Divergent and Insurgent by Veronica Roth

My Reaction:
I'm lumping these two into one post because they're part of a trilogy and there really isn't much to distinguish them as two separate books. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though! Where Divergent ends, Insurgent picks up, making it a seamless transition from one book to the next. It also helped that I didn't have to wait too long after finishing Divergent to start Insurgent, so the story was still fresh in my mind. When I put Divergent on my list of books that I was going to read for this project, I was extremely hesitant and not excited at all to read it. It feels that since the release and rise in popularity of The Hunger Games, dystopian fiction has gained momentum, and the description of Divergent made it sound like a knockoff of The Hunger Games. I gave it a shot anyway, and I was not disappointed at all. In fact, I found that I enjoyed it even more than The Hunger Games. The writing was a little weak in spots, particularly some of the dialogue, but it didn't really detract from the story. One thing about this series that I liked more than The Hunger Games was that there wasn't as much of a focus on the romantic relationships. While there is still a little romance in the books, it doesn't have quite the same importance. The only major dislike I have about the two books is the cliffhangers at the end of each. It wasn't quite so bad after finishing Divergent because I was able to get Insurgent right away, but now I have to wait for the third book to come out to finish the series and answer all the questions that I have. I think it'll be worth the wait though.

About the Book(s):
Beatrice Prior lives in a futuristic, dystopian Chicago, where everyone is divided into five different factions. Each faction is dedicated to a particular virtue: Amity are peaceful, Candor are truthful, Abnegation are selfless, Dauntless are brave, and the Erudite are intelligent. Each year, all of the sixteen-year-olds must select which faction they will belong to for the rest of their lives. They can choose the faction they were born into and remain with their families, or pick a different faction and never see their families again. When Beatrice switches factions, she leaves her family behind and changes her name to Tris. As she tries to survive initiation into the new faction, she struggles to figure out where she fits while still learning about herself. When she learns what it means to be Divergent, she is forced to make decisions that could jeopardize her safety, her friends' safety, and even her family's safety. In the sequel, Tris continues to save those she cares about as the factions fall apart around her, while trying to sort through the truths, lies, and secrets that she has uncovered.

On Teaching:

I know that a lot of schools are starting to teach The Hunger Games, and since there are a lot of thematic similarities among the two sets of books, I think the Divergent series could easily be taught instead. Some students might even prefer one to the other. It would be interesting to have two groups of students, half reading The Hunger Games and half reading Divergent, and then have them compare the two societies. The only thing I would caution against is having students read Insurgent before the final book is released. There are going to be a lot of angry and frustrated students if they have to wait to find out what happens!

Book Extras:

Other Books by the Author:
Just Divergent and Insurgent for now, but the third book is due out Fall 2013.

Author's Website:
http://veronicarothbooks.blogspot.com/

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

My Reaction:
Wonderstruck was a stunning read, even more enjoyable than The Invention of Hugo Cabret. At first, I was hesitant about reading it, having loved Hugo so much, I wasn't sure it would live up to my expectations, but it far exceeded them. I loved how Selznick used different mediums to tell two different stories at once. The way that the two stories intertwine at the end to become one singular narrative is incredible. Even though I think it is a little predictable that two stories become one, Selznick leaves a little mystery for the reader, so the entire story is not predictable. This was also a super fast read, partly because half of the story is told in images. It's well over 600 pages, so it looks intimidating and long, which might deter some readers from picking it up, but it's a whirlwind of a story that everyone will enjoy.

About the Book:

Wonderstruck is about the stories of Ben and Rose, set fifty years apart, but intertwining in an intricate way. Ben’s story is told entirely in words, while Rose’s story is told entirely in images.

Ben is a twelve-year-old boy living in Gunflint Lake, Minnesota in 1977. He has just lost his mom and now lives next door with his aunt, uncle, and two cousins. One night, he sees a light on in his mother’s bedroom, which he decides to investigate. He finds his cousin, Janet in his mother’s bedroom, wearing his mother’s locket, which Ben had never seen before. This, along with a tin can full of money, prompts him to look through her belongings for the first time since her death. In her dresser, Ben finds a clue about his absent father, sending him on a journey to New York City for answers.

