17:100 The Watsons Go to Birmingham -- 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Kenny, age 9, is part of the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan.  As a middle child and a bookish soon with a more physical older brother and more biddable younger sister, he has a hard time figuring out just where he belongs in the scheme of things.  Some days, he wants to be more like his older brother, Byron, but then there are days like this when they are packing up the family for a road trip to Alabama to drop Bryon off with their grandmother to try and keep him out of trouble at home and see if she can't help him learn to behave better.  However, the kids have never been in the deep South before and there are some lessons that hit too close to home.

I read this with my 7th grader and we both really enjoyed it.  There are some scary parts in it and the end section talking about how things like the church bombing were too common are hard for kids to read but I felt it was hard enough to try and open eyes to the racism that exists in our country without being too graphic for more sensitive readers.  Of course, with too many of children having to live through active shooter drills at schools, I think they are all too aware of at least what hate can do and that is a sad commentary on our society today,

Page count: 224p/4,646p ytd/315,551p lifetime

64:100 Dragonwings by Laurence Yep

Moon Shadow has heard fabulous tales of his father, and especially the kites that he makes, but has never met him.  His father left for America before he was born and for 8 years all Moon Shadow has known of him has been his letters that he sends with money for them and the stories his mother tells him. 

Now his father has sent for him to come to America, the land of the white devils.  Of course Moon Shadow will go but he has no idea what to expect.  He and his father get to know each other and it is revealed that his father has had an important dream, to build an airplane and fly.  Windrider is willing endure much to make this dream come true even if no one else believe in it, but Moon Shadow believes and will be there to help him see it through.

We read this for my 7th grader's literature and enjoyed it.  It definitely put more emphasis on how Chinese and white people perceived each other in the early 1900s but also showed how people can move past prejudices when they are open to getting to know someone.  It showed the power of family and belief which is not limited to any one culture.


Page count: 317p/11,362p ytd/303,380p lifetime

54:100 Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Opal and her father, a preacher, have moved to Naomi.  Opal is having problems making friends until the day she goes to the grocery store and adopts the ugliest dog with the biggest sense of humor and the greatest ability to make friends. Now Opal brings Winn-Dixie with her everywhere and as she does, she learns more and more about the people in her town and how much more they have in common than she could have ever imagined. Learning their stories has opened her eyes in ways strange and beautiful as she learns that a blind woman can learn to see with her heart, a librarian has fought off a grizzly with a copy of War and Peace, and an ex-con who has an amazing way with animals.  She is invited to the birthday party of a young girl and learns to see beyond the taunts of the boys who are just lonely. She even manages to finally wrest some tidbits about her mother from her father.  It really was a fabulous summer...all Because of Winn-Dixie.

This was a sweet book that has a lovely message of kindness at it's center.


Page count: 182p/9,294p ytd/301,311p lifetime

14:120 Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Brian is angry, so angry.  He knows the Secret that caused his parents' divorce and now he is stuck in a small, single-engine plane on his way to visit his father in Canada because they can no longer all live together. He is stewing about that when the pilot has a heart attack and the fight for survival in the Canadian wilderness starts with the plane crashing in the middle of nowhere, well off the flight path they were supposed to be on.  With the plane sunk in a lake and no supplies but his windbreaker, the hatchet his mother gave him as he left, and his very limited knowledge of survival skills, he must find shelter and food for who knows how long.

I have seen this book around but had never read it before but found a literature study unit for it and grabbed it for homeschooling and now is when my son decided we should read it.  I really enjoyed it as Brian was very easy to relate to.  He makes mistakes, he doesn't have a lot of survival skills, he has set-backs where he almost gives up but then pulls himself out of it.  He has some luck, both good and bad, but in all it's a huge learning experience for him and we get to share it.  I also appreciate that even after his rescue, he doesn't just return to how he was before but they mention some of the issues he has readjusting to regular life.  I think that's an important thing that so often gets left out so I was happy that this book didn't.


Page count: 186p/3,165p ytd/277,640p lifetime