Weekend Reads

The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan

While Duncan loves his school, he is dreading returning for his senior year. A lot of issues loomed large in his mind as he entered the grounds of the Irving School: which room would he get? What would his "treasure" be? What was he going to do about his Tragedy Paper? His worries were not immediately laid to rest as he discovered where he would be living this school year; he was in the smallest room, previously occupied by Tim Macbeth, a now-graduate who he would rather forget about. Instead, Tim sets the tone for his senior year with the treasure he has left behind. 

LaBan does a wonderful job of building her tale. Her use of flashback builds suspense, and her pacing is enthralling both for the reader and for Duncan. She writes part of the story in first person, which creates a strong connection between the narrator and the reader. The Tragedy Paper is an enjoyable read, and one that highlights the author's style and elements of craft.

Find it in Fiction under F LAB

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

I almost didn't finish this book. The first few pages were so harrowing that I wasn't sure that I could get through the rest of it - although Gaiman did a beautiful job of creating a spare description of extreme violence, the image was vivid enough that I wasn't sure that I could palate what might come next. I'm so glad I did persevere, however, because that imagery quickly turned from gruesome to haunting (but in the best possible way). The Graveyard Book follows the life of a young child named Nobody Owen, or Bod for short. It is a beautiful example of taking a precept that is normally ugly or scary and making it instead poignant and beautiful. Gaiman's style is quiet and understated, and his characters have a depth that makes them fascinating. He implies rather than reveals, and over the course of the novel the reader pieces together what is unsaid to reveal an immense and detailed world. While the first few pages are difficult to read, Gaiman ushers readers through this episode and delivers them to the other side where a beautiful and enchanting story awaits.

Find it in Fiction under F GAI

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac

Code Talkers is a fantastic read and one that offers a new perspective on the events of World War II. The story is told by Ned Begay, a Navajo boy who comes of age just as World War II breaks out. Ned is quietly but powerfully connected to his people and their culture, despite being sent to a mission school that tells him repeatedly how useless both are to the outside world. When it turns out that the Marines have developed a code based on the Navajo language, Ned sees his opportunity to see the world while also holding onto the most important parts of his culture. The tone of this book is conversational, and the use of a storytelling structure is engaging and feels authentic. It also helps to give the readers context, since Ned is able to explain the events of the time with the understanding of hindsight. Although many readers are familiar with the events of World War II, Ned's experiences represent a story not often told. 

Find it in Fiction under F BRU

Weekend Reads

Shadow and Bone by Leann Bardugo

Oh the trilogy - the preferred format for so many fantasy YA writers. Leann Bardugo's entry into this vast field is definitely worth a read. Shadow and Bone follows the story of Alina Starkov, an orphan who always stands in the shadow of her best friend Mal. Mal is strong and popular, while Alina is frail and reserved. The children live in a manor and are cared for, alongside other orphans, by a wealthy Duke of a remote estate. Alina is unremarkable. She is plain, she does not have any special talent and she blends in perfectly with her surroundings - until she doesn't. In Ravka (a Russian region where the book is set), there is a group of people known as the Grisha who have some special talent. Grisha can create fires, manipulate the wind, heal injuries or control water. Under duress, it is revealed that Alina's gift is the rarest of all - she can summon the light of the sun. This is especially important since Ravka is separated from the rest of Russia by the Fold - a shadowland where monsters lurk waiting to attack and devour humans who try to cross. Alina's singular power not only makes her a magnet for the attention of powerful men, but also helps her to become a better version of herself. 

Find it in Fiction under F BAR

The Way Home Looks Now by Wendy Wan-Long Shang

Set in Pittsburgh in the 1960's, Shang's book tells the story of the Lee family. They immigrated from Taiwan and share a love of baseball, even traveling from Pittsburgh to Williamsport, New York to see Taiwan take on the United States in the Little League World Series. When they are suddenly faced with the loss of one of their own, each family member reacts in a different way. Peter, the youngest son, hopes to bring them back together through the one thing they all had in common: baseball. This heartbreaking story resonates with readers thanks to Shang's characters and the way she weaves the ideas of grief and loss into a story that is ultimately about coming of age and healing.

Find it in Fiction under F SHA

Three More Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Three More Words is a follow up to Ashley Rhodes-Courter's first memoir, Three Little Words, which follows Ashley from her childhood through her graduation from high school.  While her first memoir details her experience with abusive families (and foster families) and a tough-to-navigate foster system through her eventual adoption, Three More Words picks up as Ashley begins her adulthood. The story is heart wrenching throughout, but when she begins to talk about the foster children she and her husband decide to take into their home, the true injustices of the foster care system impact readers deeply. This system, in which Ashley spent her childhood, can negatively impact the birth families, the foster families and especially the children that exist within its bureaucracy. Her clear and direct style makes it easy for readers to understand her internal and external struggles, and the message is an important one: children are vulnerable and need the protection responsible and caring adults can give them. Ashley uses her platform to advocate for these most vulnerable citizens and the system they sometimes seem trapped in.

Find it in Biographies under B COURTER

Weekend Reads

It's the weekend, and we have some new books on our shelves! Stop by and check them out!

You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) by Felicia Day

Felicia Day has many talents: acting, advanced mathematics, playing the violin, gaming. Her memoir, You're Never Weird on the Internet (Almost) blends a light-hearted retelling of her childhood with a slightly more serious (but still laced with humor) description of some difficult days that followed her success. Day is clearly an accomplished actor and executive who refuses to take herself too seriously, which is probably an asset when so much of your success is built upon the Internet, a space that can be as antagonistic as it can be accepting. One of the most remarkable qualities Day has is her willingness to really apply herself to a task, regardless of the anticipated outcome. The way she delves into seemingly impossible tasks is admirable, and also makes for some remarkable experiences along the way. 

