So I was walking around my town's library trying to find a book when I came across the author S. A. Bodeen. Well, if you know me, then you know that I LOVED the book Compound by her and enjoyed the sequel The Fallout. Knowing that I loved her other books, I decided to try The Raft. Well, it was a page turner for sure! The book starts off with a girl, a young teenager, visiting her aunt in Hawaii. She wants to be more independent and tries to stay by herself for a little. Let's just say that it doesn't work out and she decides to return to the island she lives on with her parents, Midway Atoll. Well, here is where things get CRAZY! She gets on the little plane to take her home and yup, crazy weather arrives and she crashes into the ocean. The book progresses with her challenging journey to safety. Yes, she encounters sharks, lack of food, sickness, lack of water, everything you imagine for someone who gets stranded on a raft after crashing to the ocean from a plane. Great book...I recommend it. Also, if you haven't read the other books I mentioned by her...please, do so!
Here is the book I am currently reading, but can foresee myself finishing it quite quickly; it's great. OK, if you haven't read a book by Alan Grantz, do so. He is amazing! I read Projekt 1065 during the school year and could not put it down. Projekt 1065 is a great story of a boy during WWII who infiltrates Hitler's youth program for Nazis, Hitler Youth. This boy is brave, courageous, and unstoppable in his quest to stop the Nazi party. Every chapter has you on the edge of your seat as to whether or not he will be found out as a spy, and if he is caught, what will happen to him.
So, when an opportunity arose for me to read another book by Grantz, I jumped on it. This is an interesting story told from 3 different perspectives. First, there is Josef who is a Jew in Germany in 1938. His family has been kicked out of Germany and is being sent to Cuba, Isabel who lives in Cuba and is seeking safety in America due to the tyrannous rule of Fidel Castro, and Mahmoud a Syrian boy in 2015 who is trying to make it safely out of his homeland while it is being torn apart by bombs and fighting. So far, all three kids are being placed in horrific danger and seeing such violence it is surprising that they all have hope that tomorrow will be better. They haven't given up yet. Wow, what a story about perseverance. I'll update this when i finish the book!
I finished Refugee. It was FANTASTIC! The way the author was able to tie together the three stories that took place in different years is amazing. I HIGHLY recommend reading this book.
So the book I just finished in one day is one that I am surprised that I never read before. I feel like everyone has! I was cleaning out a closet in my house and came upon this book.
Wow! What a great story. Not only was this a great story about loyalty, friendship, and perseverance...it also had a glossary at the end of the book which helped the reader not only understand what some Japanese words meant, but it also gave me a quick lesson on pronunciation. Loved that!
So, Hachiko is a story about a dog; a very special dog. He loves his owner so much that he follows him daily to the train to see him off to work and returns at the end of the day to greet him upon his return. Sadly, the dog's owner dies suddenly. The dog continues to go to the train station to search for his owner twice a day. The story continues to show you how this dog's dedication to his friend, his owner, is unending. Many stories are wound around this dog and how he brings happiness to many others who see him daily. This is a fun and quick read!
I have to be honest. I have tried to read this book for two summers in a row. I chose it because a strong reader always needs to push themselves to read different genres. Alright, so this isn't a different genre but a different topic. Sports. If you know me, you know that sports are really not my "thing". But, this book had the main character's name as Charlie...and I have liked books by Mike Lupica before. So for the second summer in a row, I could not finish this book. Please do not think that this is not a good book. Apparently it is not a good book for me. Give it a try, you might like it. I got lost in all the football talk. If you like football, this just might be a good read for you!
This book is also by Mike Lupica. This is to show you readers that just because one book isn't the right fit for you, you should not cancel any books from that author on your "To Read" list. A few years ago a former student said this book was their favorite book. I never got around to reading it then, but I picked it up this summer and really enjoyed it! Yes, it is a sports book, about football, but there was such a strong theme of friendship and acceptance it hooked me right away. I read the book in two nights! That shows that it grabbed me. The main character, Ben, is the type of friend you want to have. He is a team player, a good listener, and is open to change. His dream is to be the quarter back of his school's team, and he is really good, but the coach's son gets the spot on the team. Instead of being mad and upset about not getting the position he wanted; Ben is determined to help his team get to the championship no matter what position he plays. Read this book! There is a sequel that I haven't checked out yet, but it is about basketball.