And so it begins. I read 7 (and abandoned 5) of the 26 books on the list, and here's what I thought of them. And I am posting after our meeting, so I've included what others thought as well.
The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. SchmidtMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
VERY reminiscent of "The Wednesday Wars," which is one of my favorites ever, and I'm ok with that, although the structure following the Labors of Hercules was a bit forced. Too coincidental that they even went in order. But a clever idea. However, I didn't feel as emotionally invested in Hercules as I did in Holling, and there were several stock figures, like Mr. Moby. Oh boy oh boy.
Still, Schmidt has a way with words.
p. 235: There was more light now - the clouds had shoved away and every star in the whole galaxy was glittering, and Orion was twisting his shoulders to watch, and the planet Jupiter had turned its lights up to High Beam, and Taurus the Bull was pointing his horns.
VERDICT: Keep
Eb & Flow by Kelly J. BaptistMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was a bit confused at times flipping back and forth between narrators so frequently, but overall this was really good and showed that situations can escalate into violence because of accidents, misunderstandings, and lack of communication. For most of my students, this will be a window book, but for many, it will be a mirror.
Also, I loved the idea of having an online chat with a friend via a shared Google Doc. How have I never thought of that before?
And the mention of Newsela reminded me that writing articles for students at different levels to read would be a good future job when I am too decrepit to carry books and furniture around.
VERDICT: People read "EbB and Flow," so saving for the next list
What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire SwinarskiMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked the interviews, emails, and texts, but the narrative parts seemed to sloooow everything down. While I understand how one of the characters was very torn between her public persona and her true feelings, the way she decided to avoid a situation was kind of ridiculous; the ending was kind of a letdown.
VERDICT: Keep
Simon Sort of Says by Erin BowMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
For the most part, I liked Simon's voice and Bow's writing style. The whole microwave plot was confusing, though. And at 305 pages, the entire thing was too long.
P.S. I'm all for disgusting facts, but I CANNOT have someone talking about the smell of semen in a book in an elementary school library.
p. 28: To me, it kind of sounds like she doesn't know what to do with commas.
p. 77: "That squirrel is now thirty percent Jesus by volume," says Mom. "It's our new god."
p. 255: It starts to get dark, and then darker - that kind of blue dar, where you can still see everything, but the green of the trees and the red of Mr. Bagshott's emu barn both look black.
VERDICT: Keep
The Windeby Puzzle: History and Story by Lois LowryMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
Interesting idea, I guess, but I did not like the stories.
VERDICT: Drop
You Are Here: Connecting Flights by Ellen OhMy rating: 2 of 5 stars
I get that this book aims to make people aware that "Asian" is a very broad term encompassing multiple cultures, that racism is wrong, and that you should speak up in situations. And it did that. But in a very repetitive way.
VERDICT: Drop
VERDICT: Keep
DNFs:
- Big Tree by Brian Selznick (too out there for me) - VERDICT: Drop
- The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams by Daniel Nayeri (this is a book for kids?) - VERDICT: Drop
- Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles (I liked it and will go back eventually to finish, but not a Newbery ... maybe a RICBA book?) - VERDICT: Drop
- When Clouds Touch Us by Thanhhà Lại (too bad, because I loved Inside Out and Back Again) - VERDICT: Drop
- When Sea Becomes Sky by Gillian McDunn (fast-forwarded to the end to hear that there was a twist) - VERDICT: Keep
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