Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver

Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver is the first book in the Chronicles of Ancient Darkness series. It takes place during the neolithic time period, approximately 6,000 years ago. Torak is a member of the Wolf Clan, but has only ever lived with his father in the forest. When a huge bear, possessed by a demon spirit kills his father, Torak is forced to keep a promise he made to his dying father... that he'd find the Mountain of the World Spirit, or die trying. A lone wolf cub finds Torak as he begins his journey. Torak is surprised that they are able to communicate with one another using the wolf's language. Eventually, they are caught by members of the Raven Clan. They tell Torak of the prophecy of the Listener - one who can fight with air, speak with silence and talk to the animals of the forest. It is the Listener who must give his heart's blood to the Mountain and abolish the evil demon spirit within the bear. Torak, accompanied by Renn of the Raven Clan and Wolf, continue on the journey, tracked by the leaders of the Raven Clan and by the evil spirit bear who continues to grow larger and more powerful. Torak doesn't know if he can live up to the prophecy or even keep his promise to his father, but he continues on, trying his hardest to do what's right for the world.

This was a really good adventure story! At first, I thought it might be fantasy because of the prophecy and the evil demon and spirits, but then I realized it is based on the religious and spiritual beliefs of the people who would have lived during the neolithic time period. The author, Michelle Paver, did a lot of research (both with archaeology and with nomadic tribes) do develop the characters in the story. She also did research with wolves, more of which you can see in the video clip below.

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata

Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata is set in the United States, just before and right after the bombing of Pearle Harbor. Sumiko and her brother, Tak Tak, lost their parents in a car accident several years before. Since then, they have been living with their aunt and uncle in California, working on their family run flower farm - their specialty? Kusabana, or weedflower. When Pearle Harbor was bombed, all of the Japanese people were suspected of being spies for Japan and were rounded up and sent to different internment camps around the United States. Sumiko's uncle and grandfather were seen as leaders of their community and were sent to North Dakota. The rest of the family, Sumiko and her brother, their aunt and two cousins, were sent to Poston, Arizona. This internment camp was on an Indian Reservation. It was hot, dusty, and hostile - like nothing Sumiko had ever experienced before. Everyone in the camp tried to make the best out of the situation by trying to work, planting gardens, starting a school, and even developing sports teams! The work was hard and paid very little. Sumiko met an Indian boy named Frank who was interested in the ways her cousins irrigated their little flower farm back in California, and wanted to learn more about it. She arranged the meeting. Eventually, the Japanese people were asked to relocate again, this time to places outside of camps so they could contribute to the workforce within the United States. They were also asked to sign up to fight in the war on the side of the US. Anyone who refused to agree that they were loyal to the US and not Japan, was sent to a "segregation" camp. Sumiko's older cousins both went to the military, and her aunt decided to move everyone else to Chicago to look for work. Sumiko hated this decision, because she finally felt like she belonged somewhere.

This was a really good book. I learned a lot about the history of both the Native Americans who lived on the reservation in Poston, Arizona, as well as the history of the Japanese people who were living in the US during WWII. The author, Cynthia Kadohata's father was a prisoner at the camp in Poston. His experiences contributed to those described in the story.


Iowan to Receive her Dream Degree
The above link is to a news story out of Ames, Iowa about a woman whose husband worked with my dad for many years. It is about her story and experience living in the Japanese Internment Camp in Arizona.

In Too Deep (39 Clues Series #6) by Jude Watson

In Too Deep (39 Clues Series #6) by Jude Watson is about Dan and Amy Cahill and their hunt for fame and fortune.

"Our grandmother Grace left a will that gave us a choice between a million dollars and a hunt to find thirty-nine clues, which, when we put them together, will make us the most powerful people in the world. So we chose the hunt. Along with various assorted horrible Cahill relatives, all of whom have tried to kill us at one time or another." pg. 144

The hunt leads them to Australia in book #6. There, they meet up with their father's long-lost cousin, Shep. He helps them find new information that eventually leads them to Jakarta and the next clue. Along the way, they are assaulted by Isabel Kabra (Ian and Natalie's mother), nearly killed by poisonous spiders and snakes, and forced to flee their Uncle Alaistair's burning bungalow in the middle of the night.

Another great mystery from the 39 Clues Series! The kids are getting closer to solving the mystery of their parents' death in a strange fire several years ago. Also, a preview of book #7 lets us know that we'll find out which branch of the Cahill family Amy and Dan belong to. There is also some mystery surrounding their au pair, Nellie. She may not be who we all thought she was...

A Small White Scar by K. A. Nuzum

A Small White Scar by K. A. Nuzum is about Will and Denny, twins who aren't exactly the same. While Will was born a typical boy, Denny was born with Downs Syndrome. They live on a ranch with their father, but since their mother's death, Will has had to take over caring for Denny. Instead of working the ranch with his father and the other ranch hands, Will finds himself constantly drawn away from what he's doing by Denny. Will feels trapped - like he's growing into a man, but Denny is still a boy. He desperately wants to get away from his life on the ranch, so he makes a plan to travel 40 miles away to the rodeo. Will knows he's good enough to compete and even win, and he's hoping someone will notice his skills and hire him to work on a ranch far away from his own. Unfortunately, the day he tries to make his escape, Denny follows him! Despite being bitten by a rattle snake, having to cross a dangerously fast moving river, and Will's anger, Denny continues to follow. When he sees that the snake bite is infected, Will takes Denny to the only local doctor - a friend of their fathers. He leaves Denny in the care of the doctor, knowing their father will come for them soon, and heads out for the rodeo. Suddenly things take a turn for the better for Will - he's doing extremely well in the rodeo and people are taking notice of him! It seems like all of his dreams are about to come true. And then....

