Book Review: The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher by Sean Jensen

The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher by Sean Jensen

Summary by Goodreads:

For more than a decade, Brian Urlacher was the face of the Chicago Bears—one of the NFL’s most storied franchises. An eight-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker, Urlacher established himself as one of the league’s preeminent defenders with his athleticism, intelligence and ferocity. He is widely expected to gain entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame when he is eligible in a few years which is not bad for an athlete from Lovington, New Mexico, where his coaches did not even see college potential in him until his junior year of high school. 

The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher features the real-life childhood stories and exploits of young Brian Urlacher and illustrate how they shaped him into the world-class athlete he became. The first of The Middle School Rules series, these books not only entertain, but also inspire greatness in the next generation by highlighting the importance of being your best, overcoming adversity, and reaching your dreams through discipline and hard work.

My Thoughts:

I received a copy of The Middle School Rules of Brian Urlacher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this up for a few reasons: As a Bears fan, who doesn't love Brian Urlacher? With two boys of my own, I do think my younger one would be interested in reading this book because he LOVES football and he also loves Brian Urlacher.  I do have to admit though, as much as I loved Urlacher as a player, I struggled getting into the book. The writing is very simplistic and the storyline was a bit boring.  I do like the message that children will receive about working hard and perseverance even when life doesn't go your way.  I think there are kids out there who will enjoy it, but it just didn't meet my expectations.

Book Review: Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan

Biggie by Derek E. Sullivan

I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.  

Summary by Goodreads:

Henry "Biggie" Abbott is the son of one of Finch, Iowa 's most famous athletes. His father was a baseball legend and his step-dad is a close second. At an obese 300+ pounds though, Biggie himself prefers classroom success to sports. As a perfectionist, he doesn't understand why someone would be happy getting two hits in five trips to the plate. "Forty percent, that's an F in any class," he would say. As Biggie's junior year begins, the girl of his dreams, Annabelle Rivers, starts to flirt with him. Hundreds of people have told him to follow in his dad's footsteps and play ball, but Annabelle might be the one to actually convince him to try. What happens when a boy who has spent his life since fourth grade trying to remain invisible is suddenly thrust into the harsh glare of the high school spotlight? 

My Thoughts:

The heart of this book is about how a lack of self confidence can affect the teenage mind and make a teenager do things that aren't normal.  The decisions Biggie makes, oh these things he does around girls.  There were times I wanted to shake him and teach him what is appropriate and not.  No, Biggie, it is not okay to tell a girl you have hacked into her account and know things about her that she never shared with you.  No, Biggie, having 140+ online girls friends that you talk to every night is not ok.  But beyond this, I loved Biggie.  I loved how he finally was able to let go of the guilt of living in his father's shadow- the infamous, the legend, the man who wanted nothing to do with his own son.  He accept that it was okay not to be like his dad, but instead be himself and play baseball because he wants to not because he is the son of a baseball legend.  I also loved how his relationship with his brother and step father developed over the course of the book.  I can't wait until this book comes out in a few days and I can recommend it to my students.  I think there are many that will gravitate towards Biggie's story.

Book Review: Here, Bullet by Brian Turner

Book Review:  Here, Bullet by Brian Turner 

I came across Here, Bullet on my search to find mentor texts that our English 3 team could pair with The Things They Carried.  I also have a few students who are interested in learning about the military and I thought this would be a perfect "stretch" text for them.

Summary by Goodreads:

Adding his voice to the current debate about the US occupation of Iraq, in poems written in the tradition of such poets as Wilfred Owen, Yusef Komunyakaa (Dien Cai Dau), Bruce Weigl (Song of Napalm) and Alice James’ own Doug Anderson (The Moon Reflected Fire), Iraqi war veteran Brian Turner writes power-fully affecting poetry of witness, exceptional for its beauty, honesty, and skill. Based on Turner’s yearlong tour in Iraq as an infantry team leader, the poems offer gracefully rendered, unflinching description but, remarkably, leave the reader to draw conclusions or moral lessons. Here, Bullet is a must-read for anyone who cares about the war, regardless of political affiliation.

My Thoughts:

War is not pretty yet Turner has a way of turning something very gritty and devastating into something more beautiful.  Though I had some difficulty falling in love with all of his poems in this book, I definitely will share this with our English 3 team to use for mentor texts.  I also can't wait to get this in the hands of some of my students.  Thank you Brian Turner for serving our country and your ability to put your experience in Iraq into words for others to read.

Book Review: How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

This year I set a goal to stretch myself as a reader and pick up books that are outside of my comfort zone.  How it Went Down is one that I probably would not have picked up but did because I wanted to be able to book talk it with students at my school.

Summary by Goodreads:

A 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book

When sixteen-year-old Tariq Johnson dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown into an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.


In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.


Tariq's friends, family, and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy, and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down.

My Thoughts:

I finally finished How it Went Down. This one took me a while to get into but once I spent time on the book (and not reading others at the same time), I was able to work myself through some of my confusions, and figure out the plot and characters. The chapters are a bit confusing because each chapter is told from a different character's perspective about Tariq Johnson's murder. Once I got to know the characters better, it was easier to follow and I wanted to know what happened next. 

There are definite similarities in this story to real-world incidents like the death of Trayvon Martin and Michael Brown.  This type of book was a stretch for me as I don't normally pick up urban fiction, but I can see others who will really enjoy and relate to the characters.  I  recommend this one to students who are interested in urban life, gangs, race wars, and murder. While this book my not have been my personal "cup of tea," the message is an important one and I definitely know of some students who will want to pick this up.

Book Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Book Review:  I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

A huge thank you goes out to Netgalley for giving me this ARC.  

Summary from Goodreads:

Goodreads.com

If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

My Thoughts:

I honestly loved this book and did not want it to end.  I'll Meet You There is a raw and emotional story that is heartbreaking and also joyous. I do believe this one will make readers stop and think about life.  The two main characters are as real as characters can get.  

Skylar is trying to escape her messy family life - the feeling of helplessness of having a mother who is an alcoholic, who refuses to take care of her own daughter, and has had no will to live since Skylar's father passed away. Skylar is left to worry about what will happen to her mom if /when she leaves and goes to college.  She has no family to turn to to get her mother the help she needs and relies on her two best friends and the owner of the motel where she works in order to survive.  Throughout the whole novel, I felt that Skylar was constantly searching to figure out who she is and where she belongs.   

Then there is Josh.  Heather Demetrios was spot on in how she wrote his character. Throughout the story, Josh suffers through PSTD and the aftermath of coming home wounded from Afghanistan. He has nightmares, panic attacks, and persistent feelings of guilt.  He makes reckless decisions, is irritable, and has withdrawn from his family.  The only person who has helped him feel a bit more normal is Skylar and he continually pushes her away.  

I am going to hold Josh and Skylar close to my heart for a very long time.  I can't wait to get an actual copy of this novel and share it with my students.  I know there will be many students who will connect with and fall in love with Josh and Skylar too!