Category Archives: News and Fun

Review: Ungifted by Gordon Korman

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , ,

Ungifted by Gordon KormanUngifted
Gordon Korman
Balzer + Bray
Published on August 21, 2012

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Ungifted
The word gifted has never been applied to a kid like Donovan Curtis. It’s usually more like Don’t try this at home. So when the troublemaker pulls a major prank at his middle school, he thinks he’s finally gone too far. But thanks to a mix-up by one of the administrators, instead of getting in trouble, Donovan is sent to the Academy of Scholastic Distinction (ASD), a special program for gifted and talented students.

It wasn’t exactly what Donovan had intended, but there couldn’t be a more perfect hideout for someone like him. That is, if he can manage to fool people whose IQs are above genius level. And that becomes harder and harder as the students and teachers of ASD grow to realize that Donovan may not be good at math or science (or just about anything). But after an ongoing experiment with a live human (sister), an unforgettably dramatic middle-school dance, and the most astonishing come-from-behind robot victory ever, Donovan shows that his gifts might be exactly what the ASD students never knew they needed.

My Review
The opening chapter of Ungifted was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. I was immediately drawn in to Donovan’s frank humor and way of viewing the world around him (despite its sometimes disastrous consequences!). I’m not a huge fan of adult point-of-view scenes in children’s literature. Ungifted contains a few of those, but not too many. I still kind of wish they’d been left out. I found the kids’ viewpoints much more interesting and entertaining.

I liked how each character had a distinct voice and a story which contributed to the overall whole. I thought the positive view of science was great and the parts about the robotics competition were super cool. The tone and quick pacing make this book a great choice for reluctant readers as well as those interested in science and robotics. Highly recommended.

Recommended for Ages 8 to 12.

Cultural Elements
Main characters appear to be white. I think some other races are represented in minor characters.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violent Content
One of the boys uses a wrestling move he learned on YouTube to attack a couple of bullies trying to break the gifted students’ robot.

Drug Content
None.

Review: Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , , , , , ,

Once Was Lost
Sara Zarr
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published on October 1, 2009

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Once Was Lost
Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. But her mother is in rehab, and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. And when a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, her already-worn thread of faith begins to unravel.

Samara Taylor used to believe in miracles. She used to believe in a lot of things. As a pastor’s kid, it’s hard not to buy in to the idea of the perfect family, a loving God, and amazing grace. But lately, Sam has a lot of reason to doubt. Her mother lands in rehab after a DUI and her father seems more interested in his congregation than his family. When a young girl in her small town is kidnapped, the local tragedy overlaps with Sam’s personal one, and the already-worn thread of faith holding her together begins to unravel.

In her third novel, acclaimed author Sara Zarr examines the coexistence of affliction and hope, and what happens when everything you thought you believed—about God, about your family, about yourself—is transformed.

My Review
Once Was Lost has been on my reading list for years. I kind of have no excuse for taking so long to get to it, because it’s not a long book, and it’s exactly the kind of story I love—someone in a difficult place desperately trying to do the right thing anyway. I loved that about Sam. She makes some choices that get her into trouble, but I never doubted that her heart was good and never wavered in wanting to know how her story ended.

Perhaps it’s a little unexpected to find a book in mainstream literature with such strong spiritual themes. I loved the way Zarr handled the descriptions of the small town and the church people. She made them real and gave them real problems without vilifying them. I also loved the way she let us into Sam’s struggles about her faith and her disappointment about what youth group was like. Sam expected this joyous, close-knit community, and instead, she felt distant from the other participants. That war between appearances and genuine connection totally resonated with me thinking back to my own youth group days. It felt so very right on.

All in all, I loved this book. I think it’s a great read for Christian kids who may be facing the same kinds of struggles Sam is but also for kids who don’t share Sam’s upbringing or faith. It’s a great window into what church life can be like with its ups and downs. And ultimately, this story is about self-discovery and personal growth and healing. You don’t need to have faith for those messages to matter. I highly recommend this one.

Recommended for Ages 12 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are white. The story takes place in a small California town.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
One instance of mild profanity.

Romance/Sexual Content
Brief kissing between a boy and girl.

Spiritual Content
As pastor’s daughter, Sam and her family feel a lot of pressure to behave in certain ways. Sam feels like she can’t be honest about doubts she’s having, and when others have significant spiritual experiences, they expect her to be as thrilled about them as they are. Sam wrestles with her faith in a genuine, sensitive way. The church is depicted as a group of well-meaning, even if sometimes hurtful, people. While Sam’s faith isn’t the focal point of the story, her wrestling with doubts does have a meaningful resolution.

