Matt De La Pena's Mexican WhiteBoy

This book is by far my favorite book that I have read this summer. I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed it so much was because the main character reminds me of my cousin. He is Hispanic and obsessed with baseball. There really isn't a whole lot else that they share in common, but for some reason I kept relating this book to him. This was a very powerful story, and I felt as though I was living in the same neighborhood as these characters and going to the same parties and baseball games as they were. I really want to recommend this book to my cousin, but I am a little wary because of the strong language used in this book. My cousin is only 11, and I am sure his mother would not approve! But, I am definitely going to keep this book in mind for when he is older, I can definitely see him relating to this book and enjoying it just as much as I did. This book seemed so authentic because of the imagery and the Spanish words mixed in with the text. Even though I didn't know what the words meant, I could use context clues to understand what they were talking about.

Paul Volponi's Black and White

This book raises those issues regarding every one's favorite topic, race. I enjoyed the beginning of the book, and how it demonstrated the fact that two friends can overcome the issues of racial differences and stereotypes and be best friends. "Black and white through thick and thin" (page 125). As the book went on, I became depressed to find out that the thing they "overcame" was the exact thing that tore apart their relationship. This books shows the real life challenges that students of different races go through day to day. Students can identify with the characters and are able to find compassion and also anger at times. I felt betrayed when Marcus was betrayed by Eddie. I felt sad when they both realized their friendship was no longer. I was happy when they got the stolen money for the Senior funds (even though they held people at gunpoint to get it!) This book definitely made me question my morals after that! I would use this in the classroom to demonstrate white versus black in today's world. Most of the books and curriculum we have on race is from the 1970's and before. This book would be a great demonstration for racial differences in society for today's world.

Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral

I was wary of this book at first, mainly because the depth of the topic versus the small number of pages. I wasn't sure if a book this short could fully grasp the seriousness of the theme. But, this book did do it justice, and I would recommend it to anyone who has someone with a moderate to severe disability or is interested in the topic. At many times in this book, your morals will be questioned. I was left wondering what I would do in Shawn's father's perspective? Would I want to put my son "out of misery" as he calls it, is he really in pain? How do we know? In reality we don't. In the novel, we know what Shawn thinks, as he is our narrator. We know that his seizures are a time for him to be free, mainly pain free. However, to the outer world, his seizures appear to be a time of intense pain for Shawn. His father wants him to be comfortable, and it makes sense. Thinking in terms of a parent, I would want my child to be comfortable too. But does that mean killing my son? Personally, I don't think I could live with that on my conscious. This book raises many intense questions that one can ponder and may never find an answer. This book would be beneficial in a classroom, discussion would flow and the students will do a lot of self reflecting regarding morals and what is right and wrong.

Patrick Carman's Trackers

I had heard about this series this past Christmas while looking for books to give as a gift to my cousin who is 11. It seemed interesting to me, but I was wary of the Internet portion. I'm not sure why, but it had a negative connotation to it. However, after reading the first book in the series, I would definitely recommend it to my cousin and anyone else who enjoys suspense with a multimedia component. The videos online allow for the readers to put a face to the name, and visualize some of the most suspenseful parts of the book. The videos also helped to fill in some of the questions I had while reading. I also enjoyed the fact that it was based in Seattle, which is where I grew up. I recognized the majority of the street names and towns they talked about. The cover of the book was intriguing as well, the background of the hardcover book is a map with a grid overlaying it. Looking closer, I noticed the map is of central Seattle! I enjoyed pointing out well known streets and finding the corners of businesses and buildings where I have worked in the past. I would definitely recommend this book for my students, I don't think I would teach this book in the classroom, but if I had reluctant readers, I believe this book along with the Internet portion would help spark a passion for reading.