The Great American Dust Bowl

The Great American Dust Bowl

Don Brown

ISBN:  9780547815503

This is the second title I have read for the 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominees.  Continuing down the list in alphabetically order, this is the next title.  I was actually pleased to have a nonfiction title (and more of a picture book) after reading a full chapter book.  It also gave me a better idea about the diversity of titles that are included each year on the nomination list.

Summary

The biggest storm of the Dust Bowl happened on April 14, 1935.  But, as Brown points out, the events that led to the Dust Bowl started far earlier.  The text, reading in an almost graphic novel format, presents a summary of the events leading up the Dust Bowl, from the shifting of the earth’s plates, through World War I, and on into the series of droughts and dusters that shaped the Dust Bowl.

What I Liked

As a nonfiction title, this book obviously presented a lot of facts.  I liked that the author presented the facts as simply as possible, but also in ways that are understandable to the reader.  For example, Brown describes the duster of May 1934 as filled with enough dust to fill 1500 modern supertankers.  Not only does the reader suddenly understand the vast amount of dust described, the simple visuals accompanying the text reinforce the points.  Overall, the book presents much factual information in a concise, understandable format.  Further, Brown hooks the reader from the very first sentence of the book.  The word choice immediately intrigues the reader and encourages you to read further.

What I Didn’t Like

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  However, I felt that the illustrations could have done more to support the text, at least as it relates to the families depicted.  On their own, the illustrations do a wonderful job of depicting the terror and hardship of the dust storms.  However, since the author chose to use a graphic format with the characters periodically adding their own thoughts to the narration, I would have liked to see perhaps a bit more character development throughout the story.  For instance, having the same family describe the impact of the Dust Bowl on their farm to allow the reader to form a stronger connection.  Overall, though, the way the author presents information does not detract from the text or the overall goal of the book, and the comments that are provided are beneficial for providing more personal context to the historical events described.

Overall Feeling

I enjoyed reading this book.  As a nonfiction title, it presents a lot of information without being overwhelming, and yet there is no doubt as to the historical accuracy and the amount of research that the author put into the work.  I think this book provides a great factual overview to the topic, and includes a surprising amount of information for its relatively short format.  I would recommend it not only as an interesting read, but also as a very useful resource in understanding this period in American history.

The Night Gardener

The Night Gardener

Jonathan Auxier

ISBN:  9781419711442

This year, I have decided to read all of the nominees for the Texas Bluebonnet Award.  I’m curious as to what types of books are nominated each year, and I want to be able to make appropriate recommendations to parents and children who are interested in reading the necessary five books to vote.  I decided the easiest way to start was at the top of the list, which happens to be arranged alphabetically by author, and so this was my first read.

Summary

Kip and Molly are down-on-their-luck Irish orphans looking for a job, and more importantly, a warm bed and a hot meal.  Against the recommendation of everyone the come across, Molly has obtained employment as a housemaid for the Windsor family in their home in the sourwoods.  However, when they arrive, the mistress of the house tries to turn them away, telling them that it is no place for them.  Molly is insistent, however, and Mistress Windsor begrudgingly allows them to stay.  Molly and Kip soon realize that something is wrong with this family – the master and mistress, as well as their two children, seem to lose their color a little more each day.  At night, the sound of footsteps haunts the halls and no one is able to rest peacefully.  After exploring the house, Molly learns of the tree that it is built around – a magical tree that will grant the wishes of your heart.  In exchange, however, the tree demands a drop of receiver’s soul.  As Molly and Kip slowly watch the Windsor family fade, they realize that they must save themselves – and the family – from the horrible Night Gardener who tends the tree with the sweat of fear from their nightmares.  Are two children strong enough to break this curse?

What I Liked

This book undoubtedly has a powerful message about greed and lust.  Although it is not apparent at first, the further you get into the story, the more you begin to realize the consequences of selfish decisions and thinking only of yourself.  I also enjoyed that the characters’ struggles with right and wrong (and selfishness) were realistic.  The reader can identify that sometimes it is hard to turn away from what you most want in the world.  Auxier does a great job of making the struggle dynamic and realistic – and helping his character’s realize their own motivations and truest desires throughout the struggle.

What I Didn’t Like

First of all, I found this book the be very dark and disturbing.  While it was advertised as reminiscent of Washington Irving and Edgar Allen Poe, I expected a tamer version given the younger audiences.  However, that is not the case in this book.  The descriptions are vivid and often brutal – the snapping of bones, dripping of blood, and other elements are not disguised at all in the text.  I also found the context to be poorly explained.  Molly and Kip are Irish, and often revert to phrases common to their Irish brogue, yet most children would not recognize this phrasing or understand its use.  The fact that these are Irish children seeking work in England is important to understanding their situation, and yet it is not clearly explained to the reader.  Without some background knowledge of history, these elements are lost.

