The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, by Megan Frazer Blakemore; Bloomsbury Children’s Books: New York, 2015; $7.99 In 1953 Hazel Kaplansky is a fifth-grader who wants badly to be a detective. She has read all the Nancy Drew books in her library, feels that she is the perfect sleuth, and is prepared to solve any mystery that comes her way. But none ever do. Until… rumors of communist spies in Hazel’s own town, Maple Hill, begin to float around. Hazel is very eager to help find these potential spies. Finally, she will have something interesting to put in her so far boring Mysteries Notebook. So when she has a hunch that Mr. Jones, the hired gravedigger at the cemetery that her parents run, is up to no good, she starts doing some sleuthing. With the help of Samuel, a new boy in town, who is maybe, possibly, even smarter than Hazel, she uncovers many clues, but, as Samuel says, no concrete evidence. Even though there is no solid evidence, Hazel is absolutely sure “The Comrade,” as she calls Mr. Jones, is a spy. Otherwise, how can the locked safes he receives from Mr. Short, the father of a mean girl in Hazel’s class, be explained? Or the objects he leaves at a grave? This grave, marked “Alice, Ten Years Old,” seems to be a drop-off spot for information. Then there is the mystery of Samuel himself. Everyone seems to know something about his mother that they won’t tell Hazel. Even Hazel’s classmates know. Hazel wants to find out and believes Samuel’s mother must be a communist spy. Then Hazel realizes that thinking every other person in her town is a spy is getting her nowhere, and she is hurting more than one person’s feelings. I connected to Hazel a lot, because I live in Vermont like she does, and I like to climb trees, ride my bike, and I am in fifth grade. Also, she is something of a tomboy, as am I. The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill got me interested McCarthyism and the Red Scare. I did some research about the time period, and I thought it was interesting to learn about when some people were afraid the U.S. would become a communist nation, and Senator Joseph McCarthy made their fears seem real. When I asked my grandfather about the Red Scare and how it affected his family, he said what he most remembered were extended hearings on television almost every day, where Senator McCarthy sat, making accusations. Also, he said a local priest, who was determined to root out all communists, accused the principal at the high school he went to of having communist ties. It was neat talking to him and hearing about what he remembered from the early 1950s. I liked learning about a time that seems long ago about which I formerly knew so little. I really loved this book because I changed my mind so many times. Sometimes I thought Hazel was completely correct, and everyone else was wrong; sometimes I was convinced Hazel was not being observant enough, and she might be mistaken. My favorite thing about this book was that it has a surprise ending. The ending was not at all what I imagined. Also, the author did something very rare: she ended this book in the perfect place. I do not think this book needs a sequel at all, not even an epilogue, because the end is entirely satisfactory. Adelle C. Macdowell, 11 Johnson, Vermont
Book Reviews
Wake Up Missing
Wake Up Missing, by Kate Messner; Walker Children’s Books: New York, 2014; $7.99 “The most terrifying thing about hitting your head so hard is when you wake up missing pieces of yourself.” This is what the main character, Cat, tells the reader near the beginning of Kate Messner’s novel, Wake Up Missing. Cat is a twelve-year-old girl who has a concussion from falling off of an observation platform in a tree while watching birds. She gets headaches and nauseated, and she has balance problems and holes in her memory. Cat wants desperately to be whole again, so her parents send her to I-CAN, an advanced neurology clinic in the Florida Everglades, which they learned about online. Scientific American called it the “Miracle Clinic in the Swamp.” Cat tells us, “I thought if I went to I-CAN I’d wake up found.” But she and three other kids she meets there, all with similar head injuries, bit by bit and that things at I-CAN are not what they seem to be. Cat sees a newspaper headline that says, “Florida Senator Promises Crackdown on Nations That Harbor Terrorists: Wiley Says Military Intelligence Committee Has ‘Secret Weapon.’” She doesn’t know at that time that she and I-CAN are involved. I liked the fast-paced adventure, which kept me reading as the children discover they are part of a top-secret government project. The doctors in charge of I-CAN plan to replace their DNA and memories with the DNA and memories of dead scientists like Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein. I am really into genetics and things to do with the brain. Could our memories and DNA be replaced with someone else’s memories and DNA? Is it even moral to replace a person’s memories? Is it all right to replace them without the person knowing? These are questions that the book made me think about. In the science-fiction world of the book it is possible to replace memories and DNA, though one of the characters named Kaylee ends up with a brain tumor from the procedure. Another character, Trent, has had his mind altered, replaced with Thomas Edison’s DNA