Month: May 2020

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The Dream Weaver by Reina Luz Alegre – Book Review

 

Title: The Dream WeaverAuthor: Reina Luz Alegre
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children’s
Release Date: June 23, 2020

After moving from place to place, year after year, Zoey finally has a chance to find a home at the Jersey Shore with her grandfather, Poppy. While Zoey’s father chases yet another half-baked dream and her brother José prepares to leave for college, she is left to help Poppy run Gonzo’s, the family-owned bowling alley. However, Zoey quickly learns that Gonzo’s is on the brink of closing. As Zoey makes new friends, tries to help save Poppy’s business, and ponders her own future, she experiences an unforgettable summer. In the end, her transformation over its course gives her the courage she needs to chase her own dreams on into the future.

The Dream Weaver by Reina Luz Alegre is an uplifting story about finding your voice and fighting for your dreams. The novel’s greatest strength is the author’s ability to capture imperfection. There is no such thing as perfect, after all. The characters’ faults and flaws, the complexity of their conflicts, and an ending messy but realistic makes for a heartwarming, endearing portrayal of life. On the other hand, the plot’s pacing is slow at times with many conversations about fashion crowding out opportunities to add depth to the characters and their experiences. At times, the author’s descriptive language also feels forced, and the stilted narration breaks the story’s natural flow. While these issues are not so significant as to detract from what can be learned in reading Zoey’s story overall, they do render its telling less compelling.

The Dream Weaver is the perfect summer read for middle grades readers. Reina Luz Alegre incorporates classic tween and teen themes in a unique and refreshing way. For teachers searching for a summer assignment, The Dream Weaver is it. Not only does the novel have opportunities for analysis, it also includes the potential for a cross-curricular study on the science of bowling. A fun field trip to close out a fun read!

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Simon & Schuster, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • STEM Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the science of bowling.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of loss, friendship, and family.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Bowling
  • Fashion

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with The Dream Weaver. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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Everything Sad Is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri – Book Review

 

Title: Everything Sad Is Untrue: (a true story)

Author: Daniel Nayeri

Publisher: Levine Querido

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Everything Sad Is Untrue is author Daniel Nayeri’s (true) story. In recounting his story of being in a middle school classroom in Oklahoma, Nayeri immerses contemporary students in a narrative that spans generations and centuries. Daniel (formerly Khosrou) recalls events that led to his family needing to flee Iran, their time in a refugee camp in Italy, their journey to the United States, and many other family tales relating to these circumstances while incorporating narrative elements of Persian folktales. In doing so, Daniel is Scheherazade, telling stories to live one more day and turn the resentment he faces into love (or at least acceptance).

While good novels can captivate a reader’s imagination and evoke strong emotions, great novels create a new experience for readers. Everything Sad Is Untrue is a great novel. The storytelling experience hypnotizes as the novel pulls readers through tales that span millennia. One page may find you in Oklahoma while the next page you’re in Iran and the next a Persian folktale. And yet, through this whirlwind of stories, a single sentence can stop readers in their tracks, leaving them to ponder the implications of their interpretation of the cascade of events. The depth of thought it provokes and the breadth of the world it introduces readers is a strength, but it also requires readers to accept the challenge of following those narrative threads. This demand is actually a strength. Working to follow the story brings the reader closer to the text, but Everything Sad is Untrue deserves that level of attention. Overall, the novel stands out as a rare gem within the middle grades/young adult genres.