Rose is a twelve-year-old girl living in Hoboken, New Jersey, in 1927. Rose, obsessed with a famous actress, runs away to New York City to see her live on stage. Rose convinces her older brother, Walter, who lives in the city, to let her stay with him instead of making her go back to her father.

What unite their two stories are the American Museum of Natural History and a bookstore, Kincaid’s Books. 

On Teaching:
Like Hugo, Wonderstruck is more of an upper elementary/middle school novel. However, I think there are a lot of teachable concepts in Wonderstruck, and I think it's the kind of story that anyone, no matter the age can enjoy. It might also be a good "practice" novel for someone interested in reading graphic novels. Wonderstuck isn't a graphic novel exactly, but it does use images to tell a story.


Book Extras:

Check out Wonderstruck's website for some essays and virtual field trips related to the book. 

Other Books by the Author:

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

Author's Website:

http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

My Reaction:
This was such a fantastic read. I love how Selznick combines words and images to tell a story. It didn't feel disjointed at all while I was reading, either. I was a little hesitant that it would feel like I was stopping and starting as I read it, but I was able to move seamlessly from the text to the images and back, without losing the momentum of the story. Not only are the illustrations beautiful, which Selznick did himself, but there is a sort of beauty to the text, too. While the thickness of the book is certainly intimidating (it clocks in at over 500 pages), the combination of illustrations and words makes the reading quick. After I finished reading this book, I immediately wanted to recommend it to everyone I know, from my mother to my thirteen year old cousin. It's just that type of book, one that everyone can enjoy. There is also a movie of this book, and it does a decent job of remaining true to the book, but I won't go into details here since this is about the book, after all.

About the Book:
Twelve year old Hugo lives in the walls of a train station in Paris. He spends most of his days making sure the clocks in the station are all set to the correct time. In his spare time, Hugo tries to rebuild an automaton that his father found hidden in the attic of a museum. To get the parts he needs for the automaton, Hugo steals small pieces from a toy shop in the train station. When the owner of the train station catches Hugo stealing, he takes the notebook full of illustrations of the automaton, which Hugo had been using to help him rebuild it. To get his notebook back, Hugo starts working for the owner of the toy shop, Georges. As Hugo works for Georges, he becomes friends with Georges' goddaughter, Isabelle. Together, the two of them work together to restore the automaton to working order and figure out the mysterious connection between the automaton, a drawing, and Georges.

On Teaching:
While the intended audience for this book is more upper elementary and middle school, I totally think it has potential in a secondary classroom. Selznick tells the story of Hugo, Georges, and the automaton in such a unique way. It might be a neat exercise to have students practice writing stories based on images and vice versa to build on details, imagery, word choice, etc.

Book Extras:
The website for The Invention of Hugo Cabret has a ton of cool stuff of on it. There are biographies about some of the people in the story, a section on automata, and all kinds of links to different things that relate to Hugo in some way.

Other Books by the Author:
Wonderstruck

Author's Website:
http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm

I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder

My Reaction:
First off, I love the title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me. There's something so beautiful about the simple symmetry in the title. I have read novels in verse before, but I never really enjoyed them. I don't even think I could list any that I have read because none of them stand out in my mind the way that I Heart You, You Haunt Me does. The language that Schroeder uses is phenomenal and realistic. It creates Ava's voice and defines her character, without being lofty as some readers would expect of poems. I Heart You, You Haunt Me, is a fast read, but full of love and loss, guilt and hope, friendship and family. I had to put the book down several times because I did not want to finish it too quickly, but the ending was just as enjoyable as the rest of the novel.

About the Book:
Fifteen year old Ava Bender is in love. With a ghost. Her boyfriend, Jackson, has just died and now Ava is seeing him in her house, hearing him in her head, and dreaming about him at night. She knows this isn’t normal, she knows her friends and family would tell her she’s crazy if they knew about it, but Ava isn’t ready to let go of Jackson just yet. Or is she? Will Jackson’s presence help her cope with his death or will she become even more attached to him? What happens when Ava meets another boy who is interested in her? I Heart You, You Haunt Me, is a novel in verse, written from Ava’s perspective, which allows Ava to tell her story without sacrificing her emotions in favor of plot. I Heart You, You Haunt Me is about coping with loss and learning to move on; it is also about love and how love transcends life. 