Violent Content
While Jody is missing, people speculate about what may have happened to her. The story doesn’t give any details about what goes on during her captivity, but it obviously traumatized her.

Drug Content
Sam’s mom spends much of the book in a rehab program for alcoholics. Sam remembers different events where her mom’s alcoholism interfered with family life or caused other problems. Sam knows her two best friends have gone out with other kids to have a beer at a party, but she’s never invited along, and they don’t tell her about it directly.

 

Monthly Wrap-Up: September 2017

Lists, News and Fun, , , ,

September 2017 was another wild month packed with some of my favorite books this year. If you missed my review of Elsie Mae Has Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh, just stop and go check that one out. I reviewed nine books this month, and Gabrielle shared her review of the sequel to Wolf by Wolf. If you followed along, let me know which was your favorite. Which reviews made you add books to your reading list?

As we head into the fall, I’m mostly focusing on catching up on some books that have been sitting on the shelf next to my bed forever. Some are books I got last November at YallFest in Charleston. Others are titles I’ve had since last Christmas. Or, you know, longer. I will probably be accepting a few new titles for review here and there because I just can’t seem to help myself, but for the most part, look for some backlist titles to be coming up for review. For an idea which ones are on my radar, check out those left to review on my 2017 Reading List.

September 2017 Books Reviewed

Between the Lies by Cathy McPhail

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was a twisting, turning story that kept me guessing almost until the last page. I liked the voice and the fact that the main character was younger– I think she’s fifteen. If you’re looking for a fast-paced mystery, here’s one for you.

Blood for Blood (Wolf by Wolf #2) by Ryan Graudin

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Gabrielle gave this one 4 out of 5 stars and though it’s darker than the first book, her description of the main character holding her humanity in the face of atrocities means this book is still pretty high on my own TBR list. Is it on yours?

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

No book has ever made me crave ice cream like this one does! The amazing flavors and unique story world made this book absolutely unforgettable.

They Can’t Kill Us All by Wesley Lowery

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I know I’ve been reading a fair number of race relations non-fiction books lately (considering how few nonfiction books I review, it’s a fair number. I think in total it’s only like three.) but it’s something I feel like I need to be way better educated about. I liked that this book tried to examine what really happened as fairly as possible and to give larger context to problems facing police departments and communities across the country.

The Silent Songbird (Hagenheim #7) by Melanie Dickerson

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

My daughter LOVES this series, and I’m sure she’ll find this book to be no exception. To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite– I think I’m still hooked on the heroine in the first book of the series– but it’s a light, clean romance which is a great change of pace for me. Sometimes we all need a little something light to read, right?

The Time Machine by H. G. Wells retold by Terry Davis (graphic novel)

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

In order to review this graphic novel (a first for me), I felt like it would only be fair to go back and read the original classic story to kind of gauge how well the retelling represents the tale. Overall, I was impressed with the amount of story the illustrations captured. The panels show a lot of action and emotion. I enjoyed reading it.

Elsie Mae Has Something to Say by Nancy J. Cavanaugh

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This book has to be one of my favorites this year, and that’s saying a lot considering some of the powerhouse stories I’ve reviewed in the last nine months. I loved the southern characters and Elsie’s visionary spunk. Henry James and his “Hallelujahs” were a sure win for me, too.

21 Days to Happiness by Ingrid Kelada

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I feel like I’m generally a pretty happy person, so I kind of picked this book up more for curiosity sake than anything else, and I’m so glad I did. I love the way the chapters are broken into useful, easy sections. The tips are so accessible and the resources make it so easy to implement changes in your life. I definitely recommend it.

The Prince Warriors by Priscilla Shirer

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I’m always on the lookout for good Christian fiction, so I was excited to find this series. I liked the elements of spiritual warfare and the way the central characters grew and changed through the story.

What are you reading?

Did you read anything amazing this month? Looking forward to reading something special this fall? Leave a comment and tell me about it!

Save

Review: Elsie Mae Has Something to Say by Nancy Cavanaugh

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Coming of Age, Historical, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , ,

Elsie Mae Has Something to Say
Nancy Cavanaugh
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Published on September 5, 2017

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About Elsie Mae Has Something to Say

Elsie Mae is determined to save her beloved Okefenokee Swamp, but is she willing to accept the unexpected?

Elsie Mae has long treasured summers with her grandparents in the Okefenokee Swamp, so she is devastated to hear that a shipping company plans to build a canal right through it. What will that mean for the people and animals that call the swamp home?

So she writes a letter directly to President Franklin Roosevelt himself and sets off to enjoy what may be her last happy summer there with her new dog, Huck. But when she arrives, she discovers a team of hog bandits who have been stealing from the swamper families.

