Anthem by Ayn Rand

Written in 1938, Ayn Rand's Anthem is a short novel about the drive for a person to be themselves instead of being one of the herd. 

Blurb from Goodreads: "In Anthem, Rand examines a frightening future in which individuals have no name, no independence, and no values. Equality 7-2521 lives in the dark ages of the future where all decisions are made by committee, all people live in collectives, and all traces of individualism have been wiped out. Despite such a restrictive environment, the spark of individual thought and freedom still burns in him--a passion which he has been taught to call sinful. In a purely egalitarian world, Equality 7-2521 dares to stand apart from the herd--to think and choose for himself, to discover electricity, and to love the woman of his choice. Now he has been marked for death for committing the ultimate sin. In a world where the great "we" reign supreme, he has rediscovered the lost and holy word- 'I."'

At times I found this story confusing as everyone is referred to in the plural from form of us, we, they, them. There is no you or I. People have numbers not names, and Equality 7-2521 struggles to fit into his society. He doesn't want to be a street sweeper, and when he discovers electricity, he is marked for death as he does not have permission to invent. 

When reading this novel, I could see the seeds of Lois Lowry's The Giver, and I wondered if she got the idea from this little book. The worlds and story are different, but the themes are similar. I listened to the audio version of the book and the narration was good. 

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We are in need of Spanish books at this time, especially board books. We can always use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the book you donate. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Invisible Lines by Mary Amato and Illustrated by Antonio Caparo

Invisible Lines is the third book I've read by Mary Amato. The first was The Naked Mole Rat Letters, and the second was The Word Eater. I have enjoyed all three of these books, so Mary Amato makes it onto my trusted author list meaning I'll read more by her.

Invisible Lines was published in 2009, and Amato weaves Trevor's story in her wonderful story teller way. Trevor is in seventh grade, and he has just moved into a bad part of town in a dump of an apartment with his mom, his two year-old sister, and five year-old brother. His father is in prison, and his mother is trying her best to pay the rent and keep food on the table. Trevor has to tend when he gets home from school, so his mother can work.

What Trevor really wants to do is to play soccer, but the team he wants to play on is too expensive. When another soccer player gets jealous of Trevor's skills, Trevor becomes his victim and is accused of a crime.

Amato weaves Trevor's love of soccer, art, and his ability to learn from his mother into a story that includes a baby found in a dumpster, mushrooms and the ecosystem, friends, bullies, siblings, and growth into this story. I think my own siblings would enjoy this book.

I love the relationships in this story. Trevor's mom was a teen mother who didn't finish high school, yet she is trying hard to make a better life for her children. The characters felt real. The dialog felt real. I cried for the mother trying to muster the courage to go see the school principal as I was a high school drop who didn't finish high school until my oldest child was ten years-old. I knew what Trevor and his mother felt like having him be the child care provider as I was both the child and mother in that situation. I understood the sacrifices they had to make and how worthless they felt when others looked down on them.

This is a many layered story, and to be honest, I'd love to see a sequel to this book. I loved the characters and was sad to see the story end even though it felt complete. I love how the title refers to the invisible lines that connect all of humanity including nature.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein

All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein was published in 1957 and is her first person account of being a young Polish Jew during WWII. 

She is a teen girl when her story begins, and what I liked about this book is that she gives background information as she tells her story. She helps the reader understand what was happening politically and the increasingly restrictive rules that the Jewish population faced. Her story follows her from her home to several work camps and on to a forced death march. I also liked that her story told about what she did after the war. 

She told of working in the factories and trying hard to work fast enough in order to stay safe and alive. She showed that there were kind Germans who did what they could to lighten her burden, but there were others who were horrible. I was so frustrated with Abek, and although he loved her, I felt he put way too much pressure on her. She was very young and was in such a horrible situation. She shouldn't have had to deal with him and the feeling of being trapped by him. 

Her letters to her parents and especially to and from her brother were heartbreaking. I wanted to go rescue them all. No one should have to go through what they went through. The title of the book refers to the fact that the Nazis took all from her but her life. 

Thank you, Gerda, for sharing your story and helping the world see that we must all be a little kinder.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We are in need of Spanish books at this time, especially board books. We can always use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the book you donate. 