This was a really moving story. It reminded me a bit of Of Mice and Men and a bit of The Scarlet Ibis. I loved seeing the way the boys' relationship developed over the years, and the changes that began to happen as they matured separately. I also really liked the descriptions of the rodeo and events there. I've never seen a rodeo and had no idea of the skill it takes to compete. Excellent book!

Knockout! A Photobiography of Boxer Joe Louis by George Sullivan

Knockout! A Photobiography of Boxer Joe Louis by George Sullivan describes the life of boxing legend Joe Louis Barrow (Joe Louis). Joe Louis was an incredibly important person to all people in the United States during the 30s and early 40s. He stood for equality to black people fighting for civil rights, and he stood for "America" in the fight against Nazi Germany during World War II. His 11 year, 8 month record for holding the heavyweight title of the world has never been broken!

This was a really interesting book. I didn't know anything about Joe Louis until I read it. It was interesting to learn how influential and important he was to people during the 30s and 40s. He was so much more than just a sports figure.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater is about Grace, a Minnesota teen who survived a wolf attack in her backyard six years ago. She doesn't remember much about the attack, except that she's certain one wolf saved her from the rest. She thinks of him as her wolf, and waits for his appearance in the woods bordering her backyard - usually in late fall of each year. The older she gets, the harder it is for her to wait for him.

The story is also about Sam, a teen who 11 years ago was bitten by a werewolf and became one himself. He is still young enough that he retains his human form during the warmest months of the year, only becoming wolf during the cold. He is Grace's wolf.

Sam and Grace live for the small moments they each get to stare at one another across her backyard each season, sharing a bond neither of them fully understands. When a student from Grace's school is attacked and killed by a pack of wolves, the townspeople (including Grace's father) take matters into their own hands and go out hunting. Sam is shot, and amazingly returns to his human form, despite the frigid fall weather. Grace finds him on her doorstep, and recognizes him as her wolf immediately. From then on, the two are inseparable, falling madly in love with one another and constantly saddened by the reality that eventually Sam will change back to wolf... maybe for good. Things take a turn for the worse as Jack, the boy who was killed by the wolf pack returns - as a wolf himself - unstable and angrier than ever. Grace's best friend Olivia begins acting strangely, and Grace is being stalked by a she-wolf who is bent on rising to the top of the pack as Sam's mate.

I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this book!!!!! Mrs. Ruder (from the HOMS MC) recommended it to me, and she was right - it's my new favorite! I could barely put it down. The ending was AWESOME!! It's one of those endings that makes me want to start reading it again from the start. I would recommend this one to anyone who likes the Twilight Series, for sure! The sequel, Linger, comes out July 20, 2010, and I will be first in line to grab my copy!

I Heard God Talking To Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings by Elizabeth Spires

I Heard God Talking To Me: William Edmondson and His Stone Carvings by Elizabeth Spires is a collection of poetry by Elizabeth Spires written in response to William Edmondson's famous carvings. William Edmondson was the son of freed slaves. He grew up in the south, and from an early age had spiritual experiences where he heard God's voice. These experiences convinced him to begin carving beautiful, yet simple, headstones and statues. He would sell them out of his yard for very little. Now, his famous pieces can be found in museums and private collections all across the United States. Elizabeth Spires wrote poems about many of his famous works, giving a voice to Edmondson's creations.

This was a really interesting book. The poems were lovely, but I really enjoyed seeing the pictures of Edmondson's pieces and Edmondson himself. The end of the book contains more information about him, his life, and his carvings.

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams

Reality Check by Peter Abrahams is about 16 year old Cody, the star quarter back of the Little Bend, Colorado football team. Things seem perfect - summer is starting, he's got a great job, a great girlfriend, an excellent chance of making a college football team (if he can get his grades up), until Clea's dad sends her to Hong Kong for the summer. When she returns, they are both so happy, until Cody finds out Clea will be attending a fancy prep school in Vermont that fall. Things keep falling apart for Cody - he breaks up with Clea before she goes, thinking it's what's best for them both, he suffers a knee injury during a football game, and he ends up dropping out of school. One afternoon he sees a breaking news story - a girl from a prep school in Vermont has gone missing... and, it's Clea. Not knowing what else to do, Cody leaves his dad a note and drives all the way to Vermont to help out with the search. Cody doesn't realize what he's getting himself into. It seems like finding Clea is hopeless... until Cody finds some clues that lead him closer to her, but also closer to danger.

This book was a good mystery once it got going. There was a lot of build up to Clea's disappearance, focusing on Cody's football playing. Also, there was a lot of swearing - some pretty serious language. I would recommend this book to older readers (high school) who want a good mystery.