Category Archives: Fiction
“The Distant Land of My Father”
The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell The story of Anna Schoene’s childhood in Shanghai, China in the 1930s and her late childhood and teen years in Pasadena is so thick with period detail, that both locales should … Continue reading
“Conception”
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon I picked this new YA novel off our shelf because it won the Terry McMillan Young Author Award. I think of Terry McMillan as light reading. Although she does deal with the issues of Black women, … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
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“The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian”
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie “The Absolutely True Diary” is a fictional account of the life of a fourteen-year-old Spokane Indian, Arnold Spirit (Junior). He has a lot working against him—he was born with … Continue reading
Posted in "Banned Book", Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
Tagged American Indian
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Bless Me, Ultima
“Bless Me, Ultima” by Rudolfo Anaya This review has been created by the Academic Decathlon class at COHS. It’s a team effort. “Bless Me, Ultima” is a novel set in Guadalupe, New Mexico. The narrator, Antonio Marez, is an adult looking … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Multicultural, Young Adult Literature
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“Night” and “Dawn”
“Night” and “Dawn” by Elie Wiesel Knowing that all freshmen here at COHS read “Night” by Elie Wiesel, and that sophomores have “Dawn” as a possible outside reading choice for history projects, I decided I’d have a go at it. … Continue reading
Year of Impossible Goodbyes
“Year of Impossible Goodbyes” by Sook Nyul Choi I guess August was the ‘month of impossibly short reads’ for me because here’s another little book that I thought was deeply moving. It’s shelved with children’s fiction in the library, but … Continue reading
Jip: His Story
Jip: His Story by Katherine Paterson Jip is a quick novel that packs, if not a punch, at least quite a few surprises at the end. I read it this summer and think that it could work for some Junior … Continue reading
Posted in Fiction, Hi-Low/Quick Read, Junior Project
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