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton WIlder

The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder won the Pulitzer Prize in 1927. This slim little book is about five people who were killed in a bridge collapse in Peru. A local monk, Brother Juniper, who witnessed the collapse, wonders why those five, and he sets out to try to discover the reasoning behind why some people live and some people die.

Part of my brain really wanted him to find an answer to this question because as humans when we lose a loved one, we want to know why, but my logical side knows that there is not a reason that we can understand in our lifetime.

I enjoyed this book because Wilder used many words that I didn't know, so every page or so, I had to stop and look up a word. I love books that build my vocabulary. He tells the story in a way that makes you care about the characters. He also makes the reader think - a common trait of Pulitzer winners.

This little 123 page book ends with some of the most beautiful words. "But soon we shall die and all memory of those five will have left the earth, and we ourselves shall be loved for a while and forgotten. But the love will have been enough all those impulses of love return to the love that made them. Even memory is not necessary for love. There is a land of the living and a land of the dead and the bridge is love, the only survival, the only meaning" (123).

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We are in need of Spanish books at this time, especially board books. We can always use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the book you donate. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Trina by Patricia Miles Martin

When ever I read an older book that was written for children, I worry about negative stereotypes. Trina by Patricia Miles Martin was published in 1967, but Martin does well on presenting her Hispanic characters well.

Young Trina lives in a boxcar. Her father works for the railroad, and he is moved around often, so they hook up their box car and go from place to place. Trina has lived in her current town for a while, and longs to stay. She struggles to learn to read English, and her older brother doesn't help. He talks for her because she takes longer to formulate her answers. This makes Trina feel like she has no voice. Her mother insists that they speak Spanish in the home. Her father can understand English, but he can't read or write it.

Trina has high hopes when a new teacher comes, but her brother dashes those hopes by embarrassing her in front of the teacher and every student in the school. Trina and her father come up with a plan to help Trina read and speak English, but it isn't easy, and it takes a lot of work for Trina to progress. Many miscommunications happen in this story, and the children must find their way past them in order to create and maintain friendships.

I thought Martin captured well the frustrations of learning a second language. She also shows the importance of learning about different cultures and making sure that no one is the other.

This book was originally titled Trina's Boxcar and it is currently out of print.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We are in need of Spanish books at this time, especially board books. We can always use both English and Spanish books. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

I read an ARC of Haunting Violet, and I always feel a little weird reviewing an ARC as I know that final edits will be made before printing. This allows me to be a little more lenient.

Haunting Violet is a ghost story that I think will appeal to teen girls. I like ghost stories, so I enjoyed it, and I am way beyond my teen years. Haunting Violet is set in 1872, and Violet's mother is a professed spiritual medium. She is a beautiful woman and a good actress, so she is able to fool everyone. Violet and their young servant Colin, assist with the seances, and while Violet doesn't feel good about lying to people, it is how her mother supports them. Her mother has a terrible temper, so Violet does as she is told.

During a seance, Violet is visited by a ghost, but she doesn't want her mother to know that she really can see and hear ghosts as her mother will make her become a spiritual medium. As the haunting of Violet becomes more severe, she works hard to keep her mother from finding out that she has the gift that her mother pretends to have.

The story is good, as is the suspense. I liked the friendship between Violet and Colin, and between Violet and Elizabeth. Issues of class and gender are brought up and handled well without taking power from Violet.

Some of the real seance scenes were a bit over the top, but I think teen readers will enjoy them. As a person who believes in and has seen spirits, I wanted it to be more like my own experiences.

I like the resolution of the story and felt the pacing of the book was right on. This book also has a cool cover that will appeal to the intended audience.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Prodigy book 2 of the Legend series by Marie Lu

Prodigy is book two of the Legend series by Marie Lu. I read the first book several years ago for brown bag and book at my school, but I was able to jump right into this one and remember what was going on.

Marie Lu writes a memorable story, and because she writes well, I remembered a lot of the story from the first book. I enjoyed Legend, but I liked Prodigy even more. The story takes place in the future and the United States has crumbled. Some want to put the country back together and recreate a democracy, and others want to keep the totalitarian government.

