See Sparks Read

Red Kayak by Priscilla Cummings My rating: 5 of 5 stars Sometimes I read a book for kids and I think, "wow, this is like a John Irving book for kids." Red Kayak is reminiscent of John Irving, a tale of a boy living on the east coast (Maryland, specifically), tackling the themes of man vs. nature, man vs. man, and especially man vs. self. The novel opens with this loaded sentence: "After all this time, I still ask myself: was it my fault?" This novel doesn't end with tragedy, it opens with it. Brady, our narrator/main character/hero, struggles with a secret he holds, the truth behind a tragic accident. He feels obligation to his friends to keep the secret, though he also has a powerful need to do the right thing, whatever that may be. This book should fall in my personal category: "Books it took far too long for me to pick up and actually read." A fifth-grade teacher I work with reads this aloud every year. I have worked with this te

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin My rating: 3 of 5 stars "My official diagnosis is high-functioning autism, which some people call Asperger's syndrome. (Do YOU have a diagnosis?)" -Ann M. Martin Meet Rose, main character and narrator, a 5th grader with high-functioning autism. Rose likes homonyms (Rose/rows), rules, and prime numbers. Rose lives with her father who doesn't always understand Rose and her autism. Rose has a dog she loves and cares for named Rain (reign). Rain gets lost after a hurricane, and Rose develops a plan to find her. Something unexpected happens on Rose's quest to return Rain home, and Rose learns she will have to accept change. Rain Reign is an enjoyable book, definitely for upper elementary and middle grades. Since the narrator is the main character/protagonist, the reader gets a window into the mind of someone who has autism. It's an interesting book I'm sure younger readers will connect with. View all my

October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard by Lesléa Newman My rating: 5 of 5 stars "October 12, 1998" Somebody entered the world with a cry, Somebody left without saying good-bye -Newman I read this short collection of poems while sitting in the public library. Any review I write is not going to adequately portray the emotion behind Newman's words. Author Leslea Newman was scheduled to be the keynote speaker for Gay Awareness Week October 1998 at University of Wyoming just days after Matthew Shepard was murdered. He was tied to a fence, beaten, and left to die in a heinous hate crime- because he was gay. He was lured by his murderers under the guise that they, too, were gay and just looking to have fun. He was instead murdered. Author Newman was given the option to not deliver her keynote- but she did as she felt it was the right thing to do. This book is a fictionalized collection of poems based on the real-life murder of Matthew Shepard. It is a 2017 Lincoln aw

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie My rating: 4 of 5 stars "If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty damn amazing." -author Alexie as Arnold "Junior" Spirit Arnold "Junior" Spirit of the Spokane Reservation, or "rez", in Wellpinit, Washington, leaves his reservation to attend high school. He hitchhikes or walks to get there and back, as the opportunities he is afforded off the reservation are worth the 22 mile commute. Aside from academic opportunity, this may be Junior's ticket to leave the reservation and escape the fate of alcoholism that so plagues his community. This decision is not without consequences, of course, he sees himself as a "part-time" Indian and his relationship with his "rez" community is affected, especially with his best friend Rowdy. Through first-person narrative and the cartoons Junior draws, the reader both laughs at the humor and sinks

This plea for "just one book" spoke to me. I answered with a copy of "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" by John Green and David Levithan. The call to action requested books that reflect a diverse audience. I selected "Will Grayson, Will Grayson" in light of the massacre at #Pulse in Orlando, as this book falls firmly under the LGBQT YA fiction umbrella. Plus, it's an incredible book. The aforementioned plea was made by Margaret Garcia on behalf of Greenville High School and Indian Valley Academy in Greenville, CA. She states that their school has been unable to purchase new books since the 1990s. So, they've got 16+ years of wonderful books to catch up on. If you are so inclined to send a title to the students of Greenville, CA, visit the blog Throwing Chanclas . This story was picked up by Book Riot , too. The request for books was made, and the Internet is responding. How cool is that?

As a librarian for children (and now teens), I read a lot of books. Beyond theme and genre, I have started labeling the Important Books as such in my mind (and in this blog's tags). Let me be upfront and clear here: Important Books are not necessarily better than other books in every way. But they are different because they say something important about life, about humanity. I want you to READ. I want you to read anything you enjoy, not just the Important Books. An Important Book: Makes you think Leaves unanswered questions (see #1) Has believable characters you can connect to Evokes emotion Has major characters that grow or change Inspires discussion Transcends genre I'm considering this list incomplete. I want your feedback, readers. What did I miss?  John Green is one of my favorite authors of all time, and author of Important Books

I'm about to read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Ellen Forney, illustrator. It's on my list of books to read ASAP because it is read at the high school in grades 9 or 10, I can't specifically remember which, but I know it's read. I have elected to read it on my Kindle instead of a paper copy for two basic reasons: 1. It's easier (and free-er) to use Overdrive to check out an ebook than to go to the library or a bookstore, and 2. It's the only way I've figured out how to read in the dark (without a flashlight or book light, etc.). Reading two (or more!) titles at once is not unusual for me, especially in two different formats. One ebook to read in the dark, and one paper book to read because it's my true preference. I have very little idea of what Alexie's   book is about. I don't have the book physically in front of me; I can't read the back cover or the inside of the book jacket. I read books on the Ki

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven My rating: 5 of 5 stars "The thing I realize is that it's not what you take, it's what you leave." -Violet Violet meets Theodore Finch at the top of a bell tower. An unlikely pair, they become important to each other, Violet as she heals following the accidental death of her sister, Eleanor, Finch, as he attempts to stay "awake," as he puts it. Finch is struggling with an undiagnosed mental illness. He has periods of darkness he cannot remember. During the course of the book, he appears manic, though I'm not sure a younger reader would pick up on the clues that he is suffering a mental health disorder, most likely manic depression. Told in first-person narrative, story is told through the viewpoints of both Violet and Finch. They become friends, then more than friends. Though Finch is hurting, he helps Violet emerge from her hurt. I really loved this book. I'd call it an Important Book. The themes of loss