and memories. Trent can’t remember his own life, including his family. Instead, the only thing he thinks about is alternating current, which from another book I was reading I know is not true. Actually, Thomas Edison was into direct current, not alternating current. But it did not really hurt the flow of the adventure. I would not want a brain tumor like Kaylee, but I don’t know how I would feel about having the brain of Edison or Einstein. If I was one of the kids who found out about the plot, I do not know if I would be like Cat, who just wants to be restored to her former self and escape, or if I would be like Ben, a boy in the story who wants to be turned into a new Einstein. I had read some about Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein already, but not so much about the other scientists the children were going to be turned into: Marie Curie, Robert Oppenheimer, Lise Meitner, and Beatrice Schilling. But after reading the book, I wanted to learn more. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an exciting action-adventure story with science and science-fiction intermingled in the plot. Abraham Lawrence, 13 Eugene, Oregon
Out of My Mind
Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper; Atheneum Books for Young Readers: New York, 2010; $17.99 Eleven-year-old Melody Brooks is a genius. She remembers everything that has ever happened to her, from the lullabies her parents sang to her as a baby to the words from every documentary and TV show she’s ever watched. Melody’s life is like a movie, and she remembers every bit of it. There is only one problem. Melody can’t walk. She can’t talk. She can’t write. Melody Brooks has never taken a single step, spoken a single word, or written a single sentence in her life. Melody has cerebral palsy, a disability that, as she puts it, “limits her body but not her mind.” Unfortunately, not too many people realize this. Melody is tired of being treated like a baby by her teachers, doctors, and classmates. She wants to do something amazing, like Stephen Hawking. She wants the “normal” kids to notice her and ask her to play, just like everyone else. Most of all, though, Melody just wants to talk. Words have always surrounded her, floating around like a cloud of air, always just out of reach. Her inability to speak is making Melody go out of her mind, and she is intent on finding a way to speak. Melody’s story got me thinking: What would it be like to never walk, or talk, or write? I could only think of one word to describe this situation: hard. I would never feel the thrills of crossing the finish line at a cross-country meet, or putting pencil to paper and making words come alive when I write. I couldn’t plant a garden in summer, or go sledding in winter, or ride my bike in spring. I couldn’t feel the rushing of water when I dive into a pool, or thank a friend for a birthday gift. Worst of all, though, I could never even know what it was like to experience these things. Yet, somehow, Melody still manages to always have a smile on her face and embrace life the way it is. She does some pretty amazing things too. Melody makes the Whiz Kids team, stands up to bullies, and even saves her baby sister from being fatally injured. All in all, I found Melody to be an incredible person, with an awesome personality to match. Out of My Mind really emphasizes the quote, “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” just like you can’t judge a person by the way they look. As Melody puts it, “You have to go beyond the wheelchair, there’s a real person inside.” Out of My Mind is easily one of my all-time favorite books. I loved everything about it, from the characters to the plot and the setting. I’d recommended it to everybody. Just beware, Out of My Mind is so great, you might not be able to put it down! Lila Gaudrault, 12 Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Matched
Matched, by Ally Condie; Speak (an imprint of Penguin Books): New York, 2011; $9.99 Part of leading your own, individual life is choosing whom you love and where you work. Imagine how drab and strict life would be if someone controlled that and decided when you died. If there is even one rebellious bone in your body, you probably would have despised a life like that. You cannot call a life your own until you control it, which everyone has the right to do. At least, nowadays. But in this futuristic novel, things are a little bit different, and Cassia Reyes isn’t exactly appreciative of that fact. Along with trying to deal with the order and rigidness of the Society’s harsh rules, Cassia is falling in love with someone she is not supposed to. This is like committing a crime. She knows what she’s doing is wrong, but she has to see the poetic, spiritual boy she fell in love with. This is when her rebellious side kicks in. Cassia finally realizes that the Society can’t make her into someone she’s not. This is where she and I share a trait. I am not just a lump of clay that someone can barge in on and mold me into someone I’m not, and neither is Cassia. I’m my own person, and so is everyone. Even if all your rights are taken away, you still have that. And with being your own person comes the capability to be with anyone your fate chooses. I love how the author uses poetry, passion, and desperation to bring the two characters together. Usually, I’m not into romance, but there’s