Even with all the theory and research I have been reading, I have been seeking out books for my classroom library (and ones to recommend for the school library as well).
Recent books include:
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
I'm on the fence about this book. Frankie came up with some great pranks to be the mastermind about, but it took a long time to get into the story, and I don't know if I ever felt close to Frankie, which was odd when you spend the majority of the story in her head. I'd recommend this book to those who like pranks, private school drama, and are not looking for any real depth to a story.
The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party by M.T. Anderson
I consider myself fairly knowledgable about our country's history, but this fictional story introduced me to the reality of pox parties... People would gather at someone's house, purposely infect themselves with small pox, go into quarantine together and be sick together (an old fashion, deadly vaccination process). I also was challenged to think about how history perceived races, and how our country's ancestors treated their slaves and what it really meant to claim people as property. Anderson sets up a thought provoking contrast as he sets this work at the birth of the American Revolution where the colonists are chafing from their "slavery" to the English as told through the eyes of an American slave. I'm going to seek out Volume II because I want to find out what happens to Octavian Nothing next.
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
This is the sequel to Marr's novel, Wicked Lovely, and continues the story of the characters, both mortal and fey, introduced in the first book. Aislinn, Keenan, and Seth (Summer Court) play smaller roles in this story, as Leslie and the Dark Court take the lead in this story. This story was more character driven then the last, and deals with the dangers of addiction, the traumatic experiences of Leslie, and provides the details for the replacement of the Dark King. Marr has me hooked with this dark fey story line because the fairies in her tales are nothing like Tinker Bell.
Next up on my list to read: finishing Forgotten Fire, then moving onto Cormier's The Chocolate War (a classic that I have been meaning to get to for a while now and somehow have never managed to read yet), Ferguson's The Christopher Killer (has had great reviews),Marr's Fragile Eternity (the third book in Marr's series), and Enright's The Gathering (2007 Man Booker Prize winner).
What are you reading? What should I read?
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