Sunrise Over Fallujah - Walter Dean Myers

Wow. So this book is basically an account of a group of Army troops who are stationed overseas and are in the areas of Baghdad and Iraq. It never comes out and says that it is based on real happening in the war, but it is a very realistic setting and plot points.
First things first, it really took me forever to read this book. It was a slow read for sure. I was always re-reading and trying to make sure I had details straight in case they really meant something a couple paragraphs later. It was hard to adjust to the vocabulary because it was so military oriented and used a lot of certain terms for their weapons or their status, anything military related. So I continued to get thrown off by the language and the depth of the descriptions by the narrator. The narrator was great, I knew how he felt throughout the whole book and enjoyed knowing so much about his character and the way he was viewing those around him. It was unreal to me how much each of these soldiers seemed to go through, mentally and physically. As a reader, I was constantly aware of the different struggles being endured. This was a bonus and sometimes this was a challenge. It was difficult to know the every move, every emotion side of the book, at times it is what seemed to make it drag on and on. Because the book was full of train of thought and day to day, the timeline was really difficult to put together also. I would have to look things up if I was to be asked how long the period of time is that the book takes place in. It seemed like it could have been 2 weeks or 2 years, and I would not be able to decipher. This is mostly because of the narration, but also because of the very spread apart plot points. The narrator makes one hint towards the idea of this being few and far between in the Army, and I felt that was a direct reference to the plot also. I couldn't help but get bored between the action of the war that the troops were undergoing. So, although I kept feeling relief while the soliders where in the "Safe Zone" as they were feeling the relief, as a reader I was wanting more to happen, not necessarily scary and warlike happenings, but some kind of bigger action during the down times.
I really did enjoy the book, although a lot of my comments are seeming to sound slightly negative. I am happy to have read it and finished it, but I could not by any means pick it right back up and read it again. This was definitely a challenging book for me. An old boyfriend of mine, and now a friend, recently joined the Marines and has been stationed once in Mexico and will be moving next to Japan for about 7 months. There are constant references to the fact that the main characters in the book are Army forces and that the Marines were the ones in front of them, front in line for fire, the ones dying. That was hard for me to get past, personally. I don't think all readers will have that reaction, but it made it difficult to keep reading because of the images it was bringing up for myself. The things the narrator was enduring seemed to be downplayed by what he was thinking the Marines were dealing with. That definitely made it a challenge, aside from the writing style being a challenge in itself. I think I may ever consider this my challenge book because of how exhausted I feel from reading it. It's young adult, but it's heavy stuff when you have such a large connection to the book.

As far as teaching is concerned, I would have to get a high schooler's perspective on this book. Maybe someone younger wouldn't find it so grueling, it might be my point of view. The moral of this book was not as direct as I would have liked it to be for teaching purposes. In Maniac McGee I can pick the moral no problem, and no exactly what is being pointed at and preached. In this I can pick a few, but I wanted it to have a stronger story, a stronger underlying moral. I could definitely teach this book if the students were interested in reading it. There is a lot they could get out of it. The character development is especially good because it's so realistic, how they had to learn to trust the men and women they were working with and that is how the reader gets to know the character. It was very cool. All in all there were definitely a lot of teachable factors to this book. It really was a great read and it definitely has my recommendation, just as long as you don't dwell on the facts of it quite as much as I was!

Another quick sidenote! I wanted to include how wonderful I thought the ending was. It was a breath of fresh air at the end of a long tunnel. I really enjoyed the way the author concluded. There could even be a sequel! But the writing and wrapping up in the end really was my favorite part of the book, even through the tears it made me spill!

Second Star to the Right - Deborah Hautzig

This book was a really incredible first hand account of a young adult with anorexia. At first, I was really nervous reading the text, and immediately was picking up on her thoughts that seemed off or unusual. I knew the basic theme of the book and was looking for hints throughout the entire story. Once I followed her pattern of thoughts and her ideas, the story picked up immediately into her struggle. It was almost like it was a direct map of warning signs and then the realization of the problem, and then the problem continuing to increase and increase. Her diet was terrifying and her frame of mind was shocking at times. I think that is what I was so drawn to throughout the book; I could visualize the problem happening in this young girl. Although it was scary, it was realistic. As a young woman, I feel like a lot of people my age and Leslie's age (the main character), struggle with a small or big problem with self image. How easy would it be to get this carried away?
The book gives such a good take on a problem that seems to be growing. Because it is written in first person point of view, as readers we get a wonderful example of voice and personal expression. It is easy to relate to the feelings expressed by Leslie.
On a teaching level, this type of book is useful in the way that you can reach out to certain students and get them engaged in a kind of text that is relative to their own thoughts (not meaning they need to be this serious or destructive) but the students at this age will relate to the other feelings that Leslie is feeling, such as struggling for social acceptance, feeling lost and lonely, not being good enough for your parents, and the feeling of emptiness or that something is missing. A young voice like this could reach out to a lot of students, and the story is written so that it is quick and easy to follow.

Overall my judgment of the book was that it was truly powerful. It was powerful in a personal reading setting, and I think it would be even more powerful in a classroom setting. I would enjoy teaching the realistic circumstances in this book and I think it would gain a trust between myself and my students on a really sincere level by sharing the reading experience.

The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian - Sherman Alexie

I completely and totally enjoyed this book! I felt like I knew the main character and understood his life. I had so much fun reading it and got really excited to get back to it each time I got to pick it up!
The story starts out with just a basic introduction to Arnold's life and then dives straight into this huge turning point in his life where he is changing schools, by choice, and extending his life outside of his Indian Reservation. His humor immediately shines through in each page, making it incredibly easy to get through, and in the meantime, laughing close to hysterics. His new school brings new people, new races, new family problems, and new judgment from his peers and classmates. Arnold does his best to stand tall and represent his culture as he realizes that he actually fits in here without all the extra effort. His story shows his new interactions with friends and his struggles from missing his old life and his old friends, especially Rowdy. From the first day of school, to meeting Penelope, to the basketball tryouts, his school experiences are very real and are obviously funny. His cartoons bring out the best moments in each experience and keep the pages turning.
When the book takes a more "serious" turn into the different deaths he faces, his humor still shines through and his character seems to get stronger and stronger, bringing such an amazing outlook on his situation. In these moments in the book, problems such as alcoholism, greif and change are all addressed from an innocent but wise perspective that seems to make you think twice about our own outlooks on life. His feelings are powerful and the way he explains his breakdowns of emotions, from laughing to crying to laughing, is incredible. I didn't know myself whether to laugh or cry, but all I knew is how he felt.
The book is so easy to recommend to everyone, especially in the high school age group. I could relate as a girl, but boys could relate even closer. Any high school student experiences these types of things, making Arnold's stories relative and easy to follow. His humor helped me laugh my way through the tough moments in the book, and by the end I admired Arnold so much, I didn't want to put the book down. Please Please Please, let there be a sequel!