The Curious Incident

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Haddon, Mark.  The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.  New York: Random House, 2003. Print.  ISBN: 1-4000-3271-7. $12.95. 226 pages.

Awards:

2003 - Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize

2003 - Whitbread Book Awards for Best Novel and Book of the Year

2004 - Commonwealth Writer’s Prize for Best First Book

Annotation:

Christopher is clever, in fact he might even be a genius, but he hates being touched and doesn’t understand people and their emotions, so how can he uncover the mystery of the dead dog next door? This is one of the most unique and powerful books I have ever read and it should be in every library, because it is an incredible story about a boy with autism and how he makes his way through life.

Book Talk Technique: The Book Whisper

 

Christopher is amazing at math and he can list off the names of all the countries in the world, but he cannot understand why his mother’s death doesn’t make him cry or why someone would stab the dog next door with a fork.  Through drawings and his analytical skills, Christopher sets out to uncover The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.  

 Book Talk Technique: The Index Card Trick

• Mathematics
• Prime Numbers
• Autism
• Asperger’s Disease
• Murder
• Animals
• Death
• Mothers
• Fathers
• Mystery
• Discovery
• Genius

Find the Kindle version of the book here.

Find the NOOK version here.

Mark Haddon talks about the book here.

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The Coldest Winter Ever

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Le Souljah, Sister. The Coldest Winter Ever. New York: Pocket Books, 2006. Print.
ISBN: 9781416521693. $7.99. 545 pages.

Annotation-

Winter Santiago is gorgeous, smart, and privileged. Her father is a drug lord, her mom was shot in the face, and money drives everything Winter does. When her father goes to prison and her family is torn apart, Winter must learn to survive without money and material things.

The Index Card Trick

• Inner Cities
• Brooklyn, New York
• Drug Lords
• Sex
• Violence
• Materialism
• Guns
• Murder
• Anger
• Prison
• Wealth
• Family
• African American Women

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Find the Kindle version here.

The Hunger Games

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Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games.  New York: Scholastic, 2008.  Print.  ISBN: 0439023483.  $17.99. 387 pages.

Awards:

Publisher's Weekly Best Books of the Year 2008

California Young Reader Medal 2011

ALA Top 10 Best Books for Young Adults

New York Times Notable Children's Book of 2008

Kirkus Best Young Adult Book 2008

2008 Cybil Award – Fantasy and Science Fiction

School Library Journal Best Books of 2008

 

Annotation:  In Panem, every year twenty-four tributes are chosen to fight to death in an arena made by the dominating capitol and this year Katniss Everdeen will learn just how strong she really is by going into the arena with a mission of coming back out alive.  The Hunger Games is one of my favorite books this year and readers will love Katniss and her fighting personality.

Booktalk Technique: Wrap Back to the Title

What would it feel like to have your life determined by random drawing? War and famine have led the people of Panem to be divided into 12 districts.  Each year, one boy and one girl from each district are chosen at random from a drawing to take part in the Hunger Games. Imagine being forced to watch boys and girls battle to the death, leaving only one survivor. This year, 16 year old Katniss Everdeen is the female champion from District 12 and must compete for her life.  Can she survive The Hunger Games?

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Find the Kindle version here.

The Hunger Games is the first book in a trilogy about Katniss and Panem.  The other books in the series are Catching Fire and Mockingjay.

Read more about the series on Suzanne Collins website. 

Watch the book trailer

 

The film version of The Hunger Games was released in 2012 to great success. 

 Watch the film preview.

 

Monster

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Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. New York, HarperCollins (1999). Print. ISBN: 9780064407311. $7.99. 281 pages.

 

Awards:

Printz Award (2000)
Coretta Scott King Honor (Author, 2000)
South Carolina Junior Book Award Nominee (2002-2003)
National Book Award finalist (Young People's Literature, 1999)
Edgar Award Nominee (Young Adult, 2000)
ALA Best Books for Young Adults (2000)
A Horn Book Fanfare Best Book (2000)
BCCB Blue Ribbon Book (1999)
ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults (2006)
Iowa Teen Award Nominee (2001-2002)
ALA Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2000)
ALA Outstanding Books for the College Bound (2004)
Abraham Lincoln Illinois High School Book Award Nominee (2005)

Review:

Walter Dean Myers creates a unique perspective of a young boy in trouble in his book Monster.  Steve Harmon is a sixteen-year-old, African-American boy on trial for a felony murder that he did not commit. The story is told from Steve’s point of view through his writing of screenplay to share with the world.  Steve uses the screenplay to not only speak to his current stresses and fears as he sits in jail awaiting his sentencing, but also to tell his history and the events that led up to his current predicament.  Steve's lawyer does not believe he has much of a chance, and Steve's time in jail allows him an abundance of time to reflect on who he is and what he wants for his future.

Myers clever writing style provides readers with an intriguing and powerful look into the serious issues of peer pressure, racism and profiling.  I would recommend this book to any reader from 6th grade up through adulthood.  The novel is intended for a young adult audience and should be shelved within that section of a library.  Though the main character is male and African American, the story speaks to audiences of any race and gender, as racism and peer pressure affect everyone and the more awareness that surrounds the issues the better.

 

Watch this review of the book