The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer

The second book in the Life as We Knew It Trilogy, The Dead and the Gone takes place in a bustling city where danger lurks on every corner.  Alex must care for his sisters when his parents disappear after a tidal wave, and this isn't an easy job.  The family quickly runs out of food and just keeping warm poses to be life threatening.  I like Alex because in spite of the horrific obstacles that he faces, he keeps his faith in God.  He can't explain or understand why all of the natural disasters have occurred, but he seeks to do what is right and often, difficult.  

Alex has to make decisions that most adults would find difficult.  The city has always been his home, but home has changed.

I really enjoyed this novel.  After going through an ice storm that stalled my town for weeks, I have such a greater appreciation for things that I once took for granted. 

Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Life as they knew it for Miranda is forever changed when an asteroid hits the moon and moves it closer to the Earth.  Unprecedented natural disasters strike, and nobody can prepare for devastation on such a global scale.  Miranda and her family work very hard just to survive.  One day Miranda is worried about homework and just being a teenager.  Before you know it, the worries change to having enough food, staying warm, protecting what they have from others, and deciding who to trust.  

This book takes place in a rural area so the frantic pace isn't fast and furious, but slow and unwieldy. People are isolated from one another, and this sense of not knowing carries its own type of despair.  Miranda and her family periodically trek into town to collect food rations, gather news, and to talk to anyone...Anyone.  To add insult to injury, a pandemic flu hits the survivors, and real panic blossoms.

I don't know what it is about dystopic novels, but I can't seem to get enough of them.  I'm disappointed with a few character portrayals, but isn't that the way it goes sometimes?  I am eager to read the other books in this trilogy.

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Egyptian Mythology and episodic action fans will probably love this book.  Me, it took about half of this book for me to get into it.  I'll be honest, I only read this because I figured it would be a book that reluctant boy readers would enjoy. I took one for the team!  

I would not give this five stars because I thought it was d.r.a.g.g.e.d. out, but I'd give it a 4 because I did enjoy reading and learning more about Egyptian mythology.  I know much more about Greek Mythology so I considered this to help my education.  :)  The narrative done in both characters' voices, Carter and Sadie, kind annoyed me too. ha  

It was very reminiscent of the Percy Jackson series which I didn't love either. *I'm so sorry!*  The characters run from one "quest" to another and come upon gods, magic, and those pesky demons.  Meh...

The Last Chance Texaco by Brent Hartinger

Winner of award after award, "The Last Chance Texaco" gives voice (sometimes profane) to the sometimes forgotten or misunderstood children that live in group homes, and the various reasons that put them there. I found myself wishing for the happily-ever-after for Lucy... Isn't that what we all want for kids?

Lucy has been bounced around from one foster home to another after the death of her parents in a car wreck.  She struggles with substance abuse and just has a difficult time lowering her guard because that has proven to be foolish so many times.  The Last Chance Texaco is the end of the line for her.  She has to get her act together before she ends up at Rabbit Island, a prison of sorts!  Hope the best for Lucy!

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

I kept putting The Underneath by Kathi Appelt at the bottom of my "to-read" stack because I prefer books about people rather than animals.  I'm used to avoid any book that had animals as the main characters, but after reading The Tale of Despereaux and  The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane you'd think I'd not exhibit such avoidance, but I'm just not an overzealous animal lover.  However, this book uses animals to convey very human emotions: love, hate, anger, revenge, compassion... The animal part of it become secondary to the story of friendship and love.   It was a heartbreaking yet uplifting book.  

There were times when I could almost let the world fall away and be transported to the bayou with the loneliest creatures in the world.

I think this would make a great read-aloud for fifth graders.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak is an older book, but I just read it. It's narrated by Death, and he gets his workout in this book that is set in Germany during World War II. Germany and all of its atrocities and wonders are seen through the eyes of Leisel Meminger, a young girl whose dreams wake her up at night. A book thief, Leisel shares her stolen words with others in so many dire circumstances. The words seem to help. Reading and the ability to use words is shown to have such power!

One excerpt that struck with me was this.... Words!
“There was once a strange, small man. He decided three important details about his life:
1. He would part his hair from the opposite side to everyone else.
2. He would make himself a small, strange mustache.
3. He would one day rule the world.

...Yes, the Fuhrer decided that he would rule the world with words.”

The book is rough. Several times it describes bands of Jews as they're marched through Leisel's town to Dachau. There is despair and sadness in this book, but there are also moments of joy, love, and compassion amidst the the sorrow.

I don't know when I've been so completely captivated by a book...  I downloaded it from the local library.