Reader's Corner

Book Summary

Noah and Abbey's father is in jail for sinking a casino boat that he claims has been dumping raw sewage into the waters near their home in the Florida keys. He has no proof, the owner of the boat denies it, and everyone in town thinks he's a crackpot. Their mother is going to divorce him unless he shapes up and gets his anger and impulsive behavior under control. So it's up to Noah and Abbey to prove that their father was right.

But with everyone mad at their father, hired goons guarding the refloated boat, members of local law enforcement paid off by the owner, and the owner's son beating up on Noah, getting that proof looks well-nigh impossible. That is, until Noah comes up with a plan that involves a tattooed barmaid, a stolen motorboat, and thirty-four bottles of fuschia food coloring.


There are so many wonderful book that will enhance your learning about the people and places in our studies this year. If you love to read, any of these books will be a real treat for you and they could also be an alternate assignment or extra credit. Be sure to ask me about it.
Journey to Jo'burg by Beverley Naidoo	South Africa-Fiction, 75pages This is a quick and easy read that gives you insight into living inside the system of apartheid of South Africa. It's good.
Year of No Rain by Alice Mead	East Africa-Fiction, 130 pages We will be reading this book in class while learning about Sudan, the "Lost Boys" and the atrocities now taking place in Darfur. It is a quick read and my students loved it.
Cry, the Beloved Country, by Alan Paton	South Africa-Fiction, 277 pages "The greatest novel to emerge out of the tragedy of South Africa, and one of the best noels of our time." New Republic " A beautiful novel, rich firm and moving...its writing is so fresh, its projection of character so immediate and full, its events so compelling and its understanding so compassionate, that to read the book is to share intimately...the grave human experience of apartheid."--The New York Times I love this book. It is one of these books that sticks with you.
Kaffir Boy, by Mark Mathabane	South Africa The true story of a black youth coming of age in apartheid South Africa. Africa Studies Autobiography
Red Scarf Girl, by Ji Li Juang	China-Historical Fiction, 272 pages. A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution. "Ji-Li's deeply moving story should be on the shelf of every person's library. Her courage in the face of adversity and her steadfast loyalty and love for her family are truly inspirational for young and old alike." --Nien Cheng Reading this book in class is one of the highlights of the year. Everyone loves and it generates lots of conversation. It gives students insights into the Chinese culture of yester years that is still playing out today. This book is offered to students for "extra credit" in the form of an interactive book study and reaction essay. See me for details.
Falling Leaves, by Adeline yen Mah	China-Biography, 274 pages The Memoir of an Unwanted Chinese Daughter. A compelling, painful, and ultimately triumphant story of a girl's journey into adulthood, Adeline's story is a testament to the most basic of human needs: acceptance, love, and understanding.
When My Name was Keoko, by Linda Sue Park Check out other books about Asian countries by this Newberry Medal winning author.	Korea-Fiction, 195 pages Sun-hee, her older brother, Tai-yul, and their family are proud of their Korean heritage. But it is 1940, and they live under Japanese occupation. All students must read and write in Japanese, and no one can fly the Korean flag. Hardest of all is when the Japanese emperor forces all Koreans to take Japanese names. Sun-hee and Tai-yul become Keoko and Nobuo. During World War II, Korea is torn apart by the Japanese invaders. Everyone must help with war preparations, but although people have Japanese names, it doesn't mean they are willing to defend Japan. Tae-yul is about to risk his life to help his family, while Sun-hee stays home guarding life and death secrets. Who know whether they will ever meet again? This book is offered to students for "extra credit" as a interactive book study. Everyone who took on this project was glad they did. See me for details.
Hiroshima, by Laurence Yep	Japan-Fiction, 52 pages "In quiet, simple prose, Yep tells what happens when the atomic bomb is dropped on Hiroshima in 1945....Fifty years later, the event is still the focus of furious controversy...and this novella will start classroom discussion across the curriculum." --Booklist, starred review This is a quick read.
Across the Nightingale Floor: Tales of the Otori, Book One by Lian Hearn	Japan-Fiction, 287 pages In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. "A rousingly muscular adventure, replete with shadowy assassins, fluttering battle flags, and doomed love."--Kirkus Reviews During my study tour to Japan I walked on the "Nightingale Floor" and what a thrill it was. It truly sings like the birds as you walk on it. Very cool! This is the first of a three book series that hooks the readers from the first pages. The title of book two is Grass for His Pillow and book three is Brilliance of the Moon.
I am David, by Anne Holm	Eastern Europe-Fiction 239 pages David's entire twelve-year life has been spent in a grisly concentration camp in Eastern Europe. He knows nothing of the outside world, But when he is given a chance to escape, he seizes it. Sensing his enemies hot on his heels, David struggles to cope in this strange new world, where his only resources are a compass, a few crumbs of bread, his two aching feet, and some vague advice to seek refuge in Denmark. Is that enough to survive? This inspiring story was made into a major motion picture which we will be viewing in class. But don't let that stop you from reading the book. After all, the book is always better than the movie.
Rabbit-Proof Fence, by Doris Pilkington	Australia-Non-Fiction, 133 pages The true story of one of the greatest escapes of all time. Following an Australian government edict in 1931, clack aboriginal children and children of mixed marriages were gathered up by whites and taken to settlements to be assimilated. This story traces the captivating story of three young girls uprooted from their community in Southwestern Australia and taken to the Moore River Settlement. At the settlement the girls are forbidden to speak their native language, forced to abandon their aboriginal heritage, and taught to be culturally white. After regular stays in solitary confinement, the three girls-scared and homesick-planned and executed a daring escape from the camp to find their way home. As a class, we will watch the movie inspired by this book, but don't let that stop you from reading this thrilling and heartwarming story about an important part of Australia's history.