Everything Sad Is Untrue is saturated with analysis opportunities and provides educators with a plethora of material to explore with students, both through the story itself and through the enrichment opportunities it offers. The book’s complexities may initially seem out of reach for middle grades. Yet, it is exactly the kind of literature students need to experience to be challenged. Everything Sad Is Untrue will challenge their reading abilities. It will challenge their worldview. It will challenge their perspective on the stories they have been told, the way they remember these stories, and the tales they tell themselves.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, Levine Querido, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

  • Cross-Curricular Study – Teach the novel in conjunction with a nonfiction study of the refugee experience, Persian folklore, the history of Iran, or all three!
  • Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books that include folktales from around the world.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel the uniquely weaves folklore throughout the plot, such as The Story That Cannot Be Told.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Persian Folklore
  • Refugee experience/Immigration history or process
  • History of Iran

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with Everything Sad Is Untrue. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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My Life as a Potato by Arianne Costner – Book Review

 

Title: My Life as a Potato
Author: Arianne Costner
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: March 24, 2020

Ben Hardy is the new kid. His recent move from California to Idaho is exactly what a person could imagine it to be– a shock and an adjustment. It is also a great opportunity. However, Ben’s potato curse follows him to the Potato State, and his chance to define himself before others do it for him is complicated by a hot dog throwing incident. Soon after, Ben must assume the responsibility of being the school’s mascot, Steve the Spud. As he tries to juggle his secret mascot identity, newfound popularity at school, and changing friendships, he realizes what really matters. He can only hope it isn’t too late!

Arianne Costner’s My Life as a Potato is a fun, feel-good novel. It contains common themes in middle school literature, such as identity, friendship, and the power of choices, which will make the story relatable to all that read it. The secret mascot responsibilities do stand out from other middle grade novels while putting a unique spin on Ben’s struggles. Through those struggles, My Life as a Potato captures a broad look at middle school life’s minutiae. Unfortunately, the expansive scope sacrifices depth as a result. Is this decision a bad thing? Not at all! The middle grades genre is flooded with books that tackle hard topics and challenging themes. Costner’s My Life as a Potato is a light-hearted antidote for those that need a sunnier breath of fresh air. Students will connect with Ben and his struggles, making the novel a good read for those looking for an amusing weekend read.

Classroom Applications

  • STEM Fun – Teach the novel in conjunction with fun STEM activities or science labs with potatoes.
  • Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading about themes of friendship, school, and sports mascots.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • Potatoes
  • Mascots

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with My Life as a Potato. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.
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On the Horizon by Lois Lowry – Book Review

 

Title: On the Horizon
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 7, 2020

On the Horizon takes readers from the shores of Pearl Harbor to the city of Hiroshima during and after World War II. After viewing the ghost of the USS Arizona on home video, author Lois Lowry recounts the devastation Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor caused. Then, Lowry brings readers along as the Enola Gay unleashes its own fury on Hiroshima, leading to annihilation in Japan. The story does not avoid the tragedy and destruction war can bring. In its wake, readers learn about Lowry’s life in Japan, and, later, a twist of fate that demonstrates just how interconnected people are by their lived experiences and history.

Lowry’s novel, narrated in verse, recounts the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and the aftermath of both infamous WWII events. Lowry raises timeless themes, such as interconnectedness, the impact of history across time and space, and the power of healing and friendship. Each poignant vignette packs an emotional punch. They also build toward a crescendo that will leave a long-lasting impression. The ending gives pause for deep contemplation although the story would have been well-served to surface that essential point earlier, if only to give readers more time to dwell on it. On the Horizon is personal and reflective, qualities that will resonate with all readers from all backgrounds. While WWII novels saturate middle grades curriculum, Lowry’s On the Horizon comes at it from a slightly different angle. Her story’s intimacy and the personalized nature of the accounts, stories of sailors, civilians, and more, add depth and humanity to the topic’s treatment. They also would make On the Horizon a meaningful addition as supplementary reading in a larger, comprehensive study of the time period.

Classroom Applications

  • Literature Circles – Use the novel as part of a study about World War II.
  • Book Pairing – Pair the book with another novel about World War II, such as Grenade by Alan Gratz, to create a thought-provoking unit that captures multiple perspectives on this global conflict, especially the less-studied Pacific Theater.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

  • World War II
  • WWII – Pacific Theater
  • Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
  • Pearl Harbor

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with On the Horizon. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

*LIT Lessons participates in the Amazon Associate Program and earns a fee from qualifying purchases made on the Amazon.com site.