This books picks up right where Legend leaves off. In Legend, the reader understood who was good and who was bad. Things aren't so simple in Prodigy. The story digs deeper, and Day and June struggle to figure out which side they should fight for. The politics are a bit more complicated, and the love interests multiply.

This story alternates from Day's and June's points of view just like in Legend. Day is trying to find his little brother, while he and June go to work for the Patriots. Their characters developed even more and the action is fast paced.

I have already put the third book, Champion on my wish list.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Al Capone at Alcatraz Series by Gennifer Choldenko

I have read the first three books of this series by Gennifer Choldenko. I love historical fiction, and Choldenko has just the right balance of mystery, history, humor, and tension in this series. The fourth book is set to come out in the fall of 2017, so right away, and I will certainly add it to my collection.

I read the first book Al Capone Does my Shirts several years ago. Published in 2004, this Newbery Honor book tells the story of Moose Flanagan, a young boy whose father is an electrician on Alcatraz, and he and his family live on the island. Piper Williams, the warden's daughter, is quite the schemer, and may end up in a cell if she isn't careful. Moose also had a sister, Natalie, who I would guess has some form of autism and isn't accepted by society during the time period of 1935.

The story involves baseball, con men, inmates, and of course Al Capone.

The second book is called Al Capone Shines My Shoes, and continues Moose Flanagan's story. We see his relationship with his friends further develop, and his like/hate relationship with Piper also continues. Moose connects with Al Capone, and Al Capone needs a favor from Moose.

In the third book, Al Capone Does My Homework, Moose's dad has been promoted to associate warden, and all sorts of trouble breaks loose. His father now has a price on his head, and after a fire in their apartment, Natalie is blamed and shunned by some on the island. Moose and his friends try to solve the mystery before anyone gets hurt.

This series can be enjoyed by both boys and girls. If they enjoy history, especially prison system history, this book will get them doing further research. The characters are likable and grow over the course of the series. Choldenko presents Natalie in a realistic and positive manner. This is a fun historical fiction series.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

In Honor of Liam Heintz's Second Birthday

Last week, I received seven books from our Amazon book registry for babies in the NICU. All of these books were sent in memory of Liam Heintz. I didn't get to meet Liam, but he was one of our precious NICU babies who became an angel.

What I do know about Liam is that he is loved and that he was wanted from the moment his parents knew of his existence. I know that Liam's parents were delighted when they felt his movements and saw his heart beating on the ultra sound. As a parent who has lost a set of twins, I know they dreamed and planned for the baby, child, and man he would become.

Sometimes our hopes and dreams get changed, and like Liam's parents, I look forward to that great day when I will embrace my babies and they will once again hold Liam in their arms.

Liam has many people who love him, so his sweet parents held a birthday party to honor his second birthday and asked people to bring books for the NICU to celebrate his time on earth. Guests brought a whole stack of books that will be on their way to us soon. I'll show pictures when they get here.

To Liam's parents: I want you to know that each gift of books brings me to tears as I get see the love that your baby boy brought into the world. Many books were donated on behalf of Liam several months ago, but I didn't know Liam's name then. I was gladdened to see this batch come with his name.

Each of the books that are donated in his name will contain the following bookplate, and each packet we give will only contain one of his books along with four others, so that many may receive a share of the love that surrounds Liam. When we get the box of books that were brought to the party, each of those books will also receive this book plate:

These are the books that came last week from people who love Liam and his family. I can already hear the children saying, "Again, again. Read it again." I memorized Where the Wild Things Are when my now 27 year-old was little. She would turn the pages in her car seat as I recited the book while I drove. She snuggled that book in bed at night like it was a Teddy bear.

These books will become keepsakes for the babies who receive them. Thank you to Liam's friends and family who have given the gift of reading and storytime to others.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the books you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan is the first book in The Heroes of Olympus Series. I listened to the first two books and will definitely be listening to or reading the rest of this series. 

Rick Riordan writes books that kids enjoy reading. The stories are fast paced, the chapters are short, the text size is larger, and the there is more white space on each page, so even though these books are thick, they are not intimidating to students who struggle with reading. 