Longitude, by Dava Sobel	Non-Fiction, 175 pages This book is full of gems for anyone interested in history, geography, astronomy, navigation, clock making, and--not the least--plain old human ambition and greed.--The Philadelphia Inquirer The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time. During the great ages of exploration, "the longitude problem" was the gravest of scientific challenges. Lacking the ability to determine their longitude, sailors were literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Ships ran aground on rocky shores; those traveling well-known routes were easy prey to pirates. John Harrison dared to imagine a mechanical solution--a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had been able to do on land. And the race was on...
The Map that Changed the World, by Simon Winchester	Non-Fiction, 301 pages William Smith, the orphaned son of an English country blacksmith, became obsessed with creating the world's first geological map and ultimately became the father of modern geology. This book is, at its foundation, a very human tale of endurance and achievement, of one man's dedication in the face of ruin and homelessness. The world's coal and oil industry, its good mining, its highway systems, and its railroad routes were all derived entirely from the creation of Smith's first map. Wow! What an accomplishment.
The Devil's Arithmetic, by Jane Yolen	The Historical Fiction Hanna doesn't want to attend the traditional Passover ceremony with her relatives. Her relative always tell the same stories over and over and she is tried of hear them. But, as she symbolically opens the front door to welcome in the prophet Elijah, she finds herself transported to a Polish village in the year 1942. Only Hanna knows the unspeakable horrors that awaits
Number the Stars, by Lois Lawrey	Denmark, Fiction, 133 pages A story of Denmark and the Danish people whose resistance was so effective in saving their Jews. It's 1943, and their life in Copenhagen is filled with school, food shortages, and Nazis soldiers marching in their town. The Nazis won't stop. The Jew of Denmark are being relocated and ten year old Ellen moves in with the Johansen's pretending to be a member of the family. This is a real page turner.
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman	National Bestseller, non-fiction, 469 pages The world is flattening which requires us to run faster in order to stay in place. Has the world gotten too small and too fast for human beings and their political systems to adjust in a stable manner? The World Is Flat is a timely and essential update o globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalist, Thomas Friedman.
Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman	Non-fiction, 412 pages America has a problem and the world has a problem. America's problem is that it has lost its way in recent years--partly because of 9/11 and partly because of the bad habits that we have let build up over the last three decades, bad habits that have weakened our society's ability and willingness to take on big challenges. The world also has a problem: It is getting hot, flat, and crowded. That is global warming, the stunning rise of middle classes all over the world, and rapid population growth have converged in a way that could make our planet dangerously unstable. The best way for America to solve its big problems--the best way for America to get its "groove" back--is for us to take the lead in solving the world's big problem.
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck	Historical non-fiction; The classic novel of pre-revolutionary China, 357 pages The Good Earth is a graphic view of China when the last emperor reigned and tells of a time of sweeping changes that occurred in the lives of the Chinese people.
An Ordinary Man by Paul Rusesabagina	Autobiography, set in Rwanda Africa, 204 pages As the son of a Hutu father and a Tutsi mother in Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina describes what it was like to grow up on a small farm in a country continually plagued by racial and political unrest. He takes us inside the hotel that he managed for those terrible one hundred days in April 1994 that became the inspiration for the film Hotel Rwanda. Inspiring.
Three cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Reln	Historical non-fiction, set in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 331 pages Laced with drama, danger, romance, and good deeds, Morteson's story serves as a reminder of the power of a good idea and the strength inherent in one person's passionate determination to persevere against enormous obstacles. This thrilling story is proof that one ordinary person, with the right combination of character and determination, really can change the world. Fabulous! This story is an shinning example of leadership in action and a must read.
Wild Swans, The Daughters of China by Jung Chang	Historical non-fiction, set in China, 508 pages This real-life saga of a Chinese family over three generations. Chang describes the life of her grandmother, a warlord's concubine; her mother's struggles as a young idealistic Communist; and her parents' experience as members of he Communist elite and their ordeal during the Cultural Revolution. I loved this book. For the advanced reader and history lover.
Mao, The Unknown Story by Jung Chang	Historical non-fiction, set in China, 616 pages The biography of the Chinese leader based on a decade of research, and on interviews with many of Mao's close circle in China who have never talked before. This book is an extremely compelling portrait of Mao that will shock many. Historical detective work...Fascinating for history buffs. For the advanced reader and history lover.
Flush by Carl Hiaasen	Fiction, 263 pages Book Summary Noah and Abbey's father is in jail for sinking a casino boat that he claims has been dumping raw sewage into the waters near their home in the Florida keys. He has no proof, the owner of the boat denies it, and everyone in town thinks he's a crackpot ... More Noah and Abbey's father is in jail for sinking a casino boat that he claims has been dumping raw sewage into the waters near their home in the Florida keys. He has no proof, the owner of the boat denies it, and everyone in town thinks he's a crackpot. Their mother is going to divorce him unless he shapes up and gets his anger and impulsive behavior under control. So it's up to Noah and Abbey to prove that their father was right. But with everyone mad at their father, hired goons guarding the refloated boat, members of local law enforcement paid off by the owner, and the owner's son beating up on Noah, getting that proof looks well-nigh impossible. That is, until Noah comes up with a plan that involves a tattooed barmaid, a stolen motorboat, and thirty-four bottles of fuschia food coloring.