Reading Between the Lines

White Bird by R.J. Palacio My rating: 5 of 5 stars White Bird is a touching graphic novel Wonder Story. Julian is interviewing his grandmother about her life as a Jewish person living in France during WWII. Sara loves to doodle and often draws birds. Her father would swing her in circles and throw her into the air. She felt as if she was flying and free. Sara is told to wear her boots to school one day by her father, but she removes her boots before going into school, as her red dress shoes looked better with her dress. She soon finds out why her father wanted her to wear the boots. The soldiers come to school to collect the Jewish children. Sara leaves the group and hides, but will this be enough? Will Sara survive? Will she reunite with her parents? I could not put this graphic novel down until finished. This is such a beautiful story of friendship, bravery, acceptance, and integrity. I would love to add White Bird to literature circles for my 7th ...

I'm Finding My Talk by Rebecca Thomas My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

American Royals by Katharine McGee My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

They Called Us Enemy by George Takei My rating: 5 of 5 stars George Takei's memoir in graphic novel format is absolutely a must read! A fellow teacher recommended I read this and I am so glad I did. I will add this memoir as an option for my 7th grade literature circle reads. It is amazing to me the way anyone of Japanese descent were forced into internment camps, which essentially was incarceration, even though they were American citizens. As a child, George and his family were moved from their home to a horse stall, small quarters, and then the camps lined with barbed wire. They were tagged like cattle on their way to the camps and treated unfairly. George grew up behind the barbed wire, watched his father and mother struggle for the family, and observed more that he ever should have as a child. As an adult, George took a stand for his people and the disgrace they suffered, he found his acting career, and a better life in the place that should ...

The Super Miraculous Journey of Freddie Yates by Jenny Pearson My rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this book! Specifically, I enjoyed the relationship between Grams and Freddie and felt for him when she passed away. Mom passed away years ago, so dad and Grams was all that was left of family for Freddie. Freddie is trying to occupy his mind and begin searching online. He finds a fact about mothers that he did not know previously: "Babies' DNA has been found knitted into their mother's brain, bone, and heart tissue" (p.18). This fact only makes Freddie feel worse about losing mom and Grams, especially when he finds out who his real dad is... Freddie needs to find him! He knows his biological father is only his father through DNA, but he needs to know him. Freddie and his friends decide to sneak out on this awesome adventure to find his dad in Wales. The boys have a wonderful time and I loved the way Pearson wrote of the boys' hijinks ...

Game Change by Joseph Monninger My rating: 4 of 5 stars Imagine playing on a football team, practicing daily, but come game day sitting on the bench. Jeb's football days looked this way, until the star quarterback is injured and out for the rest of the season with only the state championship game left. Jeb is pulled up to starting quarterback and a college recruiter wants to check him out. Will Jeb fail under the pressure or advance his football career? A YA novel with football excitement. View all my reviews