Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Award Winning Books

ALA (The American Library Association) is about to announce (Monday, January 23rd) the very best literature for young people. I am always excited by these announcements and have favorites that I want to see honored. I'll be writing about them next week. In the meantime, here are some more guest reviews of the coming-of-age project from Voorheesville Middle School. Many of the titles are award-winning, too.

Schmidt, Gary. The Wednesday Wars. New York :Clarion Books,2007. Print.

Seventh grade is tough but especially for Holling Hoodhood (that is his real name). The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt is about Holling Hoodhood dealing with his teacher, his religion, and father. The book is set in the late 1960’s (1967-1968) during the Vietnam War. The setting is mostly at his school Camillo High School in Long Island New York. The book tells about Hollings relationship with his teacher Mrs. Baker and how they don’t see eye to eye. They do become good friends. This coming of age book is perfect for kid’s grade 4-8. This is a fast read. I was not a fan of the book, but other people might enjoy it. Gary Schmidt is a creative author and puts creative things in the book. ~Connor

Hinton, S.E. The Outsiders. New York: Dell Publishing, 1967. Print.

Greasers and Socs, poor and wealthy, theses are the characters you will find in S.E. Hinton’s book The Outsiders. If you want an action packed and all around good story than this is your book. Growing up in a rural small town is hard when you are a person like Ponyboy. Ponyboy, Sodapop, Darry, and Johnny are the main characters of the book, who are struggling to fit in. They are faced with many difficult obstacles. Their rivals the Socs, who they despise, and the loss of a gang member add to their conflict.
Ponyboy is the youngest greaser in his gang. With his parents dead, and his two brothers looking after him, he realizes that his rivals, the Socs, are real people too. This book is for anyone interested in an action packed, coming of age book. I thought the book was a great book. S.E. Hinton’s book The Outsiders is the book is the book to read if you have to do a book report or any other school assignment. ~Trevor

Giff, Patricia, Reilly. Pictures of Hollis Woods. New York; Random House of Children’s Books, 2002. Print.

Pictures of Hollis Woods was a heart-breaking, tear jerking book this novel is written by Patricia Reilly Giff. This book had the best description about growing up!

The book takes place in the woods and in people’s houses that Hollis might have to spend her whole life with, but she runs away from them. The time that the book takes place in is not in the past of the future, it is most recent. The whole book is mostly about Hollis. You will go for a ride and see how different her life is from yours. Throughout the book Hollis has to realize she probably won’t be normal. She also has to meet new people. When she runs away from the family she might live with, she realizes her life will not ever be normal. She realizes she won’t have a family that is really related too. She starts to know that she needs to take care of herself, but until she sees clearly her heart will be a blur. So are you up for a lesson on how hard someone’s life is without a stable family. Are you ready to cry for Hollis? Then this book is for you. I personally think the book needs to have more action, but it was definitely great to read for a coming of age novel! ~Jessica

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