something deeper and more indescribable than love in this book. Even when they’re apart, they’re still together; they’re inside each other’s hearts and minds. I think everyone and anyone can learn something vital from this. What I learned from this is that you don’t have to be near someone to be close to them. If you truly know them, then they’re on your mind all day and all night, even when you’re sleeping. Surviving without them simply isn’t an option. I learned that a relationship doesn’t just happen. It takes time, and that time should be spent together. It’s not about the appearance of the person nor anything else, except what they have to offer you, and if they’ll accept your offering. The foundation of a relationship is like a building. You construct the base with sturdy bricks, because you need to know if you can trust this person. If you can, the second floor is more lenient, and less broad than the first. Then you keep building up and the connection blossoms. You don’t just know straight away either. Cassia doesn’t realize she loves this boy at first. All he did was teach her to write, a forbidden concept in the Society, guide her through all her troubles, spend time with her, and admire her. But if that’s not love, I don’t know what is. If you want to see a powerful relationship built off of destiny and thrive off of forbidden actions, this is the book for you. Kira Householder, 12 Scottsdale, Arizona
18 Things
18 Things, by Jamie Ayres; Curiosity Quills Press: Reston, Virginia, 2012; $14.99 Jamie Ayres has written an inspiring story about overcoming grief. In 18 Things, teenager Olga Gay Worontzoff suffers through depression after her best friend since kindergarten is fatally struck by lightning on their sailing trip. Olga feels responsible for his death, and that lie leads her to swallow an entire bottle of pain pills. Her worried parents send her to counseling, where her therapist has her create a bucket list of eighteen quests to complete the year of her eighteenth birthday. Through Olga’s bucket list, she manages not only to grow as a person, but to help heal the grief stricken hearts of those around her. I loved reading this book because it truly shows that even when something bad happens, you can turn it into something amazing. 18 Things also inspired me to write my own bucket list. It showed me that life is a fragile thing, and it can end at any second. That’s why bucket lists are important, so that even if we do die, we’ll be happy with the life we lived. While Olga’s list only consisted of eighteen things, mine ended up being eighty-five things. After reading this novel, I realized there were so many items on the to-do list of my life I wanted to experience. Because of my list, I rode my first roller coaster, went ice skating and roller skating, climbed a rock wall, carved my name into a tree, competed in a mud run, sent a message in a bottle, learned to ride a bike, and so much more. I even took some things off Olga’s list, like watching a meteor shower, spent a day following what a Magic 8 Ball said, and started watching the one hundred greatest movies of all time. I’m still working on completing my bucket list, but the experiences I’ve had so far have been out of this world. My bucket list helped me overcome my fears and accomplish things I never dreamed I was capable of. 18 Things was a wake-up call to me. Before reading this book, I was just living every day going through the motions. Now, I am truly living to the fullest, and I’ve learned to appreciate every minute of life. Not only has 18 Things affected my life, but the life of those around me. I’ve lent this book to nearly all my friends at my school, and they’ve loved the story, too. Every single one of them has rushed to make their bucket list after reading it. The only thing I didn’t like about 18 Things was the ending, and not because the resolution wasn’t good. It just made me cry so hard! I couldn’t believe the author ended the story in such a way, not after everything that happened. Although I had my suspicions about the ending all along, when it struck like lightning, it was like a part of me died. I don’t know if the ending was necessary, but I’m confident the author will find a way to weave the plot twist perfectly into her next installments of the trilogy in more unexpected ways. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Olga, Nate, and all my other favorite characters. 18 Things is my all-time favorite book, and I recommend the novel to readers of all ages who enjoy coming-of-age love stories with paranormal twists. If you do read 18 Things, be ready to laugh, cry, and have your whole world turned upside down. Kaylee Ayres, 13 Cape Coral, Florida
Counting by 7s
