Football Genius

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Tim Green

Reader: Tim Green along with the "Full Cast Family"

Producer: Full Cast Audio

Production Year: 2008

Most of the listeners will be: 4th through 7th grade boys.

Listener's Advisory: If you like sports books, try Heat by Mike Lupica. 

Summary: 

Troy White is a football genius. He knows what plays a team is going to run before they happen. Troy would love to use his gift to help the Falcons get to the Super Bowl. When his mom, the Falcons' newest PR hire, gets him a field pass, Troy is tempted to approach one of the coaches with advice and he is removed from the game like a criminal. Is there any way for Troy to get these adults to give him a chance?

My favorite passage:

Troy and his friend Tate show up at the home of Seth Halloway, a Falcons player who knows what Troy can do. He had thought that Troy had cracked under the pressure when he had tried to show off Troy's skills to one of the coaches, but Troy thought it was something else and wanted another chance to talk to Seth. When they get to his house, Seth is reluctant to let them in, but Tate kicks him and then demands hospitality while they watch a game on TV with other players that are hanging out with Seth. She says that when you are a girl you have to stick up for yourself.

What I really think:

Good things about this book - Boys will love it, especially football players. There are a lot of details about how games are played and what happens behind the scenes at the Falcon's stadium. The relationships are pretty strong. Troy and his friends. Troy and his mom. Seth and Troy. Seth and Troy's mom. 

Not as good things - The storyline is kind of predictable and ties up too neatly at the end. You don't always end up getting everything you want. 

And there was one conversation between Troy and his mother near the end that especially bothered me. She was worried about going on a vacation with Seth because Troy is everything to her. Without him she has nothing. 

I think this was supposed to be sweet, the mom putting her son before her dating life. But, whoa. If your child is your "everything" that is robbing them of being something for themselves. Think about it. I'm not saying she should run off to Bermuda and leave her kid behind, but she should totally have a social life that does not revolve around her son. It is better for everyone. This is just a little nitpicky thing I noticed and probably wouldn't bother most other people. 

Overall, I have to admit that the only reason I listened to this book is because of one of the 5th grade book clubs that I lead. They chose it. And even though I am not so very interested in reading books about sports, I enjoyed it. If that isn't a good review, I don't know what is. 

The narration was fine. It took me a little while to get used to the full cast experience - a different reader for each character, but it certainly results in effective voice differentiation. I kind of questioned some of the accents. I mean, if you only have to do one voice you should be able to get it spot on. But since Atlanta has a lot of transplants, I'll hope the non-regional accents were intentional. (After all, I live here and I don't sound Southern.)

The Watsons Go to Birmingham - 1963

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Reader: Levar Burton

Producer: Listening Library

Production Year: 2005

Most of the listeners will be: 4th through 7th grade boys and girls.

Listener's Advisory: Another book I have loved recently that deals with race issues is The Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles.

Summary:

Kenny lives in Flint, Michigan with his parents, older (juvenile delinquent) brother Byron, and younger sister Joetta. Life in Flint seems hard sometimes. In the winter it is so cold his Momma believes folks could just suddenly freeze up, so she bundles Kenny and Joetta in multiple layers of clothes. Kenny gets teased for being smart and having a lazy eye. And Byron has been caught playing with matches so many times, Momma is threatening to burn him to teach him a lesson. Well, the lesson comes not in the form of burning, but in the form of a trip to Birmingham, Momma's hometown. She loves her home, but things are different for African Americans in the South in 1963. Byron and the whole family will learn that their lives in Flint are not so bad. 

My favorite passage:

Kenny remembers a time in second grade when his teacher would take him around to other classrooms to show off his reading skills. She would have him read poetry by Langston Hughes. The teacher told the other students they should be trying to make something of themselves, like Kenny. When he visited Byron's fifth grade class he was terrified that Byron was going to make him miserable. But, after school that day, all Byron said was, "They should at least pay you if they are going to parade you around like that." Byron was secretly proud of Kenny. 

What I really think:

This was exactly what I needed after the disappointment that was Swiss Family Robinson.  I have to admit that historical fiction tends to be the most difficult genera for me to get in to. That is probably the reason I haven't read this book before. But I'm so glad I picked it up. It is awesome. 

First of all, The Watsons go to Birmingham is very funny. The parents like to cut up and joke with the children. Byron's mischief is naughty, but hilarious - like burning Nazi parachutes (made of toilet paper) as they drop into the toilet, and telling his siblings a garbage truck picks up all the folks who freeze solid on the streets during the Michigan winter

This book is real. There are some criticisms on Amazon because of allusions to cursing and rude hand gestures and kids looking at nekkid lady pictures. Kids do those things. This book admits that. I am unmoved by any claims that this is inappropriate. (Especially in context. In the book it makes sense.)

