Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Crossover, Kwame Alexander. I cannot say enough about how much I love this book. Beautiful words from start to end. When I finished, I was ready to start all over again. Josh Bell, or Filthy McNasty, as his dad calls him, is the narrator. Through his poetic words, we follow him onto the basketball court, where he takes after his famous dad, "I'm da man, Chuck Bell." His brother, Jordan, and him are close, until Miss Sweet Tea (Alexis), a beautiful girl steals the eye of Jordan, causing a riff that proves tough to repair. When he deliberately lands the ball in his brother's face during a game, he is benched by his mother, who happens to be the assistant principal.

That's as far as I'm going to go. Find the book. Read it. Love it. Treat yourself to a gem.

Saturday, September 19, 2015

How to Speak Dolphin, Ginny Rorby. Four-year old Adam is autistic and proves to be a handful for Lily, his older half-sister who has a hard time making friends because others don't understand him. She cleans up after he makes messes and calms him down in the middle of his unpredictable tirades. Her mom died a couple of years ago and her step-dad, Don, gives her too much responsibility for taking care of him. The story takes place in south west Florida where dolphins are prevalent. And dolphins are exactly what Adam seems to respond to. Nori, a dolphin recovering from cancer, was taken from its own mother and lives in a tank. Don, an oncologist, is called in to help the dolphin and in exchange, Adam gets therapy sessions with Nori. Skipping school one day, for fear of being late once again, Lily meanders to the park, where she meets Zoe, a blind girl her own age. They become friends and set out on a quest to free Nori to her natural habitat. Lily knows it is the right thing to do; yet, she also knows that Adam relates to Nori and  experiences calm. The reader is eager to find out which way her heart will tug her?

This is a touching story of honoring those we have lost and the fear of letting go while finding love and friendship in unexpected places.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Nightingale's Nest, Nikki Loftin. Little John's life is falling apart. His younger sister, Raelynn, died when falling from a tree. Money is tight and what little money dad earns with his tree removal business, is often drunk, away, and leaving no money for the rent. Little John's mom has not been the same since Raelynn's death and he gets no comfort from her. Gayle, the orphan living with the dysfunctional Cutlin family, has a voice that sings in harmony with the birds and heals hurts. Bruises, bumps and  busted limbs are healed with her singing and she is the only one that brings Little John comfort. Mr. King, the richest man in the county, offers to pay Little John $500 to bring Gayle to him so he can record her voice. He does and her voice leaves her. Little John refuses to take the money because of his betrayal, but his dad nabs the money, putting it away for the rent. Little John feels it wrong to keep the money so he takes it and gives it to Gayle, who uses it to fluff the nest she builds high up in a tree. Jeb Cutlin, their cunning neighbor, witnessed the transaction and steals the money from the nest. The eviction notice on the door brings more shame to Little John, as he was trusted to pay the rent. To earn the rent money, Little John must cut down the tree with the nest, that he promised Gayle he would never do in order to keep his family in their home.

This is lovely story about a young boy with the weight of the world on his shoulders and the girl with a voice that heals.