When her cousin Henry James, who dreams of one day becoming a traveling preacher like his daddy, shows up, Elsie doesn’t think things could get worse. But she devises a plan to use Henry and his “Hallelujahs” to help stop the thieves—and maybe just make enough noise to gain Roosevelt’s attention…

My Review

This might be my new favorite book.

Okay, so favorite book is more of an entire bookshelf than, like, one title, but seriously. Elsie Mae Has Something to Say blew me away.

I immediately fell in love with the earthy swamp folk and the relationship they have with the Okefenokee Swamp. Elsie’s the kind of character who takes you along with her, sharing her big vision for catching the hog thieves and saving the swamp. I loved watching the development of her relationship with other characters, especially Henry James. At first, she resents him taking up space in her summer, but she comes to value him as a friend and confidant. It reminded me a lot of the kind of relationship Scout and Dell had in TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD.

The Deep South setting comes through the page so rich and vibrantly you’d almost feel like you can hear the buzz of mosquitos and the slosh of the water. Every dinner scene made me crave good southern food and long for the combination of sweet tea on a hot afternoon.

If you like southern fiction, you seriously need to put this book on your list. There’s definitely a strong Christian theme running through the book, but it’s much more the way PEACE LIKE A RIVER has that sense of spiritualism but without any preachiness. It felt very genuine and personal to the characters.

Fans of THREE TIMES LUCKY by Sheila Turnage or A SNICKER OF MAGIC by Natalie Lloyd need to get a copy of this book quick. It’s technically a middle grade book, but just like THREE TIMES LUCKY, I think it has huge crossover appeal to other age groups. Check it out and let me know how much you like it!

Recommended for Ages 8 up.

Cultural Elements
Major characters are all southern white people—down to earth swamp folk.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Elsie mentions that the men arrested for stealing hogs swear so much she even hears a word she’d never heard before. She doesn’t specify further.

Romance/Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
Henry James, the son of a preacher comes to stay with Elsie’s grandparents. He quotes bible verses and prays. Elsie even agrees to let him baptize her “for practice”.

At one point Henry cautions Elsie that pride comes before a fall. At first, she refuses to give up her pride or agree that it may get her into trouble. She learns, though, through some painful experiences, that Henry is right and pride only causes harm to Elsie and her plans.

Violent Content
Elsie worries about gators in the water possibly attacking her when she and Henry get out of the boat in the middle of the swamp. At one point, two unidentified men fire a gun in Elsie and Henry’s direction.

Drug Content
The sheriff arrests men (strangers to Elsie) for running moonshine. Two men (strangers to Elsie) get drunk and have to sleep it off.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

September Update: Five Ways You Can Help

Lists, News and Fun, , , , ,

If you know me on social media, you probably saw that it was my birthday this month, and that Hurricane Irma dropped in uninvited and altered all my plans. One of the hazards of having a September birthday in Florida.

At any rate, we survived the storm, and I’m back to work, and hoping to actually celebrate my birthday soon, but all of this got me started thinking. What if instead of a hundred comments on Facebook saying happy birthday, I could ask for something equally free and simple, but much more meaningful? What if you could support me in a way that costs you nothing more than a few seconds of time but makes a difference for the whole year?

So I came up with a list of ideas which I’m now wishing I posted earlier in the month, before my actual birthday. Note to self for next year. Here are some free, easy ways you can support The Story Sanctuary and me as a writer, blogger, book reviewer, or friend.

1. Subscribe to The Story Sanctuary. You’ll get my posts as emails, which means you’ll never miss an update. It also helps me gain access to the best current releases in young adult and middle grade. It only takes a second and you can do it by entering your email address in the field in the sidebar.

2. Like my Facebook Page. Mostly this just makes me feel loved. 🙂 I’m not a huge Facebook girl, but I like to post what I’m reading, calls for recommendations on what to read next, or random silly bookish things I come across in my travels across the interweb. Here’s the link to my page.

3. Follow me on Pinterest. I love the way Pinterest organizes links into cool visual lists. There, you’ll find lists of my reviews organized by genre or subject (I have a board for books about mermaids) and a lot of other great bookish fun. I have a board for bookshelves and one for bookish gift ideas. Christmas is coming, y’all. Find all my boards here to follow me.

4. Add my book, Reviews Wanted, on Goodreads. Hop over to my book on Goodreads. Mark it as “Want to Read.” Leave a quick review and rating if you’ve read it. Bonus points if you add it to a list on Goodreads Listopia.

5. Use my Amazon Affiliate links when you want to purchase a book. These are the links and buttons in each review post that take you to Amazon’s site. If you plan to buy the book, use the link, and a small percent of the purchase will support my blog. Right now I’m earning about $30 per year through these links, which is basically covers shipping costs of giveaways and a few of the books I buy for review.

