Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman

Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman is a graphic novel about a Jewish man and women surviving in Poland during WWII. In this story, The Jewish people are represented by mice and the Germans by cats. The story starts out with Art Spiegelman (representing the author) interviewing his father about his experience during the war. The story goes back and forth from past to present - the past being told by Mr. Spiegelman and the present through the eyes of Artie, his son.

I really liked this book. It is the first 1/2 of the story. It ends just when Mr. Spiegelman and his wife are sent to Auschwitz after year of hiding from the Nazis. The second 1/2 of the story is a separate book called Maus : A Survivor's Tale Volume 2: And Here My Troubles Began. I haven't read this one yet, but I will. Graphic novels are not my favorite genre - I either forget to read the words or forget to look at the pictures, and then I'm lost! I found this book easier to understand. The story is funny and sad at the same time. I believe it is meant for a more mature audience, however, because of some violence.

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt is about Winnie Foster, a 10 year old girl living in the late 1800s, who feels smothered by her family. She sits on one side of her family's iron fence dreaming of running away to make a difference in the world, but is too scared to do it. One day Winnie ventures past the gate and into her family's wood. There, she meets Jesse Tuck. Surprised to see anyone, Jesse and his mom, Mae, and brother, Miles, panic and kidnap Winnie. They are afraid that she will share their secret - that there is a natural spring on the Foster's property that will allow the drinker to live forever. They take Winnie deep into the forest and tell her their story, hoping to make her understand why she can never tell anyone about the magic water. Little do they know that someone has been searching for the Tuck family for many years and actually overheard them tell their story to Winnie.

I love this book. I have read it many times and every time I find new details and ideas that I never noticed before. I have seen the movie, and while I also like the movie, it does not match up well enough with the book to suit my taste. This is a great book and one I would recommend to anyone!

Skellig by David Almond

Skellig by David Almond is a story about a boy named Michael. Michael's infant sister is born incredibly ill and the entire family changes as a result. They move to an old house and Michael begins to explore the property. He finds an old dilapidated shed in the back yard and, hiding inside, Michael meets Skellig, a strange old man on the brink of death. Michael also meets a neighbor, Mina, who is home schooled, and introduces Michael to an entirely different way of thinking and learning. Michael lets Mina in on the secret of Skellig and the two begin nursing him back to health with positive thinking and Chinese food. All the while, Michael's parents are in and out of the hospital with his baby sister. Eventually, the baby needs an operation and Michael and Mina decide to move Skellig to an abandoned house close to where they live. Everything comes together at the end with the outcome of the operation and the disappearance of Skellig.

This book was a quick read. The story was very sweet! I really felt for Michael - torn between his school pals and his new, yet strange, friend Mina. I could understand Michael and his family's sorrow over the sick child. I got truly involved with the characters, and that, to me, is what makes a book great.

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer is about Bella, a girl who moves from sunny Phoenix to the rain capital of the world, Forks, Washington, to live with her dad because her mom is on the road with her baseball playing new husband. While in Forks, despite thinking she will hate living there, Bella meets Edward Cullen and immediately realizes there is something "different" about him. Eventually, she discovers that he and his entire family are actually vampires who dine on animals, rather than people. Bella and Edward fall in love. Edward works hard at keeping Bella safe (mostly from her own clumsy ways) and enters the fight of his life when James, a tracker vampire, sets his sights on her. James lures Bella away from the safety of Edward's family. It is up to the Cullens to find her and save her from whatever terrible fate James has in store for her.

Ok, so I've read this one before. It is definitely one of my favorite books of all time. When I read it again this time it was like I had gotten a surprise email from a long-lost friend and was reconnecting with someone I really missed. I know that sounds dorky... I love the fact that the heroine, Bella, is a normal, plain-looking, clumsy girl and NOT a supermodel. The relationship that develops between Bella and Edward is so innocent and sweet, despite the fact that Edward is a "monster". It's just a great book all around. AND, the movie comes out on DVD on Tuesday, March 21st! Yeah!

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch is a collection of words of wisdom and advice given by Randy Pausch, a computer science professor who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When given the news he had only months to live, Randy began doing everything he could to prepare himself and his family for the inevitable. Part of his preparation was in delivering a speech at his alma mater in the Last Lecture series. He knew it would be his own last lecture and he took it very seriously.

The book is a compilation of stories from his youth and his life experience. It was not at all sad, as I had expected, but upbeat. It includes excellent advice on how to live a happier, optimistic life. It is full of funny stories and touching memories. It made me really reevaluate the way I want to live my life and the legacy I want to leave behind. Again, it is not a work for young adults, but I believe anyone could learn a lot from the words within these pages.

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski is about Edgar, a boy who is unable to speak. Instead, he uses a form of sign language that he developed - a cross between what he came up with and standard sign language. His family breeds, raises and trains a special breed of dog that was developed by his grandfather. The Sawtelle dogs are well renowned through the country. One day Edgar's Uncle Claude comes for an extended visit, causing tension in the house. Uncle Claude and Gar, Edgar's father, do not see eye to eye on most things. Things unravel to the point where Claude leaves and things seem to get back to normal. Unfortunately, soon after, Gar suffers from an unknown and sudden illness and dies right before Edgar's eyes. Edgar's mother develops pneumonia around the same time, and they depend on Claude to get the kennel back up and running. Edgar is resentful of Claude, and begins to make some connections between his uncle and his father's mysterious death. As Claude grows closer to Edgar's mother, Edgar searches for the truth. One night their friend and veteranarian falls down their barn stairs and dies. Edgar thought it was Claude coming up the stairs in the barn and chased him, not realizing it was the old doctor. Edgar runs away, at the request of his mother, taking three of his own dogs. He survives in the wild for nearly two months before meeting Henry, a lonely and ordinary man who takes pity on Edgar and his "pack". Eventually, Edgar is drawn home, feeling a compelling urge to resolve what he suspects happened to his father, and to restore his own life. Surprising events ensue, ending tragically for Edgar and his family.

This was a great book. It is an adult novel - not written for young adults. I haven't read a book meant for adults in a long time!! This book was well written and heartfelt. It made me want to call my mom and have a long talk. It also made me want to work with and train my own dogs! I was sad when I finished reading. This is one of those books that one thinks about during times when it is impossible to read. I could barely wait to pick it back up and find out what Edgar was up to.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan

The Arrival by Shaun Tan is a beautifully told story of immigration through pictures. This book is told entirely through graphics - absolutely no text. The pictures are breathtaking! The world in which the main character lives is fictional, but this story truly captures what immigration must be like. I'm sure that my students will think this is an easy book to get extra credit for reading because of the absence of text, but it will really get them thinking. Reading is thinking, after all!