Counting by 7s, by Holly Goldberg Sloan; Dial Books for Young Readers: New York, 2013; $16.99 Twelve-year-old Willow Chance, who is fascinated by and knowledgeable about plants and medical conditions, has enough to deal with starting a new middle school with no friends and being accused of cheating on an important test before her parents die in a car crash. She soon finds that not only her world is changed after her parents’ sudden, tragic death, but her personality as well. Willow no longer finds herself indulging in her old habits—counting by sevens (her lucky number), charting home-grown sunflowers’ percentage of germination, or even checking the time of day. The summary on the back cover of the book states that “the triumph of this book is that it is not a tragedy.” After reading the first twenty or so chapters of the book, I couldn’t say I agreed with this. Willow was completely devastated after losing the only family she ever knew—who wouldn’t be? But as I proceeded to read the rest of the book, I found that the statement was true. Willow’s story is not a tragedy. Instead, the plot focuses on how she puts herself back together, piece by piece, until she finally returns to her old self. I have come across several books in which the protagonist has been orphaned, but none that feature this unusual way of bringing realism to the narrative. When I finished this book, I wasn’t left with the same sense of emptiness I’ve experienced with other books. I left Willow with compassionate, understanding people who care for her. I do miss the characters, but I don’t feel the need to read more and more about what happens, as the ending is positive and satisfying. However, what I enjoyed most of all about this book was how well written it was. In the first page, the balance between rich description and the flow of action really pulled me in. The opening scene, which includes speaking in Vietnamese and eating ice cream with the school counselor at the Foster’s Freeze, left me wondering and motivated to read more. The chapters flip between first-person narration from Willow’s perspective and third-person narration, giving the reader a viewpoint of what’s going on in Willow’s opinion and what’s happening in the rest of the world. The author is so insightful about seeing the world through Willow’s eyes that I can easily relate to her in many ways as a twelve-year-old myself. Willow’s story possesses another unique quality that many books lack—there is no “bad guy,” bully, or even unkind person in her story. Instead, Willow’s villain is her own misery. This makes the book even more realistic. Willow does not need to humiliate, stand up to, or get revenge on anyone to be able to fix her life—she has to overcome her enemy by achieving happiness and returning to her old personality, or, as she puts it, “the Old Me.” As new characters are introduced throughout the book, the author includes Willow’s first impressions and, over time, subtly points out their strengths, weaknesses, and traits. Through many interactions, the reader learns to like the characters, each in their own way. The characters who are important enough for Willow to get to know are compassionate people, at least on the inside. I think Counting by 7s is a worthwhile read because the uniqueness and realism of the plot and characters is well-matched with the compelling narrative. Isabel Folger, 12 Santa Cruz, California
The Children of the King
The Children of the King, by Sonya Hartnett; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 It is too dangerous to stay in London. The threat of bombs falling overhead is constant, and now that France has fallen, Cecily’s parents are getting worried. So they decide to send Cecily and her brother Jeremy (along with their mother) to their Uncle Peregrine’s house until it’s “safe” enough. Although Cecily is perfectly happy to stay with her favorite uncle, Jeremy is frustrated. He feels like he’s not a child anymore at the age of fourteen and should help with the war. He wants to do anything, anything to help, which leads to reckless decisions later on. If you haven’t realized it yet, it’s World War II, and reckless decisions can end you up in situations you don’t want to be in. Especially when you are on the battlefield, and your only decision is to kill—or be killed. This isn’t the first book I have read about World War II, and it certainly won’t be the last. How can I read about such horrible times? How do I stand to listen to those terrifying stories? Because these stories are in my blood. My mom grew up in the Soviet Union. As you can expect, so did her parents, my grandparents. So did my great-grandparents. Yes. My great-grandparents on my mother’s side, two of whom are alive now, lived in the Soviet Union during World War II. To top it off, they were Jewish, and they were each very young then, high-schoolers at most. As you can expect, they each had their very own interesting story that happened during that time. One of my great-grandfathers fled to a safer part of the country, where he finished school and started going to the university when he was only sixteen. My great-grandmothers also fled to different parts of the country, where they could be safe and sound from the Nazis. Meanwhile, my other great-grandfather, who was only eighteen, got automatically signed up to fight in the war. He doesn’t tell anyone what happened during those times, but I can only imagine how horrible it was. I read these stories so I can know what was happening on other sides of the globe during this dreadful period of time. Stories of bombs, murder, and loss, but they are connected to me, and all of us, through our blood. We must know our history. During this time, many children got separated from their parents. May was one of these children. She was sent alone to the countryside, to be taken as part of a new family until it was safe enough for her to go home. She was an evacuee, and if she wasn’t taken by a family, who knows what would have happened to her. So it’s lucky for her that Cecily spots her and decides that she would make a good friend. They take May to their home, and everyone quickly adapts to the new lifestyle. Well, except for Jeremy. He still feels helpless in the war and doesn’t like the feeling. Then one day, Jeremy runs off to London. With no one knowing where he was, when he was coming back, or if he was even safe, the two girls got worried, and not only about him. Would he come back? And who were the two boys hiding in the woods? This was a wonderful book, and the thrill it gave me as I read it was also. I’d recommend it to anyone, anywhere. Nicole Cooper, 11 Urbana, Illinois