Find it in Biographies under B DAY

The Worst Class Trip Ever by Dave Barry

Wyatt Palmer is an 8th grader at Culver Middle School in Miami. Each year, the 8th graders from Culver Middle School take a trip to Washington, D.C. as a part of their Civics class. While Wyatt is excited to hang out with his friend Matt Diaz, he really wants to try to spend more time with his crush Suzana Delgado. It seems from the outset that Wyatt and Matt are destined to have an eventful trip from the moment they step on the plane. The mysterious men sitting behind them seem to have some nefarious plans, and their interaction with these men set the tone for their entire trip.

Find it in Fiction under F BAR

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

The Fives is an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom's best contenders, and Jessamy wants to enter the competition. Unfortunately, her family's status puts her in a difficult position. Her father is a lowborn Patron (meaning he is in the upper class but isn't from an esteemed family), but has risen high in the army while her mother is a beautiful Commoner. Due to her parents' different statuses, they've never married though they are deeply in love. Because of these family tensions, Jessamy cannot always just do what she likes, and this includes running the Fives. She trains in secret, and when family misfortune presents her with an opportunity to participate in the Fives she takes it. 

Kate Elliott is a World Fantasy Award Finalist, and her attention to detail is evident in her ability to build a world in fine detail. Readers can easily immerse themselves in the world of Jessamy and her sisters, which draws inspiration from Roman society so while it is a fantasy world there are some familiar touchstones. If you are looking for a new fantasty novel, consider Court of Fives!

Find it in Fiction under F ELL

Weekend Reads

Welcome back readers! Get ready for the long weekend with a few good books! I have reviewed two books for you to consider; my third review comes from Student Library Assistant Megan Williams. Over the course of this new school year, I hope to include guest posts from students throughout our two buildings. Keep an eye out for them!

The Bullies of Wall Street by Sheila Bair 

Sheila Bair, author of The Bullies or Wall Street and former chairperson of the FDIC, offers her expertise and first-hand knowledge in this book detailing the financial crisis of 2008. This is the second book she's written on the subject. The first, Taking the Bull by the Horns, is an overview of her experiences as the FDIC chairperson during one of the most financially volitile periods since the Great Depression. The Bullies of Wall Street aims to make this information available and understandable to a middle school audience. The book begins with six case studies, featuring families experiencing different difficulties due to the crisis and for different reasons. The humanization of the crisis in this way really drives home some abstract concepts, such as how defaulting on a mortgage can affect not only a family but a beloved pet or how declining property values impact the money available to schools and their students. This is a great book to consider if you want to know more about the financial crisis of 2008 and how it affects our economy today.

Find it in Nonfiction under 330.973 BAI

Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld

Scott Westerfeld transports readers to WWI-era Europe to tell the ficionalized stories of Alek Habsburg and Deryn Sharp. Alek is the (fictional) son of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination was the igniting event of WWI and Deryn is a young girl who dreams of flying with the British Army despite the fact that women are not allowed to serve. Westerfeld pushes the story even further into fiction by introducing new animals and machines that have never existed into this realistic world. The British rely on new and fantastical breeds of animals for both war efforts and peaceful persuits, while Germany led the world in developing complex machines to fulfill their citizens' needs. Westerfeld does a great job of blending the real and the imaginary, so the world that he creates is somewhat familiar while also having many surprising unknowns. Add to this interesting and complex characters who have something to hide and Leviathan (and its sequels Behemoth and Goliath) are engrossing and exciting!

Find it in Fiction under F WES

Guest Post from Megan Williams, Class of 2017

Elena Vanishing by Elena Dunkle and Clare B. Dunkle

The harrowing world of teen eating disorders is explored in Elena Vanishing, co-written by the titular Elena Dunkle and her mother, author Clare B. Dunkle. The biography of Elena's life spans five years, encompassing Elena's downward spiral during her high school and college years; her perfectionist tendencies and past traumas make Elena the perfect candidate for anorexia nervosa, one of the most common eating disorders that kills one in five victims. Elena's five year journey is filled with inspirational highs of recovery and depressing lows filled with relapses. Elena's story is an emotional read that poses questions about self-image, family, and the effect of competitive high schools and today's educational world. Overall, the biography emphasizes the importance of healthy support systems and self-esteem; Elena Vanishing tells a story of sickness but ultimately is a tale of healing. 

Find it in Biographies under B DUNKLE

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." - W. B. Yeats

We are a few weeks into the school year here at Avonworth, and it has been an exciting time filled with energy and new ideas. As an educator, I find myself thinking about the idea of an extended summer break. Sometimes summer seems like a lost opportunity, while other times summer seems like a fantastic unstructured chance for students and teachers alike to learn and explore (even if the learning and exploring involves Netflix - I mean, there are documentaries too!!) and have experiences that can help all of us, students and teachers alike, forge new and better connections to what we experience in school.

I see this in my students and in my colleagues. Everyone seems to be back with a vigor and an eagerness to take on new ideas. Reading teachers are talking to me about creating written or recorded book recommendations for this blog, science teachers are getting students into the library for research projects and setting a solid foundation of good research principles for the future,  and kids are showing their teacher and each other how to navigate technology that seemed intimidating just a few months ago.

When I first bought my house, a friend told me to take advantage of the energy that new home ownership can impart to get as many projects done as possible because once I had been in the house for a few years, those same projects may seem too daunting or fall lower on my priority list. The new school year has a similiar "fresh out of the gate" rush that comes with an empty planner and a fresh set of pencils. I look forward to sharing with you how I've filled my calendar and all of the awesome learning opportunities that come with those entries!