Other books I have read this summer...

I have been reading, reading, reading, but haven't stopped to blog, so I'm a bit behind.

Discovering Wes Moore by Wes Moore: What a fantastic, motivational memoir of this young man's life.  After moving to a new town after the death of his father, Wes starts making some bad choices.  He starts stealing, skipping school and hanging out on the street.  His mother decided to send him to military school and it made all the difference to this Wes Moore.  I say "this Wes Moore," because Wes becomes aware of another man with his name, that grew up with a similar background when he was young, but his life couldn't have turned out more differently.  Some of my favorite quotes of this book: " The written work isn't a chore. It can be a window into new worlds."  In speaking about a history teacher he had: "He had no interest in excuses-effort and hard work were all that mattered." And, my favorite: "Through my own experiences, I've become convinced that you have the potential to control your own life, even if the odds are against you."  I think everyone should read this book, it shows that hard work and effort can pay off.

The Question of Miracles by Elana K. Arnold: Why do some people get miracles and others do not?  That is the question that Iris asks in this novel.  Her best friend, Sarah, has died. Her family has moved and she meets Boris. She finds out Boris is a medical miracle.  If he gets a miracle why not her? Iris is a great character. She tries very hard to put on a brave face as she handles the grief of loosing her friend.

I Love, I Hate, I Miss My Sister by Amèlie Sarn: This book has been translated from the original French novel. This is the heart wrenching story of Sohane, who looses her sister to a horrible hate crime.  It's Sohane's story of trying to be who she wants to be and accepting her sister for who she wants to be, but feeling she failed at this. Sohane's story is told in alternating chapters of "before the crime" and "after the crime."  This book was part of the Mosaic collection of multicultural literature.  Sohane and her sister are Muslim. Sohane wants to wear her headscarf to school, her sister wants to be more "western." In 2004, France passed a law that prohibited students from wearing religious symbols or religious attire.

Faceless by Alyssa Sheinmel:  Maisie is involved in a horrible accident that has left her badly burned. Because of this, her family decides that she should be the recipient of a face transplant. Everyone tells her how lucky she is, but Maisie doesn't feel lucky.  She doesn't even recognize her self. Great story about reinventing and re-finding yourself.

Shock Point by April Henry:  Another fantastic mystery by the author of Girl, Stolen and The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die.  Cassie's step father sends her to a "boot camp" for kids who, according to their parents, are out of control. But Cassie is not out of control, she just knows something that her step father doesn't want others to know. This is a fast moving, exciting mystery!!

Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin:  I couldn't put this one down.  It is an alternative history. History is full of "what-ifs." This story addresses what might have happened if Hitler and the Axis powers would have won WWII.  Yael was sent as a child to one of the concentration camps and experimented on.  Through chapters from THEN and NOW, we find out all about Yael's story.  How she escaped and became a member of the resistance movement against Hitler. Each year a motorcycle race is held to commemorate the "Great Victory." It becomes Yael's job to win this race and kill Hitler.