Day 15: 45 Days of Summer

Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Missing basketball season already? 

Crossover is a must-read for you. 

The story of two brothers and their quest for a high school basketball championship. 

Alexander combines hip hop, concrete poetry, and incredible basketball play-by-play to draw readers in and keep them in. 

Would make a terrific read-aloud too.

Best for: 8th - 12th grades.

Review: Things a Brother Knows (Reinhardt)

Title: The Things a Brother Knows
Author: Reinhardt
Genre: Fiction, War, Brothers, Soldiers
Pages: 256
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars!

Levi's brother Boaz has finally returned home from his tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Bo was a high school star, destined for greatness in college and beyond, and he gave it all up to join the Marines and serve his country.  Levi has spent the last several years trying to be the little brother to a hero, a distinction that he doesn't really want, because he doesn't really agree with his brother's decision.

Now that Bo has returned, Levi is hoping that his life and family will return to normal.  No such luck.  Bo is back and has been given a clean bill of health by the Marine Corp, but he is clearly suffering from post-tramatic stress disorder.  Levi just wants to help his brother be the person he used to be.  But how best to do that?  And what if Bo can never be the person that he was? 

Bo is planning a trip, a walk/march from their home in Pennsylvania to Washington, DC.  When Levi discovers what his brother is planning, he wants to go with him.  To make sure he is safe, to make sure that he is not really crazy, to make sure that he is planning to come back. 

It is this trip that is the heart of the story, and the relationship between the brothers.  This is the perfect story to talk about on the anniversary of 9/11...or any holiday where we remember those that serve our country.  I read an advance copy of this book over the 4th of July weekend, while contemplating my upcoming trip to Arlington National Cemetary.  So perhaps I was already in the mood for a book that attempts to talk about what many in this country don't want to talk about...what happens to soldiers after they come home...

Levi has two great friends that help him (and by default Bo) through this struggle.  This is a moving story about friendship, family, duty, and honor.  Although I have not had family in the military, I can imagine this is a very realistic portrayal of what homecoming is really like, after the welcome home fanfare we all see on television.  I have always been a fan of Dana Reinhardt's books, and I would recommend them all.  However, this has definitely moved to the top of the list!  An absolute MUST READ!

Review: Split (Avasthi)

Title: Split
Author: Avasthi
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Abuse, Survival
Pages: 282
Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

No really, that wasn't Mrs. Yusko reading a book in the stands during the EJH track meet. I was watching every race and rooting for everyone...great job Eagles! But there was quite a bit of time in between those races, and I was almost done with this book so I had to see how it ended. And no, I'm not going to tell you how it does...you'll have to read it for yourself.
Sixteen-year-old Jace Witherspoon arrives at the doorstep of his estranged brother with a re-landscaped face (thanks to his father), $3.84 in his pocket, and a secret. This is an intense story about two brothers who have escaped the abusive home they grew up in, though in different ways and with different outcomes. After you have said "enough," after you have run away, how do you begin to live again?