REVIEW: Being Sloane Jacobs, by Lauren Morrill

Meet Sloane Emily Jacobs: a seriously stressed-out figure skater who choked during junior nationals and isn't sure she's ready for a comeback. What she does know is that she'd give anything to escape the mass of misery that is her life. Now meet Sloane Devon Jacobs, a spunky ice hockey player who's been suspended from her team for too many aggressive hip checks. Her punishment? Hockey camp, now, when she's playing the worst she's ever played. If she messes up? Her life will be over.

When the two Sloanes meet by chance and decide to trade places for the summer, each girl thinks she's the lucky one. But it didn't occur to Sloane E. that while avoiding sequins and axels she might meet a hockey hottie—and Sloane D. never expected to run into a familiar (and very good-looking) face from home. It's not long before the Sloanes discover that convincing people you're someone else might be more difficult than being yourself.

What teenager feeling too much pressure to be "perfect" in the eyes of others wouldn't want to pull off the perfect identity switch? Heck, I'd have done it, though maybe not for an entire summer.

The dual points of view were incredibly well-done. Incredibly. I had no trouble keeping straight who I was reading and how her chapter fit into her story, as well as the greater story. Characterization is definitely a strong point for Morrill. I like that she used figure-skating (not something terribly "mainstream" for the average YA reader) and hockey (which isn't typically what you'd expect in a high school female) as plot points for this story. It's a fairly quick read and will attract reluctant girl readers well.

Now..here's my sticking points. This read like an "After School Special." (I just dated myself, didn't I?) Or...a Disney movie. I think I wanted it to be...meatier. And I think I wanted it to mean something that the girls had defied their parents and lied for weeks. Yet...there didn't seem to be much consequence. Also, the cover needs a serious change. I'm not one to judge a book by it's cover (much the opposite, actually), but this one suggested a romance story. Sure, there's some romance, but that's not what the story focused on at all--yet the cover does.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Random House Children's (Delacorte BFYR) through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

REVIEW: Hero Worship, by Christopher E. Long

Ever since becoming an IWP—Individual with Powers—Marvin Maywood has dreamed of joining the Core, a group of gifted heroes who save lives and stop crimes. But because he's a homeless teenager who is forbidden to use his amazing powers, wanting and achieving that dream are two very separate things.

But when Marvin saves a family from dangerous hoodlums with his incredible strength and speed, his chance to try out for the Core comes at last. The opportunity seems like a dream come true—until he realizes that the idyllic hero life he imagined is just a mask for the corrupt reality. And when a beloved hero is murdered, Marvin is suspected of being the villain behind the crime.

A superhero book that's ACTUALLY a superhero book. There's a lot of thought put into this superhero world, a lot of depth. There are "clean" powers and "dirty" ones. Those with clean powers get to actually use them, but if you have dirty powers you're an outcast and have to hide them, unless you can afford the therapy to get rid of them. Problem is, it's hard to determine who the "good" guys are through all the corruption.

The world is awesome. The premise is good, if predictable. Marvin (the lead) has dirty powers, but the best ethics and morals. All the characters were interesting and the characters themselves were well-developed, if their relationships weren't. I found myself wondering why this story had to be told. (I've always thought good stories have a "why.") It's a good quick read, but it doesn't make me wonder if there's a second story for Marvin and his friends.

There's some mature content, violence and language, so I'd probably not hand it off to my freshman, and younger sophomores, but it has a place on my shelves.

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Flux through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Sometimes...

I love the author Matt de la Pena (and right now I'm hating that I can't remember how to put the little squiggle over the 'n' in his name). 

He speaks to my harshest kids in his writing so many times. I've really had kids say "Miss, he knows me." Because, he does.

Read his NPR piece here. You won't be sorry.

Sometimes the "Tough Teen" is Quietly Writing Stories

What do you think??

Sites to See--November 11

Kahoot  https://getkahoot.com
A new service for delivering online quizzes and surveys to your students. On any device that has a web browser (and I’d say 90% of their phones do), your students can respond to quizzes or surveys that you create and show on your presentation station. Sure, this sounds like other tools we’ve looked at, but the big difference here is that it Kahoot sets it up as a competition with students earning points for correct answers and how quickly the enter the correct answer. There’s a lot of research that shows that a game-based approach helps cement learning.

Creating & Sharing Google Calendars http://goo.gl/sFjyv1
Google calendars are super easy to use and share. AND a great way to make a calendar available on your school webpage or allow parents and students to see what things are coming up on the horizon. This tutorial will show you how to create one, and share it online.

Resources related to JFK and the 50^th anniversary of his deathJohn F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum http://jfklibrary.org
Several lessons are available, about things specific to JFK’s presidency, as well as some newly digitized materials. Also, this library houses the largest Hemingway archive, with a media gallery.Infotopia’s JFK Assassination Resources http://www.infotopia.info/kennedy_assassination.html

Lots of different things, including documents from the police and public records, PBS, and Jim Lehrer’s memories courtesy of the Dallas News.

MindCipher http://www.mindcipher.com/

I can probably name the teachers who would most enjoy this site. MindCipher is a social brain teaser/logic puzzle/mental challenge collection. Use these to fill a few minutes at the end of class to keep the kids thinking, even if it’s not about your subject area.

Writing Prompts http://writingprompts.tumblr.com/
While this is called “Writing Prompts,” lots of them could be used to spark discussion about things that maybe aren’t all that important, but get our kids thinking in different ways.

What do you think??

REVIEW: The Caged Graves, by Dianne K. Salerni

17-year-old Verity Boone expects a warm homecoming when she returns to Catawissa, Pennsylvania, in 1867, pledged to marry a man she has never met. Instead, she finds a father she barely knows and a future husband with whom she apparently has nothing in common. One truly horrifying surprise awaits her: the graves of her mother and aunt are enclosed in iron cages outside the local cemetery. Nobody in town will explain why, but Verity hears rumors of buried treasure and witchcraft. Perhaps the cages were built to keep grave robbers out . . . or to keep the women in. Determined to understand, Verity finds herself in a life-and-death struggle with people she trusted.

I'm a sucker for good historical fiction, and this is GOOD historical fiction. It's...atmospheric, in that it pulls you in to the setting because of the many layers to the story and the characters. It's hard to step away from and come back to "reality." The characters are well-defined and the relationships (even the love triangle) are so easily written that nothing doesn't make sense or work perfectly.

The historical side is important but not the entire driving force and not overly done. The paranormal side is important, but again...not the entire driving force (and not overly done). There's enough in the story to keep you enthralled and wanting more. The love triangle, while it added to the story, was a bit typical YA for me, but it worked for Verity.

It's not too too much any one genre or aspect to turn off the average reader (meaning, the ones who don't want any one specific genre). 

What do you think??

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this ebook galley from Enter Text Here through the netGalley publisher/reader connection program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.