This book is sweet. The whole family loves each other and you can really see it. You can see it in the way the parents talk to each other. You can see it in the small ways juvenile delinquent Byron sticks up for his siblings. You can see it in the way Joetta tries to protect Byron. You can see it in the way Kenny makes a new friend. 

Finally, this book deals with some serious race issues. There are small moments throughout the book that deal with race, but the church bombing at the end really drives it home. Race issues are complicated and unfair, but we all have to find a way to keep moving on. 

And then. AND THEN! As if all that wasn't enough. When I first started listening to the book I thought to myself, "That sounds like Levar Burton." It is! He is the reader. *Swoon*

He doesn't do drastically different voices for each character, but they are different enough so you can tell who is talking during any given conversation. I'm not sure I know what a Michigan accent sounds like, but the Watsons all sounded fine to me. His Southern accents are good.

I'm not sure I can put my finger on it exactly, but he is a pleasure to listen to. Loved this book. Loved the audio. Highly recommended. 

The Swiss Family Robinson

This is a review of the audio book.

(Not the Audible edition - although that is what is pictured)

Author: Johann Wyss

Reader: George Guidall

Producer: Recorded Books

Production Year: 1994

Most of the listeners will be: 5th-9th grade boys.

Listener's Advisory: For a more suspenseful book on wilderness survival try Gary Paulsen's Hatchet.

Summary:

The Robinson family, consisting of a father, mother, and four sons, ranging in age from 8 to 16 at the beginning of the book, are shipwrecked on their way to a New World colony. The rest of the crew abandons ship leaving the family without a lifeboat, but the wreckage is caught on rocks near an island. Once the weather improves, the family makes a raft from barrels and scrap wood and drifts to shore. 

With the help from supplies they slowly claim from the wreck, abundant naturalist knowledge possessed by the father an the older boys, and a can-do attitude, the family builds several dwellings within "their territory," which they name "New Switzerland." They grow crops and collect wild-growing edible plants and they also have both livestock and tamed native beasts. Their lives are good on the island, even luxurious considering their situation. If ever given the chance to return to civilization, will they take it?

My favorite passage:

The last time that the father and older sons go to the wreck to collect supplies, the father lights a fuse connected to two barrels of gun powder to blow up the ship. They watch it explode from shore, and the family is somewhat surprised because he hadn't warned them about his plan. I understood the father's thinking that if the wreck was gone they would not be tempted to visit it anymore. But I couldn't help but think that using up so much gunpowder was unwise, since for them it was a non-renewable resource (and they like their guns). I think what I do like about this passage is that blowing up a wrecked boat is a very "guy" thing to do. Boys must love this part of the book.

What I really think:

I listened to this book because Jon Scieszka mentions it in his autobiography Knucklehead. I almost turned it off. Probably this is a very good book and was even better during the time in which it was written. But as a woman of the 21st century, I had some issues. 

The gender roles are rigid and condescending. "The mother" is referred to by name maybe once. She almost never carries a weapon so at least one of the sons is always with her to protect her. She makes all their meals and washes, mends, and later makes all their clothes. 

Then there are the weapons. Although there is an abundance of food between everything they take off the ship, naturally growing edibles, and game, their approach to wildlife is "shoot first and ask questions later." They even kill penguins after they know that penguin meat doesn't taste good. And it is not that the wilderness is dangerous and they are shooting quickly to protect themselves. Sometimes they come upon a new thing slowly, identify it as best they can, and still decide to kill is, just because. 

Then there is all the wildlife itself. I am no naturalist, so perhaps an island like this exists. Or perhaps I was supposed to suspend my disbelief and accept this as a fanciful place. They meet a penguin early on, so I thought they were near South America. But then later in the book they encounter several African animals, including elephants and lions. Is there really a place where all of these things live together?

All that said, I can see why boys would probably like this book. They might not think twice about the gender roles and would love to run around with guns killing things. And they wouldn't be troubled with pesky questions about where in the ocean this island could be located. 

Gregor the Overlander

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Suzanne Collins

Reader: Paul Boehmer

Producer: Listening Library

Production Year: 2005

Most of the listeners will be: 4th-7th grade boys and girls. 

Listener's Advisory: For another book involving a quest, a hidden fantasy world, and battle scenes, listen to Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising. 

Summary: 

Gregor (11) and his two-year-old sister Boots fall through a grate in their laundry room into the Underland. He discovers there not only giant bats, cockroaches, spiders, and rats, but a society of humans. His father, lost for almost three years may be in the Underland. But most interesting of all is the possibility that Gregor is the warrior promised in a cryptic prophesy. He doesn't feel like a warrior, but he could pretend to be one if the Underlanders will help him find his dad. 

