Scat by Carl Hiaasen

I just finished this book, this morning on my Amazon Kindle. Like all the books by Carl Hiaasen written for juveniles, it is a good read, if rather formulaic. Again the characters are very ecology minded, which I think is an important message. This time they are saving an endangered Florida panther. Hence the title - panther droppings - a.k.a. Scat.
It did get a little trite at one point when he couldn't resist a Dr. Seuss tie in...

I think Hiaasen is a good writer and would not hesitate to recommend this book. I haven't read any of his adult fiction, but may add some to my summer reading list for 2010 when I would have time to read adult lit again.

I would also like him to write one of these where a girl is the main character.

Click by Linda Sue Park, David Almond & others

The cover of this book looks like an old fashioned camera. This camera is important as the story progresses. This book sometimes focuses on photography, which has appeal for some. But, what I found interesting about this book is that each chapter is written by a different author.

The first chapter is written by Linda Sue Park (A Single Shard, Kite Fighters, The Mulberry Project, & others). She introduces the three main characters Maggie and Jason Henschler and George Keane "Gee". Each additional author gives further glimpses into moments or "snapshots" of an event in these characters lives.

The story begins with Maggie and Jason, learning that their grandpa "Gee" George Keane has died. He has left them each something to remember him by. Gee was a famous photographer, who is well known and has traveled all over the world meeting famous, infamous and just regular people and capturing photos of those meetings.

We learn a lot about these three characters as the story progress over decades. Plus, we learn some surprising things about Gee along the way, a secret past. Jason learns to value the family he has. Maggie learns to live without Gee and becomes some one on her own.

Some of these moments are set during world famous events, while others have yet to happen.

This book would be a great study of voice, style of writing first person etc, and genre. Most of the stories are written like historical fiction, but the final stories are science fiction.

This was a recommendation from Michael Bernard at Rakestraw in Danville, Ca. Thanks Michael, it was a good read!

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Finished this again about one week ago. No new awe-inspiring information came to light, other than being reminded that Ms. Rowling borrows heavily from classic literature. For example, her defeat of the Basilisk by using a "mirror" or not looking at the Basilisk. This is used by Jason against the Gorgon.

Think about another series, I haven't mentioned in this blog, but is also being made into movies, the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series (movie coming out soon). Rick Riordan has spent a lot of time reading classic mythology. It seems as though Ms. Rowling has done the same.

Good writers are not always original, but recognize good source material when the see it.

Just finished the third Harry Potter and Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr and started the 4th Harry Potter,plus I am reading the first in the Ranger's Apprentice series, which looks like it also now has a movie deal.

Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

WOW, this book blew me away. Warning - some parents will have a problem with some of the language and openness of the author to portray a true portrait of a young male in full adolescent discovery that, as my niece would say, TMI . (Too Much Information!)

What I liked about the book was it's unwavering denouncement of alcoholism in the Native American Community. Also the ability to show that it is very difficult to go against the norm and try to break out of the mold and do something new.

This would be the perfect book for some 8th grade boys, but I have no intention of putting it in the library right now. I have my personal copy out on loan to be read and reviewed by other teachers. I want to include it as part of our collection, but need more adult input. In the meantime it is a National Book Award recipient, plus other awards. So it will be available from Contra Costa County Library. Let me know what you think!