Winner of the Odyssey Award for Audiobook

Jazz by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by his son Christopher Myers is the Odyssey Award for audiobook winner

I really enjoyed reading and listening to this audiobook and am pleased to have bought it. Its poster-like illustrations and vivacious word choices help portray the poems meaning. It begins with a short introduction into the history of Jazz and ends with a glossary of key words and a timeline outlining important dates to remember. The audio and book match perfectly which makes it easy for the reader to follow along nicely.
This is an auiobook I am going to have in my classroom so I can expose my students to another form of music. I know my students will enjoy listening to the music and narrator just as much as I did.

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

by Sherman Alexie is one of the 2008 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults

Based on his personal experiences, the author creates fictional characters to tell a story about the life of a Native American boy. This story deals with how a young boy breaks away from his destined life in order to follow his own dreams. He changes school to attend an "all white farm school" in order to pursue his studies of becoming a cartoonist. Faced with poverty, racism, and death Arnold Spirit Jr. separates from his tribe in the reservation in hopes of seeking his own identity.

This book has many topics such as a person's handicaps, Native American living in a reservation, the struggle of trying to find your own identify, and the heartbreaking experience of loosing people you love in a drunk-driving car accident. The book is most appropriate for high school students because of the dark humor and language involved. Even though I don't consider this book to fit in my can't put this book down to read category kind-of-books, it was still interesting to read.

2008 Best Books for Young Adults

Touching Snow

by M. Sindy Felin is in the 2008 Best Book for Young Adults List

This book along with "Safe" by Susan Shaw, was out of my comfort zone. I don't enjoy reading books about abuse especially graphic novels such as this one. However, I couldn't stop reading it because I wanted to know how it was going to end. This is a first-person narrative told by Karina, a 14 year-old immigrant from Haiti. You are taken in by the book at the very beginning when you read "The best way to avoid being picked on by high school bullies is to kill someone." Wow, what a way to begin the story! Karina somewhat begins retelling her life's story with the ending, the death of her stepfather. The author graphically describes the many instances of abuse Karina and her siblings endured for years. With the fear of not being able to survive financially without him, Karina's mother discourages them from reporting him to the authorities. However, after a near death experience from one of her stepfather's abusive encounters with her older sister, Karina realizes that she must do something to protect her family. How much torture can a human being endure before taking action? You must read to find out!

Wow, this was such an amazing graphic novel that teaches you about the human's ability to tolerate pain and the courage to make things change. Unfortunately, physical abuse is still very common among families and Karina's story is just one tragic example of the reasons why victims choose to keep silent. The fear of being deported and loosing the financial supporter of the family are two reasons why families might relate to this story. Even though I prefer not to read these kind of books, I think it would be a good idea to do a book talk in a high school classroom, just in case someone might find themselves in similar situations.

2008-2009 Texas 2 x 2

The Perfect Nest

by Catherine Friend is from the Texas 2 x 2 List

My son and I enjoyed reading this hilarious book about a hungry cat named Jack. He was so hungry that he decides to build a "perfect nest" so that he can make and eat a delicious perfect omelet. He uses his "perfect nest" to lure a chicken that will eventually lay an egg. You'll laugh at the pictures as Jack anxiously awaits his future meal. To his surprise, not only did he attract a chicken but also a duck and a goose. At first he was pleased because now he was going to have three omelets. However, the animals didn't want to leave so he tricked them into going to another farm who had a better nest. By the end of the story Jack was starving and could already taste the omelets in his mouth but just as he was going to crack the eggs, they started hatching. Seeing the baby chicks and listening to their cries, Jack could not bare to kill them so he decided to take care of them in his "perfect nest."

I am definitely going to take this book to my classroom because it makes a hilarious read-aloud. The illustrations are also awesome and my eight-year-old son and I have read it many times.

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Thalia: Belleza!: Lessons in Lipgloss and Happiness

by Thalia is a 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers book that deals with "MAKEUP" every girls best and worst friend. This award winning Mexican actress has written this book as a guide to Latin beauty. The book is broken down into chapters on skin, hair, makeup, and inner beauty tips. She includes the do's and don'ts, personal beauty secrets, and tips from the many prestigious makeup artists she has encountered throughout her career.

I LOVE makeup so I enjoyed looking through and reading her beauty tips. A lot of women, including myself, want to know celebrity "beauty secrets" and how they manage to look so good, well this book helps explain it. I think the young and old would enjoy reading this informational book. One of the strenghts this book has is that it is offered in Spanish as well.

2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers

Inside Out

by Nadia Shivack is a 2008 Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers book. Just like the story Thin, this too is a graphic novel about anorexia and bulimia. This time, the author takes us on a personal journey as she suffers from these horrid diseases. It all began when she started swimming competitively. By the age of 14 she had a routine of eating and purging. Things were getting out of control even in a trip she took to California. She sought the help of a social worker who specialized in eating disorders, took medications,but nothing really changed. At the age of 40 she admitted herself to an outpatient clinic in New York. Even throughout her counseling sessions, Nadia was caught trying to commit suicide. She found some comfort in drawing and soon found an ounce of hope. Currently she is still trying to recover and heal.

By sharing her story the author hopes to inspire and educate others. One of the things I liked about this book was that along with the authors notes and drawings, there are statistical notes inserted among the pages. Another strength this book offers is the list of resources that might be helpful to someone.

Finalists for the 2008 National Book Award in Young People's Literature

Story of a Girl
by Sara Zarr is one of the Finalists for the 2008 National Book Award in Young People's Literature

Unfortunately, I think this book is one that many teenage girls could relate to. Deanna is a 13 year-old girl who was caught having sex by her father. In reality, teenagers probably get caught by other family members besides the dad. Her experience with Tommy, the 17 year-old boy whom she had sex with in the back seat of his car, labeled her "the school slut." For three years she was haunted by shame and guilt. To make her family situation worse, her brother gets his girlfriend pregnant and moves into their small house. Wanting to help her brother, his girlfriend, the baby, and herself move out of their house, she decides to get a summer job. Her haunting past creeps back when she discovers that Tommy also works in the same place. Struggling to change her ways, Deanna ends up forgiving Tommy and herself so that she can move on and make a new life for herself.
This is good eye opener for girls who are exploring with sex at a young age. This book helps them see that actions have consequences and hopefully girls will learn a valuable lesson by reading this book.