Overall Feeling

Overall, I am not a fan of fantasy or darker imagery, and I was not impressed with this book.  I found it to be too dark and twisted to be enjoyable, and I would personally be wary of recommending it wholeheartedly to children.  To appreciate the struggle of the plot, the reader must have a highly developed sense of good and evil and be willing to struggle with that throughout the text.  The vivid descriptions, as well as mature subject matter, make me wary of recommending the book to a younger audience.  Still, the message is worthwhile if you can look beyond the creepiness and darkness.  Overall, I would recommend this book for older readers who enjoy equal parts fantasy, fairy tale, and ghost story.

Since You’ve Been Gone

Since You’ve Been Gone

Morgan Matson

ISBN:  9781442435001

This is a book that I picked up at the Texas Library Association annual conference.  One of the great things about going to the conference, I discovered, was finding new authors or even new books by some of my favorite authors.  When I was sorting through the books that I picked up and trying to decide what to read first, I settled on this one for no particular reason.  Mostly it seemed like a good summer read on a good topic.  But, I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  Where I initially expected fluff and a quick, “fun” read, I found a novel with real substance.  I loved every minute of reading this book.

Summary

Emily has always been the quiet side of the dynamic duo of Sloane and Emily.  She’s quieter, more in the shadows, and content to just tag along on Sloane’s adventures.  And Sloane has plenty of adventures planned for this summer…until she’s just not there.  Emily can’t imagine a summer without Sloane.  But, Sloane has left something behind – a list of 13 tasks designed to pull Emily out of her comfort zone and into the world.  Emily’s not sure that she’s up for everything on the list, but she knows she has to do something.  Maybe this summer can still be the epic summer it was planned to be after all.

What I Liked

I loved that this book was real.  I could really relate to Emily.  Her struggles to come out of her comfort zone really rang true with me, and I could picture myself (or remember myself) facing similar challenges.  And, Emily didn’t always succeed the way that she wanted to.  The author avoided having the story work out perfectly all the time, because that’s just not realistic.  I also felt that the author really captured the raw emotions associated with losing someone.  It’s easy to think that death is the only way to lose someone, but distance and losing touch and other factors also count as loss.  As someone who’s lost people to a variety of factors, I could really relate with the emotions and complexity that the author portrayed.

What I Didn’t Like

Once again, this turned out to be one of the books that I absolutely loved.  The one thing that I found a little frustrating with this book was the use of the running playlists.  They seemed to be important to the characters and added to the plot, but at the same time, I wasn’t familiar with many of the songs and felt like I was missing some of the subtleties of the plot.  I felt like the playlists should have been better explained or perhaps not as many included in the story.  But, I loved at the end how the playlist was incorporated as part of the story.

Overall Feeling

This was a great book and one that I highly recommend reading.  I felt like this book really spoke to me and that I connected with the characters.  I loved that this book encouraged me to explore my own emotions and look critically at my own responses to situations.  Even though it was a work of fiction, I felt like this story really had a purpose and a message for the readers.  You can enjoy it just as a good story, but I think you do yourself a disservice.  This is a book meant to be enjoyed thoroughly, read repeatedly, and shared.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

John Green

ISBN:  9780142424179

After hearing so many good things about this book (and a good bit of curiosity seeing that they would be making it into a movie), I decided that I had to read this book.  And, I’ve found that recently there have been some really great young adult books on the market that even adults can enjoy.  So, I went out and picked up my copy.  Once I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I literally finished this book in two days. It was one of those books that I enjoyed so much, it felt like my “normal” life was interrupting when I couldn’t read.

Summary

Cancer patient Hazel Lancaster is living with a terminal diagnosis.  Although her therapy has been successful in giving her a few more years, there is no doubt that her case is incurable.  Hazel has come to terms with this, until she meets the fabulous Augustus Waters at her parent-mandated Cancer Kids Support Group.  Suddenly, life isn’t as black and white as it had seemed.  Where Hazel once had everything figured out, she’s now about to discover what a plot twist can be in real life.

What I Liked

I loved that this book was fluid, emotional, and real.  As a narrator, Hazel tells her story exactly the way that I would expect if she were a teenage girl sitting across from me.  There is sarcasm, there is confusion, and there is emotion, but it rarely seems forced.  I also love that this book doesn’t shy away from difficult issues – death and decisions are real in every page.  Not everything is an easy choice, and the good guys don’t always win.  But, the book is more powerful for that.

What I Didn’t Like

Honestly, it’s hard to find something that I didn’t like about this book.  It was well written, had excellent plot development, and addressed issues that many books won’t.  If I had any complaints, it would be that perhaps a few of the supplemental characters, like Kaitlyn, were not really developed in story.  But, being the love story of Hazel and Augustus, that’s also something that I’m willing to overlook.

Overall Feeling

This was one of the best books that I’ve read in a long time.  I love a book that inspires emotion in me, and this book definitely did this. I laughed, and I cried, and I lived every moment of it. I definitely put this book on a must-read list for anyone who appreciates a good love story, or even someone just looking to take a harder look at themselves and life.  It may be a work of fiction, but this book is one of those true gems that inspires us to look in and beyond ourselves.