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War is not pretty yet Turner has a way of turning something very gritty and devastating into something more beautiful. Thank you Brian Turner for serving our country and your ability to put your experience in Iraq into words for others to read.

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The heart of this book is about how a lack of self confidence can affect the teenage mind and make a teenager do things that aren't normal. The decisions Biggie makes, oh these things he does around girls. There were times I wanted to shake him and teach him what is appropriate and not. No, Biggie, it is not okay to tell a girl you have hacked into her account and know things about her that she never shared with you. No, Biggie, having 140+ online girls friends that you talk to every night is not ok. But beyond this, I loved Biggie. I loved how he finally was able to let go of the guilt of living in his father's shadow- the infamous, the legend, the man who wanted nothing to do with his own son. He accept that it was okay not to be like his dad, but instead be himself and play baseball because he wants to not because he is the son of a baseball legend. I also loved how his relationship with his brother and step father developed over the course of the book. I can't wait until this book comes out in a few days and I can recommend it to my students. I think there are many that will gravitate towards Biggie's story.

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe by Miranda Kenneally

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Breathe, Annie, Breathe definitely falls under the category of my guilty pleasure books. Looking through my list on Netgalley, I knew I had to read this next. I love reading YA/new adult romance stories and after reading so many books outside my comfort zone in February, this book was a perfect read. Miranda Kenneally knows how to write in a way that hooks the reader in and not stop until you are done. After reading Breathe, Annie, Breathe, I have added several other books from Kenneally to my to-read list. I think this one will be popular among the high school girls.

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I promised myself that I would stretch this year and take on new genres and books that others recommend even if they aren't ones I would normally pick up. This was one of those books. I had such high hopes for The Other Wes Moore as I had heard such great things from a few colleagues. Sadly though, I felt disappointed when I finished the story. I wanted to learn so much more about both Wes's. The author does go into detail about what happened to each of the Wes's but he doesn't really spend time on why they both ended up in opposite places (him successful, the other in jail.) I went into this looking for Wes Moore to compare his life to the other Wes Moore and that depth was lacking.

The one powerful point that this story left me with is that even in today's society there are still so many questions that we have to find answers to about helping our most impoverished youth find support to get an education and have a better future for themselves and their families. Even though I wasn't a big fan, I do have students that will connect with both stories and find them worthwhile so this is going to the top of my book-talking list for next week.

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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker

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The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Phillip Sendker

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I read this for my book club in April. If you are looking for a story about family, friendships, and finding true love, you can find this at the Fremont Public Library.

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I have always been a fan of Knowles' writing, but this by far was my favorite. At first I was a bit confused by the amount of characters and how they were going to connect throughout the story, but as I read further, I could picture every single one of them at my high school going through these exact same situations. In each vignette, the character reflects on who they are and who they really want to be. Beyond that, they deal with the consequences of a parent's unemployment, scams, drunk driving, sexual assaults, hoarding, questioning one's sexual identity, eating disorders, and more. There are definitely characters and issues that students can relate to throughout the book.

My favorite vignette, was at the end of the story - Ms. Lindsay. I think many teachers have felt her struggle to gain respect of her students and her determination not to be bitter. What I loved was her honesty. Every teacher has those days (or classes) that just get to them and make them want to give up. Ms. Lindsay didn't.

"Today will be better.
She will stand in front of the class and hold up her three fingers to quiet them down, and for a moment she will think, Read between the lines, class.
But then, as she looks at their unsuspecting, uninterested faces, she will start to think about what that really means. That just like there is more to her than what they see, there is more inside each one of them.
What's your story? she will wonder as she scans the room from face to face.
And this time when she pleads with them to read between the lines, she will try to do the same."

What a great ending to a heartfelt, emotional story that I didn't want to end.

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Reading One Shot at Forever reminded me so much of the importance of high school athletics and the influence a coach can have on his/her athletes.  Just like Coach Sweet, being a former high school diving coach, I  understand how hard it is to compete with the big/rich schools. I learned that it doesn't matter how much money or how many students go to a school, hard work is the one thing that the athletes have the power over.  The harder they work, the better they became.  Our school didn't have the best diving boards (actually they were probably some of the worst boards in the state of Illinois) or the best pool, but my girls had the same heart that Sweet's baseball players had when they went to on to play in the state baseball finals. It was also that same perseverance and determination that continually pushed my divers to make and place in the Top 12 at state meet for several years in a row.  What I liked even more than the story about Sweet's baseball team making the state finals, was where they are at today and what they have done with their lives after this experience.  The one thing I enjoy more than anything, is keeping in touch with my divers who are now all graduated from college and have moved on with their lives.  Just like Sweet, it didn't matter how well my divers did, what was far more important were the life lessons that my athletes and I took away from the experience.  I know I learned as much from them as they learned from me.  My favorite quote from the book...

"Treat people well, believe in them, entrust them with responsibility, lift them up."
Here is my takeaway.  If you like...

nonfiction

high school sports

baseball

small town heroes

friendships

inspirational stories

then check out One Shot at Forever.  Definitely worth reading. My only hope is that this one can be made into a movie.

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I LOVED Between Shades of Gray. Ruta Sepetys writes this beautiful yet heartbreaking story in a way that helps the reader understand the consequences of the Soviet Union taking over Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Many innocent people - men, women, and children - were murdered, sent to prison or slave camps where they were expected to work in harsh conditions with little to no food. As I was reading I couldn't help but compare their experiences to those of the Jews in Nazi interment camps. What amazed me throughout the book was Lina's determination to keep herself, her brother, and her mother alive all while trying to find her father. If you are a fan of The Book Thief, Number the Stars, etc, you will enjoy this story.

