Wow.

Wow. I just read one of the best books I think I have read in my life...Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech. My 5th grade (and 4th grade, incidentally) teacher recommended this book to me when I was in high school (I still visited him--he was great). I finally got around to reading it today, and wow. It was an amazing book.

I have read a whole long list of Newbery books, and I think this just might be the best one so far. I have liked a lot of them, such as The Higher Power of Lucky (most recently), but this book was such a good read. I was sad when it was over, because I wanted to know more about what happened with the main character and her family, and it almost made me cry on more than one occasion. It's about a girl whose mother goes on a trip to "find herself" and hasn't come back. The girl and her dad have to figure out how to make a new life without forgetting the old one. I can't say much else because it's all so fresh in my mind, I don't want to give anything away!

All I can say is that I have read a lot of books, and this is certainly on my list of the top 10-15 ever. Check it out! (Chels, it's coming to you soon!)


On another note, a non-Newbery note, I read another book I enjoyed last night, also a kid book. It's called Al Capone Does my Shirts, by Gennifer Choldenko, and it's set during the Depression. The main character is a 12 year old boy whose father takes a job on Alcatraz Island (as a prison guard/electrician), and how the boy gets along there. He has a sister who has what we would call autism now, and their relationship is so real. He loves her and wants to to protect her and make things the best for her, but at the same time he is frustrated with their situation. AFTER you read Walk Two Moons, read this one :)

A long-awaited return...

And I am back!! I just finished reading The Higher Power of Lucky, and I have to say that I really REALLY liked it!! Anyone who is reading this knows that I not one to just accept that a book is good because someone says so, or because it won an award...this is truly a great book.

In looking for any information online about the book, one of the over-arching themes is the use of the word "scrotum" in the first chapter, and again at the end of the book. Seriously, people...I am so irritated about the fact that people feel the need to condemn an otherwise wonderful book because of one word (which, as someone on Amazon pointed out, is actually the correct term, not some kind of crude slang...). If I were reading this book out loud to a class (which I absolutely would), I would probably change the word to maybe "butt" or something (even though I know it's not the actual meaning of the word, it would be an acceptable substitution for the purpose of the story), and I would ONLY do that because I could see some ridiculous parent getting upset if their child said they heard that word without a signed Family Life Education permission slip. Personally, I don't see anything wrong with it whatsoever, and people who get themselves all up in a twist because of something like that just need to find something better to do with their time, in my opinion.

If you don't like a book, then go read a different one, don't waste your time going nuts over one you didn't like. Also, like the whole Harry Potter controversy, I hope that all of the people who are causing an uproar about this book have actually READ the thing before they form an opinion. If you read the book and honestly do not enjoy it, that's perfectly fine, but if a person just hears about something in the book, or only reads that first page and then condemns the entire work as a result, that is just a waste. Ugh, I can't even express how much this bothers me. There is so much great stuff out there to read--if you don't like one book, then put it down and move on. There is no need for such a controversy.

And, I KNOW that I am somewhat guilty of the same thing, since I am getting upset about the controversy rather than just ignoring it and enjoying the book. However, before I read the book, I had stumbled upon some reviews/comments of it (actually, I was looking to try and find out why The Great Gilly Hopkins was banned) that all focused mainly on the use of this one word. So, as I read the book, I became more and more bothered that people were focusing on this one element rather than on the wonderful story. Anyway, end of soapbox for the time being!!

Read the book!