My favorite passage:

When Gregor and Boots first land in the Underland they are discovered by giant cockroaches. Boots is immediately fascinated by them and calls out to them, "Big bugs!" The cockroaches also like Boots, asking "Smells what, so good, smells what?" The smell they like is emanating from Boots's diaper! The cockroaches soon decide that Boots is a princess and one carries her on his back as they travel to the human city. 

What I really think:

I have been trying to sell the Underland books to students who bemoan the fact our elementary library doesn't have The Hunger Games. Now I can report that the Underland is a difficult place to live and the first novel at least does contain some gruesome fights and death...if that's what young readers are after. However, it is tamer than The Hunger Games, so I still feel comfortable recommending it. 

I, personally, got so in to the beginning of the story that I forgot about my rule about sparing myself from books in which babies and toddlers suffer. I get very upset by this and it maybe isn't worth it. I was happily enjoying Princess Boots as a character and then Gregor takes her on a fast-moving, underground river in a boat made of skins with no life-jackets! And then they are attacked by rats! Fortunately, Boots survives this episode and isn't put in much danger during the rest of the book, so I was able to listen comfortably. 

Gregor is a very standard hero. Reluctant at first to step up to this role, but ultimately the master of his own fate. His willingness to sacrifice himself for the group in the end is an especially nice touch. 

The ending is a little unsatisfactory in that it isn't clear why no Overlander has returned to the surface before, but Gregor, Boots, and their father are flown there by bat without much trouble. Gregor begs to go home when he first arrives and it seems impossible. Maybe the currents weren't right at the time, but more explanation would have been better. 

I found Boehmer's voice for Gregor not 11-year-old-like enough. I'm not sure I can explain, but it just seemed too formal. My favorite was his voice for Rip Red, the rat that betrays his own people to help the humans on their quest. He sounds bored and sinister - love it!

It is certainly old news that Collins is a thrilling author, but I'm glad to see for myself that her early work is every bit as good as her recent hits. 

Because of Mr. Terupt

Author: Rob Buyea

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Publication Year: 2010

Most of the readers will be: 4th-7th grade boys and girls.

Reader's Advisory: For another book told from multiple perspectives, read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger. 

Summary:

Jessica, Alexia, Peter, Luke, Danielle, Anna, and Jeffrey tell the story of their fifth-grade school year with a brand-new teacher. Mr. Terupt is fun and cool. He helps new friends come together, and ends the girl wars. But some of the most important lessons he teaches his students are learned when he isn't in the classroom. 

My favorite passage:

Peter elbowed Alexia. Then I heard him whisper a word to her.
That's not even close to a dollar, I thought.
"Fifty-three," Alexia said. "No good. Try..."
Were they crazy? They were trying out rude words and giggling the whole time. I just knew they were going to get caught.
"That's no good, either," Peter said. "Maybe..."
What a butthead! As soon as I thought it, I knew it was a word worth calculating. Sure enough, butthead equaled 81. I tacked on the s. There wasn't just one butthead but two buttheads (dollar word). I was just about to call out that I had round one when Peter beat me to it.
"I've got a word!" he yelled. "Buttocks!" He strutted to the board like he was the coolest thing since sliced bread and wrote it for the class."Buttocks," he said again. "B-U-T-T-O-C-S." Peter went on to demonstrate how the word added up to a dollar. Mr. Terupt didn't interrupt. Just as I was about to, the new girl did.
"Buttocks is spelled with a k in it, Peter," Jessica said.
Peter looked to Mr. Terupt. "Sorry, Peter. She's right. Better try again. And maybe you should choose a different type of word than the ones you've been coming up with."
Peter slunk back to his seat. No surprise to me, Mr. Terupt knew what Peter was up to the whole time.
I raised my hand. "Mr. Terupt, I've got one." I walked up to the board and wrote butthead. That was followed by a chorus of laughs. "Butthead," I said. "B-U-T-T-H-E-A-D adds up to eighty-one cents, but if we have more than one, then we get buttheads. And buttheads is a dollar word. Just ask Peter and Alexia."
Mr. Terupt snickered. "That's enough, Luke. I must say, this isn't a word I was expecting, but nonetheless, it's our fist dollar word. Congratulations." (pg 9-10)

What I really think:

***SPOILERS***

I thought I knew what happened in this book before I started reading it, so when Jessica and Mr. Terupt talked about "happy endings" I thought, "Yeah, right!" But it does have a happy ending, and thank goodness! Many of the lessons the students learn would have stuck even if Mr. Terupt had died, but it is powerful and important that he has a chance to actually forgive Peter. 

