100 Sideways Miles

Summary:
Finn was injured in a freak accident that killed his mother and left him scarred when he was little. If that wasn't bad enough, his dad wrote a book and made Finn the main character. Now everyone who meets him thinks of him as a character and not a real person. His best friend Cade is the only one who treats him normally. When Finn's girlfriend moves away leaving him heartbroken, he goes on a road trip with Cade that leads to Finn finding some independence and a sense of free will while facing a flood and becoming a bit of a hero along the way.

Strengths:
100 Sideways Miles is offbeat and somewhat absurd and that's one of its strengths. The plot is as quirky as the main character. The unpredictable nature of the story and the humor throughout makes it a clever and fun read. Finn's voice is warm and real and this narrative style means that the reader cheers his successes and mourns along with him at his failures and heartbreaks. The symbolism in the book meant there were portions I went back and reread just to see what I missed before.

Smith, A. (2014). 100 sideways miles. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.

Comments

El Deafo

Summary: When 4 year old Cece gets meningitis, her parents are scared. But she recovers and everything seems like it is going to be just fine, until they discover that Cece has suffered permanent hearing loss. Told through a graphic novel, Cece Bell's somewhat autobiographical story stars a world of bunnies where Cece navigates her first grade year while dealing with her deafness, wearing a hearing aid and making friends. She copes by creating an alter ego for herself, "El Deafo", the hearing aid wearing superhero. In the end, Cece gains confidence and learns to be more assertive with other people who just don't understand how their interactions with her can have an effect. Strengths: This graphic novel is geared towards a younger set of readers than most of the books I will be reviewing this fall in this blog, but it still has some value and strengths for the young adult reader. The theme of dealing with being different will resonate with young adult readers,

Learning New Things

It has been a while since my last update, so first here's what's been going on. I left my music teacher position of 14 years to take a 1/2 library 1/2 music position at a public PK-3rd grade Academy that focuses on using GT best practices for all students, whether or not they've been identified as gifted. I inherited a library that was staffed the previous year by a 1/2 time librarian and a 1/2 time assistant, who were both on another campus 1/2 time, which is tough. I've gotten really lucky to be mentored by a phenomenal librarian who is only blocks from my school, knows a TON about the district I'm in and how it's run and is just a great person. Because I could basically do the music job in my sleep, I've spent something like 3/4 of my time in the library, trying to get my bearings, get programs off the ground and provide a welcoming space for my teachers and students. So far, it's been going well. This first post back is going to be focusing on a

Gabi: A Girl in Pieces

Summary: Gabi is a high school senior who is pulled in all directions. Her diary chronicles the sixteen year old's senior year of high school. Her best friend is pregnant, her other best friend is kicked out of his house after he comes out to his parents, her father is a meth addict and her mother nags and disapproves but is still supportive. Gabi's diary is full of teenage thoughts, poetry and her looking toward the future that she hopes will happen at Berkeley. Through the novel we see Gabi learn and grow as she deals with the world happening around her and her social and environmental awareness as well as sense of self grows. Strengths: This book gives a voice to a young, Latino woman in a genre that very rarely features that sort of character. As a result, there are issues discussed in this book that you won't find in very many other young adult books. Gabi struggles with racism, her weight and the problems of the people she cares about. The narrative of her d

The Bard's Books

Search This Blog