The Lost Hero follows a new Hero, Jason who has lost his memory. He ends up at Camp Half-Blood with two other Heroes: Piper and Leo who will accompany Jason on a quest to save Hera. As in the Percy Jackson series, Riordan does a wonderful job of teaching about Greek and Roman mythology in a way that is incredibly fun. He also writes characters who know what it takes to be a good friend. 

My grandson, Isaac, loves these books and has read all of them. He's been after me to get them read, so I am. I called him after finishing the first book because of the Jack London reference in it. The wolf house in the story is located on Jack London's abandoned estate, so I was able to talk to Isaac about The Call of the Wild, and White Fang - both excellent classic books. 

The Son of Neptune is book two in the series, and it follows Percy Jackson, who has also lost his memory and has landed in the Roman half-blood camp. He meets Hazel, a girl who is no longer in her correct time period and has many secrets and Frank who feels he is too much of a klutz to ever be a good hero. Together they will go on a quest to keep the earth goddess from awakening. Riordan uses humor and an exciting story line to keep his readers turning pages. 

Rick Riordan, I hope you have a very long writing career because you do a lot to get and keep kids reading. Thank you. 

The covers of this series are gorgeous. 

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Dear Santa by Rod Campbell

Dear Santa by Rod Campbell was published in 2004, and it you love his book Dear Zoo, you will love this darling Christmas book. You still have time to get it before Christmas.

The story begins with a child writing a letter to Santa asking for something special. Santa wraps several different presents, and your child gets to lift the flaps on each present to see what is inside. Santa decides against each present until he gets to the very special last present.

This little board book captures the Christmas morning excitement of opening presents, and each gift gives you something to talk about with your child as you see why Santa decides against it. If you are looking for a cute Christmas book for the littles in your life, this is a great choice.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit so their parents can read to them while they grow. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We can always use both English and Spanish books. If you have a graduate of the NICU, or if you have a baby whose life you would like to honor by donating books to this project, let me know, and I can make a book plate with their name for the book you donate.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes

If you've been following my blog, you know that I love Keven Henkes' picture books. Some of his picture books are wonderful for children of three, four, five, six, and up, but he has also written books for babies.

If your baby or toddler loves animals - specifically cats, they will love the little kitten in Kitten's First Full Moon. Published in 2004, this storybook tells about a little kitten that thinks the full moon is a saucer of milk and tries without any luck to drink the moon.

The black and white pictures with heavy black outline are perfect for baby's eyes that are learning to focus, and this sweet story shows a kitten learning about his own world. This book won the Caldecott medal. You can be assured that if you purchase a Kevin Henkes' picture book for your child, you they will love it.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. We are in need of Spanish books at this time, especially board books. We can always use both English and Spanish books. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson

The Impossible Knife of Memory by Laurie Halse Anderson was published in 2014 and tells the story of a teen girl struggling to deal with her father's fight with PTSD from serving in the war in the Middle East.

The story is told from Hayley's point of view, who for the first time in five years is going to public school after being home schooled by her father while he drove truck. Her father was injured by an IED, so he has been discharged from the military after serving several tours. A couple of chapters are memories told from her father's point of view and help give the reader a sense of what haunts him.

As the story progresses, we learn that Hayley is probably suffering from PTSD as well, or at least a horrible case of anxiety.

I loved the strength and vulnerability that Hayley displays in the story. She is strong, yet she also needs help from others and is not an island unto herself. Although she thinks that the friends she has made since moving back into her grandmother's old house have perfect lives, she discovers that everyone has problems to deal with, and appearances are seldom what they seem. I loved the friendships in this story and how realistic they seemed. I also liked the way the school staff was portrayed.

I wish this book would have a longer conclusion, as I wanted to see the process Hayley, her family, and friends went through to get to where they got. However, the ending didn't leave me hanging and gave a sense of closure, so I was okay with it. This book may have seemed too short because I was enjoying it so much, and I really liked the characters.

Laurie Halse Anderson is one of my go to writers for realistic and historical fiction. My students enjoy her books as much as I do.

Link to our NICU book registry if you'd like to donate books to babies in the newborn intensive care unit. You can also donate gently used books to our project by sending them to me or to Angie. Email me for a mailing address. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you.