On Teaching:
Novels in verse are not taught enough in classrooms. I Heart You, You Haunt Me can be used to teach a number of literary concepts and writing styles, namely imagery, word choice, and voice. I don't know that many boys would enjoy this novel, as it is told from Ava's perspective and is pretty mushy in some spots, but even segments of poems and entire poems can be pulled and used as examples of the literary concepts.

Book Extras:

School Library Journal says, "Told in Ava's voice, this novel-in-verse captures the all-consuming nature of intense teen love."

Other Books by the Author:
Falling for You
The Day Before
Chasing Brooklyn
Far From You

Author's Website:
http://www.lisaschroederbooks.com/

Paper Towns by John Green

My Reaction:
I know I should love Paper Towns because it's by John Green, but I just didn't love it. I'm not sure why I didn't love it. The story was well-written, as is any other John Green story. The characters were mostly relatable, but perhaps a bit generic? (The more John Green I read, the more I see the same kinds of characters.) The two main characters kind of annoyed me and I found the secondary characters much more entertaining and funny. The road trip that they take is possible my favorite part of the novel. However, I did still like Paper Towns, I just didn't love it the way I loved The Fault in our Stars or Looking for Alaska. 

About the Book:
Quentin Jacobsen and Margo Roth Spiegelman used to be best friends. Now they're just neighbors. Until one night, when Margo appears, all in black like a ninja, at Q's window and takes him on a night full of adventure. After pranking Margo's ex-friends and ex-boyfriend, and breaking into Sea World, Q thinks that maybe he and Margo can be friends again. When Q goes to school after their all-nighter, he discovers that Margo is gone. This is not unusual for Margo. She has been known to disappear before, leaving small clues about her whereabouts. This time, Q thinks the clues are left for him, so he starts trying to figure them out. The clues take him from Margo's bedroom to his, out to abandoned subdivisions and a closed mini mall. Eventually, though the clues lead him from Orlando, Florida, to New York, a road trip that he makes with his friends Radar, Ben, and Lacey. Will the Margo that Q's looking for be the Margo that he finds?

On Teaching:
I think that Paper Towns has potential as both a whole class novel and a lit circle novel. It might be interesting to do a John Green lit circle unit and have groups of students read different John Green novels, then compare. Paper Towns would be a good book to use in the classroom because I think that a majority of students who read it would enjoy it, and maybe it can help them to start reading more. If they read and like one John Green novel, maybe they will want to read more!

Book Extras:
“Green’s prose is astounding — from hilarious, hyperintellectual trash talk and shtick, to complex philosophizing, to devastating observation and truths. He nails it–exactly how a thing feels, looks, affects–page after page.”

-Johanna Lewis, School Library Journal, starred review

“A suspenseful mystery, a compelling central metaphor, and one of those road trips that every senior hopes he or she will have round out this exploration of the kind of relationship that can’t help but teach us a little bit about ourselves.”

-Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books, starred review

“There are echoes of Green’s award-winning Looking for Alaska (2005): a lovely, eccentric girl; a mystery that begs to be solved by clever, quirky teens; and telling quotations (from Leaves of Grass, this time) beautifully integrated into the plot. Yet, if anything, the thematic stakes are higher here, as Green ponders the interconnectedness of imagination and perception, of mirrors and windows, of illusion and reality. That he brings it off is testimony to the fact that he is not only clever and wonderfully witty but also deeply thoughtful and insightful. In addition, he’s a superb stylist, with a voice perfectly matched to his amusing, illuminating material.

