Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

I've put off reading this series. I had distopia ennui. But, I finally got far enough down in the stack of "next" books that I had to pick it up. I'm now a fan too and am listening to book 2 in the series.

This isn't really a distopia book. I think it's more a survival and society book. Set in a future when the US government has dissolved and been replaced with something like a feudal state, the people (serfs) are forced to fight to the death in annual games. The selection process is from 12-18 year-olds.

This is a good supplementary text to a book like Lord of the Flies. Although the children/young adults are not on the "island" by accident, they follow a similar developmental path as do the boys from Golding's novel. Although both books are identified as having a 5th grade reading level, the style, register, and contexts of Hunger Games, will make it a book that appeals to students who might reject the British boy's school context of Lord of the Flies. The characters are in about the same age range of the older novel, so it will appeal to the older readers who are typically required to read Lord of the Flies.

White Cat, by Holly Black

No vampires or werewolves! But some magic. This is the first in a series of books called "The Curse Workers." In an alternative universe there are individuals who are gifted, curse workers. Each has their own gift: persuasion, deception, death, luck, and others. The gifts are generally inherited. Most of the "workers" are managed by a form of the mafia.

Our main character, Cassel, is the "ungifted" one in a family of curse workers. His mother is in prison and his family is strained by their father's death, mother's absence and financial problems. Cassel is enrolled in a private boarding school. The story begins when he suddenly find himself on the roof of the school, a very dangerous spot, as a result of sleepwalking. The school temporarily sends him home to be supervised by his grandfather until the legal situation is resolved.

Holly Black's previous works for older adolescents Tithe: A Modern Faierie Tale and Valiant were great reads, both award winners. Most of her books are considered "urban" something. Her settings in Tithe, particularly those in the NY subway, are realistic and nuanced. This book is different, but equally compelling. I'm giving it a strong positive recommendation.

Math Books and Links

I've worked with a number of math teachers who have text rich classrooms. They decorate the walls and room with a large variety of print resources and have books all over the room. This isn't necessarily always the case, but I am pleasantly surprised on a regular basis. Following are some resources I regularly recommend to math teachers.

Nature by Numbers: A video by Cristobel Vila, 2010.
The Fibonacci sequence has been a subject of fascination to mathematicians, artists, and the rest of us for a very long time. Cristobel is a quite famous artist who has done a variety of really famous installations around the world. I have an entire collection of materials on the Fibonacci sequence that this video is joining. The video is a great way to begin your day--it highlights the poetry of mathematics in nature.

The Librarian Who Measured the Earth, by Kathryn Lasky & Kevin Hawkes
This elegant picture book is something that should be in almost every math classroom. It's not only a book for elementary schools, although many folks believe picture books should stop appearing after 5th grade. Lasky tells the story of Eratosthenes who through careful observation and excellent calculations devised a way to measure the earth. It doesn't take long to read this short book and is well worth the time. It will convince many of your resistant math students that there is a possibility that they will use all this math "in the real world."

Math Curse, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
Jon Schieszka is a "perverse" writer who specializes in book that provide new perspectives on common themes. Among some of his more famous picture books are The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, and The Time Warp Trio series. Math Curse is another picture book that I believe belongs in every math classroom. It will take only a few minutes to read and provides yet another answer to "When are we going to use this?" Lane Smith's collage art is a rich addition to the book. Each page is a visual treat in a style that many adolescents find compelling.

Blogs by other math teachers include: http://textoteria.blogspot.com/ (Irene Wagner)

Chemistry books

For those of you in physical science classes or chemistry finding novels that include chemistry as a center piece might be a little challenging. I'm working on ideas for easier reading YA novels. So far I can recommend:

The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer (this gets into pollution). When I looked at the listing on Barnes and Nobel I discovered that Nancy Farmer was originally a high school chemistry teacher! (She's a very good writer!)

Also a book with some chemistry connections is "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

In the NoveList search I found a series The Carbon Diaries by Saci Lloyd. These look so interesting that I am going to try and get my hands on a copy this weekend. Look for future postings.

As I searched NoveList for "eco-fiction" it appears Clive Custler is a name that appears often on the list as an author. I haven't read any of his books--it looks like I am going to be adding that to my wish list. One that came up as interesting to me was Valhalla Rising.

Of course right now forensic science is a hot theme in television. The CSI and NCIS shows all include chemistry and other sciences. Kathy Reichs and Patricia Cornwell are some of the best writers in this genre. However, I don't remember chemistry being a significant factor in their books (it does play a tangential role).

Finally, another adventure would be to return to some Sherlock Holmes short stories and see where chemistry fits in. Holmes was rather famous for his chemical experiments. These are relatively short and would fit nicely with some of the later forensic science literature.

Airframe, by Michael Crichton

It's been a really long time since I've read this. But, since we're working on text sets I thought it would be a good idea to add this to my blog. The story deconstructs an "event" in an airplane. The insurance auditor and air safety people try to track down just what happened. Overall I think it's useful to describe how math and science are really a part of real life work. As always, Crichton's plots and characterization carry the reader through some fairly technical details.

Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead

I can blame one of my teacher friends for this! (Yes Pam, that's you!) She recommended this series as one worth reading in the genre. I had been expressing some hesitation about Dawn of the Dreadfuls and Pam said this series was good.

Mead had be from the beginning. There is a new sub-culture of vampires explored in this book--the living vampire--essentially good guys. There still exist the "bad vampires" that kill people and they are set as the antagonists in the series. Added to the mix are the guardians--human/vampire hybrids who serve to protect the good vampires from the bad.

What engages me more in this series is the portrayal of teen cliques and social pressures. The main character, Rose, is a guardian in training and has a mystical bond with her vampire, princess, bff, Vasilisa (Lissa). I don't want to say much more about the plot--no spoiler here. However, the ebb and flow of teen culture and the way teens have to figure out the adult world rang pretty true with my experiences.

This is a three stars book for me. I bought the "boxed set" of the first three, so I'll let you know if the next two are able to uphold the general quality of the characterizations and plot. I' recommend this for about 8-10 graders. It's probably more of a girls' book, but some boys might enjoy it.

Dawn of the Dreadfuls, by Steve Hockensmith

This is a prequel to Seth Grahame-Smith's pastiche, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. I've reading in a streak again--vampires and horror. Must be approaching Halloween. I enjoyed the beginning of this book more than the end. I got just a little tired of the slashing off of limbs and rotting corpses. The idea of framing all this with the Bennett girls and Victorian England is interesting, but I did not find myself completely engaged. It could be that I need to go back and reread Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. I might enjoy the irony and off-play a bit more if those two were fresh in my mind.

Overall I am beginning to wonder what is causing the upswing in vampire, zombie, and horror genre. It is definitely a strong current in youth culture. It could be that they are just following a trend, beginning with Harry Potter and moving on through Twilight series. But, I expect it must be something a little more deep than just that. I put the horror genre in parallel with the mythology (Rick Riordan & Michael Scott) and think that perhaps it has a larger cultural significance. In the last great depression we saw lots of romantic comedies. I wonder if this is somehow a new for of escapism or a desire to play out the possibilities of overcoming supernatural forces (like the economy) with friendship, loyalty, and bravery.

Hockensmith has also written several novels based on Sherlock Holmes. I think those might be a good choice for my next read. On the other hand, it may be time for a real adult book. My friends are recommending The Help and I am also considering reading Freedom by John Franzen. However, after working through The Passage, by Justin Cronin I am cautious of popular reviews.

So many books--so little time!