Fun fact: If you click one of my Amazon links and then browse for or buy other stuff while on Amazon, those orders will help support me, too. So click away!

Side note: Leaving reviews on sites like Amazon and Goodreads is a huge help to authors and helps their books gain better visibility and more readers. If you’ve read Reviews Wanted, please take a minute and post a review on Amazon or Goodreads. It’s a huge help.

If you haven’t read my book and are interested in doing so, leave me a comment! I can send out some review copies and would be happy to do so. It’s a quick read at about 50 pages and offers lots of tips and suggestions for authors on how to connect with bloggers like me. You don’t have to be an author to read the book and leave a review, and it’s another great way to support The Story Sanctuary.

If you want to get crazy, you can check out all my social media sites by clicking the icons in the sidebar or at the top of the page.

Thanks for reading and for supporting what I do. My goal is to provide detailed reviews of teen and preteen books to help readers, parents, and educators determine when a book is right for them. I couldn’t do it without you!

Save

Save

Monthly Wrap-Up: August 2017

News and Fun, , ,

August means the back-to-school rush, and this year that meant taking my girl through the halls of my former junior high school, which doesn’t even seem possible, to be honest. That much time can’t have passed, can it?

It also means finishing up some summer-time cleaning out and re-arranging, which means new and fun things for my bookshelves! This past month my husband built custom wall-mounted shelves for me and hung them up in our living room. I love the way they look.

Here are the reviews you may have missed this month and a bit about each book. You’ll notice a couple titles reviewed by the amazing and wonderful Gabrielle in addition to titles I’ve reviewed. Check them out!

Solo by Kwame Alexander and Mary Rand Hess

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This is the first book I’ve read by Kwame Alexander, and I must have more. I loved the lyrical, deeply moving lines of poetry and the story of this boy trying to find himself.

Bullied by J. D. Jacobs

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Bullying is a huge topic in YA, but sometimes the most compelling stories about it contain a lot of explicit content, which isn’t great for all readers. I am always looking for cleaner options for sensitive readers to turn to, and was glad to find this book.

Trashing the Planet:Examining our Global Garbage Glut by Stuart A. Kallen

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I liked the way this book presented problems along with some exciting opportunities for solutions. The problem of too much trash can seem overwhelming, so I liked feeling empowered to make changes and the chance to be better educated about the issue.

Hedy’s Journey: The True Story of a Hungarian Girl Fleeing the Holocaust by Michelle Bisson

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was an unusual format for a book on my reading list as it had a lot of illustrations– which were lovely. I liked that they elevated the impact of the story. Definitely a great reminder of what some people faced during World War II.

The List by Patricia Forde

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I am a total sucker for a good dystopian story, and this is exactly what I found in this book. Loved that it’s word-focused and has a bit of romance in it, too.

Unraveling by Sara Ella

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I wasn’t as taken with this book as with the first in the series, but loved following the next part of the story. I gotta say, I’m mostly holding out as team Joshua.

The Waking Land by Callie Bates

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

If you like fantasy with engrossing culture or politics, I highly recommend this book. It’s got some sexual content, so check the notes in my review if that’s an issue for you.

Reintegration by Ashley Bogner

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

After reading Gabrielle’s stellar review, I’m eager to check out Reintegration myself. If you’re a dystopian lit fan like me, this sounds like one not to miss.

 

It Looks Like This by Rafi Mittlefehldt

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This was a tough read for me because it made me reevaluate some of the experiences I had as a teen growing up in the kind of church where the main character, Mike, feels like such an outsider. I think that kind of reflection is ultimately healing and helpful, though. And I loved the power of Mike’s story and the raw emotion the author uses to convey it.

Wolf by Wolf (Wolf by Wolf #1) by Ryan Graudin

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

This book has been on my To-Read list for quite some time, and now that Gabrielle has had such great things to say about it, I’m even more eager. Definitely into the whole rewritten history aspects and the deep characterization.

Definitions of Indefinable Things by Whitney Taylor

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

I liked the snarky humor with which this story tackles depression and difficult teen relationships. It reminded me a little bit of a Matthew Quick novel.

A Single Stone by Meg McKinlay

Review | Amazon | Goodreads

Another really imaginative dystopian story about a female-dominated society. If you like the more literary-style dystopian tales, you need this one on your list.

What’s on your back-to-school reading list?

Are you reading anything interesting now that school has started up again? Still trying to squeeze in a few last-minute planned summer reads? Share the title and what you think of it so far in the comments below!

Save

Save

Save

Save