This graphic novel tells the story of George Takei's childhood during World War II when he and his family were taken to internment camps because of his Japanese heritage. It describes the tough and unbelievable decisions his parents were forced to make such as her mother having to renounce her citizenship - one that she was born with. Takei describes a dark part of American history. When I was in school, history books never mentioned how the US Government treated Japanese Americans along the West Coast. I'm glad that more books are being published about this and that sites of these camps, such as Tule Lake where the Takeis were taken, are now national monuments. I strongly recommend this graphic novel to teens and adults.
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This is a fantastic mystery/suspense series. Stevie is a mystery fan who is excited when she receives word that she has been accepted into Ellingham Academy in the mountains of Vermont. The main reason she wanted to go there was so she could solve the mystery of when the wife and daughter of the academy's founder is kidnapped in 1936.
The chapters go back and forth between current day and in the late 1930s when the crime was committed. Ellingham loved puzzles so he designed the campus with tunnels and secret rooms. Like the academy, this series is full of twists and turns - and murder. Mystery fans should read this series. I saw the movie (also written by Peter Hedges) starring Johnny Depp and Leonardo DiCaprio when it came out in 1993 and loved it. I found the characters interesting, so I was excited when in college I had to write a character analysis on one of the characters for my Child Psychology class. Over the years I forgot about the movie until I discovered the book listed on a book list. I had to read it. Gilbert Grape lives in the small town of Endora, Iowa, with his mother, two sisters, and brother. After his father's suicide, life in the Grape family has become - complicated, to say the least. His mother who was once a beauty queen has become morbidly overweight leaving taking care of the family up to Gilbert and his older sister. Amy is obsessed with Elvis and continues to mourn his death. Ellen's focus is on makeup, boys, and Jesus. As for Gilbert, while most of his friends have gone off to college and gotten out of Endora, Gilbert takes care of his younger brother, Arnie, with special needs. He works at a family grocery store that is failing because it can't compete with the huge Walmart-likes store that was built right outside of town. Taking care of his soon-to-be eighteen brother is difficult especially when Arnie decides to climb up the town's water tower. Life in Endora becomes more interesting and more complicated when free-spirited Becky appears in town. The characters shine in this novel. They are all complex characters who are struggling in some way. Reading the last page was like saying good-bye to a good friend. Amy Fields, along with her father and stepmother, board a yacht and were going to travel the world. That is until they are hijacked by Somali pirates. She is told that she is now known only as Hostage Three. During the tense situation, she gets to know one of the terrorists, a young man named Farouz. He tells her of his past and she realizes that she is developing feelings towards this pirate. I liked the plot and Amy's point of view. Her inner conflicts with her emotions towards Farouz as well as with her parents were realistic. I was not impressed with Lake's writing style/ I found his use or non-use of punctuation made it difficult to get into reading the book. This book takes a look at the history of the Los Angeles Central Library focusing on April 28, 1986, when a fire broke out destroying thousands of books and other materials. Orlean reports on the investigation of the fire and how suspicions led to Harry Peak.
This is more than a story about a fire. Orlean takes a look at the history of the public library in Los Angeles as well as the operations in the public library. Orleans' writing makes this an interesting book. She weaved in history, current operations, and the story of the fire throughout the book. Much research, including interviews, was done for this book and it shows. Those who love libraries should include this title in their "To Read" list. Marie Lu tackles the second installment of the DC Icons series. Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma is well known by Batman fans. This story focuses on when he turns eighteen and is about to inherit the family fortune including Wayne Enterprises. The Nightwalkers are terrorizing Gotham City focusing on rich businesspeople. Bruce gets into trouble with the law and is sentenced to community service at Arkham Asylum. There he meets Madeleine Wallace, a member of the Nightwalkers. He becomes involved with the case when he is the only person Madeleine speaks to. This was a fun book in the DC Icons series. Teens who are fans of superheroes, especially DC comics will enjoy this novel. In 1933, William E. Dodd, a professor at the University of Chicago, was named ambassador to Germany. He takes his wife, son, and daughter to Germany. He accepted the position in hopes that it would give him time to write a series of books about the history of the Old South - a dream of his. Little did he know the the political unrest that would befall on Germany. This was a fascinating book. Larson's writing makes it read like a novel including drama with Dodd's daughter, Martha, and her relationships with Nazi officers and a Russian spy; suspense, as Germany's political climate turns dangerous with the attacks on Jews and the approaching war. I recommend this book to those who enjoy reading about history, especially World War II. This is the first book in the DC Icons series where well-known YA authors tell the stories of DC superheroes when they were teenagers or before they became superheroes. Princess Diana breaks the Amazon code when she rescues a girl who washes on the shore of their island. Alia is a Warbringer, a direct descendant of Helen of Troy and is fated to bring misery and bloodshed. Diana and Alia must band together to avoid enemies who want to either destroy the Warbringer or possess her. This was an entertaining adventure story with strong female characters. There's a lot of action that will keep you from putting the book down. Those who are big DC fans will want to read this novel. |
AuthorMr. Andrusyk is a school librarian at IC Catholic Prep in Elmhurst, Illinois. Past Book RecommendationsClick here to view a listing of Mr. Andrusyk's list of favorite authors, series, fiction, and nonfiction. Archives
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