The Silver Donkey
The Silver Donkey, by Sonya Hartnett; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $8.99 “As they approached the hollow where the man lay, they were aggrieved to spy him sitting up. Clearly he was not dead. And although they had crept as quietly as they could, and kept themselves hidden behind tree trunks and weeds, the sharp-eared man must have heard—for he looked up from the fallen leaves, and stared directly at them.” This quote from The Silver Donkey starts the amazing adventure of two sisters, little Coco and her older sister, Marcelle, who live in a small town in France. In the middle of a walk in the woods the sisters stumble upon a man they believe is dead, only to find he is a sleeping soldier blinded from war named Lieutenant Shepard. The Silver Donkey is a book beautifully written by Sonya Hartnett. Once I started reading this book, I couldn’t stop. Maybe it was because of all the details she put in the book, which made it seem like I was really there. Or maybe it was because of her use of metaphors. But it was probably because of how meaningful the book was and how much it moved me. I have always been the type of person who wanted to help other people and that is exactly what Coco and Marcelle wanted to do. Coco and Marcelle did whatever they could to take care of the soldier. They snuck him food, drink, and a pillow. In turn, the soldier dazzled the girls with stories and showed them his good luck charm that he carried with him—a little silver donkey. During the days ahead, the sisters nourish Shepard with food and comfort and spend as much time with him as possible. They listen as he tells them about his life and the war and, more importantly, four stories, each about a loyal, humble, forgiving, noble, brave, hard-working creature—the donkey. I have always been an animal lover and I have even adopted an elephant from Kenya, but I never knew anything about the donkey. In the stories the donkey was always the hero. Whether it was to carry Joseph and his pregnant wife Mary to Bethlehem, or to rescue wounded soldiers, or to make the sky rain and save a village from drought, or to be a symbol of hope to Shepard’s ill brother and personify a message to always do your best. Shepard also shares with the girls his hope and dream of going home, to cross the Channel to see his sickly younger brother, John. Even though this is a story about war, I was not scared to read it. What was important to me was the relationship between the soldier and the girls. I love the fact that these girls who are about my age could make such a difference in his life. I think the most important thing in life is to be happy, and I try to make others happy, whether it’s helping a friend who is sad or doing chores for my parents. At the end of the book the girls find someone to take the soldier on a boat to go home. We don’t know if he makes it in time to see his brother, but my imagination tells me he does. Although I am happy for the soldier, I was sad to see him leave, just like the girls were. However, I was excited to read that he left behind his prized possession for Coco to find—the silver donkey. It was a true buried treasure and a reminder to her to always do her best and be trustworthy and brave. Myla Indigaro, 10 Los Angeles, California
Kira-Kira
Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata; Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing: New York, 2006; $6.99 Once in a blue moon, you come upon a book which you believe is the pure embodiment of perfection. You read the novel in what seems like a single breath, and by the time you have read the last perfectly tailored word, you would be just as happy to read the entire thing again, if only to experience the magic another time. This book entraps you, entangles you, enthrals you, makes you smile whenever you touch its spine. If you had your way, you would make everyone in the world read it. A book such as this is Kira-Kira, by Cynthia Kadohata. Kira Kira centers on the life of Katie Takeshima, who moves with her family from their home in Iowa to the Deep South of Georgia. This move is a drastic change for Katie. In her new town, everyone stops and stares at her and her family. Some people marvel at her skin, her hair, and her eyes, but others just sneer at her and her family. Katie just can’t figure it out. The only one who is patient enough to explain their new circumstances to her is her elder sister, Lynn. In Lynn’s eyes, the entire world is an enigma, a shimmery wonderland only to be described by the Japanese word kira-kira, meaning glittery or shiny. Lynn teaches Katie the beauty in every life and the magic that every day brings. However, tragedy strikes, and Lynn, the only one who ever