–Michael Cart, Booklist, starred review

Other Books by the Author:
Looking for Alaska
An Abundance of Katherines
Will Grayson, Will Grayson (with David Levithan)
The Fault in our Stars

Author's Website:
http://johngreenbooks.com/

Going Bovine by Libba Bray

My Reaction:
Going Bovine by Libba Bray is a strange book. Even though I had to take several breaks while I was reading it so I could get back in touch with reality, I really enjoyed it. Libba Bray does an excellent job creating a story that twists reality just enough to make you question whether the things that Cam and his friends experience are possible or not. At times I found myself wondering whether the fire giants that Cam sees are real, whether Cam is actually friends with a punk angel named Dulcie, and whether there really is a commune somewhere in Georgia where the residents are happy all the time.

About the Book:
Sixteen-year-old Cameron has been acting weird lately. Weird in a way that obviously can only be explained by heavy drug use. Or is there some other reason? After some serious episodes involving hallucinations and lack of body control, Cam and his parents visit the doctor. The diagnosis is not one they are expecting. Cam has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, better known as Mad Cow disease. Unfortunately for Cam, there is no cure for CJD. He is sick and he is going to die. At least, that's what the doctors say. But when a punk-rock girl with wings shows up and tells Cam that there is a cure, but he has to go find it. So Cam sets out on the road trip of a lifetime, accompanied by his hospital roommate, a neurotic dwarf, and a yard gnome who thinks he is the Viking god, Balder. On their journey, they encounter fire giants, some crazy scientists, a typical Spring Break party in Florida, and meet a band who disappeared in the middle of a show years before. 

On Teaching:
Even though I really enjoyed this book, I have no idea how I would use it in a classroom. I think that it's the kind of book that is either a hit or miss with students, so I don't think I would want to use it as a whole class novel. However, I think it could be useful as a model text for certain writing qualities, especially symbolism and imagery. I can see it used in a lit circle, especially if the focus were on writing. 

Book Extras:

“An unforgettable, nearly indefinable fantasy adventure.”  

-Starred Review, Booklist, August 1, 2009

…manages to turn a hopeless situation into a hilarious and hallucinatory quest, featuring an asthmatic teenage dwarf, Gonzo; a pink-haired angel in combat boots, Dulcie; and Balder, a Norse god who is cursed with the form of a garden gnome…Libba Bray not only breaks the mold of the ubiquitous dying-teenager genre—she smashes it and grinds the tiny pieces into the sidewalk. For the record, I’d go anywhere she wanted to take me.

—The New York Times (Lisa Von Drasek)

Other Books by the Author:
The Diviners
Beauty Queens
A Great and Terrible Beauty
Rebel Angels
The Sweet Far Thing

Author's Website:
http://libbabray.com/

Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson

My Reaction:
Catalyst was a reread for me. At first, I was hesitant about rereading it, mostly because I am not a fan of rereading in general, but I remembered how much I enjoyed reading it the first time, so I decided to give it another shot. The first time I read it, I really connected with the main character, Kate Malone. Being in a different spot in my life now, I wasn't sure if I would connect with her this time around, but I found that I was still able to connect to her. Even though I had a general idea of what would happen in the novel, I was still caught by surprise at the course of events.

About the Book:
Kate Malone is a shoe-in for MIT. She's a straight-A student, loves chemistry, is a star member of both the track and cross country teams, and balances a part-time job. Kate's deceased mother was even an alumnus of MIT. Confident that she will get accepted, Kate applies to just the one school. Unfortunately for Kate, things do not go as planned, both at school and at home. MIT waitlists Kate, and Teri Litch, Kate's mortal enemy and neighbor moves in, along with her little brother, Mikey, after their house burns down. While waiting to hear from MIT, Kate helps to rebuild the Litch's home, learning a lot about herself, Teri, and her future in the process.

On Teaching:
Like Anderson's other young adult novels, Catalyst deals with some pretty heavy and emotional stuff. However, I think it is one of her more milder novels, and could potentially be taught in a classroom. I think I would try it out as a lit circle book first, to see what students think of the book, and depending on how that goes, use it as a whole class novel the next year.

Other Books by the Author:
Speak
Fever 1793
Wintergirls
Twisted
Chains
Prom
Forge

Author's Website:
http://madwomanintheforest.com/