I have observed that many of my students seek out novels with heavy themes. I'm glad to have a book I can recommend that should both satisfy them, and leave them feeling uplifted. 

PIE

Author: Sarah Weeks

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Publication Year: 2011

Most of the readers will be: 4th-7th grade girls.

Reader's Advisory: Another charming historical fiction novel that has been a Georgia Book Award Nominee is The Luck of the Buttons by Anne Ylvisaker.

Summary:
Alice's Aunt Polly put Ipswitch on the map with her award-winning pies. Now Polly has passed away and she left her secret-pie crust recipe to her cat, Lardo. And she left Lardo to Alice. As Alice tries to deal with the loss of her beloved Aunt and tries to convince her parents not to get rid of Lardo, she realizes that someone is trying to steal the recipe. But, even Alice doesn't know where it is. After all, how do you leave a recipe to a cat?
And for all the readers out there who are also bakers, a different pie recipe precedes each chapter.

My favorite passage:

The next stop was the parsonage, where they found Reverend Flowers in his kitchen with a dish towel tied around his waist.
"Good gravy, what happened to you?" Charlie exclaimed when he saw the Reverend's red fingertips. "Did you cut yourself or something?"
"Cherries," said the Reverend, wiggling his stained fingers to demonstrate that they were all still working. "I had no idea how much work it was going to be to pit them."
"Aunt Polly taught me a little trick about pitting cherries," said Alice. "Use a paper clip. You just unfold it, stick it in, and pull the pit right out."
"How ingenious!" cried Reverend Flowers. "I can hardly wait to try it."
"Do you mind if I offer you another piece of advice?" Alice asked politely. "You might not remember this, but Aunt Polly won the Blueberry for her cherry pie last year. As far as I know, they've never given the prize to the same kind of pie two years in a row."
Reverend Flowers smiled and put his hand on Alice's shoulder.
"I've heard that there are some folks in town who've set their sights on winning the Blueberry this year, now that Polly's not here to do it, but I'm not one of them. Your aunt was a remarkable person and I miss her dearly. I got to thinking about her today and for some reason it made me want to make a cherry pie."
Alice felt better somehow knowing that the reason Reverend Flowers was baking a pie was because he missed Aunt Polly. (pg 148-149)

What I really think:
I have a hard time getting into historical fiction sometimes and I think many of my students do, also. This book is light and fun and although the historical setting adds flavor to the story it doesn't overpower it, or require that you know too much about the time period to appreciate what is going on.
Death and grieving are a part of the story, but not the main focus. It is mostly a mystery about both what Aunt Polly has actually done with the secret recipe and whether or not someone is trying to steal the recipe (and who that person might be). The friendship between Alice and Charlie is warm and real, with both ups and downs. The issues that Alice's mother continues to have with Polly illustrate how sibling rivalry is not limited to children. These issues are resolved in a sweet and satisfying way. A lovely novel and a serious contender for a read-aloud during library class next school year.

Countdown

This is a review of the audio book.

Author: Deborah Wiles

Reader: Emma Galvin

Producer: Listening Library

Production Year: 2011

Most of the listeners will be: 4th through 7th grade girls and boys.

Listener's Advisory: Hear about the Cuban Missile Crisis from another perspective (England) in The Fire Eaters by David Almond, also recorded by Listening Library.

Summary:

What could be worse than having your best friend turn on you, your older sister disappearing, your uncle embarrassing you, and your younger brother being so saintly it makes your mistakes look even worse? The President of the United States announcing on TV that Russia is sending missiles to Cuba with the intention of possibly using them on America! Franny Chapman is 11 years old and lives in Maryland during 1962. In addition to her story, we listen to an assortment of documentary materials, including song lyrics, news clips, and biographical sketches of important figures of the time. 

My favorite passage:

Franny's younger brother, Drew is so upset by the news of the Cuban Missile Crisis that he mostly stops eating and hides in his tree house. When Franny goes to talk to him, still holding his favorite book, Our Friend the Atom, he explains that everything we know about atoms could help us get to the moon. But instead we are making atomic bombs and threatening to blow up other people, who are just made of atoms. 

What I really think:

The audio production of this book is phenomenal. There is a kind of channel changing sound between the clips that make up longer documentary sections and different voice actors. There is even some real audio of Kennedy and Khrushchev. 

Personally, I would have liked the biographical sections read by another person, as I associated Galvin's voice with Franny (the book is written in first person). Also, and this must have been a decision by the producer, none of the songs are sung. Why?

Love the story. I mean you see what Drew said about atoms. This book is for the peacemakers.