I Kill the Mockingbird, by Paul Acampora

I loved I Kill the Mockingbird, by Paul Acampora, but unfortunately I don't think it's the type of book that would appeal to most of my students. They seem to hunger for books with adventure, big plots, mystery - this book doesn't really have any of those.

I Kill the Mockingbird is about three 8th graders: Lucy, Elena, and Michael. They're best friends and all attend the same school, at which Lucy's dad is the principal. Lucy's mom has recently returned home after a long hospitalization with cancer, and Elena lives with her uncle above the bookstore that he owns. During their eighth grade year, one of their favorite teachers, Mr. Nowak, dies of a heart attack. Their replacement teacher, Miss Caridas, assigns a list of options for summer reading, one of which is To Kill A Mockingbird.

In an effort to pay homage to Mr. Novak and force kids to read the book, they hatch a social media campaign to spark interest in the novel. They call their campaign "I Kill the Mockingbird", and begin to hide TKAM books at local bookstores and libraries to garner even more intrigue. Soon, people around the country are involved in the campaign, and it seems to be getting out of control.

My favorite quote from the book:

"You might be thinking that you're already a good reader...It's not enough to know what all the words mean. A good reader starts to see what an entire book is trying to say. And then a good reader will have something to say in return. If you're reading well, you're having a conversation."

I Kill the Mockingbird was smart and well-executed, but like I said, I don't think it will appeal to many of my students - it just doesn't seem to be the type of book they go for. I'll definitely recommend it, though, and hope one of them will fall in love with it and prove me wrong!

Publication Date: May 20, 2014

Another Little Piece of My Heart, by Tracey Martin

Another Little Piece of My Heart is about a girl named Claire who's got a lot working against her. She's just graduated high school and recently lost her mom to cancer; the details of her first break-up have been dramatized and broadcast to the world via best-selling album by her now-famous ex; her dad's lost his job, gone off his rocker, and is dating his secretary who happens to be obnoxious; with the losing of the job comes the loss of her college fund; and, Claire's an aspiring musician who can't seem to get a decent song together.

As you can imagine, her family's month-long escape to her aunt and uncle's house in New Hampshire comes as a welcome retreat to Claire. However, she's not there long before the Claire-bashing ex, Jared (now a hot, famous, sought-after rock star) shows up in the same small beach town. Claire's cousins and new friends are fawning over Jared, and Claire's just trying to keep their history under wraps so that no one realizes that she's the one his songs are about. In the end, though, Claire realizes that maybe Jared wasn't such a bad guy after all.

I did find Martin's writing clever and her characters endearing, but overall, I just found the novel a little predictable. I felt like I knew what was going to happen before it did, and I don't really like that in a novel. It was a quick, easy read though, and I can think of several students who would enjoy it.

Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie, by Jordan Sonnenblick

It's been a while since a book made me cry - but Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie had me tearing up consistently throughout the book.

The book is about Steven, an average (if not a little awkward) 8th grader. Steven's number one problem in life is his perfect, 8 years-younger brother, Jeffrey. However, Steven gains new appreciation for Jeffrey when his family learns that Jeffrey has leukemia. Steven learns a lot about being a brother, friendship, forgiveness, and himself, while his family faces Jeffrey's stressful, sometimes touch-and-go battle with leukemia.

I loved the way Sonnenblick really captured the mind of an awkward middle-schooler. While he was writing from a boy's perspective, I think a lot of what he said rang true for girls in middle school as well. Here's one of my favorite passages from the book:

"It suddenly struck me that the two worst social situations in middle school - dances and dodgeball - have a lot in common for guys like me. You go to the gym, stand in a corner as far away from the action as possible, and try not to be seen. Your eyes scan the room for threats - either flying projectiles aimed at your head or girls aimed at mortifying you by getting you out on the floor - and you sweat profusely while standing still."