Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith

 

In Short
Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman tells the (true!) love story of Charles Darwin and his wife Emma, and how it survived despite their opposing views on religion. The book was published in 2009 and has 272 pages. It won multiple awards, including being a 2010 National Book Award finalist.

Summary  

As a young man, Charles Darwin didn't believe in the Bible's creation story. Instead, he was creating a new and very controversial theory on the origin of species. His cousin Emma, a very religious person, accepted his proposal for marriage anyway. That decision--to marry despite opposing religious views--was a "leap of faith" that proved to be both heart-breaking and beautiful.

My Take 

I loved this book. Heiligman did a great job making heavy topics (science, religion, the debate on evolution) interesting and accessible to her audience. Though the book never had my heart pounding, the story was thought-provoking and well-paced throughout. Charles and Emma now feel like lovely, old friends.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please post your comments.

Entwined

 

In Short
Entwined by Heather Dixon is a dark retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. It was published in 2011 and has 480 pages.

Summary
After their mother's death, Azalea and her eleven younger sisters find themselves confined to their castle for a year of mourning. Though dancing is strictly off limits during this time, they can't resist when they stumble upon an enchanted pavilion where magical figures dance each night. What begins as innocent fun soon spirals out of control, putting the princesses in grave danger.

My Take 

The book began a bit slowly, but by the time I was halfway through I couldn't put it down. The characters began to round out and the tensions rose. Unexpected plot twists kept me guessing until the very end. 

 

A great book for fairytale fans.

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Get Real: What Kind of World are YOU Buying?

The Chosen One

In Short
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams is realistic fiction telling the story of Kyra, a 13-year-old girl raised on a fundamentalist polygamist compound. It was published in 2009 and has 224 pages.

Summary
At thirteen-years-old, the prophet declares that Kyra will marry her uncle who is sixty and already has six wives. Disgusted, Kyra refuses to go through with it. Her father tries to change the prophet's mind, but things only get worse for everyone Kyra loves, leaving Kyra with no choice but to attempt a daring escape.

My Take
While I was interested in Kyra and her story, I found myself even more interested in the polygamist lifestyle. So many people with their lives so strictly controlled by one leader, their prophet.  I am interested to learn more about the people who really live this way. Fascinating.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please post your comments.

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

 

 

In Short
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl contains Anne Frank's descriptions of  her life  as a Jew in hiding during World War II. Her diary was preserved by a family friend and  first published in 1947 by her father. It has 304 pages.

Summary
Just after Anne's thirteenth birthday, she and her Jewish family go into hiding in the "secret annex" above her father's office. They are soon joined by another family and a single man. For two years Anne keeps a detailed diary of their lives during the most intense years of WWII, not hesitating to include family drama, private hopes, and angry musings.

My Take
I was surprised by how much I personally connected with Anne. Though her life  in hiding was intense, she has a very relatable teenage voice all throughout. When the book ended, I cried. I almost feel as if I knew someone who was lost to the Holocaust. The fact that this story is true makes the sudden ending a more somber experience.

 

What a tragic loss of life. What a beautiful surprise that her story lives on.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please post your comments.

Feed

In Short
Feed by M.T. Anderson is a dystopian novel that satirizes America's media-obsessed and corporation-driven culture. It was published in 2004 and was a National Book Award finalist. It has 199 pages.

Summary
Titus lives in a dystopian world where most people have a "feed" of constant media (radio, tv, texting, commercials) implanted in their brains. He never thinks to question his world until he meets Violet. Unlike his other friends, Violet is  home-schooled by her academic father, and she asks hard questions about the effects of their excessive consumption.

My Take
Though I wasn't very intrigued by the storyline, I can't stop thinking about the points this book is trying to make. Where is our obsession with media leading us? Should today's consumers be more mindful of where their products come from and what happens to them when they are discarded? How can corporations  and governments be held accountable by the public? Is Titus and Violet's world more possible than we might think?

*Warning: This book contains excessive language and some sensuality.

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A Writer's Notebook

In Short
A Writer's Notebook: Unlocking the Writer Within You by Ralph Fletcher teaches young, aspiring writers how a writer's notebook can spur their writing. It was published in 1996 and has 136 pages.

Summary
Fletcher's writing is clear and concise. Each chapter focuses on a different way to use a writer's notebook. Ideas for notebook content include stories, snatches of overheard conversations, wonderings, favorite words, memories, interesting facts, sketches, and thoughts on the writing process. Fletcher's personal examples make it feel like you're getting advice from an old friend, and his student examples demonstrate different directions that each idea can take.  He also includes four chapters with other successful authors (including Paul Fleischman and Naomi Shihab Nye) discussing their use of writer's notebooks.

My Take
This was probably written for very young teens (maybe older elementary students), but I think it's a book that I'll go back to over and over again for simple writing notebook ideas and motivation. I've been keeping a journal and a writer's notebook for years now, but I feel excited to try some of these new ideas. If you aren't at all interested in writing, this book might not be a good reading choice.  Then again, maybe it's just what you need to get you excited about writing.

Have you read this book? What did you think? Please post your comments.