The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The pacing of this book wasn't quite what I expected, but once I fell into it, I really enjoyed this book. It's not high-action, but yet enough happens here to move the story. Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's sad, and a few times it's outright frustrating. (I hated the main character's father.) I loved how Shakespeare was used throughout the book. I think it's one quality that would make this book endearing to older YA readers. There's a lot to consider with this story, especially considering the time period it's set in. All in all, I think that this is a high quality piece of writing that the YA crowd can really sink their teeth into.
Parents & Teachers -- Nothing objectionable here. Fine for all kids. Ages 12+.
Projekt 1065: A Novel of World War II by Alan Gratz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fast-paced, heart-pounding, action-packed. For fans of historical fiction, this is a great book to add to your collection. What I especially liked was the tale of espionage, but with the kid as the spy. I think it would grab the imagination of the YA reader and really pull him/her into the action, especially for kids who are interested in the Nazis, Hitler, and WWII.
There's a lot of action here, as well as some violence. A few scenes are described graphically, so it's not for the more gentle readers. A few characters are beaten and killed. Many German words are used, but the author is able to use context clues to explain them well. I can't vouch for the historical accuracy of the story, but the author does give some historical footnotes at the end, so it seems like there is some basis for truth here. However, I always approach historical fiction not as a tome to be taken to heart, but as an impression of the time period. In that regard, I think the author did a great job.
Other reviews have compared this book to others by the same author. Since I haven't read any of his other works, I can't make that comparison. All I know is that this was time well spent for me. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Parents & Teachers -- No inappropriate physical contact between characters. No romance. War violence as referenced above. Some intense language, but no outright swearing. Ages 12+.
4.5/5 stars....Clones. Drug lords. Futuristic dystopian lands. This books has it all! Seriously, though, this was an engaging read for the YA crowd. It had just the right mix of science fiction and adventure, that I can see most of the 11+ crowd really getting into the story. Older kids can explore some ethical themes with this one. Is it right to have a clone just for the sake of organ harvesting and keeping someone alive past their natural lifespan? (That part reminded me of the movie The Island.) Even if drug production is legal, does that make it right? Are people really happier if they're mindless workers as opposed to having clear thought and free will? There's a lot to digest in this book and I think those themes are what makes it rise to the top. Add in a swarthy display of action and violence, plus some really likable characters, and this is a recipe for success. They only reason I didn't give it the full five stars is because I felt that the last 25% of the book wrapped everything up a bit too conveniently and easily. After the struggle that was so painstakingly described for the first 3/4 of the book, the end was just too neatly packaged for my taste. Also, I had a hard time getting through the first chapter. Then it picked up, and I was cruising.
All in all, I would expect most readers of the science fiction/dystopian crowd to really enjoy this one. It was worth the time and effort.
Teacher & parents -- No bad language. No inappropriate physical contact between characters. Violence was present, both between kids/teens and from adults to kids. Some killing of secondary characters, but not graphically described in detail. Some disturbing moments described in the treatment of various characters. Certain situations are disturbing and thought provoking, and would be worth discussing with the younger set of readers. Ages 11+.
2 out of 5 stars. Oh my, I did not like this book at all. Disclaimer -- when the movie is the only version of the story that I've every really known, I figured it would be hard to give the book a fair shake. However, I just didn't think the writing was that good at all. Could it be a time period thing? Possibly. I just can't believe that this book was ever published and that there were sequels. Also, there are quite a few moments in the book that don't really seem to do anything to move the story along, such as when they meet the china people. What was the point of that? Anyway, I'm not sorry I read this because it is a classic, but I'll never read it again or anything else by Baum. Not a fan.
Parents & Teachers -- No bad language. No inappropriate physical contact between characters. Some action-type violence. Visualizing a few of the scarier characters could disturb a few gentler readers, but nothing really to worry about for most kids. Ages 8+.
3 out of 5 stars -- This is a book for the YA crowd, and if I were a teen, I'd likely rate it higher. Kids who are X-men fans (or any superhero fans) would likely enjoy this. It's an easy read, so the average YA will be able to zip right through it. I'd recommend it for boys or girls who like sci-fi. The main character is female, but she's tough enough to keep the boys reading. This is book #1 in a series and you've got to keep reading to get the entire story. It definitely doesn't end here.
Parents & Teachers - No inappropriate physical contact between characters or bad language. Fighting violence and sci-fi peril. Scientific testing on humans (could lead to interesting discussions on ethics). Kids in peril and without protective parents. Ages 12+.
4 out of 5 stars -- It started out a little slow for me, but picked up at the midpoint. This book has an interesting premise, loosely based on the Cinderella story, but set in the future and with the main character as a cyborg and social outcast. I wish some of the details were more fleshed out, especially about Cinder. I had trouble envisioning what she really looked like. I'd also like more about the setting. So many parts could've been written in much richer detail. Obviously, this is also a series, so the end of the book is not really the end of the book. I'm interested in seeing where this goes, so will likely keep reading.
Parents & Teachers -- Nothing inappropriate here. Sixth grade and up.