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My Best Everything is told in 2nd person so right off, I was trying to figure out who the main character was and who she was describing in her story.  For teens who don't normally read books in 2nd person, this may confuse them.  But, once I was able to get into Lulu and Mason's back stories, I really fell in love with the characters - real life characters, ones that I can picture being students just graduating my high school, trying to figure out their lives.  I was rooting for them to find a happy ending in the never ending struggles that they both faced over the course of the book.

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This was an advanced reader copy I was given in exchange for a review on my blog. Bloggers have compared this book to Nick and Norah's Playlist and even to the Scooby Doo "gang." Me? I definitely agree. I thought Spalding created a very realistic set of characters that any teen who enjoys "YA Chick Lit" will fall in love with. I am not sure why, but I tend gravitate toward books with music, friendships, and love. This one was definitely an easy read. Not my favorite chick lit book, but good enough that I kept reading. I enjoyed this book.  It was a quick read for me and I highly recommend it to those looking for a coming of age story that will pull you in and keep you reading until the end.

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I am the Weapon AND I am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

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I am the Weapon AND I am the Mission by Allen Zadoff

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I am the Weapon (originally called Boy Nobody) is the first book in The Unknown Assassin series. I am normally not a fan of books with "killing" but I really have enjoyed these two books. In the first book you won't learn a lot about the main character (the teenage assassin), but little by little in I am the Mission, I learned about his background and the struggles he goes through to block his past from his mind. Deep down he wants to be a normal kid, but can't. If you like fast paced, action packed stories, you will like this series.

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This is a dark satirical book about a high school student government election. There are four main stories that take place throughout the book with all of the characters connected by this election. I had to read this for my book club, and found it darkly funny and reminded me of what high school elections can be like. If you are looking for a book with dark humor, some scandalous actions, and a fast read, check out Election.

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I finally finished How it Went Down. This one took me a while to get into but once I spent time on the book (and not reading others at the same time), I was able to get into it more. I recommend this one to students who are interested in urban life, gangs, race wars, and murder. The chapters are a bit confusing because each chapter is told from a different character's perspective about Tariq Johnson's murder. Once I got to know the characters better, it was easier to follow and I wanted to know what happened next. This type of book was a stretch for me as I don't normally pick up urban fiction, but I can see others who will really enjoy and relate to the characters.

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The Crossover is about:

basketball

brothers

family

jealousy

friendships

If you are interested in any of these topics and willing to read a book in verse (poetry), check out The Crossover. I am not normally a fan of poetry, but LOVED this story and how Alexander creates a vivid picture of the characters and their actions through his rhythmic language.

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Kwame Alexander is a poet, educator, New York Times Bestselling author of 21 books, and recipient of the 2015 Newbery Medal for his novel, T

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I originally picked up this book thinking that it was a dystopian story, but it is actually realistic fiction. I am in the middle of reading this one and can't wait to share my review when I am done.

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This is a heartbreaking story about two teens who meet on the ledge of the school, both ready to jump and commit suicide. All the Right Places was difficult to read because the topic is so real and scary to me. But, honestly, I couldn't put it down. I needed to know if Violet and Finch would be okay. Suicide is a topic that adults tend to cover up, but this story brings the conversation to the forefront.

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My favorite part in the book:
...And that's when I realized something:  Lila hated me for something she couldn't even see.  I mean, my HIV was completely and totally invisible.  Anyone looking at me on the street would think I was just a regular kid.  They would never know -they never do know- that there's anything different about some of my cells.
And if people hate me for something that they can't even see, what chance to other kids-the ones who have things you can see-have?  What about a kid who is overweight, or who has terrible acne?  Who walks with a limp or, God forbid, has some sort of facial deformity?  How about a kid who stutters, or whose clothes don't fit in, or who is too short or too tall, or who wears glasses, or whose skin is a different color?
What about a kid like Louis?
When you stopped to think about it, there were so many reasons that one person could choose to hate another person.
If a completely invisible virus was an excuse to turn me into an outcast, then what about all those other differences that exist between people-hair color and skin color and nose shape and body type and physical challenges and even just plain personal style?  But aren't we supposed to be different?  Aren't we always told that we should be comfortable being exactly who we are?...
...Lila was angry.  She was filled with hate.
There would never be anything I could do about that.  So there was no reason to waste my energy trying to change it. (p. 206-207)

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Wow! Not what I imagined this book to be about. One of the most unforgettable stories of the year. For more info check out my book review at http://bookstechcoachingandmore.blogspot.com/2014/12/book-review-secret-sky-novel-of.html .

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Brutal Video Sparks Women 's Rights Movement

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Atia Abawi on the message of The Secret Sky

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The Secret Sky is on sale September 2, 2014 An eye-opening, heart-rending tale of love, honor and betrayal from veteran foreign news correspodent Atia Abawi Fatima is a Hazara girl, raised to be obedient and dutiful. Samiullah is a Pashtun boy raised to defend the traditions of his tribe.

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This book trailer sums up my favorite book of the summer. I loved it so much, I had to read it a second time to pick up on all the clues I missed the first time around.

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We Were Liars A beautiful and distinguished family. A private island. A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy. A group of four friends-the Liars-whose friendship turns destructive. A revolution. An accident. A secret. Lies upon lies. True love. The truth.

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

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Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

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Using poetry, Woodson shares her memoir of being an African American girl growing up in the 1960's and 1970's during the Civil Rights Movement. Powerful, touching, and one I could pick up again and again.