I am the Weapon (Boy Nobody) by Allen Zadoff

If you want an action packed YA book then look no further than this one. This is a view of what life would be like for a young assassin who has been trained from a very early age. How many of us would think of a teen as the one we really need to watch out for? The reader is taken step by step of each calculated move Ben makes and also feels for him when he begins to question if the people he works for are after the right target. Teen boys will really enjoy this book. There is little to no drag time so the fast pace keeps the reader engaged and the story is top notch. It almost feels like an adult cloak and dagger book yet the writing is more appealing for the younger crowd. And you have to admit, what teen would want to think they could be capable of being a seasoned assassin at high school age? The books also covers such subjects as what it is like to be the new kid, being the child of an elite person, and bullying. The book is also clean (language free) which is a nice change for the YA genre. This is a book I would have no problem recommending to any of my students.

The Pregnancy Project Review

The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gaby Rodriquez is a very intelligent girl who was brave enough to take on stereotypes in a big way. She faked her pregnancy for her senior project and touched the world when all she wanted to do was point out that teens are treated unjustly when they become pregnant.

This book was a real eye-opening experience for me since I work at a public high school. Yes we do have students who are pregnant or to be fathers wandering our halls. Not only as staff, but other students are quick to judge how these teen parents' lives are going to turn out and we may know nothing about them. I agree with Gaby whole-heartedly when she points out that we should give these students our encouragement instead of letting them hear second hand what we think they can't achieve or how hard their lives are going to be from now on. They already know how much their lives are going to change so lets give them the support they need.

I think this is a book for everyone. Young and old, teachers and students, parents and granparents, and the general public who may encounter any of these young people along the way. This is a message for all to hear and it encompasses so much more than just teen pregnancy. This book covers stereotyping, and we all know we are guilty of this at one time or another. It's time to change the way we think and the way we act and make a better world for all of our young people.

Kuddos to you Gaby!

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Everybody Sees the Ants Review

Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lucky has been bullied since he was 7 years old by the same guy. As time progresses, the incidents become worse until Lucky's family decides to take him away from school and go to stay with his aunt and uncle for an extended vacation. But the bullying is not the only reason they want him to take some time off. He also started a school project about suicide which upset school officials enough call in his parents and make a request of them to send him to counseling. Lucky, is having no luck at the current moment. But the trip to somewhere new just might open his eyes about life and how to deal with his life when he goes home.

This book does an excellent job of getting inside the head of a victim of bullying. Although tackling an very touchy subject, the book is also humorous enough to take the edge off and allow the reader to enjoy the story. Many books of this nature go for the overly serious approach which turns a lot of readers off of the subject. The author's way of presenting the issue is sure to draw in more readers and also allow for more types of readers to understand the mind of a teen who is bullied.

The book does contain some strong language at times and there are also some sexual references but I don't think anything that a high school students can't handle. Because the content varies from episode to episode, the book may be difficult for some readers to follow. However I found these transitions necessary to maximize the value of this book. This is a great contender for the Abe Lincoln Award.

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Out of Reach Review

Out of Reach by Carrie Arcos
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rachel's brother is missing and she has taken it upon herself to be the one to find him. The only problem is that her brother Micah is a meth addict and probably doesn't want to be found. Along with his friend Tyler, a friend of Micah's, Rachel dives into the dark world of drug addicts and street people. But her search leads her closer to closure than the possible finding of her brother.

The author examines what life is like for the family members of a meth addict. By giving a private view into the mind of Micah's sister, the reader can really understand the conflicting emotions of bouncing back and forth between hope that your loved one will recover and giving up on them completely. The reading transitions through reflections of the past and the current time, which doesn't work well in many books but this one does it seemlessly. Through Rachel's reflections the reader obtains a clear view of what life was like before and her relationship with her brother. Though Rachel is viewed as the "perfect kid" she has no problem exposing her own flaws for the reader to see. This is an all encompassing book and a great read if you want a realistic account of what life is like for the family of a drug addict.

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The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz Review

The Man Who Broke Into Auschwitz: A True Story of World War II by Denis Avey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a fascinating story that had my attention from the very beginning. The true story of one soldier who did what he could to try to make the life of another human being better, just because he felt someone must bear witness to the atrocities that went on in Auschwitz. The one thing I really enjoyed was the honest way Denis shares his experience as only a person can 70 years after going through this horrible ordeal.

Denis tells his story from the very beginning of his military career so don’t expect to jump straight into Auschwitz. But the background story is essential to everything he shares. You really get a sense by the end of the book that you know Denis. He could be a family member or a friend. His story is one the experiences which most people don’t share during their time in the military, and it is one of survival and hope. No matter what he faced, he never gave in completely to the despair around him which is the true sense of what kept him alive. You can feel the emotion pouring out of the pages which rocks you to the core. No one can walk away from this book unchanged. I only wish it hadn’t taken so long to get Denis’s story out to the public.

This is for more advanced readers and though it is a great story, I am leery to recommend it to anyone lower than high school age. Of course the content is something most have been exposed to by this age, but I do know the first-hand account was, at times, even difficult for me to continue. You must also remember this is the story from an older gentleman who, at times, does get a little off-track so you must be patient and you will be rewarded.


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The Death Cure Review

The Death Cure by James Dashner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Thomas has made it to the next stage in the game. Even though he has survived the Maze and the Scorch, he still has no more answers as to the part he really played in the making of the Maze. However he does remember more than WICKED thinks and every memory will help him survive the final stage.

Thomas and his friends must make some very difficult decision including when to let go when you know there is no hope, and discoving who to trust when you don't feel you can trust anyone. Through it all Thomas will find a way to get to the truth. He will find himself changed and more of a man than he ever thought he would live to become. With the help of his friends, Thomas will get the answers and maybe save the world in the process.

I have to say this is the most violent of the Maze Runner series but other than that it was an awesome read. You can see many of the characters mature as the story progresses and you feel tied to the characters, almost so much that you hate to see it end. This is a great ending to a very memorable series and I look forward to reading more of Dashner's work.

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The Shade of the Moon Review

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really thought this series would be over since Miranda decided to end her journaling in the last book. So this book was a very big and welcome suprise for me. I was happy to see that Jon took over the accounts in this book because you really didn't hear much of his point of view up until now.

Basically Jon makes it to the enclave. A saftey point for those who have a pass to get in. But life in the enclave is anything but perfect. Now his life is riddled with being part of the elite or "clavers" while the rest of his family are considered "grubs". Jon is torn between wanting to enjoy the new life he has been give but the guilt that goes along with how he came to be there in the first place. Tensions rise between the two groups and Jon has to analyze what side of the line he stands on and where he belongs. It is far from a perfect world.

A great continuation to a fantastic series. I would love to see more of how this plays out. This is for fans of dystopian of any age. The best part about this series is how the author alternates between male and female protagonists making the appeal even better for all readers.

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