever gets him down? Smoke a little weed, crunch a few pills . . . it’s all good.

But in the treacherous currents of teenage culture, it’s easy to get pulled under. With perfect frankness, Lauren Myracle lays bare the life of one boy as he navigates friendship, love, loss, and addiction. It’s life at its most ordinary and most unforgettable.

Lauren Myracle brings her signature frank, funny, and insightful writing to this novel of a teenage boy’s coming-of-age.

So excited for a new YA by Myracle. 

Reviewing for SLJ:

Image: Macmillan

Taylor Before and After by Jennie Englund. 320 p. Imprint/ Macmillan, February 18, 2020. 9781250171870.

Publisher synopsis: In journal entries alternating between two timelines—before and after a tragic accident—Jennie Englund's heartfelt coming-of-age story, Taylor Before and After follows the year that changes one girl’s life forever.

Before, Taylor Harper is finally popular, sitting with the cool kids at lunch, and maybe, just maybe, getting invited to the biggest, most exclusive party of the year.

After, no one talks to her.

Before, she’s friends with Brielle Branson, the coolest girl in school.

After, Brielle has become a bully, and Taylor’s her favorite target.

Before, home isn’t perfect, but at least her family is together.

After, Mom won’t get out of bed, Dad won’t stop yelling, and Eli...

Eli’s gone.

Through everything, Taylor has her notebook, a diary of the year that one fatal accident tears her life apart. In entries alternating between the first and second semester of her eighth-grade year, she navigates joy and grief, gain and loss, hope and depression.

How can Taylor pick up the pieces of what used to be her social life? How can her house ever feel like home again after everything that’s happened? And how can she move forward if she can’t stop looking back?

Purchased: Nothing! Well, actually, I used the last of my gift certificates to pre-order some books for my library. But they won't be delivered till next week.

If you leave a comment, I will definitely stop by and try to comment back - unless commenters have to sign onto Discus or Wordpress or FB or anything that makes commenting difficult and gives my data to miners. But, I will definitely check your stack!

November is Picture Book Month! Review: Mario and the Hole in the Sky: how a chemist saved our planet by Elizabeth Rusch

November is Picture Book Month! Each November, I attempt to highlight/ review a picture book a day. Let's see how many days I can get this year!

Image: Charlesbridge

Mario and the Hole in the Sky: how a chemist saved our planet by Elizabeth Rusch. Illustrated by Teresa Martínez. unpgd. Charlesbridge, November 5, 2019. 9781580895811. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher.)

Regular readers of this blog know that one of my mottoes is, "One is never too old for picture books." Regular readers also know that I developed a picture book biography unit for my sixth graders. I believe a picture book biography is a terrific entry into the world of biography. Choosing a full-length biography to read as an assignment can be daunting. A well-researched picture book biography can give middle school readers a glimpse into the person before committing to a full-length biography. I am so happy to add Mario and the Hole in the Sky to the cart.

Mario Molina grew up in Mexico. He had an intense interest in science from an early age. This was supported and encouraged by his family, who gave him a microscope for his birthday as well as full access to chemicals and a rarely used bathroom. He just loved to experiment. His love for chemistry, especially, continued through boarding school in Switzerland and into college. Around the same time, new products were being introduced into the markets that contained chemicals that Mario knew could be harmful. Shortly after completing his PhD and moving to the U.S., Mario heard about harmful chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and worked with a fellow scientist, F. Sherwood Rowland to find out how. Of course, no one believed them; but they persevered. 

The story is fascinating - direct and compelling. The vibrant illustrations featuring a big-eyed, big-headed Maria exude energy, humor and warmth. Useful back matter includes an epilogue, which includes a photo of the scientist; comparisons of the Ozone Hole and Global Warming; books and websites for further reading; tips for doing more to decrease greenhouse gases and an author's note. 

Mario and the Hole in the Sky is a first-purchase. It belongs in a variety of teaching situations - from STEM classes to a read aloud to model resilience and perseverance. 

Fact Friday: Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix

Image: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. 80 p. The Scientists in the Field series. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October, 2019. 9781328858689. (Review of finished purchased copy.)

Fact Friday features Backyard Bears: conservation, habitat changes and the rise of urban wildlife by Amy Cherrix. Cherrix brings us another fascinating entry in the "Scientists in the Field" series. My love for this series is no secret. The entries are consistently excellent. They make for excellent reading on their own; but are perfect for meeting the "Careers in Science" standard. 

Conservation efforts began in Asheville, North Carolina in the 1970s when the bear population there reached a critical low. Now, the bears are thriving, perhaps a bit too well. The author followed a team of scientists involved in a five-year study of Ashville's bear population. Her storytelling is engaging and includes side bars with interviews of the scientists. Plentiful photos depict the work of the scientists as they track previously collared bears in order to assess their health. Additional chapters also highlight other animals around the world who have adapted to urban environs. 

Backmatter includes tips on becoming "bearwise," as the residents of Asheville have done so well. It is admirable that they have bought into cohabiting peacefully with the bears.

There's a glossary, source notes and an index as well. This is a first-purchase as well as a must-read!