truly understands Katie, falls prey to sickness. Katie has to grow up much too fast and, in doing so, forgets Lynn’s lessons about the world. I connected to this book on a spiritual level. In fact, my perception of the world was inspired very much by Lynn Takeshima. Once upon a time, I was an immigrant in a land of unfamiliar faces. I had no idea what to say, how to say it, when to say it. I was always the odd one out, always alone. My view of the world was a dark one; I thought that life was unfair and unkind and things would never be beautiful for me. All of that changed when I read Kira-Kira. I hung onto every word Lynn said, marveling at how similar our circumstances were yet how much our attitudes differed. Lynn and Katie inspired me to face the world with a smile; they taught me that beauty comes in the most dark places and in the most unexpected ways. The philosophy of kira-kira, of the shimmering wonderland that is our world, has kept me going in times that could’ve broken my spirit. I didn’t really have a single favorite part in the novel; the entire book was peppered with moments that took my breath away. I loved it when Katie stood up to Lynn’s prejudiced friends and put them in their place. It empowered me to stand up for myself and others that I care about. I also loved the ending. I had thought that Katie would forget everything Lynn told her about the world, and she would once again be reduced to the heartbroken and cynical child she once was. However, Katie remembered the things Lynn had told her when her family went to California. She saw how lovely the world was, even through her own saddened eyes. She appreciated the beauty and kira-kira in every facet of the world. She inspired me to do the same. I hope she inspires you too. Abhirupa Dasgupta, 13 Plano, Texas
Willow
Willow, by Tonya Cherie Hegamin; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 The first thing I noticed about this book was the fact that Willow is both the main character’s name and the title. I liked this because I sometimes refer to a book by the protagonist’s name and not the title. Willow is about a fifteen-year-old black girl who lives in Maryland in the late 1840s. Like many girls of her heritage in that time, Willow is a slave. However, she considers her life almost as good as a free one, because she has always been favored by her master. Reverend Jefferson Jeffries (what a name!) treats all his slaves with much more respect than other masters do. Still, they are slaves. Willow’s father is both Rev Jeff’s most trusted servant and his overseer, so Willow and her papa live a little nicer than most. Unlike many parents today, Willow’s papa makes all the decisions for her and is not open to negotiation. My parents give me lots of choices and support the things I want to do, like piano and competitive gymnastics. One thing that is very similar between Willow and me is that we love to read and write. However, my parents have always encouraged and helped me with reading, and Willow has to keep hers a secret. I have been keeping a journal for years and making up stories since I was little. Now I write some of them down, but every day I tell myself several stories that will never end up on paper. For Willow, writing does not come easily, as she has to teach herself. Her most prized possession is the copybook in which she writes letters to her dead mama. One day, while Willow is riding her horse in the woods, near the tree where she writes these letters, she spots two black men in the forest, one leading the other to freedom. Later, meeting one of those men, Cato, she discovers that he is a freeborn and lives in a town full of free blacks. Amazing! Willow thinks. A whole town full of free black people? Soon she falls in love with Cato and begins to consider running away. One part of this book which I particularly did not like is when Willow and Cato spend a night together in the woods. It is very romantic and has too much description. The author uses a lot of description throughout the book, and in some places, like this, I thought it was too much. The thing I liked most about this book was that you felt you knew the characters. Since it is written in the first person, I felt that I was Willow, and I knew all of the other characters. I was so excited when I got this book, I sat down to start it almost immediately. From the very first page to the very last one, Willow is a powerful book. It talks a lot about human rights and is very accurate and true to the times. One issue that is addressed as well as slavery is male dominance, the fact that men made all the decisions. At the start of the book, Cato is not sure how much rights women deserve, until he meets Willow and realizes that, just as blacks need their rights, so do women. If you read this book, I hope you find it, as I did, to be a good account of the times back then, written in a way easily related to by modern preteens and teenagers. Jessica McGaughey, 13 Odessa, Ontario, Canada
Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion
Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion, by Russell Freedman; Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers: Boston, 2014; $10.99 Russell Freedman’s biography, Babe Didrikson Zaharias: The Making of a Champion, is a fascinating book that tells the life story of one of the greatest athletes of all time. Babe lived for sports and excelled in many of them, including golf, track and field, basketball, baseball, tennis, bowling, diving, swimming, roller skating, and boxing. Earning her nickname from baseball great George Herman “Babe” Ruth, Jr., Babe took the world of athletics by storm, despite the opposition she faced as a woman athlete in the early twentieth century. Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911, in Port Arthur, Texas. She was born into a family with five older siblings and would later become an older sibling herself. Babe grew up with a group of barefoot neighborhood kids, and she quickly became known as the local tomboy. As a child Babe seemed to find trouble. She was often sent to the principal’s office because of her pranks, and one time she was found sitting on top of the flagpole! It wasn’t long before Babe realized her passion. She knew from a young age what she wanted to live for, and her goal was to be the greatest athlete of all time. Babe was a motivated and determined young woman who was willing to work extremely hard to achieve her goals. It was not unusual for Babe to train from early morning right up until it turned dark. Before I read this book, I wondered if I could even relate to Babe. I quickly realized we had more in common than I thought. First, Babe and I share the same birthday, June 26. Also, I realized that Babe was an ordinary kid who loved sports, mowed lawns to earn money, and routinely found mischief, such as hitching a ride on a freight car and jumping off as it moved faster and faster! What I enjoyed most about reading this book was the surprise and excitement the biography had in store for the reader. I felt like I became friends with Babe. I rallied with Babe as she overcame adversities, cheered with her at every victory, and was shocked when the fame-seeking tomboy from Texas wanted to spend time at home in her garden and flowers. I was angry when Babe was treated unfairly, nervous when her marriage struggled, and sad when she died at such a young age. This is a wonderful biography and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it! Babe was a strong-willed young woman whose life demonstrated that with determination and purpose you can conquer and rise above adversities. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading biographies. Ben Dauphinais, 11 Yadkinville, North Carolina
There Will Be Bears
There Will Be Bears, by Ryan Gebhart; Candlewick Press: Somerville, Massachusetts, 2014; $16.99 When I first saw the cover of this book, I wasn’t very interested, so I put it away. A few days later, I had nothing else to do, so I started reading. I was hooked. I could not put it down before I was done. Nothing but trouble finds Tyson! His Grandpa Gene, also his best friend, needs to go to a far-off nursing home to manage his kidney disease. Before he leaves, he “bear swears” to take Tyson hunting. At first, Tyson and his family do not think it is a good idea, because they are worried Gene will get sick in the middle of the forest while facing a roaring wild bear. However, Gene says he’ll go see the doctor before the trip. This calms Tyson down, although his parents still oppose the plan. Reading this makes me think about my own grandpa. My grandpa is my best friend as well. He is a retired engineer, and since he knows I like science, every year on my birthday he always performs many science experiments, which leaves me a lot of good memories. I also love catching fish, so he often brings me fishing, which is always fun. But this year, my parents are against the idea of us going together, since they say I’m too naughty, and my grandpa is aging, so he doesn’t have enough energy to control me. When I look at my grandpa now, he is much older than before. His spine is bent and he walks much slower. I am afraid I am losing my best friend. Now, he also lives in a nursing home, so I have the same feelings as Tyson. Tyson is very reluctant to give up the trip, since it is his first elk hunt. The next day, the newspaper headline is “Ohio Couple Killed in Grand Tetons.” Tyson gets extremely scared but quickly changes his mind and decides to go anyway, since he is looking forward to their last trip. So how did Tyson sneak away? He tricks his dad into thinking they’re going camping in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. His plan worked: Tyson shoots a deer and meets a bear! In this book, you will see the combat between a dying man, his grandson, and an angry bear. This book has overtones of action and adventure. It is very dramatic, creating breathtaking scenes, active scenarios, and much more. It uses strong words instead of short, choppy sentences. It catches you in a trap-like material and doesn’t let you go until the end. I even had to force myself to stop reading and go play. Once you start reading, beware! Control yourself! Even though there are no pictures, it creates a movie screen in your head. I would recommend this book to brave boys and girls. This story is good for kids who are starting to read advanced books. It has no pictures, but it is shorter than difficult books. Although the title of this story is simple, the book is very interesting. I cannot imagine it being written better. If you want to know more, read the book, There Will be Bears. Jeffrey Huang, 10 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
